The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Carledo, I think we are in danger of thread drift here, but I think your statement (repeated below) needs to be challenged, as standards and the MOT Manual do indeed change:

But just to clarify, continuous weld is NOT mandatory, quoting from the MOT testers manual, "a minimum of one inch in every four is permissible" but "continuous weld IS acceptable" So it's not a great sin to miss a half inch here or there!

The MOT Inspection manual in Appendix A, Section 10, Acceptable methods of repair states:
"Repairs to structural components must be properly carried out and appear to be as strong as the original structure. This requires the use of suitable materials and any plating or welding extends to a sound part of a load-bearing member.
You can only pass spot welded repairs if the original panel was spot welded and the original panel or section has been removed. Stitch or plug welding can be used instead of spot welding.

In all other circumstances, patch repairs must be continuously seam welded.

From here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspect ... -corrosion

I would class a partial repair panel (i.e. a panel which does not fully replace the original) as a patch repair, and any structural component would therefore need to be fully seam welded along any non original panel joint.

Comments?

Primrose? Primrose? It’s Honeysuckle!

Primrose was an MG colour!

xvivalve wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:28 am Primrose? Primrose? It’s Honeysuckle!

Primrose was an MG colour!

Whoops! Actually why did I write Primrose?

Happy now Alun?

Really nice work James.

Repairing the inner arches looks much easier your way - on mine, I didn't cut away as much of the outer wing, so the inner had to be welded from inside the arch - very difficult with a welding mask on and one of the bits I really struggled with.

Good job you have a full outer repair section too. There are a few on eBay at times, but without them I imagine a repair would be really difficult. I know Alun's repair panels will cover smaller area's.

I think I mentioned to Alun a while back as to whether it would be viable to get the repair panels made in full, but I think it is too complex a panel to replicate which is a shame. I guess it is a case of get them when you can for any future projects!

Thanks Matt, it's a horrible job trying to do those arches, the panel required so much work to get the swage line to line up with the door aperture. Hopefully the other side won't be so bad.

I'll go out and take some photos later but the sill and jacking points are now complete, the sill has been seam welded and all repairs have been coated in some black anti rust primer. The only thing left to do is to seam seal everything, I'll do this when all of the body repairs are complete.

I can now move the car out, turn it around and do the same on the other side. I might do the rear panel first to take a break from sills!

James, I could do with you to rebuild the NSR jacking point on my 1850 auto.

Weekly update time!

The NS sill is done, seam welded and aligned to perfection! The rear door needs raising, I'll do this when I replace the skin.



I'm fed up with laying on the floor on my back working so I have bought a rotisserie which is going to work great when doing the chassis legs. So the first job is to ensure that I can mount the car up safely and securely.

After turning the car around I decided to replace the rear panel, it's an easy job I did it on VA138. Due to the amount of rust, this one came off easier! It looks like water has collected above the headlights and rusted through, then it has collected on the seam and rusted through there. The boot floor itself is nice and solid and required no welding at all.





So it's out with the spot weld drill and cutting disc!





You can see how bad the panel was.



Test fit the new one





Then all of the mounting surfaces are prepped, cleaned, stripped of paint and holes punched for the plug welds before receiving a coat of UPols best weld through paint.



Final test fit











Then it's out with the welder to fix it permanently



The inner panel was welded to the outer using bolts through the bumper holes to align it and hold it. Then after some anti rust primer later and it is ready for seam sealer.





I just need to weld up the holes for the fog lights and later number plate lamps, drill a new number plate lamp hole and the trim fixing holes. I'll do all the trim fixing holes at the same time when the sills are finished.

Astounding work James..I am in awe!

Thank you for the updates and pics..as with the other fine projects on here, it has helped me through the winter!

new to this wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:07 pm James

Was that a new rear lamp panel, are you going to make a chassis turner or buy one,i bought my chassis turner from CJ Autos mines height adjustable as well

Dave

Yes, a complete new rear panel assembly Dave.

I have a rotisserie being built for me, just need to fab some body support brackets.

DOLOMITE 135 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:42 pm Carledo, I think we are in danger of thread drift here, but I think your statement (repeated below) needs to be challenged, as standards and the MOT Manual do indeed change:

But just to clarify, continuous weld is NOT mandatory, quoting from the MOT testers manual, "a minimum of one inch in every four is permissible" but "continuous weld IS acceptable" So it's not a great sin to miss a half inch here or there!

The MOT Inspection manual in Appendix A, Section 10, Acceptable methods of repair states:
"Repairs to structural components must be properly carried out and appear to be as strong as the original structure. This requires the use of suitable materials and any plating or welding extends to a sound part of a load-bearing member.
You can only pass spot welded repairs if the original panel was spot welded and the original panel or section has been removed. Stitch or plug welding can be used instead of spot welding.

In all other circumstances, patch repairs must be continuously seam welded.

From here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspect ... -corrosion

I would class a partial repair panel (i.e. a panel which does not fully replace the original) as a patch repair, and any structural component would therefore need to be fully seam welded along any non original panel joint.

Comments?

Looks to me that you have the right of it and they've changed the rules without telling me! (twice in the last 2 years alone!) That'll teach me not to shoot my mouth off without checking first! Can't say I mind really, belt and braces is always the best approach and we are no longer looking at "just one more test" but the entire forseeable future. It will not serve us well in the long run to cut corners!

Steve

With everything that's going on at the moment I have been able to get a couple of things done this week.

I had a look at the rear wheelarch which was a lot worse than it looked, the leading edge was just filler so a lot had to be cut away.











Fortunately I have a Toledo rear panel which I bought for the C Pillar. Unfortunately although the profile is the same the swage lines on Toledo's are different. So I have sectioned the panel and prepped that for fitting.





I repaired the rear section of the inner wheelarch and rust protected everything.



The front section will need some work and the outer panel needs some finessing to get it to fit, however I can't get to that until I have repaired the sill, and as I haven't has my rotisserie delivered yet (due to the current situation so it's not the fault of the company who is building it!) I'll be welding on my back again, which I really hate!!



The outer sill was much the same as the nearside. The standard amount of rust on the front section behind the wing so I will have to fab another section much like the opposite side.



A lot more of the inner diaphragm had to be removed this side so I will be using a sectioned club diaphragm to replace it.





I have ordered some more steel to repair the inner sill, if all goes to plan hopefully this will arrive on Thursday. With the children out of school now I don't know how much I will be able to do over the coming weeks so it's going to be a case of just trying to do as much as I can here and there. As long as my steel delivery happens I have enough stock of gas and wire able to crack on!

Superb work as usual James, nothing is ever simple. Is that a little space heater under the car James? Is it gas or electric and is it any good?

Tony.

Apologies for the delay in posting, homeschooling three kids is challenging!

OK, so where was I? Ah yes, right hand sill!

Yes, the steel arrived so I have been able to crack on with quite a lot. Starting with the inner sill I basically started working from the inside out to reconstruct everything. When replacing the sills I always fit new inner sill repair sections, panel F on the spares list, this way the new sill always has good clean metal to join to. To fit that I just needed to do some minor repairs to the inner sill.





and the rear!





There we go, a solid starting point!



Both jacking reinforcing points were shot so I remade them.















As both of these areas are a bit of a water trap and prone to rust they have had a coat of my industrial anti rust paint (apparently they use this stuff on north sea oil rigs!)





Once that was on then I was able to take a club diaphragm, modify it and graft it onto the existing diaphragm ready to be plug welded to the inner sill repair section.







I then use by pre brakes L section to join the diaphragm to the inner sill, this time showing the full seam weld!







Then it's a case of closing in the inner wheelarches.



So that I can complete the outer rear wheelarch repair.



Note that the outer sill is only fitted for alignment here, not permanently fitted.



Then very carefully joining both panels together, this is very difficult, too much heat and the panel will bow.







It doesn't look very pretty as it has been carefully spotted to minimise heat but it is straight and sound.







One flap disc and some rust paint later











I could then fit the outer sill.







Jacking pads on and I can now move the dollys!

I removed the front wings to have a look at the extent of the rust in the front panel, it's pretty bad and I will put a pair of club corners on, but the new wing fits well.











On to the scuttle/windscreen surround. I knew this had gone through the bulkhead so removed the dash in preparation. With the wing off you can see how bad it is.





Unfortunately with the outer panel carefully removed a whole heap of pain was revealed!


Out with the template!!



Cut it out





New panel shaped and ready to fit, sorry about the over exposure!



Fitted and ready for the outer panels











Then I ran out of wire!

Don't worry, I have more!!

To be continued!