101 FC Door Bottoms

**stuee** · 1st February 2014, 01:40 PM

Bringing this thread back from the dead as I'm getting serious with the doors now. I've pulled one skin off and had a much closer look at its construction.

The skins must go on unpainted which probably doesn't help things when paint starts rubbing off the metal frame.

Glue or sealant on metal frame.

Drainage hole on wrong side of frame. Just helps guide water into a trap between the aluminium skin and metal frame. I doubt it was intended to actually be there.

Resultant crap build up.

Worst of the rust damage, and this is the good door!

If it had been used much longer the whole bottom of the door would need replacing.

Unfortunately the lower section that is rusted out does not match the profile of the defender or series sections. It has a longer bottom sheet which can be seen in the following pics. The whole lower edge of the 101 door bottom is like this.

I'm now thinking of cutting out the rusted sections and getting some strips of steel and welding them in instead for the rusted sections. I can get the seal holder from YRM and also I'll get some of the stainless steel fixings for the door locks to make postage worthwhile.

What do people think of galvanising the door frame? Is there potential to warp the whole thing or does it look like it should hold its shape? Once its repaired, galvanizing it would pretty much mean its sorted for life. Failing that I will most likely paint it with one of the polyurethane paints so it lasts. I'm also going to have the skin painted before re-fitting it as when it goes in to get the tray painted they can touch up the edges if needs be.

**stuee** · 1st February 2014, 03:17 PM

Just thinking over lunch that galvanising the frame would probably clog up the seal channels rendering them useless

**Sitec** · 1st February 2014, 04:57 PM

Hi Stuee..
Mine are the same, and I was going to make a batch of door section up... Just not quite yet. I made a whole load up of 4' lengths in the UK for my last 101, and also made a set of second row doors up when I was planning to make a 4 door 101 (but that's another story)... If you were to go into any sheet metalwork shop, they'd crop some pieces in flat zinc plated 1.5 or 2.0mm and fold up the profile you require easily.. It wouldn't cost a great deal either as pieces that width are usually in abundance behind the guillo! You can then drill 8 mm holes just in from the edge of the flat section and mig spot weld them to the folded section every 150mm and then cut your newly made section into the lengths you need....

I will be making more over here, but it won't be for several months, or at least until after the Mighty Melrose Meet!

**stuee** · 1st February 2014, 06:39 PM

Its only a very short section that's rusted out badly so happy to just cut that out and weld a new section in. Might not be as neat but thats what grinders and flap discs are for

Only challenge I have is trying to weld it in with an arc welder

**Brute** · 1st February 2014, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by stuee

Its only a very short section that's rusted out badly so happy to just cut that out and weld a new section in. Might not be as neat but thats what grinders and flap discs are for

Only challenge I have is trying to weld it in with an arc welder

If you want it welding stu give me a call I have plenty of experience of welding rusty Landy bits and a mig and tig welder

**101RRS** · 1st February 2014, 07:16 PM

Stuee - when you get to reskinning how are you intending to do the little roll in the metal around the cutout where the door handle is and what sort of rivets you going to use - just pop rivets or the correct domed rivets.

Garry

**stuee** · 1st February 2014, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Brute

If you want it welding stu give me a call I have plenty of experience of welding rusty Landy bits and a mig and tig welder

Champion. When I get the bits from the UK I will give you a shout and get some beer. Was thinking it would be tricky to spot weld the seal channels on with an arc welder!! I may have a crack at welding the new plate sections in place though, need to try and justify buying the arc welder in the first place...

Pulled a few more bits off tonight to better understand what needs to be done. More rust traps behind the seal channels. I'll try and avoid this by using the polyurethane paint to seal between the channel and the frame. Having used the Rust Seal on the chassis and other parts it is quite good at creeping into spaces. The only thing I'll do different this time round is give it a top coat of the BlackTop top coat stuff so that it doesn't fade like the chassis did. The bumper and outriggers I did with TopCoat are still looking good now.

Also took a measurement of how far apart the spot welds are for re-assembly.

Tomorrow I'll cut the rusted seal channels off and the bad rust out of the frame, then hit it with a coarse wire brush wheel to clean it up. When its repaired I'm going to leave some proper drain holes in it as well as some dedicated holes up the top for flooding the frame with cavity wax or fish oil.

Also have to look at how to clean the paint from under the top section of the frame as its not easily accessible with a wire brush wheel. If its too hard I'll wait till the repairs are done then drop it off for sandblasting.

**Brute** · 1st February 2014, 07:45 PM

Hi stu,
If you are going to get it sandblasted, better to do it before repairing as it will find lots of rust holes that you didn't know we're there

And it makes it much easier to weld

**stuee** · 2nd February 2014, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by garrycol

Stuee - when you get to reskinning how are you intending to do the little roll in the metal around the cutout where the door handle is and what sort of rivets you going to use - just pop rivets or the correct domed rivets.

Garry

Sorry Garry I missed this post. I'm going to use the original door skins as only the lower edge is showing signs of bad corrosion so will mean the roll around the handle is already there for me. Although it does have a little crack in around the roll, its not that noticeable.

I'd like to use the correct dome rivets but I've not used them before and don't have the tools. Normal pop-rivets would be so much easier but probably wont look as nice.

**stuee** · 30th March 2014, 10:31 PM

Not much progress but now with my own sand blaster I don't need to get the frames dropped off to clean the bits I cant reach with the wire wheel

Repairs started on the lower section

I started using the arc welder, not very pretty but its good practise and the frame is just as strong.

I also pulled the door tops apart to see the state of those. They are rusted quite a bit on each of the sides but still structurally sound, I'll just end up with some larger than normal drain holes at the base of the door tops

Had they been left unattended in the weather for a few more years though they would be shot.

By pulling them apart I also figured out what needs to be replaced, only the felt lined channels which I will be purchasing through John Cradocks.

With a sand tilt on the way I'm in two minds as to what colour to paint the door tops. I can get them painted sand colour like the body or go black (like the other bits of trim). The windscreen frame will probably be black but even that one is up for debate too. I welcome any thoughts or suggestions.

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