Thread: A well used 80''called Klonk

Well been awhile since Ive done an update. Progress has been slow due to lack of finances and motivation. For the last 8 weeks we've been under the threat of redundancies at work and have been on reduced hours. Lucky a couple of blokes found other work and things have settled and we are back to normal hours and have other work outside of the mining that has picked up. So dodged that bullet.

So the seatbox and floor is in place loosely. Had to make the gearbox inspection cover, as it was missing when I bought it. The left front guard has been repaired, panelbeaten and undercoated and is now bolted in position with the bonnet also installed, so its now starting to look like a car again.

The front guard took alot of work. The inner guard had broken where it bolts to the radiator panel, I tried to weld it up but made a big hash of it, so after throwing it in shed I decided to take it apart at the seams and repair each panel seperately. So I drilled the spot welds that hold the inner panel and the top panel together from underneath without cutting through the second sheet, when it was ready to put back together I glued it back together with 252 sikaflex. From the top you cant tell its been apart. A straight edge was the best lie detecter for checking how the panel was comming along. It started with welding and lots of buckels, flattening with a wooden dolly and slapper spoon, shrinking and more flattening, then picking a few small dents etc gently with a panel hammer abit more flattening and finally using fingers to shift spots up or down to the straight edge. Final result was only a skim coat of bog to fill hammer marks etc and a few low spots and three coats of filler primer sanded back to level anything small. To check the final result water was misted over the panel and the shine of the water gave a shine as paint would look so you could check the reflections to see how straight it was.

The bonnet had its issues, it was 3/4'' off center and looked terrible at the radiator panel. so the hinge holes were welded up and redrilled and the hinges adjusted (bent) to bolt backup again.
Now to start the r/h side, its in worse condition.

Cheers Steve

And a couple more

I have a feeling this is going to end up with straighter panels than it had when new!

John

Maaaate that is looking real nice

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I have a feeling this is going to end up with straighter panels than it had when new!

John

Yes John I know , it was hard to decide what to do with the panels too good to be bad and too bad to be left, so if I've got to fix it make a proper job of it. I've left some evidance of the past in the tub, tailgate, toolbox . The grab rail and the steering column bracket won't be getting regalved.
I've got to do the doors next, there will be less work to make new ones than repair the old ones.

Cheers Steve

O my 80" I cut 25mm x 2mm alum flat bar to use as backing under the guards & at the rear where the guard bolts to the firewall. Stoped the guards flapping & stoped the cracking of the inner guard panel from flexing . You don't know there unless you look for them.

Well not much to show but the tailgate is finally done. It had cracks in every corner, two tears where something had tried to escape and a strengthening bracket that someone made to stop the bottom edge of it from bending when it was down, it was bolted on buy eight 1/4'' bolts through the frame and tailgate. So The spot welds were drilled and the frame removed. everything welded up, streightened and reassembled and finally undercoated. I am not going to undercoat the inside of the tailgate, but it will be painted green. Hopefully with use the paint will wear off quicker as it wont be stuck as well, giving it the used look. Ive done this to the tub floor as well.

Also made up the front indicator light brackets and have started working on the r/h front guard but this is not going well. the weld just wont flow and stick properly,the aluminium must be dirty even though Ive cleaned it using the usual methods.

Still progressing but slow.

Cheers Steve

Well not much to report. R/h front guard is taking shape but need a can of motivation to finish it. Just cant get in the mood.
Have been getting engine parts from England, Friday the camfollowers returned from Cox and turner. They machine and fit Stellite pads to the follower surface that runs on the cam, these dont wear through as the original chrome ones do and ruin the cam. They did a nice job.
Also have a set of .010 under crankshaft bearings and a set of inlet valves. So now I have everything to start the engine machining.

Today I fitted the bonnet rest strip to the top of the radiator panel. I couldnt get the brass rivits that hold it on so i made some imitation ones from brass screws. I put them it the cordless drill and spun them while using the side of the grindstone on the bench grinder to remove the head and slot of the screw, then polished it on the wire wheel. We'll see how many rivet counters pick that up.

Cheers Steve