Bodywork Corrosion

[Alan Chatterton]

Yes I know Lee........ but if you just want to put a car back on the road and enjoy it, it can be done for much less without compromising the structure of the car.

Look at how Colin had his sills done, or mine........ do you consider these to be bodges? Both these cost much less than 1500.

My comment about concours cars was meant to mean, that this gentlemen is obviously not interesting in building a show car, he wants to return a family treasure to the road....... telling him his sills needed doing at a cost of 1500 will just put him off, he almost considered getting rid of the car after that!

Concours cars, to me, are pointless......... as in, I just don't see the point. Why spend stupid amounts of money to get them just as they were from new (but far better) just to clean them and then try and win a tin cup worth about £15? ........... to me, pointless.

[David Withers]

White paint is superb for showing the rust. If the paint on the wings is original and as good as it looks in the photo, I wouldn't expect the sills to be too bad either. But only a thorough check will tell.

It looks as though the stainless steel trims are in place on the sills, which is another good sign as they are often left off after cheap and nasty repairs. Shame about the black on the sills. If it is underseal I'd take it off as a priority. Not only does it hide any 'nasties' that need knowing about, it tends to fall away from the metal and hence trap salt and damp and accelerate any corrosion.

I thought Mike's reply was a good one, however I seem to recall that it is possible to see at least a portion of the middle member of the sill (the 'diaphragm') by pulling back the carpet on the inner sill and removing one or more rubber bungs. (I believe that applies to the Mk 2 as well as the Mk 1 - someone here will know for sure)

It being a 1972 car also gives hope as that was before Triumph cut right back on the paint system. Yours will be the same as my own '72 car, i.e. phosphated followed by a hard and durable primer before finishing.

Lee is absolutely right that you need to be a little pessimistic when thinking about bringing an old car back on the road, but yours looks very promising from what I have seen in the photos - so fingers crossed!

[CAR]

Yes I know Lee........ but if you just want to put a car back on the road and enjoy it, it can be done for much less without compromising the structure of the car.

Look at how Colin had his sills done, or mine........ do you consider these to be bodges? Both these cost much less than 1500.

My comment about concours cars was meant to mean, that this gentlemen is obviously not interesting in building a show car, he wants to return a family treasure to the road....... telling him his sills needed doing at a cost of 1500 will just put him off, he almost considered getting rid of the car after that!

Concours cars, to me, are pointless......... as in, I just don't see the point. Why spend stupid amounts of money to get them just as they were from new (but far better) just to clean them and then try and win a tin cup worth about £15? ........... to me, pointless.

The estate sills did cost about £1500 plus panels to have done, although there was some inner rear arch patching done in that cost.
The bottom of the front wing does need to be removed to do the job once and once only, a £30 cover sill will pass an MOT (even though the basic structure MAY be seriously compromised), you pay the money and make YOUR choice.
We paid that money because we wanted the basic structure to be perfect, the tailgate no longer pops up with a change of camber on a roundabout, but we are not intending to sell the car anytime.
As David says, take the underseal off and the trims (they are upside down!) and see what lurks beneath. Take photos of the sill underside as that tends to drop out first and we can all tell you what we think.(You are right about the bungs on the inner sills too David )

In summary it depends on what you want from the car as to what you need to do, once you have had a better look at the sills.

[Alan H]

All good stuff, I like reading car bloggs.

Here is another pic of the car . You can see where the black sill was scratched by a ladder and the metal is good underneath.

Have decided as long as the structure is sound she's going back on the road. I could do with a project for the year ahead.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/ ... MG1947.jpg

Will post pics tomorrow night when I get home.

Alan H

[TedTaylor]

I'm fully with Alan Chatters on this one.

Sills can be repaired for far far less than £1500 by using a competent welder to set in repair sections (as DEL shows). Done correctly by someone who knows what they are doing repair metal can be inset with a butt weld so that the end result is as good as original (it is a basic principle of competent welding). I have been doing similar stuff for many decades and I am by no means a specialist welder of any great ability but have great fun playing a game of 'spot the repair' with my MOT guy who is the top person in HRCR scrutineering.

If full sections are available and cost is no object by all means do a full job, but this is rarely necessary - and in the case of Mk2 front wings impossible because of near unavailability.

To be honest this car is a prime candidate for a straight forward restoration - sills seem OK as do that essential part (and often a restoration breaker on a Mk2) the front wings look good. Interior also looks good and paint does not look out of place .... in a colour that I think suits a saloon's lines very well.

Bearing in mind the family history of the car and so few previous owners (something that I would love to have with a car) I do hope that it will be sorted.

Join the Register, make contact with the Scottish Group, and hope see it at a Register event soon.

Ted

[Charles H]

It looks a very fine car indeed!

[Alan H]

Had a close look at the car today. The only bad bit of the sills was the first bit I looked at hence my flap. Couple of pics below of the rust on the LH front of sill. Grateful for any opinions. Other small bits of rust are not a worry. The LH rear door aperature has some rust on it.

Overall the car is in great condition to my eyes. The inside of the car is better protected than my "modern" Fiesta. Under the rear seats is perfect , the sub frame mounts have been replaced at some points. Driver and pax footwell are also excellent. Under side has flacky rust but nothing major.

Found the original jack and tools. What is the black tool with circular end for?

So far it needs wheels & tyres, front ball joints, track rod ends, front shocks, rear springs and shocks, rear shoes, drums and cylinders. Front pads, discs and maybe calipers. Brake pipes and hoses all round. Exhaust system.

Rusty Sill.( Rusty Sill would make a great screen name)
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/ ... MG2028.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/ ... MG2027.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/ ... MG2026.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/ ... MG2025.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/ ... MG2024.jpg


I went a bit mental with the camera so have uploaded loads of pic to photobucket. I think you should be able to see them all, just going to tag them now.

Alan H

P.s. Have joined the register.

[Andy Thompson]

I think that could be repaired with localised welding to MOT standard and a good waxoyling of the rest of the sills

[David Withers]

I agree with Andy, there should be no need for sill replacement if the through-corrosion is limited to what we see in the pictures.

You may be able to see from comparison with the other side that there's a rectangular bridge-like plate missing from the bottom of the front end of the LH sill - where the big hole is. In case it's not obvious, this plate is there to deter mud being thrown up into the bottom of the drain hole that runs down from the top of the wing. Easily renewed, either with a bought-in plate or one 'home made' by the person doing the welding.

Some owners block the top of the drain hole to stop water going down but, as with most other things, I prefer to leave it as Triumph designed it.

Good to see that you have joined the Register. This should encourage other members to put extra effort into helping resolve any problems you come across, and perhaps providing you with some of the parts you'll need. It should also save you money when you come to insure the car.

I like the 'Rusty Sill' idea for a screen name! Though I prefer to see members' own names as this seems friendlier. Two or three of us got our username changed to our own name by dropping a request to Allen (our ever-helpful forum administrator).

[englishbull]

Yes I know Lee........ but if you just want to put a car back on the road and enjoy it, it can be done for much less without compromising the structure of the car.

Look at how Colin had his sills done, or mine........ do you consider these to be bodges? Both these cost much less than 1500.

My comment about concours cars was meant to mean, that this gentlemen is obviously not interesting in building a show car, he wants to return a family treasure to the road....... telling him his sills needed doing at a cost of 1500 will just put him off, he almost considered getting rid of the car after that!

Concours cars, to me, are pointless......... as in, I just don't see the point. Why spend stupid amounts of money to get them just as they were from new (but far better) just to clean them and then try and win a tin cup worth about £15? ........... to me, pointless.

Bit pointless having a concourse event at the Nationals then?

Plus I find this statement rather hypocritical, as I remember years ago (when you hosted the first ever National I attended,the one before your last one) that you came over to me and asked if I was going to put my Carmine MK2 2000 into the Concourse?. I said that I wasn't bothered but you said "that I should as it was a nice car (which it was,as it was on the Register Stand at the NEC with Roy Presidees old car) and cars needed to be entered into the judging,as the Register needs these kind of things to stand a chance of surviving........


Plus I didn't read that Alan didn't want to show his car...........

Re Colins sills..................his were done correctly using Stanpart full sills...............so definately not bodged and I know Colin paid approximately what I have qouted!.

Ideally if you intend to use one of our cars on a daily basis then IMO and others...........the car needs to be built better than a concourse one as it will be used in all weathers and if not done correctly and bodily modified it will soon detoriate..........
My new MK1 PI is currently undergoing sill surgery and further welding and will be done correctly,as this is intended to be used in all weathers but the work that is being done will mean that the car will be on the road for many more years.

My mate bought an estate that is used on a daily basis and the car was in very nice condition on the outside but it needed some sill work and welding .....................everthing is not what it appears on the tin and this is what I was trying to portray in my first thread.