Starting restoration - at last!

[Mike Stevens]

Those of you that know me will probably remember me promising for some time to start the restoration of my Mk2 PI. Well, I've finally started.

Having restored a number of cars in the past with them firmly supported but staying 'flat', this time I Wanted to use a 'spit' to make those position welding jobs easier. I have finally now got the body on the 'spit' but it was one of the most worrying and stressful things I've ever done! The shell is supported by the front and rear bumper mounts and has now been in that position for at least 3 hours without it all falling off. It is supported on 4 off M8 bolts (2 each front and back) which I suppose is OK and what was recommended. I shall be very careful not to get underneath it for some time until I think it's OK!

Some pictures -

As you can see, some work to do but thanks to Lloyd's efforts I should have all the outer panels I need. Inner ones I can make myself. I hope.

Wish me luck!

[wild bill]

Well done Mike, the starting is the hard part!! I have stalled on the old bike just now, but I won't go to it unless I'm "hungry". Better that than doing the job, only to rip it apart and start again.
Once your confidence grows in the spit, you'll be spinning it round like a top, definitely the way to go.When I last rebuilt the minivan, 2000-2009!, I ended up welding any " underneath bits from insider lot easier and kinder on the skin. Good luck with the car,I will follow with interest and offer any encouragement you desire!!
Take care,
Bill.

[Mike Stevens]

Thanks Bill, good to hear from you.

I'm a bit more confident in it now. This morning I pushed it over so I could remove the LH doors. That made it balance a bit better! I've done some preliminary digging in the offside sill, maybe not as bad as I thought but still needs sorting. I think I need to get a 1mm blade in the angle grinder and see what's inside that sill. The middle bit seems still to be there from what I can see so far!

I'm sure we've all had the welding sparks in out hair in the past - not nice!

Stay safe!....

Cheers,
Mike.

[Forkie]

Hi Mike...
Bit late to the party , again, but how is it going? I have to admit i have seen a few pics of these spit affairs, but not in the 'metal'. Looks wildly unstable, but obviousy is not, else it would not be a viable option...how are you finding it now? Would love to have a ' proper' garage like that....
Regards, Nige

[Mike Stevens]

How an I finding it? When first getting the body on the 'spit' I was terrified! I was very careful to make sure none of me was underneath the body in case it fell. The whole thing is held with just 4 off 8mm bolts, 2 at each end. However looking up the shear strength of that size bolt, it would seem that we have a safety margin of about 4 times. I'm still careful though. It is possible to turn the whole things right round, although I've not had it upside down - yet! It's very useful though as 'positional' welding (lying on your back underneath) is no longer required, I just turn it round to put the work area at a convenient height and angle. I've been working down the driver's side sill recently making up new bits and welding them in for the middle sill. It's nice to be able to sit down while doing it too!

We built the garage just after moving in here in 1988, it's about 57' long and is FULL of 'useful' stuff of course.

Good luck with your 's'. I read your posts with great interest. The last one we had was STM135R And I rebuilt that one with a few modifications and it was an auto - BW65 like yours should be. We sold it when we finally went away from Triumphs as the main family car in ~1998. Shame, I'd like to get it back now and convert to Manual/Overdrive but that won't happen...

Cheers,
Mike.

[Forkie]

Geez 4 # 8mm bolts holding all that up...... That sounds almost as dodgy as having one's own rear end of the Estate literally hanging from the middle of the rear floors for years - feeling that whilst i was under it the only thing keeping the balance was the cast iron lump up front !!!! I think on memory it was Derek Furnell that explained how to go about it/what to do, ' might be a bit of creaking and groaning but all will be fine' ( this was so i could remove everything from the tail end of the gearbox back leaving nothing on the car) - i do not recall any creaking, but i can say he was right - all was well !!! Either way, both my past and your current do not 'feel ' right - as it seems unnatural - but they work!!
Well, when i first clocked Six Appeal i assumed you had done an excellent job . Yes i have read your article, it looks like a lot of work required, and you are doing a great job - a better man than me- i would not be able to do that myself - i can build a house, but not weld a car!! That is why i had to search for a relatively 'solid on the body' example,and i think i got lucky....
A 57' long garage
B.T.W. you mention you used to have an 'S' .... and it had a BW 65 ' like yours should be'..... are you saying mine should have the 65, not the 35?

[Mike Stevens]

Hi Nige,

Yes, I believe the later cars used the BW65. What is the output from the gearbox, a spline into the box or a flange? if the latter then that is a BW65 - I think... Our first 'S' estate ('P' reg) was MP458 or thereabouts and was Man/Overdrive, our 2nd 'S' estate was 'R reg and that was a BW65. Not that 35/65 makes much difference.

[Forkie]

Mine has a spline at the 'box end, and - i take a big gulp of air here, up against one of the experts - if i remember rightly ,from learning from the experts... the 35 has a spline 'box end...the 65 a flange....35's were fitted to early cars....65 to later....mine is an early 'S' on an N plate .....your 'R' plate was one of the last, later cars....
And mine is definately a 35....
I await the shoot down to that lot

[Mike Stevens]

No, you are right, spline = BW35. I'll have a look in the 2500TC/S parts book, but I thought all 'S's had a BW65. You learn something new every day!

Cheers,
Mike.

[Forkie]

Hello Mike, again !!
So just a gentle reminder that my ' S' Estate is a bit of an oddball / anomaly, as it was built 1 month earlier than the official build date i.e. by what i understand the S Estate was released in May 1975, but mine was built in April 1975.... and was used as a demonstrator for Norfolk B.L. Mann Egerton....The only register members to of seen this car is Derek and Sharron Furnell....I have never really established just how early the car is, but i believe they saw it as an early model, MP 102. So i have always wondered due to so much unrest at that time, i may well own the earliest 2500 S Estate,cobbled together with whatever was available at the time, to get the model out ?
Regards, Nige