| Restoring A33 TJN (page 4) |
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| The next area for what at first looks like minor surgery is the passenger front floorpan.I should have realised from the inner front wing that first impressions are not always correct.By the time I'd finished cutting out the rot it looked a bit like this......Oh God,here we go again,pass the welder please. |
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| The chassis rail had to be removed as it was completely rotten in the double skinned area & had been plated over once already.The same section on my spares car was found to be rusty but repairable,not having been bodged before.Several broken jigsaw blades later it was free from the spare car.I wasn't able to use the angle grinder as the glass is still in the spare & flying sparks would have ruined it. |
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| Above:The chassis rail as removed from the doner car.Right:The double skinned section before & after the inner section was ground out with the angle grinder. |
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| The "new" chassis rail needed a new inner section fabricated using the shape of the outer skin to get the profile accurate.Once this was done the repairs to the outer skin could be done using the new inner to again ensure the correct shape was achieved.The outer skins underside also needed repairs allowing a flange to be built in which would help weld it to the car.This sort of welding would be difficult to achieve neatly (remember it's going to be a show car) working under the car with it on ramps,not to mention very uncomfortable.As the floorpan needed repairs anyway it was easier to sacrifice a larger section & do the repairs like this.This is my method of doing this sort of repair.How a bodyshop would do it I have no idea,but I guarantee it would not be cheap given the fiddly nature of the entire job.The fact that a repair section for the chassis is not available would make this level of rot the deciding factor to scrap an everyday "banger" Fiesta. |
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| With the rebuilt chassis rail welded into place the floor was repaired with a repair plate,which unlike the rail is available for around �10.It was seam welded to the existing floor & plug (spot) welded to the inner sill & chassis rail. With this very awkward repair completed it was time to tackle the relatively mild rot on the rear passenger floorpan. |