i cant fault the make do a mend, have a go attitude. :)

if you do go down the route of replacing your rear tub supports YRM in uk sell galvanised versions (now with correct series support brackets) they also sell the top hat channels which run north south under the floor, and floor plate itself. in the case of the floor plate thats 3mm alloy which brings me onto my actual point. if its an upgrade to an original part (in this case galvanised, or thicker parent material) then i dont mind replacing for new.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not opposed to new. I'm not opposed to modifying or improving.

The (new) YRM sourced door post has had a bit of a bashing (literally!) as if I'd have tried to fit it as sold, it would have had a tedious knock on effect for many other things such as the front wing and the lower skirting (what's that called again?)...

...but you also need to factor in two other elements to this madness

1) I wanted a challenge and purposefully looked for a pile of crumpled Birmabright junk to play with and learn new skills - I paid as little as I could for the vehicle expecting it to be rubbish

2) I'm in Holland - the easy way out - the money hammer - has to be a lot bigger: Shipping a replacement chassis or a replacement bulkhead would be mental. The shipping has been bad enough for other parts despite the good deal from both of the 'addocks (5 GBP plus VAT for a box to Holland)

So in some respects what I'm doing is partly because I like this kind of ****, but there's also an element of "if I don't do it myself then I might as well chuck it away because it is going to cost too much".

To be honest I didn't expect this vehicle to be this good. The plan was to find a home for my rebuilt Mercedes diesel engine (way better than the CAV fueled three bearing doo dah originally fitted by Land Rover) and make a bit of a bitsa just to mess about with - BUT I have been surprised by the originality of this station wagon and feel I have the opportunity to try and step up to the plate and make it a nice example. Originality is also a nice snake to chase - the far superior OM617 can be put in another more appropriate place some other time...
 
Front wing repairs and woe

(Unfortunately this is turning into a bit of a big job - typical!)

Started out by removing the lights and cutting out the bolts (rusted beyond use) for the number plate

View attachment 130708

Pictures of the damage on the side of the wing - bashed and ripped

View attachment 130709

The reinforcing strip is now helping to keep the wing in its newly altered shape

View attachment 130710

Nasty corrosion too

View attachment 130711

Although the method of annealing your Birmabright has reached almost epic forum myth status - the method is actually recommended in the green book

Apply oil to one side of the panel - heat underneath until you see the oil bubbling on top - this is about the temperature needed to anneal

View attachment 130712

I tried penetrating oil and cutting oil - both seem to bubble at about the same temperature - I plan to check this with a thermometer in the next few days - always good to know what you're doing eh?

Simple blow torch is all that's needed

View attachment 130713

See the bubbling?

View attachment 130714

(^^^^Great action shot that one!)

###########

After trying to straighten the side with it attached to the rest of the wing I decided to remove the side (which will help with the painting stage anyway)

View attachment 130715

Only two of the bolts had to be cut - good good.

Not a job I'd like to do with the wing fitted to the vehicle

View attachment 130717

With the side off it is easier to clamp the damaged area and try and push it down carefully...

View attachment 130718

Surprisingly strong that crease! =>

View attachment 130719

Although I was trying to avoid using a hammer and dolly I decided I had little option

(Hammering helps to get the rough shape but can cause more trouble / work in the future cos you then need to smooth it out)

View attachment 130720

By clamping the side of the panel to a (relatively) flat surface it is easy / easier to see where the panel needs to be encouraged back towards its original shape

View attachment 130721

That nasty rip goes right up to the reinforcing strip - which I was trying to leave in position because removal is going to be a pain...

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Not looking so great eh?

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Sandwich compression helps a bit

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Curved piece of wood under the panel to help shape the form - hammer on top =>

View attachment 130725

Still a great big kink in the panel - cos of that sodding reinforcing strip (Note the angle of the panel nearest to the floor - in front of the wheel bit ====> Compare with the angle of the panel edge higher up in the picture - they are seriously twisted away from each other)

View attachment 130726

Trying to make the crease of the panel under the reinforcing strip by wedging a chisel in there ( edge of panel held in hard wood "v" block) =>

View attachment 130727

Bit of adjustment with the folding pliers (good tool that one)

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Clamped back onto the (pretty much) flat table top - pushing down with my hand to feel how much of a gap there is =>

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Hmmmm =>

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Well I suppose it is getting there!

View attachment 130731

Gorra keep positive about these things - BUT - it looks like I really need to remove that reinforcing strip...

...to be continued...
Back to the front RH wing today.

I was worried about the strengthening strip - I was wondering how on earth I was going to cut out a bit of it - because I was thinking that I didn't really want to remove the whole strip =>

1965-series-2a-station-wagon-front-rh-wing-repairs14-jpg.130722


I was thinking it might be necessary to get the strengthening piece out of the way to put the shape back into the outer skin on this edge =>

1965-series-2a-station-wagon-front-rh-wing-repairs15-jpg.130723


I had a brain wave - I thought I'd try and make a shaped bit of wood that I could hammer up against before I got to the cutting / removing stage

1965 series 2a station wagon front rh wing repairs24.JPG


So here it is - a bit of tropical hardwood - no extra special careful woodworking needed (!) - I did a bit of bareback free hand router work (always a bit dodgy) to make some recesses for the lip of the strengthener

1965 series 2a station wagon front rh wing repairs25.JPG


I then used that homemade metal shaping bat of mine (with a leather face) to hammer the other side of the panel a bit flatter

Compare the first picture shown above with this one =>

1965 series 2a station wagon front rh wing repairs26.JPG


And then here's the other side

1965 series 2a station wagon front rh wing repairs27.JPG


It is a bit difficult to show it - but this is a nice step forward. It has kind of reached the what seems often to be called the "nice Land Rover character" stage: the panel is now nearly straight. I just need to figure out how to flatten the rest of the panel with out stretching the metal.

To be continued
 
That panel definitely does that "nice Land Rover Character" about it! :D Looks lovely and "lived in" :)
Well, yes, well - I'm trying to make it look a bit better than that!

I guess I'm doing a Lovejoy => trying to fake it into a well cared for - much loved - one owner from new - only used on Sundays vehicle (!)
 
@everyone

I've been busy off on yet more not strictly related Land Rover tangents (hence the delay in progress) - I'm not sure if people are interested in these little tangents any more so I thought it was best to ask before posting up yet more confusing stuff (!)
 
It's going to look fantastic!

I confess a certain affection for cars which have A1+ mechanicals but with bodywork that shows their history. Somehow they're more nostalgic somehow? But who doesn't love a car that has all the care and attention you've lavished upon it to look at least as good as it did when it came out of the factory? :) Keep up the great work - loving it! :D
 
@everyone

I've been busy off on yet more not strictly related Land Rover tangents (hence the delay in progress) - I'm not sure if people are interested in these little tangents any more so I thought it was best to ask before posting up yet more confusing stuff (!)
I liked your tangents. :)







But then I got no taste. :oops:
 
@everyone

I've been busy off on yet more not strictly related Land Rover tangents (hence the delay in progress) - I'm not sure if people are interested in these little tangents any more so I thought it was best to ask before posting up yet more confusing stuff (!)
Tangents are good and usually quite entertaining
 
Tangents are good and usually quite entertaining
I liked your tangents. :)







But then I got no taste. :oops:
Right then tasteful or not 'ere we go!

I've been toying with the idea of getting a lathe for ages. The thing that has been stopping me is the price - not only the price of the machines themselves but the price of the parts / bits you need. AC/DC TIG welders seem to be as cheap as chips compared with stuff for lathes.

So I've gingerly dipped my little toe in the water

(and I might have got scolded this time)

This hasn't cost a fortune at all. It is small - it has been "Hobby'd to death" - every fastener on it has been grollied and buggered.

The positives are that it was cheap and surprisingly heavy for what it is. The bed has been screwed down onto a self made angle iron table which has been relatively carefully made.

The negatives are probably going to be too depressing to list!

#####

As you can see it hasn't been in the workshop for longer a few seconds before being pulled to bits to see what's what =>

Non descript mini lathe1.JPG


The chuck was nice - once.

German manufacturer Ixion

Non descript mini lathe2.JPG


Past being useful now though...

Non descript mini lathe3.JPG


...so I need a new chuck (I expect that'll be about 50 euros)

The lock nuts on the head stock spindle should hopefully be easy enough to replace (fingers crossed)

Non descript mini lathe4.JPG


Biggest "bit of a bugger" is this crack in the bed: It sits right under the head stock (and that's why Mungo missed it). Damn shame as the rest of the bed is really nice and smooth to the touch - only a few "hobby" markings where things have been ****ted by accident into it (!)

Non descript mini lathe5.JPG


I have a nasty feeling this is cast iron - I hope it is steel then I'll weld it - if not it might have to stay that way.


#######

Anyway there you go - a tangent. If this one comes off then I'll definitely be able to turn Delrin parts and may be even steel parts so I can make things like custom beads for the bead roller (so sheet metal obscurities a-go-go) and also (more importantly for direct Land Rover relevance) I'll be able to turn the spot welding electrodes to the correct size / shape for all that aluminium spot welding that'll be done this side of Christmas (ha ha)...

(Oh yeah there was another tangent as well - but I'll save that for another time!)
 
I hate those lathes with the drive pulleys all enclosed. :( - getting a belt on is a nightmare :(
Ah great - someone with experience.

How the 'uck are these pulleys meant to come off? I've got what looks like a dowel hammered into the outer end of the bushing that holds the spindle in the outer part of the casting. It could be a snapped off bolt of course...

...I was going to drill and see if an easy out was going to help.

(The nuts are loose and it looks like the whole spindle is threaded but I can't get it to budge longitudinally out of the cradle)
 
Tangents are always interesting, especially if they work out in the end, looks like a bit of work required here though. Martyn
Oh this is nothing compared with that pesky dynamo I've been trying to fix on and off for about a year now (more to come about that at a later date)

Today I found that the dowel was indeed a screw - flippin' 'eck hobby'd to death this thing!

Non descript mini lathe6.JPG


Non descript mini lathe7.JPG


Off to the specialist bearing shop tomorrow

(My fears about it being cast iron were confirmed - will be asking some geezer for his advice)
 
BULKHEAD (partial) DAY TWENTY FOUR

From a thread update perspective there hasn't really been much to say - I've been slowly not getting distracted by the (oh so many) tangents and have been once in a while been making more parts for the bulkhead.

Things being a mirror image of what I've done so far has been confusing my little brain a bit - it is tempting to think that I only have to clamp the metal against the block of shaped wood I used for the other side and knock it into shape...

...only then do you realise you've bent the sodding thing the wrong way!

1965 series 2a station wagon bulkhead inner panel other side1.JPG


1965 series 2a station wagon bulkhead inner panel other side2.JPG


1965 series 2a station wagon bulkhead inner panel other side3.JPG


1965 series 2a station wagon bulkhead inner panel other side4.JPG


I'm kind of enjoying this metal bashing a bit more now despite the mistakes - getting to the stage where it is interesting to see if you can dig yourself out of metal shaping holes.

It is all gettin' kinda Zen

"All was quiet in the deep dark wood - the mouse found a nut and the nut was good"

maxresdefault.jpg
 
I get the impression I'm suffering a bit from "familiarity" - I get the feeling that cos I see it every day and have taken the bulkhead to bits that I know where it all goes but I probably haven't explained it very well.

I reckon it is worthwhile explaining / trying to explain the main relative positions of the parts that I'm working on at the moment.

Earlier I posted this picture showing where the new A post positions have to fit =>

1965-series-2a-station-wagon-bulkhead-alignment-point-for-a-post-jpg.131259


(This determines the height-wise position of the A post)

On the other side of the bulkhead the corner stiffener pieces fit partially into the upper A post (that is a bit that is attached to the hinge for the windscreen) and the new A post piece...

...this means the curve that has been made on the A post has to match the curve being made by me on the inner strengthening corner stiffener piece.

Curve A shown in the picture below needs to match on two parts - I need to make sure that these fit nicely so I can spot weld them together - no gaps!

1965 series 2a station wagon bulkhead explanation the fitting of pieces1.JPG


The position of curve A on the part that I'm making also needs to be at the correct place - this is determined by a fold / bend in the front panel on the bulkhead.

So Bend B needs to fit nicely on this corner stiffener and the existing bend in the bulkhead, whilst Curve A fits into the proper place in the A post and the A post fits in the correct place as shown in the first picture above.

1965 series 2a station wagon bulkhead explanation the fitting of pieces2.JPG


Clear as mud?

Does this explanation help a bit?

Was this explanation necessary?
 
Morning tangent today

I often do a bit of voluntary mechanical work / welding for a local petting zoo / eco-warrior education centre / farm => Today I went to fix "something that fell off the front of the tractor"

I was told it would be a quick job.

I'm always told it'll be a quick job...


I was amazed to find the most porous bit of welding ever. It was part of a weight that hangs on the front of their tractor along with a concrete block that helps stop the constant wheelie popping...

(They need this because they are Dutch: Clutch control is a bit of a dark art as you might expect in a country with no hills!)


Amazing welding1.JPG


...anyway during an important visit - whilst the dignitaries were being shown round the place - the tractor drove past and literally dropped a clanger...

Amazing welding2.JPG


Absolutely amazing that this bit of welding had held the weight (about 30 kg) in place for 20 + years (of constant daily wheelie popping)

It is actually quite difficult achieving that degree of slag inclusion - it looks like a cinder

Crazy - must have been done at the end of a field with only 130 of the expected 220V - I'm impressed!
 
Bit more on the replacement A posts

The other side - just as bad as the first one I had a look at - well actually a bit worse =>

For comparisons I'm taking the edge of the designer bulge (top of the wings) as a reference point

1965 series 2a station wagon replacement A post alignment with front wing1.JPG


This replacement post is like the other one about 2mm longer than it should be

1965 series 2a station wagon replacement A post alignment with front wing2.JPG


The holes for the wing don't line up as good as they should - about 2 - 3 mm out - slightly better than the first A post

1965 series 2a station wagon replacement A post alignment with front wing3.JPG


Only this time the holes for the lower hinge are out of whack (the first A post was OK)

1965 series 2a station wagon replacement A post alignment with front wing4.JPG


So I've got my work "cut out" again (pun intended)

Started with the gutter for the door seal

1965 series 2a station wagon welding door seal gutter on the other A post.JPG


...drastic cutting to follow...
 
Taking a break from the bulkhead at the moment. I find if things get tedious it is best to float off on an (another) enjoyable tangent.

I found this about a year ago =>

Another tangent1.JPG


Top quality

Another tangent2.JPG


(More than) A few cutting discs later...

Another tangent3.JPG


...hmmm - what's it gonna be eh?
 

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