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  #1  
Old 12-11-14, 20:37
Jerry Hill Jerry Hill is offline
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Suffolk, UK
Posts: 46
Default One step forward two steps back

When last I wrote we'd made up the new centre front panel, after a fair bit of time trimming and fitting it didn't pass muster. So plan B was called for, that being a drive through the Suffolk lanes down to the workshop where we could do a proper on vehicle fitting job. For this we had to make the vehicle almost road worthy (no lights).

The front doors were trial fitted to establish how much we'd have to pull the front bulkhead to get everything back to shape. The drivers side was attacked first as this was easiest.

Next the passengers side. In Pic1 we've shunted the truck against our long suffering car repair ash tree. A wooden block was buffered between tree and the bumper adjacent to the chassis. Three cargo pulls were gradually loaded up to pull out the deformation.

Pic 2 shows each strap was located over each body post and pretty tight they were.

Pic 3 shows the string marker nicely aligned on completion. The drivers door closes beautifully but will need cosmetic repairs later. The passengers door will need dismantling and pressing straight.

Pic 4 shows her ready for the drive down to the 'surgery', note the doors fit, however you can see why the front centre panel was rejected as it's too short/inboard at the base, as can also be seen on Pic 5.

I can tell you it was a chilly old run up to the workshop. But it was worth it as we're well underway to sorting out the front panel, more news later in the week I hope.

Jerry
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  #2  
Old 14-11-14, 18:33
Jerry Hill Jerry Hill is offline
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Suffolk, UK
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Default At last making progress

At last some real progress.

Pic 1 shows the front end coming together, starting on the easy side first, all the previous work straightening out panels or replacing them where necessary pays off. This assembly work is a dry run, next we'll tack weld the structure together, when we're sure all alignments are as good as we can get them. You'll see where we cut the centre section to insure the faulty angle we'd made earlier was corrected.

Pic 2 The front panel needs aligning to the curved angle iron structure at the base and involved a degree of twist viewed here. All is held in place by various G clamps and one in a cross brace position.

Pic 3 I'd expected difficulty with the passenger's side and inner wing but it came together surprisingly nicely and all that remains is for me to straighten out the headlamp panel and the bottom rail which is still a little buckled.

Pic 4 The few gaps that remain on the passengers side will be pulled up after we remove the tacked front end.

Pic 5 Next week we'll remove the angle iron front end assy carrier and warm it up and reshape it to fit before tack welding it up.

What a relief, still a way to go but we're getting there.

Jerry
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bevprogress1081.jpg (117.6 KB, 8 views)
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File Type: jpg Bevprogress5085.jpg (117.8 KB, 8 views)
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  #3  
Old 17-11-14, 20:09
Jerry Hill Jerry Hill is offline
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Location: Suffolk, UK
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Default A bit more

Today we completed the passengers side headlamp panel straightening and fitting, followed by tack welding the entire structure together to be strong enough to dismount from the vehicle to enable us to final weld the front panel from the inside.

Pic 1 shows the passenger side panel being temporarily bolted up. When we finally weld up the assy the temporary bolt holes will also be welded up.

Pic 2 shows the front end tack welded.

After the pics were taken we removed all the clamps and braces, thankfully there were no nasty surprises. Later in the week we'll fit the angle iron support bracket to the base of the assy and tack welding it in place. Then we'll the remove the whole lot for final welding.

Jerry
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File Type: jpg Bevprogress7087.jpg (116.8 KB, 5 views)
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  #4  
Old 19-11-14, 21:21
Jerry Hill Jerry Hill is offline
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Location: Suffolk, UK
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Default Off with the nose

Today saw us weld up the last bits of the front body assy. Pic 1 shows the angle iron welded onto the assy, also the bottom of each wing were tack welded in areas where we couldn't work on earlier as the G-clamps were in the way.

Satisfied that all was well, we were ready for front body assy removal, it was out with the block and tackle and off she came. Pics 2 & 3 show the front assy on the ground blind side up. On Friday we'll weld everything in place on the blind side.

Whilst the nose was off I took the opportunity to resolve something that has haunted me since the collision and this was I floored the brake pedal and normally the pedal didn't travel that far. So I removed the brake pedal cross bar assy from the chassis and confirmed a suspicion. When stripped down the pedal side Woodruff key was serviceable. The key on the crank that activates the master cylinder was sheered along its length. So I must have hit that pedal mighty hard, I'd be interested in hearing if anybody has heard of a similar occurance.

Both Woodruff keys will be replaced with new and the shaft surfaces will get a coat of Loctite when the clasp bolts are re-assembled. I'd appreciate any opinions on this.

Jerry
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  #5  
Old 24-11-14, 20:34
Jerry Hill Jerry Hill is offline
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Default The nose is finally welded

Last Friday and today Richard welded, welded and welded a bit more, today the nose has completed an important stage and is available for final assembly onto the truck.

Pic 1 shows the drivers side viewed from the inside and the many welds. The patch at the base is from an earlier life. The top panel is new.

Pic 2 shows the passengers side, the front panel was too ratty to re-use, so Richard cut out and welded the original headlamp bowl into an new piece of 2mm zintec, this was no small feat, as it was done without any heat distortion, the top panel is also new.

Pic 3 shows the centre section and the numerous welds. resulting in a rigid structure that fits the rest of the vehicle like a glove.

Pic 4 sorry the pic's sideways, but it shows what a good result we got from what was a sorry sight at the back end of September. The centre section is welded into a tight structure from new folded centre section pieces making it stiff and strong.

Before final fitting I've got to fit new woodruffe keys to the pedal cross shaft assembly, having obtained some excellent tight fitting key material late today, so that will get done and fitted shortly. Hopefully some panel fitting caulk will arrive tomorrow ready for the next stage later in the week.

Jerry
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bevprogress11092.jpg (113.8 KB, 8 views)
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  #6  
Old 24-11-14, 22:02
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
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Default

Excellent work, I have never seen a job so thorough as this one

H.
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  #7  
Old 26-11-14, 18:49
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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So, Jerry. When are you planning to put this vehicle back into production and how big a production run are you targeting?

David
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  #8  
Old 26-11-14, 19:01
Jerry Hill Jerry Hill is offline
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Suffolk, UK
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Default Brakes seen to

Hanno, thank you for your kind words. We want to do a good job.

Today we fitted a proper pair of Woodruffe keys to the brake cross shaft and fitted the assy back onto the chassis. What a difference to the pedal and its position, adjustment to the master cylinder linkage will be required to bring the pedal down to allow 1/2 inch of free travel before the brakes act and I need to refit the clutch linkage. I'll do that with the ramp up once we've done the final fit of the front panel assy.

Pic 1 shows the brake cross shaft looking through the headlamp aperture, not a good pic I'm afraid.

Pic 2 the ankle freezer door bolts have been replaced and work properly, the front panel's loosely hung awaiting the arrival of the panel mastic/caulk, which arrived just as we were packing up!! We trial fitted the bonnet and grille, the grille needs narrowing a tiny bit, which we'll do as the grille needs a bit of refurb work anyway.

Pic 3 we need to weld on the bonnet catches at some point, but it's all coming together at last.

Jerry
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File Type: jpg Bevprogress15096.jpg (118.9 KB, 8 views)
File Type: jpg Bevprogress17098.jpg (114.5 KB, 8 views)
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