An Introduction: Chris Collins and Morris Tilly Project

[jack neville]

Oops! Second photo above not correct.

I also got the reinforcing panel around the handbrake added in. There was a dent in the hump I couldn't get out. By placing the panel in position and bolting the handbrake down it pulled the dent up and held it in place while I plug welded the drilled holes. A bit of clamping and tipping th body side to side to get a better welding position.

[jack neville]

While I had the body lifted on my gantry I took the opportunity to install new shackle bushes in the front. It took every bit of pressure I could wring out of this G clamp to get them to push in.
After that it was time to wipe a bit more filler around and tidy up some of the welds and other imperfections.

[jack neville]

I got all the filler rubbed back before I took off for Corowa for the week. I gave the body a thorough going over with fishoil and sealed all the seams with butyl mastic. The week in Corowa gave it a chance to dry out so it was ready to paint when I got home.

[jack neville]

First a coat of body deadener underneath and on the floor and other areas to help hide a few minor imperfections.

[jack neville]

I bolted a piece of scrap to the bumper brackets and to where the tow bar attaches, (which has also been fitted). By hoisting it on a chain at the back and using the block and tackle at the front I fashion a temporary rotiserie for painting.

[jack neville]

The firewall panel and dash panel and pedals have gone for sand blasting. The pedal pivot bolts and bushes are all flogged out so I got some bushes from a bearing supplier that will fit and bought some bolts which I turned down on the lathe to suit.

[jack neville]

Now that the body is painted the previously rebuilt axles, springs, dampers and steering gear can go straight on. The front torsion bar was really hard to align and required the use of a porta power to push the axle mount forward and the chainblock to pull the axle up. To stop the whole front end lifting I had to put a piece of timber under my gantry cross beam to work against the chainblock.

My gantry spans the width of my shed and travels on rollers the full length of the shed. It is made from railway line and other scrap. It enables me to pick up anything and move it to anywhere in the shed. The railway line is supported on steel posts which also double as the support posts of the shelving when I built the shed. Makes life very easy.