An Introduction: Chris Collins and Morris Tilly Project

[jack neville]

I thought it looked bad before it went to the sandblasters but what was revealed on return was even worse but at least it was clear what we were up against.

[jack neville]

It was clear the rust was worse than we thought.

[jack neville]

First to do was straighten the rear floor and get the rear end rebuilt.
I fashioned up a jig using some scrap and nuts and bolts. Welding some pieces to the joining seams on the floor I was able to pull out the main crease in the centre. I then attached the jig to the front creased area doing the same. Came out pretty good.

[jack neville]

Next was to fashion an new rear cross member and attach that to the rear floor. A bit of patching on the upper part of the right chassis rail was done first.
The cross member was first tacked into the rear corners and then a porta power used to push out the left side chassis rail until all the original spot welds i had cut realigned.

[jack neville]

I used whatever means I could to get the floor back where it belonged and the result I thick should be quite good. I cant join the rear floor to the front floors as I have decided they need replacing. It is quite obvious that the front sills will need replacing and repairs required to the chassis rails in that area as well.
I have decided that first I will replace the front floor sections so that some strength is present when the other repairs are done....sort of.

[jack neville]

This photo shows the spot welds realigned. i used the wrong one above.

[jack neville]

Chris has given the chassis a coat of paint to protect it but it will need further sandblasting once I start doing the repairs to the sills and chassis rails.

[jack neville]

Having decided that the front floors are too far gone we decided to replace them. This meant reproducing the ribs which are in three different patterns.
I drew up plans to plates to be laser cut for the press dies and made up some frames to hold the plates. Pieces of round bar were turned up in the lathe as the press blocks for the ribs.

[jack neville]

As the ribs vary in length instead of making a round length for each one I made them variable.

[jack neville]

The left side front floor has a separate pressing under the floor spot welded to the main floor panel. This was salvageable so I removed it and welded it back on.

[jack neville]

The floor pressings worked very well I think and now need to be trimmed to size and then further straightened. I got some top hat sections folded as once the floors go in I will remove the worst top hats and weld in new sections.
I will do one side at a time so I removed the right floor first. The chassis will need another visit to the sandblaster to clean up the newly exposed area.
In the meantime my local engineer has finally finished reproducing sets of bonnets latches for us. We didn't have enough and he has done a superb job machining them in brass.