the forgotten project

Been a barren year for the Austin, not one drive out this year at all. Never got round to getting its MOT renewed summer one year ago when i had other things to be worrying about, this year was full of many false starts and i eventually decided in August that i just wasn't going to get it back on the road this year. So out came the axle stands and angle grinder so i could finally get to grips with what little rust there is. I took a welding course earlier this year but could do with getting myself an actual welder so i can get started properly.

Still as you all know already, preparation is almost important as the actual fix, right?

Many hours spent scraping off the old underseal, which has done a wonderful job it has to be said, revealed the lots of nice shiny metal and a few bits of grot, and once you start there is no turning back, keep cutting until all the rust is gone, it's the only way.

Don't build them like they used to thats for sure, lots of lovely mud traps in old cars like this. But they did actually have some idea. Here is what may be described as the forerunner to a plastic wheel arch liner. A steel plate tack welded over the end of the sill stopping the worst of 45 years worth or road muck getting where it shouldn't be....anyway, it needed to come off so i could reach the real rust.

voila!

revealing the end of the sill and what needed to be cut out.

and this is what i'm left with.
I have made cardboard templates to fill the gaps and have cut out the patterns from sheet steel and started forming the bits i need, pics to follow, just got to remember to charge the camera up, doh.