A little more progress.
The front slam panel corners need to be rebuilt/replaced.
Rather than wait for the parts from Europe, I decided to have a go at fabricating my own. Not having a stretcher / shrinker makes the jobs a little trickier but you never know unless you try.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008630.jpg

Enter the trusty stove cap and the I-Beam.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008713.jpg

Flatten the flanges.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008740.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008771.jpg

Step one complete.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008789.jpg

Cut the piece in half to make the two corners.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008815.jpg

Now for the tricky bit: working the second edge.
The inside radius of the stove cap seems to be the right radius.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008856.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008903.jpg

A bit of planishing and a few welds and they may just work!
Or at worst, the second set will be better.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464008952.jpg

Trim the edges and weld in a captive nut for the lower fender bolt.

Tremendous amount of good work going into this car.

Keep going!

OMG! That is just a whole lot of work you have accomplished there. I can't wait to see more pictures.

Thanks very much for the encouragement. Nice to know there are others out there enjoying this as much as me!

A whole bunch of small jobs start to add up over time! Thanks for support. I'm afraid you'll have to wait for more pictures as I only work on weekends...some weekends. But stay tuned, at this rate I'll be busy doing this for a few years yet.

Quick update on the front suspension pan and fuel tank carrier.
This has been an ongoing saga for a while.
Wife very generously gave me the a whole Saturday.
So decided to tackle it and get it done.

All prepped and ready to be covered up for another 50 years.
Seams sealed, battery support patch welded-in and a final coat of paint just for safety.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464024454.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464024583.jpg

Mid-surgery always looks a mess, but it's all solid and reasonably neat underneath the primer / paint/ sealer.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464024603.jpg

Just to be safe I stripped away all the epoxy primer to bare steel, and then hit it with etch primer.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464024974.jpg

And then the really hard behind any decent welding job: the endless fitting, removing, tweaking, fitting etc etc.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025003.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025057.jpg

Especially when you bend your 6'2" frame into the spot where the fuel tank should go, only to discover you've left your side-cutters next to the kettle in the kitchen!
When you get back from retrieving the aforementioned side cutters and your left hand welding glove is where the side-cutters were......

And as you start to plug weld, that local chap with the racing / road-legal SC arrives for the visit he has been promising for months....not really complaining

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025187.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025244.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025277.jpg

Got to love an SC. One day the world will appreciate just how fantastic they truly are. Anyway, that's a different soapbox...I might be slightly biased.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025330.jpg

I lost count at 52 plug welds.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025686.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025703.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025721.jpg

Too late for a grinder so a wire brush and a coat of etch primer will suffice until next weekend.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025738.jpg

And just to make sure (even though I measured a hundred times) the fuel tank fits perfectly with some room to spare.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025804.jpg

And that's another job crossed off the list.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1464025857.jpg

Quick update.
A few stolen hours.

Finishing up the front slam panel repair.
It's the small jobs that take the most time.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465195565.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465195584.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465195600.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465195614.jpg

And the inner kidney repair...repairing a bad repair.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465195654.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465195674.jpg

And a nice piece from a trade: an oe alloy engine lid.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465195716.jpg

I swear it's lighter than the fibreglass lid I already have!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465195745.jpg

Alu bootlid in all its glory.
Lovely piece of Porsche jewellery.
Nice detail for the whole lightweight theme.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465800811.jpg

Back to the LHD sill reconstruction.
First is the lower door hinge post.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465800826.jpg

After spending a day reconstructing the lower fender joining panel, I've finally come to terms with the fact that it has to go.
Marginal in places and badly repaired.
There is no way that it will take a weld and to make such little patches will be a pain.
Add another 4 hours to the work list!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465800868.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465800933.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465800948.jpg

Last small jobs on the outer sill: fill the holes and strip to bare steel for etch primer.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465800997.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465801045.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465801063.jpg

And in goes the kidney. With a fair amount of fitting to match the contour of the repaired lower section.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465801080.jpg

Quick test fit of the sill to check gaps was positive.
The rear will come up once I have finished cutting and fitting the rear to get it snug up against the kidney and the jacking tube.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465801234.jpg

Some work to do on the door...obviously!
But the gaps are uniform, so happy there.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1465801247.jpg

Everything is drilled and primed and ready for the little MIG.
Progress. And another 5 jobs off the list.

On its wheels by the end of July is still possible.....maybe.

The kidney is done.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466158383.jpg

Lower door hinge post patch is in and sealed up.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466158406.jpg

And now for my patented sill flange alignment tool.
I-Beam, ribber bands and a hammer.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466158436.jpg

Here it is in action...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466158509.jpg

Having no helpful assistant, this helped ensure the outer sill sits as close to the face of the already welded-in inner sill. The I-Beam acts as a dolly, the spade head o the hammer sits against the outer rocker, and with the help of a heavier hammer, the two metal surfaces are persuaded to sit nice and snug together.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466158641.jpg

The first few plug welds are in and things are looking good. I'm welding in the outer rocker from the inside as getting the MIG shroud nice and close to the surface is difficult from the outside with the U-Shaped profile of the outer rocker.

And alignment is good.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466158720.jpg

The gaps are nice and uniform, but I'll probably use shims in the hinges to close the gap at the rear of the door, against the door lock post.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466158780.jpg

Looking good Barnes, keep the momentum!!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466354172.jpg

Definitely heading out of the woods now.
Progress.
Having all the steel done will be major achievement.
A slight pause and celebration, followed by the black hole of hours know as bodywork.
Anyway.

On with the show.
Checking alignment and finishing the lower plug welds.
You have to be careful. Assume nothing.
As the lower flange mates up against the inner sill, the gap to the door widens.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466353956.jpg

Whoever invented the octisserie is a genius.
Seriously.
It makes working on the car a pleasure.
There really isn't an area you can't get up to eye level.
Welding a set of castors onto the uprights makes life even easier.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466354127.jpg

The last tricky fabrication job (that's right, 'the last') is the lower piece of the fender / rocker / door lock post. Mine is properly rotten; at least 3 laters of rotten steel.

[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads25/IMG_18691466354313.jpg[/img

The old vs the new.
Everything gets stripped for etch primer.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466354422.jpg

The old corner was properly rotten.
And it didn't look that bad when I bought the car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466354479.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466354546.jpg

The rocker end gets etch primer.
And the kidney; the seam sealer got a coat of paint.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466354608.jpg

The lower door lock post patch needs lengthening, to replace the rotten piece above.
For once, there are no curved flanges to deal with!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466354684.jpg

In she goes.
You can see how high up the door lock post the rot climbed.
And inside of this - the inner kidney - was all gone.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466354768.jpg

Interesting how it all moves.
Pressing the patch hard up against the door frame pushes the inner edge of the lower
rear fender in bu about 10mm.
Some kind of fulcrum going on.

I've joined it up but I'll leave the plug welds until the lower patch is on.
I learned a lot from the other side.
But there is a whole bunch of potential movement when each of the seams starts to get welded. I'll need to concentrate and take my time.

Another job off the list.
Progress.
Only a few sessions from having the whole body done.
All the steel.
In just under 3 years.

Then I'll clean up and paint the underside.
The interior, the engine bay and the boot.

Then another major phase begins: bodywork.
Having a lot of FBG panels, there will be a whole bunch of working and building edges to get the panel gaps right.

Oh,and then there is that other thing:
The engine.

As luck would have it, the MIG gave up the ghost.
This time the wire is getting snagged somewhere in the sleeve at the base of the gun.
The time has come to buy my own.

In the meantime, a piece of jewellery arrived from Portugal.
A set of Cibie's with the perfect amount of rust and old paint and well-used lenses.
[Thanks Vasco].

Rushed home to mock them up.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466961441.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466961557.jpg

Look great against the primer grey.
I'm sucker for spray can photoshop (especially when the MIG is out of action)

And so an idea turns into masking tape, a can of gloss black and some gold pin-stripe I've been playing with....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466961708.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466961849.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466961930.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466961982.jpg

After that little adventure, time to do some actual work.
The LHD door.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964048.jpg

All the rot cut out.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964088.jpg

Making a patch with the right profile is pretty easy.
The trusty anvil with a piece of 3mm plate welded to it.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964148.jpg

Making the step is simple with the help of a couple of c-clamps and two hammers.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964186.jpg

Hold the smaller one with the spade in position and give it a decent whack with a bigger hammer.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964221.jpg

And a then a spare bracket from our fireplace comes in handy.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964262.jpg

A good whack all along the edge evens out individual strike marks from the little hammer. A coal chisel with a spade blade, the edge rounded with a grinder, would work even better.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964316.jpg

The curve below the step is also simple; using the vice to hold it, you can get the curve started by hand, then smooth it with a dolly.

The profile is pretty good.
Some dolly work between tack welds and it will be perfect.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964531.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964563.jpg

With a shrinker getting the curve would be straight forward. Pity I don't have a functioning shrinker.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964619.jpg

I made a template out of 4mm steel a while back.
This is will help line up the door skin.

With the outer sill / lower door lock post profile I should be able to get the curve bang on.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964695.jpg

The original edge is in decent shape, so that will also help.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1466964803.jpg

...now to find a decent replacement MIG.

Lower door patch.
Cut and shape using the template I made.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467301010.jpg

Scribing the line of the bend with a dremmel helps keep the bend crisp. Be easier with a bead roller.....a shrinker would make the edge much cleaner.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467301126.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467301253.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467301295.jpg

A bit of hammer and dolly work and the result is not too bad.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467301961.jpg

Nice clean edge.
I'll trim down the flange to match the original width once it's welded in.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467302001.jpg

Cleaned and primed.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467302093.jpg

Now all I have to do is try and get the MIG working again.

Matthew,

It's most likely the sleeve that's worn on your torch. To get a new one chat to the guys at e-weld.

If you are intent on a MIG, have a look at the TradeWeld 200M.

It can do both 0.6 and 0.8 wire (not 1mm as it says in the online specs), run as low as 20A, and you can hook a spool gun to it if you want to do aluminium. It costs around R7000 (also at e-weld), but if you have a pensioner to take with you on a Wednesday you get 10% off on the same unit at Builders' Warehouse :D.

Willem

Thanks Willem.
The sleeve is knackered. And I have a spare from the UK. But getting the fittings off the existing sleeve is proving too much for me. They seem to made of two halves that are pinched together.

The irony is that I have only a day or two's worth of welding left to do! Will see if I can jury-rig it to get the remaining work done. Thanks for the e-weld tip, they have some really nice machines. A decent MIG would be great, but I'm leaning towards a TIG. Envious of your set-up with both machines. I see they also sell a hand-held spot welder which I would invest in if I was starting from scratch. A TIG, a MIG AND a spot welder would be perfect!

Finally for round to getting the strut braces done.
An engineer mate with proper skills (and access to the right machinery) made me these rsr braces. Laser cut and cleanly bent. Took a while to get them lined up and straight.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467917323.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467917346.jpg

Cleaned and etch primed.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467917381.jpg

Strut brace needed to be trimmed.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467917418.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467917454.jpg

And a little seam sealer. Done.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467917500.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1467917537.jpg

Tick another job off the list.

If you want I can bring my MIG around? Going home on Sun and can easily toss it into my car. You have a gas bottle already which is the heavy lifting part!

Two new (and long overdue) additions to the amateur's workshop:
-a functioning shrinker/stretcher
-a grown-man's MIG

The MIG is a huge improvement in general weld quality and ease of use.
The shrinker means no more pie cuts and better fitting patches!

Neither of these additions however can make up for some good old fashioned stupidity (like warping the one door skin :mad:)

The stretcher means simple improvements like curving the stepped patch on the bottom of the door.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935716.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935499.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935592.jpg

Not an expensive piece of kit, but it works wonders.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935626.jpg

The rest of the door reconstruction looks like this:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935663.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935685.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935753.jpg

And the door skin patch...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935795.jpg

It all lined up pretty well.
And then I went and warped the b@#$%^&&d door skim with my brand new welder...:mad:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935925.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935943.jpg

A little bit of working still required...but all the various but come together pretty well.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468935968.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468936020.jpg

The irony is that i have really taken my time, with tack welds and fitting and checking and rechecking. So to do something as stupid as put too much heat into the butt-weld on the door skin patch and warp the skin is inexcusable. We live and learn.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468936110.jpg

Just one inch of offending weld.....get out the dolly and the hammer!!!!

Didn't know Adendorff stocked shrinkers?! Damn you, reading this thread has just cost me money!

Which MIG did you end up getting?

And here is the reverse side of the door skin patch.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468941280.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468941309.jpg

Everything fits together really nicely. Once I have finished the butt welds I'll knock this flange over and crimp it with a set of customised bolt cutters.

I made a lower wheel well patch a while back.
I binned that and started again, this time with the shrinker / stretcher on hand.
this is the result.
Much better. And no pie cuts!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468941410.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1468941463.jpg

A bead roller with a set of decent dies, along with a shrinker / stretcher make a MASSIVE difference to any diy repair on these old rusty flat beetles. If you're considering doing some work then these two tools should be on your essentials list.

Neither did I!
Yeah, they have a fairly decent machine for R2000 odd. Pretty much the same as the Harbour Freight or Eastwood machine. Can handle up to 1mm.

They also stock two different models of bead roller....I might have to acquire one!

I ended up going for the Tradeweld 200Amp machine. From e-weld (thanks for the tip).
Wire feed motor and fittings are quality. Welds nice and clean at 65 amps with great penetration.

Will definitely put that onto my wishlist! I am very happy with my Tradeweld too, though I suspect yours is the more "upmarket" one with digital readouts. Took a while to get the hang of it, but really got it going now. Not too happy with the quality of the Afrox wire as I mentioned, but getting along despite it!

Some more progress.
After inspecting my attempt at fabricating the tricky slam panel corners, I bit the bullet and ordered a pair from Spotwagen Eckert. Nice pieces and reasonably priced.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625335.jpg

The next trick was to repair the sections left over from the major surgery of replacing the front slam panel and refabricating the inner fender edges where they meet the slam panel.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625416.jpg

The shrinker / stretcher really is a huge help - makes these repairs simple.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625451.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625478.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625505.jpg

I'm missing the last fender mounting hole, but that'll be okay. I've got FBG fenders so I'll make a plan.

All finished and etch-primed

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625548.jpg

Both sides.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625583.jpg

Cross another job off the list!

Next: the remains of the 912 engine mounts which were badly patched.

The profile is pretty simple.
The new welder is a huge improvement in consistency and penetration.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625677.jpg

My welding is slowly improving.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625713.jpg

Let's hope the rear part of the profile matches the engine mounts when it comes time to weld them in!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625762.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625812.jpg

And the other side.
The insides of the box section were surprisingly clear of rust - just lots of accumulated blast aggregate. It really does get in everywhere.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625853.jpg

More crap to add to the scrap collection.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469625880.jpg

A few other 'quick' repairs.
The front windscreen corner.
Luckily this rust hadn't migrated into the dash corners.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469626033.jpg

Again, not sure how you would do this repair without a shrinker / stretcher.

Rain channel repairs:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469626088.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469626123.jpg

Encouraging that the repair is not easy to spot!
Some cleaning up necessary with the Dremmel and the Grinding wheel, but looking good.

And another quick patch.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469626177.jpg

Finally, here is a tool I made to try and help planish out some the warpage in the door.
The tool didn't really work but the welding is impressive!
Compared to welding 1mm steel, welding heavier stuff is a walk in the park!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469626263.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469626288.jpg

So we're now in the home straight.

Jobs left to do:
- replace fender support panel
- weld in cut off 'flare' (might leave this to a TIG pro)
- weld in engine mounts
- seam weld rhd floor pan
- clean up parcel shelf repairs

Then it's onto sanding and primer and paint - for the interior and underside anyway.
The fitting and filling of the FBG panels will take a while.
They are not great panels, with various edges not being uniform etc.

After spending a few years working on yachts where sanding acres of surface was a full time job, I can't drum up much enthusiasm for this next stage. I may outsource it.

Anyway, I jokingly suggested that all the steel work would be done by the end of July (making it 3 years since I bought the car) and I may just make that deadline.

I wish!
Pretty simple machine.
With a fair bit of trial and error to get it dialled it, it welds really nicely.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1469703367.jpg

Exactly the same as mine! I found dialing it in a real PITA as I at first tried to be all scientific, using an app on my phone. Cost me hours of bad welds until I decided to just fiddle with the knobs and experiment. Working much better now. As soon as the warrant runs out I'll be fitting a voltmeter to it though to make my settings a bit more predictable.

The settings I am using as follows:
0.8 - 1mm mild steel.
Butt welding.

0.8 wire
3.5 Wirespeed
3.5 Voltage
4 Inductance (3rd button)

Playing around in the 3 - 4 range with wire speed gets in the groove.
Doesn't like to weld uphill at these settings (understandable)

I reckon with 0.6 wire those settings can down a bit: less amps and less material = a flatter, cleaner weld. Will try this weekend and get back to you.

Roughly where I am with my settings too, though I find that the Afrox 0.8 really doesn't feed as nicely as it could, and am very happy to have a roll of decent quality 0.6 ready and waiting. Was surprised by the effect the inductance knob has!

Played around with .6 wire this weekend.
After much swearing and cursing, it seems that 0.6 wire needs more wire feed for a given voltage setting....more than the equivalent .8 wire would need.

Still haven't managed to successfully weld at lower than 50 amps with 0.6 wire.
But I reckon this is more of a distance to tip / stick out issue than amps or voltage.

Starting the weld vs when running a bead is the issue. The start - if spotting vs laying a bead - is tricky but once you get going the bead cleans up quite a bit.

Your idea of hooking up a voltmeter is a great one, to get accurate, replicable settings.

Will report back when I have a tested hypothesis!

M

I found the 0.6 very easy to work with, even at low currents, though admittedly I wasn't doing spot welds with it.

My issues with the 0.8 may well be down to the poor quality of the Afrox wire. The 0.6 (I guess Chinese) stuff was properly wound on the spool in layers, whereas the Afrox wire looks like it was wound by hand, and just won't give a smooth feed.

I am going to do a bit of thin metal work this coming weekend, and will give oth the 0.6 and 0.8 a go. Will share my results.

Incidentally, I am not sure if you noticed the many fans your work suddenly got on the Whatsapp group? Had a real chuckle as a single photo of the bottom of your b-pillar was posted and I recognised your car from just that - I guess that makes me a "super" fan?

Willem, I experimented with 0.6 wire last weekend.
Laid perfect, clean beads on the bench with a piece of scrap.
The moment I tried to weld on the chassis: bloody mess.
Must have been something to do with the earth.
After spending a few hours exercising my finest sailor vocabulary, I chucked it in and switched back to 0.8.
Beautiful.
0.8 it is.

Only a few items left on the list.
The finish line (as far as the body goes) is in sight.

Did some clearing up today.
I've been keeping all the rotten bits i cut out and replace.
I've had them stashed away under the bench.
I pulled them out and tossed them all in a big rubber bin.
Excluding the front slam panel and suspension pan, this is the result....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470502325.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470502347.jpg

Hard to believe so much steel can come out of such a small car.
The plan is to lay it all out on the garage floor to get a real perspective of 2 and a bit year's worth of rustoration.

Going through the car checking sections I have previously repaired to ensure the welds are good. Inevitable little holes. Some can be filled with a piece of copper on the back and a few welds. Others, not so much.

Saps the energy being so close, but after learning the hard way over 2 years I can now patch pretty quickly. Good patch and solid welds. They say the difference between a great welder and a poor one is how quickly you get to the grinder. Truth in there.

This was tiny little hole. The only solution was to cut it out.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470502587.jpg

The floorpan from the wrecked Targa has been a godsend.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470502658.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470502708.jpg

And this one.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470502840.jpg

The driver's side floor pan around it should really be replaced.
The steel has taken a hammering with rust. It stood up to sand-blasting, but it looks knackered. Considering no-one makes a RHD pedal area I'll have to make it myself. Will leave that job for much later...when it's been on it's wheels making noise for a few years.

All that was left of the floorpan seam welding was one side.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470502875.jpg

Have developed a bit of strategy for this.
Even when sand-blasted, the factory bitumen sealer remains between the seams of the sills, tunnel and floorpan. So the moment you hit it with a bead the sealer boils and releases gas that spoils the weld - pretty much the same result as welding without the gas turned on.

So I clean up the edges as best I can with a 3M wheel, wire brush and those little sanding disks on the end of a Dremmel.
Then i weld a spot every cm or so along the length of where I can to run a bead.
These sacrificial welds heat up the sealer in the seam and it boils off.
The welds are rubbish so I grind them down with a flap disk.
Then I go back and lay a proper bead.
This time the weld is pretty solid.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470503501.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470503535.jpg

Matthew, I tried the 3.5, 3.5, 4 settings and they worked a charm! For 1.6mm metal I upped the voltage to 4, and for 0.6 wire I kept the voltage at 3.5, but boosted the wire feed speed to 4. Managed to weld 1mm sheet perfectly at this setting. Playing around with inductance a bit too after I came across this info:

"Too little inductance results in excessive spatter. If too much inductance is used, the current will not rise fast enough and the molten tip of the electrode is not heated sufficiently causing the electrode to stub into the base metal."

Matthew, I tried the 3.5, 3.5, 4 settings and they worked a charm! For 1.6mm metal I upped the voltage to 4, and for 0.6 wire I kept the voltage at 3.5, but boosted the wire feed speed to 4. Managed to weld 1mm sheet perfectly at this setting. Playing around with inductance a bit too after I came across this:

"Too little inductance results in excessive spatter. If too much inductance is used, the current will not rise fast enough and the molten tip of the electrode is not heated sufficiently causing the electrode to stub into the base metal."

I suspect my issue with .6 wire is on the user end of the equation.
Increasing the wire speed makes sense.

There was a very simple chart/procedure detailed on weldingtipsandtricks.com that helped check wiretapped. But for the life of me I can't find it now.

Anyway, the .8 wire is welding beautifully with great penetration and a reasonably flat bead. I'm almost done with the MIG jobs. My last big job is welding on the the butchered rear quarter flare.....a job for a TIG I suspect.