1980 spider Restoration phase 2

[RRoller123]

I am always amazed at the work that you guys do with metal, really nice to see a car come back, that to me, looks too far gone. But then, a while later, we look and there it is in full beautiful glory! Good for you, excellent stuff.

[bluespider262]

Great work you are a true craftsman.

Why red on the underside - is that going to be the color of the car?

[DRUMMOND]

Thank you everyone for the nice comments!

underside of the car is red to copy my wife's favorite shoes She gets a kick out of it! Color of car is going to be a Pacific metallic blue.

here is the Passenger door renovation pics

Started with this

































Just waiting to be painted now rust free!

[bluespider262]

Amazing how much rust was hiding behind those tiny bubbles.

You are making me worried about my car now!

[DRUMMOND]

As I progress through this renovation i am thinking a little seam sealer & some decent paint would have prevented 90% of the rust problem.
Why they choose not to use it in some major structural areas and use it in non structural areas is beyond me!
One of the areas that shocked me, was the installation of the air conditioning cooling radiator, they cut the front of the car with a blow torch and never even protected the cut metal just left it a molten mass?? rusted out the lower cross-brace, A five minute prevention would have kept it good.

[TXWarthog]

When you secured the gussets in to help flush in the door patch, did you use a spot welder? I was thinking either it was a spot welder, or you've got some great welding skills!

If you have a spot welder, what type do you have (120v, 240v)? I'm considering getting a 120v Harbor Fright (yes, it's pun spelling) spot welder.

[DRUMMOND]

I have no spot welder (I wish) This is my pet welder, we have known each other intimately for 2 years.
This is the setting I use for Modern steel, for the cheap Russian steel that has not rusted yet! I use level A Any higher and it just blows through it
Good grounding is essential for the crackle (a good weld spot)

[DRUMMOND]

forgot to post the picture

[TXWarthog]

Awesome. That takes skill to do those spots with a welder! I see a gas shielded wire fed welder in the near future (to sit next to the cheap Harbor Freight flux core wire fed welder I have now).

[DRUMMOND]

front top cross rail repair pics
started with this after a lot of bondo clearing










From this to this

[DRUMMOND]

Front fender rail & cross member repair pics
Does not look too bad here




See the cracks in the metal, that's from Torque stress/pressure, vertical and horizontal




Not much metal holding these bolts together
This is how the water gets into the frame and cross member rails and rots the inside. Just required some cheap seam sealer to prevent from new



Derusted inside and treated. added 1.5 inch round tubes between rails for strength ans some metal collars to locate and fix movement for crossmember. Larger bolts go through rails from the top.

[DRUMMOND]

Front fenders rehab

































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[DRUMMOND]

Door support pillar rehab




There were no welds on the bottom lip plate supposed to be attached to the vertical plate lots of movement




Stronger backing plate made for drivers door which had all the cracks in the original back plate



Small slider plate buckled


Bottom hinge cubicle drains right into inner rocker frame if this hole gets blocked (its tiny) this is the result

[RRoller123]

Man that is some talented work!! So well documented. Thanks for sharing.

[DRUMMOND]

Thanks RRoller.
I have thousands of photos of this renovation to share. I found that it is hard to find detailed photos of specific items in one place. so I hope to make it this one.

Rear fender box rehab. doesn't look so bad from here?



Snake camera View












Inner wheel well skin in trunk. Saw this little number and went in to have a look see


Same on both sides. guess the rubber mastic in the wheel well failed by the thick metal plate on the shock support.