How to cure chassis rust

[James Doulton]

Answer: Screw a sheet of aluminium over the whole underside of the cockpit, covering the rust holes so that the MOT tester doesn't notice. Unfortunately, I wanted to fit my new seats, so I removed the panel only to find this...

and this ...

That'll be why it was sold without an MOT last year by the guy who had owned it for many years. Then some scoundrel got it MOT'ed a few weeks later and then sold it for over twice what he had paid for it.

[James Doulton]

Does anyone have any idea about tube thickness? I am also a little surprised that the reinforcement doesn't follow the rail as it goes up to go over the wheel.

That underneath must have been pressure washed.

[Dave Adams]

er .......or recently be rebuilt and refurbished, makes you wonder about the shockers dont it?

[2edvaw06pgbav]

Think it's been off the road since '94, but yes it has supposedly been rebuilt in the last year, as you say it makes you wonder.

[2edvaw06pgbav]

I think that the sort of kids working on it only had experience of stealing cars before, not working on them

[James Doulton]

Who ever or where ever did you get it from? Kids working on cars as 'therapy' or something? I can't help thinking that having a Dutton might put me into therapy or counselling. Sorry, that should be two Duttons - see I'm in denial!

[2edvaw06pgbav]

I bought it from the Milton Keynes Christian Foundation, they'd been running a project to help kids onto the straight and narrow by teaching them about cars. It was shutting the  project down which is why the car was for sale. Actually they seemed like a nice bunch of lads but I'm never buying a car from God again

[Andy Smith]

Material used would have typically been 1 1/2" RHS 16SWG - so 38 mm x 1.5 would do the job in new money quite nicely as Stephen says. Just check the rail with a straight edge first to make sure you are welding to a straight member if there is any bend in it you need to get that out first before welding on the extra depth.

[Adrian Southgate]

I don't know if this will help to clarify things but this is a photo of a bare legerra chassis taken while I had the body off when I rebuilt it in 2007.

In hindsight I can see so many areas that need triangulation or a plate added to reduce flex. The kick up over the axle however is already triangulated with a 40mm box section and does not flex. I think the flex comes from the base of the kick up where it joins the main rail. 1) theres no triangulation at that point at all and 2) its where most of the occupant's weight goes, 6 inches in front of the rear wheels. There is space to add a big gusset or possibly even a box section at this point which you can plainly see if you look under the rear wheel arch. Obviously the main rail will flex a bit but I see this area as the weakest link. Anybody else see any bits that need a corner gusset?

[James Doulton]

My first reaction is that it's a nice colour! (that's a typical woman's reaction isn't it, maybe I do need counselling).

I had half an idea of adding the strengthening beneath the main chassis rails and then continuing it on about 6 inches at the back and then linking that stub up to the diagonal. The stub would not be particularly strong but it would beef up that corner a bit.

[Adrian Southgate]

There is a limited amount of space between the body and that riser which could be filled with a plate to brace that corner. That and the additional box section added to the lower side of the rail would help a lot in my opinion. If you're really good I reckon you'd be be able to do both with the body still on.