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]

Well, I took the afternoon off today so that I could finish the car off and drive it a bit while the weather is nice. I will still have the passenger side to do but that could wait. However when I tried fitting the various pieces of floor together I discovered that some of the metal that I had added was at the wrong level and was stopping the floor from fitting properly. I tried to think of a bodge but I ended up removing that piece with the angle grinder and welding it back just a few millimetres lower at one end. That meant that I started on fixing the floor much later and so I have not quite finished.

I just glassed over the joins by filling the channels that I had cut in the sound deadening material with two layers of random mat, cut into one inch wide strips. The glass fibre I am using is an Isopon 'Fast Glass' kit from Halfords (recommendations of a good alternative source would be appreciated). The trouble with the kit is that it is very difficult to get a consistent amount of hardener and if you mix too much resin it goes off too quickly. I ended up mixing 5 lots of 60g each. It is nearly clear. I will probably paint it with my black hammerite so that it doesn't look quite so crap when the carpet is up.

You can see that I am not a very tidy worker, with lots of splashes as I had to work fast to get each batch done before it became unworkable.

I really will get it finished tomorrow!

[James Doulton]

Finally got the driver's side finished and the new seat fitted, after a fashion. It started okay after 9 weeks laid up, just took a little churning to get the petrol through. Took it out for a little dusk dash around the local dual carriageways and roundabouts and nothing went wrong! It was good to feel the wind in my hair (such as it is) and to enjoy chucking the car about. What to do next? front dampers? passenger side rust? Just enjoy it until the rains come back?

[Andy Smith]

Not read the whole thread, but it also looks like its missing the Legerra chassis weakness fix?

[Andy Smith]

I do quite a bit of glass fibrework and generally buy from East Coast or CFS - Normally in 1 litre or 5L cans. As for mixing up I use measuring cups from a local paint factor and a syringe for the catalyst and use the temps guides to ensure I have the longest possible working range to get the mat rolled out really well - I also do it all by weight now using digital scales under some nice clear plastic sheet.

[Dave Adams]

i could do it that way Andy......its the way i was taught when i worked for a sign maker......but i really cannot be bothered i just pour some resin in the tub and bung in some hardener, if its a warm day it gets less.

i know  i know i should know better.

[James Doulton]

It is definitely missing the fix! I don't know anything about that strengthening scheme, where can I find out more about it? At the moment, I am still fixing the extra weakness that is peculiar to my car - the drivers side is done but the passenger side will have to wait until the good weather finishes.

[Dave Adams]

so far as i know its some tube welded parallel to the "sills" under the car (over the top of the chassis....well under it really) Adrian will definitely be able to put you right.

[2edvaw06pgbav]

Mine has sections of box the same size as the chassis rail welded right along the length of the side rail. I have no idea what the "approved" method is  but I will say that they must need it because even with this done my door gaps opened up with the car on axle stands at the back

[2edvaw06pgbav]

Just checked and it's 1.5" box that has been added on mine

[Andy Smith]

Yes the weakness of the chassis is the rail under the door that allows to sag and difficulty opening and closing doors when in the car. The fix is to double the depth of the outer rails - With those being standard and those other rails being so corroded there must have been quite a bit of chassis flex going on with that car.

[Andy Smith]

If I recall correctly the legerra Chassis is very similar to the Melos / S4 but the doors mean that the outer chassis had the top removed just leaving a simple ladder chassis of very low beam strength holding the front and rear together. There have been plenty of articles in past torques which reminds me I still have a load of if anyone wants to pass on some cake tokens for them.

Shameless hi jack I have found a set of Ford escort MK1/2 rear shocks that I removed from my S4 originally still good as well - £10 for the pair? 

[2edvaw06pgbav]

Photo of the extra sections on mine