Page Twenty-Six - How to Make British Car Parts

 

A wee how-to pictorial:

Step 1 – Draw and cut out a paper template.  My paper of choice is manilla file folders, sturdy and cheap.  How I like my women… (I hope you like that joke cause it's gonna cost me.)

I had to tape together two file folders.

BTW, you'll need a gob of these to get the curves right.

Step 2 – Transfer the template outline to a shiny piece of Lowes sheet metal, 22 gauge in this case.  This is the passenger side, so I won’t bother with reproducing the hand brake mounting holes.  By the way, the little rare earth magnets are great for maneuvering the sheet metal about.

First fit, not so great.

Step 3 – Fitting!  Quite time consuming, fit, mark, file, fit, mark, file, fit mark, file…  I surprised myself by how well I got the piece to fit.

Better, but not there yet.

Step 4 – Apply the MIG.  In a few places I had to add some coat hanger to fill gaps where I screwed up and left some gaps.

Decent job of MIG'in.

Step 5 – Grind, grind baby!  You’ll need a gaggle of gadgets to hone shonky welds.

I took the guard off the grinder, I know,
but I couldn't reach tight spots with it on.

Step 6 – Clean it all up with some self-etching primer.  Done!

Primer makes me a better welder.

Another shot, a little wider angle.

I'll probably use some JB Weld to fill in some of the weld pits and bumps to smooth things a bit.  It'll all be under carpet, just for a proper look. 

MORE STUFF!

Since I posted this page, I quickly re-habbed a e-brake lever (probably not the one I'll use, it has some rust through) to check my captured-nut placement.  ("Captured-Nut," either a solid punk band name, or an ailment...)

Driver's side welded in.  I may dress the welds a bit more - not sure why...

Re-habbed e-brake lever in place.

To clarify, I marked the holes for the e-brake lever on a file folder template from the holes in the Organ Donor's driver's side, interior rocker panel.  After marking and rechecking several times, I drilled the holes in the new sheet metal.  I welded (captured) nuts to the back of the panel for the e-brake lever and the e-brake cable guide that mounts just behind the lever.

Even though the new sheet metal patch is welded all around, I bent some right-angle tabs that I welded to the back of the panel to help prevent the panel from flexing when the e-brake lever is yanked.  I also 

This is the template I used to locate the e-brake lever holes.