Bump the zook! Internal detox! More pics added :)

[ScottieJ]

yep thats a typical place for them to go, moisture gets in between the panels there.

I'd suggest some 1mm slitting discs for the grinder, it will give you a much cleaner cut (but they don't last as long)

doesn't look too bad though, just make sure you clean up the metal strip along the back as well as possible and give it a good coat of primer and paint. before welding the new metal in over the top.

[b6mfd]

Yeh, it looks like water must get trapped between what i have been referring to as the shelf and the boot floor.

A few questions:
1. Do i need to remove the paint where i intend to weld? (im thinking not from your suggestion of painting before welding, but would like confirmation)
2. Regarding the new boot strip i add in, will i have a problem welding where the boot floor has raised sections? would i be best to take it straight across then infill the gaps with welds?
3. Is the best thing to spot weld in a few places to get the location right, then carry out the rest of the welds (i will be doing some reading up before i tackle it).
4. The existing build up was the shelf, then a plate the full length of the shelf (spot welded), then the boot floor. Is it best to replace like for like, i.e. same build up?

Thanks in anticipation.

[ScottieJ]

No you need to clean anywhere you are welding back to clean bare metal, but to prevent it rotting out as much I'd paint what you are referring to as the shelf, probably best you use some weld through primer like U-pol. then if you put the plate ontop of the shelf to space it out and coat that In weld through primer as well and spot weld it in place. Then for the repair patches that sit on top, coat the underside in the U-pol and tack it all in place to get it all sat the correct position and fitted nicely. Each tack should be an inch or 2 apart(ish doesn't matter too much).

Get all the patches tacked in and fitted nicely before welding up.

when you are fully welding it up, just tack, move along tack, move along tack etc. Slightly overlapping the last tack each time. Then after each inch move somewhere else to let the patch you just welded cool down. This method takes longer but it stops you building to much heat up and blowing holes in the metal and reduces warping (the rear bend shouldn't warp too much anyway so don't worry that much.)

Have a look here, it has a good tutorial on the technique I'm describing. http://WWW.mig-welding.co.uk/thin-metal.htm

Just make the repair patches fit as nicely as possible. When you hit it with the flap disc to grind all the welds down you should be able to blend in the ribs in the boot floor with the welds.

[ianedwards]

took the words right out of my mouth, what scott said lol

Ian

[b6mfd]

Ye thanks that's really helpful!
That website has plenty of decent advise on too thanks for the link.

[Jay18]

just a quick question.. what did you use to clean your seats with? they look great!

[b6mfd]

I used autoglym interior cleaner, but it honestly took about 2-3 hours per seat! Lol
I concentrated on a small section at a time, make the cloth damp, then spray on ag ic, the get scrubbing, occasionally rinsing the cotton cloth in clean water. I kept applying more cleaner and scrubbing / rinsing until I was happy.

[Jay18]

ohh i dont know if i have the patients for that
but ill give it a go lol, thanks mate!....
was it autoglym interior shampoo?

[b6mfd]

Ye that's it!
Would be much easier / quicker if you have or can get hold of a wet vac? Most of the time I was just going over and over the same spot lifting the dirt out of the fabric using the cotton cloth, if I had a wet vac i could of just sucked it all out....

[Jay18]

thanks mate and no i dont have a wet vac so a cloth and alot of scrubbing it is then!