Thame & District Classic Motor Club

        Austin A50
          Cambridge
    Awaiting restoration

      July 2008

      The tree is growing
       out of the drivers
            quarter light

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     So is it possible to
        keep a car in a
field and avoid it
      rotting away.

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   The T&DCMC                               (03)

So how would one restore a vehicle like this? The simplest solution go out and buy one already restored. But let's consider it used to belong to my favorite Aunt & I want to restore it in her memory, or maybe I just like a challenge, how would I proceed.
   First I would get quality fire extinguishers a bucket of sand and smoke alarms to set when I left the garage, lights & power off, alarms on. A fan cooled 130 amp mig welder [keeping this in a warm dry place they don't like getting damp and cold in garages, the lounge is an ideal place] plus an account with BOC to get shielding gas. or purchase lots of small bottles from a car assessory shop, downside they don't last long, plus side they are small & usually fit to the welder. Warning, remember the light from welding burns the skin and can seriously damage the eyes if a proper mask isn't used, avoid any exposed skin & people watching.
   How to proceed
[1] Unbolt and remove doors boot bonnet front and rear wings, frozen bolts will have to be ground or drilled, so cover glass and anything shiney on the vehicle & in the workshop because grinding dust burns into glass chrome and paintwork when it settles [2] remove all interior [or bushes if similar to above] [3] remove engine gearbox front and rear suspension. Sit bare shell onto blocks of timber or a small trailer. [4] I would then work around the vehicle cutting out rot and replacing with new metal. [5] Once the top side was repaired I would buy some rolls of glass fibre loft insulation then roll the vehicle onto it's side onto the glass wool. Then start repairing the sills & floor always remembering that [A] welding from above is the simplest, [B] a vertical surface fairly easy, [C] welding from below best not attempted unless you are a natural welder, because molten drops of steel & slag do hurt when they burn through clothing. [Funny to watch, not funny being the source of such amusement] If you must a sheet of hardboard is effective the molten slag will just roll off, just make sure it slopes the right way. & finally remember welding distorts so keep an eye on the truth of the chassis frame welding to ensure it stays true, quite simple really. Is such a job difficult, I don't think so, but I do enjoy welding. Such a job is more than 95% preparation & finishing with less than 5% welding.

Hooked? on the idea ? Buy good book about Car Restoration & welding then practice using scraps of thin steel sheet of car bodywork thickness or less, if you don't get the welding knack sign up for night school.
And never rush the job always step back and think about the next move thinking safety, ie what can go wrong before proceeding.

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Well yes very simple.

In fact I have found that cars living outside under a cheap tarpaulin sheet seem to survive just as well as cars in a unheated dehumidified garage.

If the ground is soft 4 large paving slabs are required, plus four good quality axle stands and a good quality trolley jack.

In dry weather when the ground is firm, jack up the vehicle standing the axle stands on the slabs so there is room for a good air flow underneath the vehicle with the tyres just clear of the ground. Making sure the stands are located on sections of the vehicle strong enough to cope with the constant load on them. Then buy an economy plastic sheet to cover the vehicle holding the sheet down with 6 mm elastic cord. Both the sheet and the cord available from suppliers on the internet.

Replace the sheet each autumn so it is ready for the bad weather ahead, the following summer sunshine will then destroy it so replace it again in the autumn, don’t buy an expensive sheet & kid yourself it looks OK in October, because you will find all too often it won’t be, discovering a wet vehicle in the middle of winter when it is difficult to dry out.

I also paint the vehicle underneath and around all openings with a thin layer of grease if I think the vehicle will be standing outside some time. Grease is far easier to remove than eradicating rust.

The old sheet from the previous year lay under the vehicle to stop the moisture rising from the damp winter earth.

The only downside I find is some chafing damage to the paintwork from strong winds moving the sheet, again far easier to cure than rusty holes. Keeping the weather off the vehicle also helps stop the summer sun from decomposing the window rubbers and it also stops the winter rain getting inside & rotting out the door window winding mechanisms etc.

Don’t put cloth or old curtains under the sheet it will get damp become smelly and cause rot. Hose pipe will keep a sheet clear of the roof but will tend to mark the paintwork, experiment, see what works in your location.

I always find it is wise when jacking up a vehicle like above to have someone helping, to watch for things going wrong. <O> Remember: disasters are like the common cold, just waiting for a chance to take you down.

                 When God made Man, She was only testing.

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