To Weld Or Not To Weld

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

Having just taken off my passenger wing and the sideskirt I was not supprised to find a lot of rot along the bottom sill and some on the inner wing.

Can I pot rivit some sheet metal over the holes?

I know welding would be the best option but I can't do the job myself and I want a cheap fix.

Would pot riviting be a good alternative and will it pass an mot with it being rivited and not welded?

Also How thick is the metal I should use and where the hell can I buy it?

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

poP riveting over a rusty hole i doubt very much will get thru mot. it just isnt structurally sound.

if it is under the skirt they wont see it anyway..i have gaping holes along the underneath of my skirt but i got 12 months mot Very Happy

if u use something around 1mm steel would be fine. get it from b&q prolly but better off finding a metal suppiler somewhere...yellow pages?

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

So I would get away with the holes under the skirt. Happy with that.

Sounds like a stupid question but as I donâ€™t know I'll ask anyway.

How important is the bottom sill and what is it's function?

If I did a schakal and fiber glassed over the hole instead of fixing it properly what problems could it cause?

Obviously I don't want to do something that will end up making the car a danger on the road and if I have to weld I will.

It cant be that hard to weld â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦Can it?

Spammer Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 5717

you will be fine ,the car wont break apart with fiberglass .
imo if a point is a structural one ,it would be thick enough to not to rust away anyway

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

well the shape of the sill, like a tube, gives the car a lot of strength along its length. i guess if enough of it rotted away your car could start to deform, ie bend, even break! but i dont know how rare that is...im sure there have been cars a lot worse than urs....

mine has big holes, like about 1 and 1/2 foot long along the inside corner running along the sill underneath..something i need to sort but cannot be arsed to.

on the chammy btw not the hatch..hatch it mint under there.

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

Quote:

you will be fine ,the car wont break apart with fiberglass .
imo if a point is a structural one ,it would be thick enough to not to rust away anyway

You'd have thought so wouldnt you. Then again it is French! Rolling Eyes

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

My hatch is turning out to be a rotten pile of !!!!!!!!!!!!! under there!

I use to think it was quite clean but then I had the great Idea to take panels off Rolling Eyes

. Still I'd rather know than not know.

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

aye, although ignorance can be bliss sometimes.

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

Defiantly

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

any form of riveted panels on a strutural member is an instant mot failure.

The entire car is made up from less than 1mm thick steel, its strong enough when folded etc.

the still is a structural member, that along with the roof is all that stops the car foldign in half, thats why the cabrio sills are so much beefier.

Get it welded, it will just get bigger and the car will be moving already when cornering etc.

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

yea, thats what I'm going to do. I thought I'd rent a migand give it a go. Razz

Any tips?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

talk to david

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

cheers chris

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

Ok, Just been to the hire place and OMFG Â£50+vat for a day!

There Is also nowhere round here that stocks sheet metal and the larger firms that use it won't sell a little bit to me.

Looks like It may have to go into the garage to get fixed! Sad

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

you can get offcuts from metal merchants and if you can;t go down the scrappy and get a knackered bonnet/door/whatever and cut a section out of it, or even B&Q.

As for the welder thats a bit dear, surely someone on the base can use a welder!

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

Every one is on holliday for 4 weeks. Thats why I,ve got time to do this Wink

. So even if I was back in Catterick there would be no one on camp to help.

I'm thinking it might be better leaving it till I'm back in Catterick, Buying a welder and using th 19 out the front for the metal.