petak
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 1,892
- Location
- Vodice, Croatia
Well....
I have striped my R4 into small peaces.
If you just barely look at him/her you would think that it is in pretty good condition.
But beneath it has started to rust.
I have driven it for some time like that because I did not want to make superficial repairs, as everyone around me suggested. I wanted to drive this car for at least 20 years more. So the only proper way to do repair is to strip all down, and weld chassis.
I had big trouble to find professional who will take my chassis and weld it as it should be.
Many body work professionals did not want to even consider doing it. It is too much job which they can not charge. And R4, here in Croatia, is working car and nobody wants to invest too much money in it. R4 is driven until fell apart. After that it goes to scrap yard. And his life is over.
Finally, I have find guy who did not look what car it is but range of work that it should be done. We made a deal. I will strip everything from the car down, and he will get bear body, and chassis. Also we agree that I will monitor process so that job is done as I would like to be done accepting his professional advices.
As this guy says, it did not rust as badly as I was afraid. But still I have some doubts what to do.
Main problem is center sidemember on both sides. It has BIG holes at the front. Rust has eaten outside and inside wall.
Also, rear sidemember has been repaired before, in way that I am not satisfied with. It is just patch welded around rusted part of rear sidemember.
I would be happiest if center and rear sidemember are changed completely out of new peace of metal.
Al the way, my big fear is “would I know pot him back together”.
So I have “my little black book” (well it isn’t little and it isn’t black but that is not important) where I write down procedure, bolts, nuts, washer, sealant, for every part that I have took from car.
Also I have taken tons of pictures of every part that is stripped.
I hope it would be enough to find the way back together
Proces started in July and is going on and off since. I am planing to finish it untill next summer.
Oh god! What a novel have I wrote?!
Well I have tried to sumerise 2 years of my prep work for this (for me) major move. And I am still very excited, so please forgive me.
Rotten places on the body and chassis
I have striped my R4 into small peaces.
If you just barely look at him/her you would think that it is in pretty good condition.
But beneath it has started to rust.
I have driven it for some time like that because I did not want to make superficial repairs, as everyone around me suggested. I wanted to drive this car for at least 20 years more. So the only proper way to do repair is to strip all down, and weld chassis.
I had big trouble to find professional who will take my chassis and weld it as it should be.
Many body work professionals did not want to even consider doing it. It is too much job which they can not charge. And R4, here in Croatia, is working car and nobody wants to invest too much money in it. R4 is driven until fell apart. After that it goes to scrap yard. And his life is over.
Finally, I have find guy who did not look what car it is but range of work that it should be done. We made a deal. I will strip everything from the car down, and he will get bear body, and chassis. Also we agree that I will monitor process so that job is done as I would like to be done accepting his professional advices.
As this guy says, it did not rust as badly as I was afraid. But still I have some doubts what to do.
Main problem is center sidemember on both sides. It has BIG holes at the front. Rust has eaten outside and inside wall.
Also, rear sidemember has been repaired before, in way that I am not satisfied with. It is just patch welded around rusted part of rear sidemember.
I would be happiest if center and rear sidemember are changed completely out of new peace of metal.
Al the way, my big fear is “would I know pot him back together”.
So I have “my little black book” (well it isn’t little and it isn’t black but that is not important) where I write down procedure, bolts, nuts, washer, sealant, for every part that I have took from car.
Also I have taken tons of pictures of every part that is stripped.
I hope it would be enough to find the way back together
Proces started in July and is going on and off since. I am planing to finish it untill next summer.
Oh god! What a novel have I wrote?!
Well I have tried to sumerise 2 years of my prep work for this (for me) major move. And I am still very excited, so please forgive me.
Rotten places on the body and chassis
