A marriage made in...

[mccalebr]

...my garage!

Well, it's been just over two months (8/21/07) since I cut the Spridget in half to replace rusted out sheet metal and structural members. I've had a lot of fun doing so and learned a few things along the way. Even managed to take off a couple weeks for vacation. BUT...I've been looking forward to seeing the car whole again...and that was the goal for this week.

In the process I managed to replace the lower two inches of the rear valance (fabricated), the boot floor, both floor pans, both foot well fronts (fabricated), both footwell sides, both inner and outer sills, both cross members, both "A" pillars and skins, both "B" pillars (fabricated), and the entire rear bulkhead including both spring boxes. Additionally, bracing was added at a couple critical points, where the rear roll bar legs attach to the boot pan and the seams where the "B" pillars attach to the sills. As a short diversion I also frenched in a license plate box into the rear valance.

After checking fit of the doors this week I reinstalled the door braces and placed the car, now back in ONE PIECE, on the rotisserie. I'll spend another day or two going back and hitting all the welds that I skipped earlier, such as some of those on the floor pans. All in all, the fit looks good and there's NO RUST!

Woohoo!!!

Ray

 

[jlaird]

Wheeee, no rust.

 

[RickB]

Ray, that looks like an "engine stand rotisserie" - is it?

 

[mccalebr]

It is, Rick, with a few mods...such as the larger rubber wheels and spreader bar.

There are details and photos of the rotisserie as well as the car project on my web site... https://www.raysmg.com . Follow the "Spridget Project" link and then you can select on various phases of the project, including construction of the rotisserie. I'm currently in the "Bodywork" phase.

Ray

 

[RickB]

Thanks Ray, I've been contemplating just such a tool. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

(Your link has one too many dots in it - at the end.)

 

[drooartz]

Nice work, Ray. Another one comes back from the dead (or near dead). /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[mccalebr]

Thanks, Rick...I modified the link in the post above...love the EDIT feature in this forum.

Ray

 

[racingenglishcars]

Nice work! Glad to see it back in one piece. Maybe one day mine will be just as complete.

 

[slickwillie2]

Ray,

That is looking REALLY good.

I have been watching your work with much interest as my 62 Midget looks to be in comparable condition to your Sprite (before). I even have forward floor pans that someone fabricated out of a road sign and a poorly fitting boot lid just like yours.

I have to do a body restor with my Midget but am having too much fun driving it. Someday eventually.

Great work and thanks for the web site.

Slickwilie2

 

[GB1]

Nice work Ray

Welcome Willie.

 

[mccalebr]

Willie,
Do enjoy it for a while if you believe it to be sound enough. I would encourage you to get it up on a lift and really check out the rear suspension, just to be sure.

I did the basics when I bought mine, but in truth, a 5 minute session laying on the ground with a 2" inspection mirror was far from adequate in determining the state of the primary structural unit, the rear bulkhead and spring pockets. I'm sure you've already seen just how bad they can be since you've visited my Spridget Project site ( https://www.raysmg.com click on "The Spridget Project").

After finishing replacement of the key components mentioned in the opening post I have concluded that most of what we normally scope out, the pans, sills, and footwells should really be secondary concerns. The bulkhead and "B" pillars are the structural foundation of the car.

Thanks for the nice comments about the work and site...it is a labor of love. AND, my hope in posting the details of the project via photos is that others might benefit in some way and have as much pleasure in their car/project as I.

Ray