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Body Work

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David64MGB

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I have a question for those that have done complete restorations. Should I pull the fenders? I am worried about hidden rust. Are the fenders something that can be unbolted, or are the panels welded in place? My goal would be to expose interior metal for rehabilitation.

I spent the weekend replacing the feders on my 1983 BMW. They are bolt ons, but the interior rust was ferocious. Half the fasteners have nothing to attach to anymore. There would be no possible repair without replacing the entire uni-body. The BMW was not designed for Canadian winters and the rust is widespread and unstoppable after too many years of heavy usage and neglect. I blame the POs.

I don't want that to happen to my B and if there is some preventative work to stop interior rust, I am willing to do that now. The body is generally in good shape with some rust under the paint in the dog leg panels. I will also have to replace the floor pans and cross members due to impact damage. I plan on doing the welding myself (I have always wanted a MIG welder).
 
Think it is called Waxenoil or something close to it. Moss use to carry it but I do not see a listing in the new catalog.

Somewhere I have seen instrucctions for makeing it. you spray it inside the panels annualy.
 
Yes, the fenders unbolt unless the DPO welded them on. There are 3 Pozidriv screws along the bottom, a row of bolts under the hood, and several (if I recall 4) up behind the dash that are not easy to reach. If you have a roadster you will also need to remove the windshield first. If you are unsure about rust this will get you access to the front of the sills. Check the sills (longtitudinal pieces that run from front wheel well to rear wheel well and under the doors) carefully for rust. The front and rear 12 inches of the sills are the most rust-prone part of a B and provide much of the structural strength of the car so they need to be solid. Good luck!
 
David,

I have been using something called 'Rust Doctor' to treat the areas of rust in my A... Rust Doctor

This does not, however, fix areas that are rusted through and I don't think that there is a way to fix the rusted areas other than cutting the areas out and replacing with new metal...

Most of the compunds try to seal the area from air and water since the oxidation is caused by the addition of an oxygen molecule to the iron matirx... The Rust Doctor changes the surface Iron Oxide into an inert oxide, Magnetite...

It has worked well for me on the A. I will be using it for my B when I get around to restoring it....

As for the fender removal.... I would remove the fenders and check for any rust in the sills and in the recesses of the body and repair as needed.... 'tis a shame to have a beautiful paint job disappearing in a cloud of oxide!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Thanks for the advice. I will definitely pull the fenders. I have already pretty well removed everything else.
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif
Hi Jack,Yep Moss still carries "Finngans Waxoyl"---Fwiw--Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
You might have to drill out a few spot welds in front of the last forward fender bolt. A lot of these, were spot welded by the factory. Don't ask me why! I have no idea. But thier there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif PJ
 
Thanks Keoke, I could not fine it and surely plan on useing it.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You might have to drill out a few spot welds in front of the last forward fender bolt. A lot of these, were spot welded by the factory. Don't ask me why! I have no idea. But thier there.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmmmm - in all the cars I've disassembled, I've never found that! Something to look forward to, I guess.
 
Tony, On both 72s, the parts car and the one I just restored, there were about three or four spot welds in an area of about 3 inches from the front of the fenders back, in the bolt groove just above the grill. I had to drill them out to get the fenders off of each car. They appeared to be factory. I just assumed that this was normal. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif PJ
 
hmmm...learn something new every day about these little cars!
 
[ QUOTE ]
The body is generally in good shape with some rust under the paint in the dog leg panels. I will also have to replace the floor pans and cross members due to impact damage. I plan on doing the welding myself (I have always wanted a MIG welder).

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have rust showing/bubbling in the doglegs, you have at least 10x that much rot in the inner sills and castle rails.

Some tips, for what they are worth...

1. Fix one side at a time. Use the other side as reference.
2. Cut out more steel than you think you need to.
2a. Yes, replace the ENTIRE sill section, all 4 pieces, plus the floor.
3. Patience is your friend, and so is Guide to DIY MGB Restoration by Lindsay Porter (Vol 1).
4. Harbor Freight Tools is also your friend. I'm generally not fan of cheap tools. But some of the stuff you'll need to make your life easier is so cheap it is almost disposable: cutoff/whizzer wheel, air nibbler, 4" grinder, etc. You'll even get change for a $100 bill.
5. MIG weld some temporary braces so the chassis does not droop/flex (3/4 " square tubing, near the top the door opening is a good spot).
6. Test fit both doors and fenders before welding new sills; expect to do this at least 10 times.
7. Measure everything. Then measure it again.

That's all I can think of at the moment, happy restoring /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Sounds like fun. It wouldn't be worth the bother if it wasn't going to take and enormous amount of time and effort.

Thanks,
 
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