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Randy Harris
Jedi Warrior
Offline
My '66 BJ8 has undergone an extensive restoration. The car, while not concourse, is a truly beautiful 1 footer. Here's my dilemna:
Some time in its distant past, the car was in a rear ender. The damage must have been extensive because, after I bought the car, I discovered that the frame rails had been replaced from the X bracing back. In terms of safety and frame geometry the repair was done well. The Healey mechanics who have inspected the car have told me that the replacement rails are as strong or stronger than the original. Here's the issue: Evidently when the frame rails were fixed, replacement rails were not available as they are today. They were fabricated out of steel and are square box sections same as the original. Except... The welding on these replaced sections does not run down the center of the rail as the originals do. The net affect of this is that when you view the car from beneath you can clearly see where the old frame ends and the newer sections start. I could have a body shop run cosmetic welds down the rails and blend them into the originals. After some careful grinding and repaint, the fix would be nearly invisible.
I plan to sell the Healey in a couple of years when I relocate overseas. I would never sell the car without disclosing the frame fix, but I think a potential buyer probably would be less concerned if the fix was not so obviously visible, I think. Assuming you had the money to do this admittedly cosmetic cleanup, what would you folks do?
Thanks
Randy '66 BJ8 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
Some time in its distant past, the car was in a rear ender. The damage must have been extensive because, after I bought the car, I discovered that the frame rails had been replaced from the X bracing back. In terms of safety and frame geometry the repair was done well. The Healey mechanics who have inspected the car have told me that the replacement rails are as strong or stronger than the original. Here's the issue: Evidently when the frame rails were fixed, replacement rails were not available as they are today. They were fabricated out of steel and are square box sections same as the original. Except... The welding on these replaced sections does not run down the center of the rail as the originals do. The net affect of this is that when you view the car from beneath you can clearly see where the old frame ends and the newer sections start. I could have a body shop run cosmetic welds down the rails and blend them into the originals. After some careful grinding and repaint, the fix would be nearly invisible.
I plan to sell the Healey in a couple of years when I relocate overseas. I would never sell the car without disclosing the frame fix, but I think a potential buyer probably would be less concerned if the fix was not so obviously visible, I think. Assuming you had the money to do this admittedly cosmetic cleanup, what would you folks do?
Thanks
Randy '66 BJ8 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
