500 (Classic) Raukstern's 500F -65 rebuild

[Goldnrust]

Chipping away nicely at this Raukstern It might be glamorous rebuilding the internal structure but it makes such a big difference to how the car drives when it’s done right.

Doesn’t look like it’ll be long till your putting the big outer panels back on the front of the car, then it’ll really feel like you’re getting somewhere!

Like Bounding Bambino, I’m appreciating all the pictures, helps me understand the tasks I have ahead also.

 

[Raukstern]

Thanks for your comments
I´ll keep posting a lot of pics to let everyone now how it goes. But don´t use it as a template, I´m just an amateur doing my best.

/Seb

 

[Raukstern]

Got a few hours in the garage last night and continued the repairs of the right side A-pillar. Not much to show, but it´s all I got.
Thankfully this will not show behind the front fender when done, so not much effort is put into the cosmetics of it

 

[Raukstern]

Next inner wheel arc in place. As allways drilling for spot welding.

Hopefully time for the things thas shows soon; front & fenders. But probably the other half of the floor and the sills first.

 

[Raukstern]

Hello guys, I´m back

Long time no posting. Life got in between... to mutch at work, wedding, honeymoon, quiting my job, starting my own firm... and there a whole year schwooshed by

But now I´m slowly getting back into it and hopefully I have time to spend in the garage this winter.

There is so much to do, so I´m just doing stuff, big and small. Concentrating on right front side at the moment. A-pillar and door sill. The metall is like Swiss cheese in many places, so I´ve started replacing some of it, there it is totally rotten.

Some pics for ya´

 

[Goldnrust]

Congratulations on your marriage.

Good to see some progress back on the Fiat, keep chipping away and I’m sure the metal work will be done by the time the weather starts to warm

 

[Raukstern]

Thanks, it was a long time coming with Covid-restrictions and lock downs

Yes, maybewhen the weather starts to warm... 2027

 

[Bounding Bambino]

Lookin good.

Those double walled door hinge sills i think are frequently overlooked on alot of restorations. I remember when i got to them during my resto, and humming and hawing if i wanted to open them up. I am so glad i did, to have added extra structure, and fresh metal, as well as neutralizing any of the unreachable surface rust hiding away i think was a smart choice. It added a few more days to the overall resto, but worth it in the end. A clean pillar with minimal body work and filler is one less thing to deal with.

 

[Raukstern]

Next microscopical step forward...
Right now I´m just doing the small easy jobs becuasue I´m afraid to get dug in with the big ones.

I want to get going with the front, and the fenders. But to do that I have to fit the inner and outer right hand side sills to the new floor, go get the allignments correct. And to get the sills in place, I have to get a new right rear fender, inner arch and the plate in front of them to allign them to the sill.... and on it goes.
I´m like a dear in head lights... just keep staring at it.

I guess the first step is to order the missing parts...

 

[Raukstern]

Baby steps...

In waiting for the bigger operations, I keep plodding along with the small jobs. Inspiration has been low, and spare time aswell.
But I hope the inspiration will come, now that I got going again.

A few pics från sunday´s efforts... the metal is so thin in places, it´s allmost inpossible to weld it.

 

[Goldnrust]

Awkward little sections there! Looks like you've got some neat repairs though

When you say about the metal being almost too thin to weld too, that's something I've come across many times. Usually it means I should have been braver and cut back more of the original metalwork to get to good solid steel rather than just trying to cut a small section out around the visible hole. Clearly looking at those pictures cutting out larger sections was either not possible or would have lead into a world of problems with complex curves, so I think you made the best compromise there!

 

[Raukstern]

Awkward little sections there! Looks like you've got some neat repairs though

When you say about the metal being almost too thin to weld too, that's something I've come across many times. Usually it means I should have been braver and cut back more of the original metalwork to get to good solid steel rather than just trying to cut a small section out around the visible hole. Clearly looking at those pictures cutting out larger sections was either not possible or would have lead into a world of problems with complex curves, so I think you made the best compromise there!

Thanks for your comment!

In my case, the thin metal sometimes is a result of the sand blasting, I think. He went bersek in some places and it shows.
But when its possible. cutting out bigger areas helps. Curving surfaces makes it hard sometimes as you say.

/Seb

 

[Raukstern]

Next "not-so-easy" spot attacked. A bit more complicated than the pervious side, as the rust/thin metal had spreead to the underside of the lip.
In lacking of the proper tools, a hammer and some metal shop memories provided some kind of solution

 

[fiat500]

Next "not-so-easy" spot attacked. A bit more complicated than the pervious side, as the rust/thin metal had spreead to the underside of the lip.
In lacking of the proper tools, a hammer and some metal shop memories provided some kind of solution

That's a tricky area as I well know. I had the entire drip gutter to replace on one side. Great work.

 

[Raukstern]

Still waiting for the ordered parts, I continue with the small jobs. (area wise) But it doesn´t feel like small jobbs doing it though
The curvature around the windscreen was tricky to figure out to handle. Lacking all the proper tools, I do what I can with a hammer, anvil and some vice grips The fine stuff I will have to do with filler later.

 

[fiat500]

Still waiting for the ordered parts, I continue with the small jobs. (area wise) But it doesn´t feel like small jobbs doing it though
The curvature around the windscreen was tricky to figure out to handle. Lacking all the proper tools, I do what I can with a hammer, anvil and some vice grips The fine stuff I will have to do with filler later.

That looks good. I bought a few special tools towards the end of restoration. A shrinker-stretcher was quite useful for things like that and I sold it afterwards and got most of my money back.
Then when I started the capervan I had to buy another.

 

[Raukstern]

Next problem area... lower wind screen corner. Curves are nice, but not in metal work
For the rear window I´ve ordered the bottom repair panel