Technical Rusty rear cross member

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Top stuff...looks really good and as Luke said its a good kick up the arse for us to continue the fight against the tin worm while the weathers good...

kev

:yeahthat:

 

[pandamaniac]

Have you ever done door bottoms?

If so what thickness of welding wire did you use with you MIG 0.6mm or 0.8mm.

This may apply as a general question for welding coke tin Panda panels!

Apart from practice, what technique do you use?
Do you Spot / tack weld then 1" gap then Spot / tack weld etc. and fill in after

Regards Pandamaniac
Dave

 

[nitro_warrior]

Have you ever done door bottoms?

If so what thickness of welding wire did you use with you MIG 0.6mm or 0.8mm.

This may apply as a general question for welding coke tin Panda panels!

Apart from practice, what technique do you use?
Do you Spot / tack weld then 1" gap then Spot / tack weld etc. and fill in after

Regards Pandamaniac
Dave

I've not done door bottoms (well not Panda ones) but they're next on my list. That said the metal is the same thickness as the bodywork so it shouldn't be any different to weld.

I use 0.8mm welding wire, to be honest i've never tried 0.6mm wire, but that's because I seem to get on fine with 0.8mm. I have recently been converted to fluxed wire though. It's better for welding outside and when you start weighing up the cost of CO2 it's not much more expensive and you can get good deals on ebay. I found fluxed wire does need slightly different power settings though.

I tend not to tack weld and opt for fully welding joints, for 2 reasons.
1. For structural areas you're technically not allowed to spot weld, patches must be fully welded.
2. I largely tought myself to weld and i'm happier that at least some of the weld is good if it's fully welded!

The thing I found most important is that you should have the power of the welder turned up as far as you can, just below the point of blowing holes through the work piece. That way you know you're getting decent penetration and not just sitting weld on top of the metal. Don't rush your weld, work your weld pool along making little 'o' shapes. It's good when you do work where you can see the rear of the join as then you can see the discolouration of the metal and how well the weld has gone through.

It's mainly about practice. I tend to bite of a bit more than I can chew and just get on with it. Forces you to learn!

 

[pandamaniac]

Many thanks for the advice.

I bought a couple of bottom half door skins and obviously have to rebuild the bottoms of the door panel before fitting the skins.

I aim to finish the cut on the bottom of the centreline on the door where it will be covered with the plastic trim and then paint it black.

It will be cheaper than having a full respay to the orange beast. Which was once red.

Regards David

 

[Dave Henry]

Very useful update nitro warrior. I still need to start the sills as I have been sorting the fuel injection plumbing and finishing off the brakes.

One question, did you use single lengths of metal for the sills or several different sections as you worked along the side of the car?

Thanks

Dave

 

[nitro_warrior]

I bought a couple of bottom half door skins and obviously have to rebuild the bottoms of the door panel before fitting the skins.

I aim to finish the cut on the bottom of the centreline on the door where it will be covered with the plastic trim and then paint it black.

Sounds like what i'll be doing, keep us updated with pictures. Do you mind me asking where did you get the door skins and how much were they?

Very useful update nitro warrior. I still need to start the sills as I have been sorting the fuel injection plumbing and finishing off the brakes.

One question, did you use single lengths of metal for the sills or several different sections as you worked along the side of the car?

Glad it's of some use! They're predicatable beasts if nothing else, i had just finished sorting out the fueling before starting the sills and now i'm doing the brakes!

I used 2 lengths of metal for the sill. Mainly as I didn't have any sheet long enough! That said it worked out quite well. I had one length that goes from the front wheel to round about the back seat. From there the sill changes shape (like in my diagram earlier) so it worked quite well.

For metal I get sheets from a local metal merchant www.blakegroup.co.uk They sell sheets in managable sizes 3'x2' or there abouts in all different thickness. Most of that repair is in 1mm (might be 1.2mm), I did the chassis rails with thicker 2mm sheet.

 

[nitro_warrior]

Pretty much finished this job. At last!

So here are the rotten bits chopped out at the front.

Then I welded up the holes

Then I painted everything

The offside brake has been dragging so had a look and discovered the discs and pads really needed replaced, so swung past the motorfactor.

Old discs :yuck:

New discs :yum:

And that's pretty much it, I guess I need to book an MOT now...

 

[nitro_warrior]

I do have one question. See the highlighted area in this picture

It's a triangular piece of metal that joins the front panel to the chassis rail. It's only on the offside, not the nearside. I cut it off as the front edge was pretty rotten and didn't bother to replace it.

Anyone got any ideas as to what it's for? Nothing is mounted on it. My best guess is to add a bit of triangulation strength to the front but i'm not convinced.

Answers on a postcard or more conveniently a reply to the thread.

 

[Blurredman]

nitro_warrior you do such a good job at weilding!

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

:yeahthat: No idea what the triangle bit is for though.

 

[Dave Henry]

I have just checked the Y10 and it doesn't have it on either side. Must be to add some strength (or not) for a 4x4

 

[nitro_warrior]

I have just checked the Y10 and it doesn't have it on either side. Must be to add some strength (or not) for a 4x4

Thanks for checking the Y10. Bit of a mystery, i'm suprised it would add that much strength.... Famous last words, i'll let you know if my car folds up.

 

[pandamaniac]

Nitro_Warrior.

I didn't get genuine Panda ones, just pre joggled 8" ones from a motor bodies shop called Autosupplies in Bolsover.
I had the option of 6" or 8" and they were about £16 for the pair.

They come straight out of a Hadrian catalogue.

Obviously now I have got to cut to length, shape and fold the vertical ends and close up the pre bent bottom.

Hope this helps you.

Regards David

 

[gorazdr]

Hi Nitro_Warrior.

All the pictures are gone. Any chance to see them somewhere?

Thanks, Gorazd

 

[kolza]

Hi Nitro_Warrior.

All the pictures are gone. Any chance to see them somewhere?

Thanks, Gorazd

Welcome,

This thread is from 2009 year, which photos/ parts are you after.

 

[gorazdr]

Kolza I am after rear of the sills. I opened mine today and I am puzzled how to fix it because on mine, place where panels join is gone.

Thanks

 

[kolza]

Have a look on here
https://www.fiatforum.com/members-motors/340090-my-sisley-panda-4x4-division-north-19.html

or
https://www.fiatforum.com/members-motors/357398-digger-yellow-4x4-3.html

or
https://www.fiatforum.com/members-motors/304416-blue-sisley-my-first-panda-4.html

3 different pandas, 3 different peoples, one common target - make it to last.

As far as I can tell inner sills are no longer avaialable, that strentghtening plate between inner and outr sill - one side is available on ebay.it. All rest is down to your metal fabrication skils.

 

[gorazdr]

Thanks Kolza that's what I was looking for