How to handle the rust?

Post by **Thunderbird** » 01 Apr 2005, 18:31

I've managed to get an SM with the chassis really rusty. You can see the road from inside the car! Main struct of the chassis is also falling apart. [:(] You can't touch it with a finger! [xx(]
What techniques do you recommend to transform it into a new car?

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 01 Apr 2005, 18:53

At that stage of corrosion I would recommand Plywood ...

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 01 Apr 2005, 18:57

Can you weld? If not, get yourself on a welding and metalworking course and buy a MIG- I learned the hard way 20 odd yrs ago by blowing holes in lots of rusty BL cars, courses weren't really available then as home welding wasn't a common pastime before the classic car boom. A welding course would have made it all so much easier!!!

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 01 Apr 2005, 19:30

As well as bxbodger's advice I'd say get a number of books and articles from the restoration mags to see how they tackle various problems. Little is impossible - it just takes loads of time.
A problem you will have is that you can't imitate shaped sections or obtain anything similar. As a matter of interest the side members of a land Rover chassis up to the introduction of the 90 / 110 was simply made up of 4 pieces of 14 gauge (2mm) steel plate welded into a rectangle - no pressings there. OK some of the cross memebers were folded but the main side rails were just welded flat sheet.
This means that you may well be able to make up sections from plate.
2 other points - the first is accuracy - in cutting, bending and fitting prior to welding. Errors build up and become a problem as you'll suddenly find something later won't fit or look right.
The other point is make sure the thing doesn't distort. If you are chopping bits out of chassis the car may bend. if you remove the body it may loose its shape. Many people add re-inforcement while doing the job by for example welding angle iron braces accross door to prevent movement while working on sills.
jeremy

ActivaV6uk · Post by **ActivaV6uk** » 01 Apr 2005, 20:14

I'd recomend looking at some of the kit car books that are avalable as they will help you with consepts of keeping the car in shape when welding and also be a guide to what you should and shouldnt do and processes you can use. there is also a locost yahoo group which has some amazing documents.
hayens also do a restoration book which is a good place to start (its one of the only haynes books i've read from cover to cover).
Andy

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 01 Apr 2005, 20:40

Post some pictures!!

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 01 Apr 2005, 23:29

Machine mart does a special set of clamps for keeping doors square whilst they're welded...

Rostami · Post by **Rostami** » 01 Apr 2005, 23:35

When will you show us how the car looks like?

citroenzx · Post by **citroenzx** » 02 Apr 2005, 00:06

how far has the metal rusted? if you can see the road it must be quite bad.

Post by **Thunderbird** » 02 Apr 2005, 01:15

Thanks for the tips. I will try to get some pictures. It's really in bad shape.
I've seen some 60's and 70's Mercedes that appear to have much less rust than citroens (ds, cx, etc). Will there be a difference? More metal? type of metal?

bikeboyz · Post by **bikeboyz** » 02 Apr 2005, 02:13

http://www.citroensm.net/
This should help you find somebody in the know about the SM. There were several at Classic Cars Live a couple of weeks ago, link to Pictures in General Chat.

406 V6 · Post by **406 V6** » 02 Apr 2005, 03:39

With so many SM adverts, you had to pick a rotten one...or is this an April's fools joke, mate?
Tell you what, how about a trip this weekend to the Motorclássico exposition on FIL? Plenty of good chaps to give a hand (and a spare or 2...). Oh, i saw a CX for sale there, it's a white break (like my C5...)
Take care!
PS: if you do decide to go to the exibition, send me a mail. I'm going back there tomorrow [:D]

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 02 Apr 2005, 04:21

From the SM, sell everything except the engine and box. Buy a CX with the proceeds. Sell the CX engine and box.[:)]
By the Way, congratulations on finding an SM. If you can be realistic about the time and effort, anything is possible; cars are cheap in the states; cheaper still with blown/ removed engines. If you have the space, use the one you have as a source of parts for a better shell and recondition as much as you can while you are waiting for a good car that is being scrapped because somebody blew it up and cannot afford a new engine. That might well entail saving up quite a lot of money but it is the quickest and cheapest way of turning what you have into a decent SM.

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 02 Apr 2005, 06:38

I'd endorse Tom's suggestion there.
The SM appears to be the Citroen that was the biggest seller over there (USA) and in the past I have seen ads from owners almost giving them away. In fact a couple of years ago, one guy was trying to quit all his parts and cars literally for scrap metal price because he reckoned that was exactly what he was intending doing with what didn't sell.
An SM with a blown motor (common for the ones not modified) would possibly have an almost rust free body if it were a Californian car and doing a mechanical transplant a sight better proposition to trying to sort major rust, particularly structural stuff.
Freight wouldn't necessarily be all that great an expense if you can find a car importer with some spare space in a container as often they let this go at "backloading" rates.
Alan S

PeterMann · Post by **PeterMann** » 02 Apr 2005, 12:28

I areas where the rust is relatively superficial, I find that used gearbox oil is brilliant for stopping the rot. Inject some into closed chassis members. Renew evry 2 years or so.