Xac's adventures with Cassy (and friends + wife)

Post by **CitroJim** » 07 Apr 2010, 15:12

Xac wrote: are estimating £80-100 + VAT

Nearly the price of a MIG set that Xac

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 07 Apr 2010, 18:09

Called the MoT place up to take them up on their initial offer of getting me a quote from one of the two companies they use.
Dad's going to take Cassy over tomorrow, they said they'll be able to give a quote straight away, and then it's down to when they can fit it in if it's less than the £80-100 estimate elsewhere which can't do anything til Tuesday.

Post by **CitroJim** » 07 Apr 2010, 21:38

Xac, if it all gets too difficult, I'll bite the bullet and get that MIG I've truly been meaning to buy for the last 200 years or so and get practicing...

If we do go down that road, I'll need some metal. Have you still got a few gash bonnets and panels growing in your front garden?

I just cannot believe how much they want for the job. It's outrageous...

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 07 Apr 2010, 22:45

Alas no, all the spare panels were scrapped, I'll double check the garden in case though.

Post by **RichardW** » 08 Apr 2010, 08:19

You will get a much better job if you DIY - most likely a garage job will consist of throwing an ill fitting patch over it, with some rough looking welding, and spatter everywhere, and yo'll be lucky if the seat survives....! Had a patch put on the inner wing on our ZX and the welded it from the top without removing the plastic wing liner underneath - must have been smoking like a good un goven the melt holes in it! They had also not really cut the rot out, nor sealed the underside (like where the water and salt goes....!)

. There's easily a couple of hours work in patching that - and if you want a really good job (ie letting in a properly shaped panel and grinding it back so you can't see the joint) it will take much longer. The panel is compound curved, so is going to take some work to make it fit properly - hence my thought above to get a piece from a scrapper to weld in - isn't there a couple being broken on here at the moment, could get the necessary bit cut out. Is there an access port in the end of the silll - you will want to get something on the back of the new panel, otherwise it will just rot out the same.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 08 Apr 2010, 08:39

If I could wait, had a battery opperated grinder to hack a secton off a scrapped estate, then I would.
I need Cassy MoT'd and back on the road ASAP because of the amount of driving I do Juliet is costing me money whereas I can actually make a bit of money using Cassy.
I can worry about cleaning up the patch later, once I've actually seen what they've done.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 08 Apr 2010, 16:07

Well, she's been done. Dad's on his way to pick her up so I don't know what sort of job they've done or how much it's cost, but it will give me tomorrow night (depending on how late I get back from Leatherhead) or Saturday morning to replace the flexible brake pipes on the front ready for the MoT re-test Saturday afternoon

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 08 Apr 2010, 20:12

Was £100.
They've done a patch job, cutting out most of the rust, and the seam is lumpy but not as bad as I thought it might be. They've also sprayed it black rather than leaving it open to the elements.
No singe marks on the seats

It does really need the section removed, cleaned up and replaced, especially as the bottom line of it is still open.

Post by **CitroJim** » 08 Apr 2010, 21:15

Ahh well, at least it's done good enough for the MOT Xac. Can always sort it properly at a later date...

Did you get your flexis done OK?

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 08 Apr 2010, 21:20

Not yet, they'll be done Saturday morning.

Post by **CitroJim** » 08 Apr 2010, 21:23

Xac wrote:Not yet, they'll be done Saturday morning.

OK, I'll not be far away if you need assistance....

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 08 Apr 2010, 22:17

CitroJim wrote:
Xac wrote:Not yet, they'll be done Saturday morning.
OK, I'll not be far away if you need assistance....

Thanks Jim, I really appreciate it

I completely forgot, someone went up the back of Juliet on the way home.
No damage done to her though, it was only 5mph.
Coming the back way off Grafton street, there's those horrible slalom speed reduction things, and the last one is just before the road curves left and down the hill. Cars park all along the left hand side making it difficult to see on coming traffic which you have to give way to.
I spotted a bus coming up the hill, the van and car in front didn't. I pulled over before the narrow bit so the car in front could reverse back out of the way (which they nearly didn't manage to do), the van barged past the bus forcing it up onto the pavement.
Anyway, the bus made it through and I started to move, but then spotted another car coming up so stopped at the give way marker by the narrow bit, I'd only moved a car length forward.
I looked in the mirror to see the driver behind look forward and then very scared as he slammed on the brakes.
His bonnet was pushed back a bit so will need replacing. His dog on the back seat didn't seem phased.
I don't think he's had an accident before, so we exchanged details and went on our merry ways.

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 08 Apr 2010, 22:25

So glad i have welder and a basic ability to use it. Not that i have to worry these days about getting cars through the MOT and failing on rust.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 08 Apr 2010, 22:29

XantiaMan wrote:So glad i have welder and a basic ability to use it. Not that i have to worry these days about getting cars through the MOT and failing on rust.

So.... if i were to cut the panel from a donor vehicle how many cookies would it take for you to weld it on and respray?

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 08 Apr 2010, 22:33

Xac wrote:
XantiaMan wrote:So glad i have welder and a basic ability to use it. Not that i have to worry these days about getting cars through the MOT and failing on rust.
So.... if i were to cut the panel from a donor vehicle how many cookies would it take for you to weld it on and respray?

I dont do cookies no more

And i dont do welding for other people, only on my own car if i need to. Its too risky, and very time consuming. Its well worth investing in a MiG though, wouldnt be without it.