I like the clean skilled and immediate approach put forward with the bonded/adhesive option'
which let's not forget is the basis of the super string Lotus Elise chassis. The only real problem
arises when any remedial work done to a car which detours off the manufacturers original design
is an area governened by criteria the Mot man has jusistuction with and to be honest, I've no
idea what the position with this approach is!!

I was always led to understand that any metal plate attached to the main structure was required to
be continuously welded, even when rivets or spot welds were employed from the outset by the
original manufacturer. In the instance of a Cx longrton section, it was determined that a whole series
of nuts/bolts and washers would be accepted instead of the manufactures unique big rivets so a chat
with a Central technical VOSA man may help clear matters!

I think I'd be happier jacking up the sill of a welded XM in preference to a glued one mind!!

Andrew

Another advantage of glue is that when you're lying on your back under the car trying to carry out the repair, it doesn't set fire to your clothes.

Hi chaps,

Well I been busy again today, I decided to have a go at the near side sill on the Green 12v V6 today...

this is what I ended up needing to tackle:






Remembering to use the thinner more flexie sheeting, I manged to achive this:





So I just need to tart and seal it all up now.

Took me about 3 hrs..

Just thought Id share this with you all, seeing as the "Welding sills" has been a subject lately...

Rgds
Paul

I've got the same handy tool set from Halfords just like yours Paul!
And I'd check your tracking as the wear looks like it's scrubbing the inside of the offside tyre!

Do'h! Forgot the welding!!

An ambitious repair that for your second job with a new welder; the thinner repair plate shows
as your weld seams are knitting more into them and the surrounding metal. Did you weld an
overlapped seam or but weld where the two edges were stitched? With practice you will reach
that optimum setting where it all starts to gel with the secret getting the gas/wire speed/weld
current and torch head technique get's into a rhythm.

I've always read that a decent weld sounds different where it's more like crackling bacon or
rat-a-tat like machinegun fire!!! There are more nice techniques like using a joddler to create
a step underlap on the repair plate that effectively creates a valley/tray the new weld seam
runs along catching the adjacent original surrounding metal and the head of the tool allows
a punched hole to create a button weld. Check out -

http://secure.thorite.co.uk/prodtype.asp?CAT_ID=421

I'd make sure the relevant seams are all continuous and well protected when you're finished.
If you use acrylic based sealant you can get the paint to take to the coating if you don't want
to go to the cost of Gravitex - the pukka stuff used by car manufacturers. Use plenty of zinc!!

Andrew

Andrew...

Tracking has been done just before I took her off the road as I had fited a Tie Rod arm on the car, and a track rod end... the light is hitting it a bit funny and making it look bad on the inner were in fact its NOT too bad.. EDIT: Infact I may even have possibly swapped tyres and wheels onto a currently used car when the last ones wore down, actually Im sure I did... as all three XM's have the same alloy on them... I guess I am gonna have to buy tyres for her though, but I know FOR A FACT the tracking is correct.

Well spotting the tool kit... Theres been a few variants of that set, mines one of the early 170 quid or so sets, which was bought for me (dont want to go there )

I havent seen one the same as it again, but Id like to buy another as they are really fantastic tools for the price you pay..

Anyway... thanks again for your kind remarks.. Im getting into this quite enthusiactly..

Rgds
Paul

Nice bit of welding that Paul for thin metal, looks better than mine!

Peter.

I HATE welding rusty car bodies I've just started on the CX floors too





Well this is the gusset that goes under the front floor.



All those huge (12mm) ?? holes I had to drill into it to remove the spotwelds need to be filled in... There is eight of the damn things



Welds just won't get along with copper... They don't talk to each other at all. So what I did was hammer some copper pipe flat and hold under the holes.



Then fill them over with the MIG.



The idea is I want this repairs to be impossible to pick (so probably beyond my capabilities :clown: ). Here you can see I have ground two of the filled holes back, the repairs are invisible. I'm aiming to make all the welding like this making the repair invisible.......... Of course I then ran out of MIG gas

More soon .... But over on the CX forum ....

seeya,
Shane L.

Good tip about using a copper backing plate, Shane, although I have welded copper (copper to copper) in the past using oxy-acetylene. I like the quiet hiss of oxy-ac, but it does make a mess of the paintwork.

I have to admit that once you get the parameters right, MIG is SO easy!

Derek

PS That last one wasn't at all bad, Paul. But what did you do about the mess inside?

I used a weld through primer when I patched the inner sill on the CX last night. I found it actually made the patch much more difficult to weld as the welds tended to splatter and pop (given I was trying to weld vertically). Made the welds really spotty and ugly

All you need to do now if fill that sill with some lanolin based coating (that's what I'll be doing ..............> >>> WHEN WELDING IS FINISHED... Don't want to burn the car down do we ).

seeya,
Shane L.