Bodywork, Paint, Interior, Trim, & Wiring

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TRip
Trip Anthony

(162 posts)

Registered:
08/18/2009 01:16AM

Main British Car:
1980 TR7 performance 4 cyl

TR7 project has more rust than I thought - opinions, please
Posted by: TRip
Date: September 02, 2009 10:08PM

Even though I knew the rocker front areas on driver and pass. needed replacing and I knew a few other areas needed attention, I hadn't realized all the rust spots here and there until going over the entire car, today.

I'm sure it's not as daunting as it seems to be right now, it's definitely less daunting then it would have been before I joined this forum!

I don't know how to weld yet...yet I say. So I'm pretty sure these spots will, although a challenge, be fixable. I think it'll be a great learning experience.

It would be real nice to get your opinions of the pics posted below.

Also, please bare in mind that besides a little surface rust under-body, all other areas seem to be completely solid.

I think these rusted out areas were places that moisture has collected while garaged during our cold damp winters.

Please excuse the blurry shots as space was limited.

Pass control arm bulhead behind seat from below - Isn't that a beautiful sky?

pass control bulhead behind seat from below.jpg

Rocker panels front area both are about the same. Inner sills are fine only slight surface rust in spots.

driver rocker front.jpg

Rear inner wells both are about the same.

driver rear well.jpg

Pass front fender lip

pass front fender lip bumper side.jpg

Any opinions? Go ahead, I can take it!

Trip



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2009 10:41PM by TRip.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: TR7 project has more rust than I thought - opinions, please
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: September 02, 2009 11:01PM

Trip, get yourself an ice pick. Go to the areas near the rusted out ones and test the panel all around the area. You can press fairly hard, practice will show you what you are looking for. That will tell you how extensive the areas are that you will need to cut out, there's no point in trying to weld to thin, rusty metal. You can use a sharpie to outline the cuts. Make your cut lines straight as much as possible.

Next, take stock of the contours that you will have to replace. A simple curve or bend is not too challenging, a small compound curve can be handled without a tremendous amount of trouble. A large compound curve, well you'll need some help with that one or at least a patch panel. Note the areas that need internal repairs before external repairs can be made. Plan on spending several hours on each repair and add them up to get a (very) rough idea of the work ahead of you. Let us know what you come up with. See if you can find a car to cannibalize panels from. Even small formed parts are easier to fix that way than by making them from scratch.

Jim


TRip
Trip Anthony

(162 posts)

Registered:
08/18/2009 01:16AM

Main British Car:
1980 TR7 performance 4 cyl

Re: TR7 project has more rust than I thought - opinions, please
Posted by: TRip
Date: September 02, 2009 11:52PM

Jim, very good ideas. I'll do all that.

"Let us know what you come up with."

Okay, I'll report back as soon as I get all that done. May have to be a little while but will post as soon as I have done and calculated all of it.

Trip


WedgeWorks1
Mike Perkins
Ellicott City, Maryland
(460 posts)

Registered:
07/06/2008 08:07AM

Main British Car:
1980 Triumph TR8 3.5 Litre Rover V8

authors avatar
Re: TR7 project has more rust than I thought - opinions, please
Posted by: WedgeWorks1
Date: September 03, 2009 08:29AM

Trip-You have what is considered all the typical areas of rust for a convertable TR7. The floors because of roof leaks and no one noticed it over time! The front lower fenders because water hangs in this area and it is where two panels come together, no patch panels available just whole fenders. The inner fender to shock tower same as lower fender, no patch panels available just whole panels. The rocker panel is not so common but from what it looks like is only the outer skin from the picture, which they sell the panel and it is not that expensive. If it is in the inner you can patch it when you replace the outer skin.

There is another issue you have to deal with from what I have seen from one of the other pictures……..someone used silly-puddie to hide the rust on the exterior. You will want to check other locations for rust too. Here is a list of other areas:

-The rear inner fender to bulkhead/firewall below the brake and clutch masters. A leaky clutch master or someone sloppy with fluid will spill it into that seam and over time will rot away.
-The rear lower quarters painted black will hold water and rot out
-The front of the rear quarter to rocker panel area will bubble or blister
-Under the black windshield trim/molding
-Spare tire well

I hate to say it but your car will need a lot of work. In my younger days when TR7s were about $200 for a parts car which is very common with the rust issues you are having it would have been sawz-all city! Now the cars are not so abundant so more people are putting the effort in on ones with clear titles or they have owned a long time or bought cheap.


TRip
Trip Anthony

(162 posts)

Registered:
08/18/2009 01:16AM

Main British Car:
1980 TR7 performance 4 cyl

Re: TR7 project has more rust than I thought - opinions, please
Posted by: TRip
Date: September 03, 2009 06:32PM

Hello Mike,

Oh boy! what have I gotten myself into.

Thank you for the list. I'll make a copy and go over the whole car in the next few days.

The previous owner would have done the filler work so I'll look extra close at the areas you pointed out.

Trip


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