356 B T6 Restoration

[neil blaber]

just a little update.

I have been quite busy with work but still trying to push on, here is a pic of the left hand door

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and I have made just about all the other pieces of the door frame in ali, so I have just about finished making a jig to hold all the pieces together so I can tig them up

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[neil blaber]

another little update of how its going, I have been doing the door in the few hours spare this week. a lot happening with work but not all bad...
here are the pieces I made so far clamped to the door jig

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and finally welded together

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I ground the welds and sanded them tonight, the support bracket at the bottom for the door stop is plug welded along the bottom and sanded smooth.

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[Aaron W. Holstrom]

Your work is incredible! Wow......

[neil blaber]

thank you aaron, kind words much appreciated

[neil blaber]

this afternoon's progress goes like this:-

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this is the next part to be replaced, I would like to get to the same place as the opposite side by the end of the month. then I hope to get the front bulkhead (behind the pedals) trimmed and in, then the petrol tank floor made and the battery box fitted. sounds a lot but that's just the front half of the car! so it started with this:-

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it still needs to be trimmed and finish whacking it with a hammer but its a start...

[neil blaber]

this was the offending panel to be replaced

a quick check after a bit of a beating with the hammer!

coming along, slowly but surely, that curved swage around the steering arm opening needs to be moved lower as it reaches the top

[StephenJohns]

Awesome metal fab work Neil.
I will try and drop in this afternoon if you are there.

[neil blaber]

thanks stephen, if you need anything bending up just pop round. more than welcome

[Andrew Serdich]

Neil, I am just speechless watching how you are progressing with this car. I am amazed with you metal work and ability to fabricate new pieces that seem to be near replica's of the original especially with what you had to start with. I wish I had your ability and talent to do this.

I am so looking forward to watching this car come back to life with your talented eye and hands.

[neil blaber]

thank you Andrew for the kind words, its a daily thing for me bashing metal so it doesn't seem much.

we all have the same talents and skills its just you haven't found yours yet shaping metal, just have a go. we all make mistakes but you learn from them. you make a mistake now and five years later its called experience!

so today was an inspirational day, finishing up the other side panel and trimming up the bulkhead

looking better now and given me a little more get up and go lol

[Adam Wright]

Neil, you know I had a buy-back clause in our deal, so as soon as you get it finished let me know and I can get it picked up.

Just kidding, looking really nice.

[neil blaber]

adam, you are a funny guy lol

thank you for the kind words and for following along

[StephenJohns]

thanks stephen, if you need anything bending up just pop round. more than welcome

Thanks Neil,

Might take you up on that down the track as I will need a couple of nice tight folds so I can repair the top section on my car of what you have just finished making for yours..

Speak soon,


Steve

[neil blaber]

time for another update!

well i have left one job and started another... which is good cause now i don't have to put up with the constant drivel that comes from the self proclaimed so called foreman's head anus.

well we all like pictures so here goes, the old hinge pillar

and the old one removed

the outer hinge pillar is clamped to some new hinge brackets that i made up

the blue steel square tube is welded to the top of the post and the head of a bolt fits nicely into a hole in the screen pillar and then tacked to it, to hold it all in place

[neil blaber]

a couple more pictures, the inner hinge pillar

the inner longitudinal and hinge pillar