PROJECT: EMMA (ROVER P5B Coupe)

 

The restoration of this car took a back seat at the end of last year at time and opportunity to further this project were in very short supply. However, since late January the area around Emily has been a hive of activity with something changing almost on a daily basis. The photographs below are a record of the latest work.

 

First job was to take a look at the front scuttle area below the driver's side of the front windscreen. We had known that there was a lot of filler here and the owner had already supplied us with a pre-made repair section to use so it was obvious that the owner suspected trouble here as well.

First job was to locate the various spot welds and old mig welds left bey previous repairers so that they could be freed off so that the panel could be released.

 

 

 

 

As can be seen the state of the bodywork underneath was not a pretty sight! The only thing to do was to take notes and photographs and then start further dissecting the car. Once the corrosion had been removed, the surrounding good steel was cleaned up.

 

 

After a protective layer of anti rust paint. the new inner panels were welded in and the repair section trial fitted.

 

 

 

 

 

The biggest problem was that the hand made repair panel war the wrong profile and a real step between the end of the bonnet and the panel was obvious. The only solution was to modify the repair panel until it looked right and the lead load the panel in to blend the repairs. I had to add a fair amount of lead to the area where the windscreen rubber will sit because the profile was still not right but eventually I arrived at a point where I could put a layer of protective paint on and move along to the next stage.

 

 

 

 

Surprisingly the other side of the windscreen scuttle panel was in much better order requiring only a clean up and re-fit of the existing panel.

Before leaving this area a new windscreen pillar panel was fabricated to replace the rather moth eaten original one.

 

 

 

 

 

Attention then turned at the end of January to the rear window channel:

 

 

Work now re-focused on the repairs to the driver's side doors which had been previously repaired and were due new repair sections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally two dents were uncovered in the tail ends of the rear wings. These seem to have happened within a few years of the car being made and no one knows why they are there. After welding in new steel and leading, you'd never know that there was a problem.

 

 

Currently ( 7th Feb 2012) that's where we are. Next phase later on this month will be the final welding of the doors and the painting.