Bodyworking Tools
Healey Journal
I'm not going to undertake major bodywork, but there will be the odd dent and bump to fix. For the Big Healey I'll replace all of the wings and have little to do with the rest of it- the shrouds are generally in good shape, though the rear one was damaged at some point and I may need to have a piece replaced in it, and the doors look in pretty good shape on the whole, though I may need to replace their lower skins due to small perforations- or I may just re-skin them. The boot lid has been replaced and the bonnett is in good shape except for some rust pitting that would need attention.
In contrast the Jensen-Healey's body is in pretty good shape- or so I thought. I was particularly careful in checking out its underside and oddly enough that was in good shape. I've had to replace sections of the main floors where water on the insider caused the reinforing supports for the seats to rust and those affected the main floors beneath them. The other problems are that the lower edges of the doors have corrosion, but I found new doors that I'll swap over. The more concerning problem is that the leading edge of the bonnet has a reinforcing panel, and that is in pretty bad shape. I'll need to cut a section out and weld a replacement in.
The rochdale is a much different proposition: it's all fiberglass so all my steel-working skills and tools won't be all that useful. The Rochdale's body is in really good shape though it's starting to show some flaws- very minor cracks in the surface and some odd bubbling on its surface in a couple of places.
Various types of bodyworking tools:
To Come.
To Come.
To Come.
To Come.
Copyright© 2009 James M. Wilson All rights reserved.