[ Home] [ UK MogStock 2009 - 29-31 May ] [ Playing with and improving the mog ] [ Restoring a '61 Unimog ]

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[ Restoration Home ] [ Buying a Unimog ] [ Fixing the cab - Part I ] [ Fixing the cab - Part II ] [ Taking it apart 1 ] [ Taking it apart 2 ] [ Finishing taking it apart - 3 ] [ Painting it all ] [ Starting to put it together - 1 ] [ Starting to look real again - 2 ] [ It's a Unimog - 3 ] [ Finishing the cab ] [ Putting the cab back on ] [ First day of hooning ] [ Finishing it off ] [ We got a HIAB (and another Mog) ] Fixing up the cab

Making a silk purse out of a sows ear

A sow's ear.

	Once we'd taken all the crap out and removed various panels, this was what we had left. Mostly there, if a bit dirty :) She had to come off and be attended to.
	As per usual, the block and tackle is out. There've been a lot of bits and bats to remove to get the cab off, we doubt we have enough photo's to put everything back...... It feels surprisingly heavy through the block and tackle, but nothing seems to be stretching too much.
	So that's ten minutes with a big angle grinder and we have a convertible, as the good lord intended. It's on its way to my garage for some TLC.
	Stripped down, and 40 years of crap removed from various crevices. Structurally, it's only pretty bad. The door sills are the worst, and will be fixed first. The passenger side has a little cupboard which is almost completely gone.
	I've cut out and replaced the structure and added the first bit of tin before getting the camera. It is not, it has to be said, massively pretty, but it's plenty strong enough. Welding 40 year old 1mm steel with a stick welder is not for the fainthearted or obsessive. Previous repair attempts had largely involved pop rivets and filler(!). Lots and lots of por-15 paint will go over the welds and rusty bits. For the new metal, I'm not sure - I've read plenty of reports of por-15 peeling off clean metal. I also understand that some have prerusted new steel before painting!!!!!!
	The repaneling of the drivers side floor is done. It's very strong and that whole side of the cab is solid again. All I have to do is make it pretty :) Note the collection of angle grinders. I fked mine and it had to be reduced to wire-brush duty. So Pete lent me his identical model, which I promptly wore out. It wore in a different way to the other (different fked bearing), so I've managed to re-assemble to one good, and one _very_ bad.
	So now it's the underside of the wheel arch, the outer arch and the side panel. Hmmm, so much welding, so little time. I managed to pick the thing up and prop it on my own, but somehow don't think it'll be going down that way, it's much heavier now.
	On to the other side, I shan't be fixing side panels on until I have got the wheel arches. This side is in similar condition but is more complicated. Some of it will need to be done with the gas welding rig I'm buying myself for Christmas.
	This is the passenger footwell, seen from the bottom. Oh, and some of the ceiling as well :(. I must be getting brave, as I'm not even slightly scared of it
	This is where you keep your sandwiches.
	These are the new wheelarches, which includes what I would call the inner. They're meant to be bolted on, but I had to grind the old bolts off, so no holes = welded. A purist would weep, but I'm not a purist!
	Finished welding the front up, and here I've cut out all the bad metal, including the sandwich cabinet (purists weep again). I doubt whatever seats we get will hinge properly to allow access, and I'm looking for a lightweight look, so off it goes.
	A bit neglected at the moment, with our Scrapheap Challenge entry video and some decorating. Back to it soon.
	The floor and sides are now done, hurrah - bloody hate doing it. Now the weather has warmed, it's a bit nicer working on half a tonne of steel.
	Which means I can start on the wheel arches and sides, then do the doors, then all the crap (air filters, rad, etc), then sandblast it, and then paint. June?(2 months -ed) No problem.

More soon.