Started the week by finishing stripping the old paint from the out part of the cab door window frame. I need to weld in the channels for the glass now. A break from the cab window was taken to give the emergency door handle mount casting a coat of cream gloss. The next job was to drill and prime the cab door window frame ready for plug welding for the new long channel section. Whilst waiting for the primer to cure, stripped and primed one side of one of the three steel reinforcement panels for the back seat. These appear to be stainless steel, like the interior wheelarches, with only odd spots of corrosion.
15/9/2024
First job this week was to fit the new interior panel to the cab door and check that the the slam lock fitted. Next, I gave the slam lock a final coat of paint. I have been using Simoniz black engine enamel aerosols for small black parts, it appears to be very good. I also stripped as much of the remaining paint as I could from the emrgency door casting that encases the handle for opening. I next turned my attention to the cab door sliding window, which I removed by heating the stubborn screws with a paint stripping gun. The frame needs some repair in places, due to rot, so I needed to remove the glass, which I achieved by finding two hidden screws in the bottom rail at each corner. I finished stripping the emergency door casting and gave it two coats of primer then started the complex job of repairing the cab door window frame by first making a strip of steel with a beaded edge to match the inner flange of the window. I then cut out the first section of rot and welded the newly-made piece in place. The seat backs and the back seat cushions were collected from Ifor’s on Wednesday, they look very good. Work then continued on the cab door frame, carefully welding a jigsaw of small pieces of steel in place to replace the rot, which was more extensive then I thought. This took some time to complete and was difficult to grind back the welds due to the thinness of the metal. I had to remake part of the bead on the lower horizontal as it had separated at the fold, this was important as it was the slide rail for the opening part of the cab door window.
8/9/2024
On Monday I finished fixing and dressing the aluminium panels to the emergency door frame, then abraded them and primed them. Next I started stripping the vertical weather strip that fits around the hinges. This was pretty rusty on the back but a wire brush wheel in the big angle grinder made short work of it. I then primed the front face and gave a second coat to the cab door weather deflector. Whilst waiting for these to dry, I removed the cab door inner panel and, after inspection, decided to cut a new one, predrilling all the holes by using the old panel as a template, screwd to the new one as I progressed with the drilling. Hopefully everything will line up square! Before starting work on Tuesday, I collected the template for the emergency door glass from Paxton’s and took it to Dunmow glass who quoted me £70 less for it! Gave the weather deflector strips another coat of primer, then an undercoat in colour. A coat of top coat on the inside face and these can be fitted. Whilst waiting for them to dry I dismantled the slam lock for the cab door. This was choked with rust and the springs had rusted solid, so I cleaned it out and replaced the springs with a single new one from stock. A small shim for the handle cam fixed a bit of roughness in operation, then it was thoroughly greased with copper grease and reassembled and painted. Whilst waiting for the paint to dry on the slam lock, I investigated why the cab door was sticking and cured it by sanding off the bottom of the frame and reshaping the lower rubber guide. It now fits as well as it is going to! Last job was to glaze the metal frame for the very last offside window (apart from the eamergency door for which I am awaiting the glass). This fitted fairly easily, thankfully, unlike the first piece which was slightly too large.