Post by Phil Nottingham on Sept 7, 2008 16:26:31 GMT
I have decided to breakup our original November 1969 P5B saloon which has a surprisingly good shell and in particular the A panels and scuttle corners. Having broken a mumber right down to bare sttel/rust lumps its surprising how many bits it gives espeacilly interior wise with as new nuts/bolts coated with that greeny/black anti-corrison stuff Rover used (Parkerising?) 
Dismantling these finely built cars does however demonstrate that no modern car could ever be be bulit this wat nowadays as so much is hand fitted/fettled. Its a pity the anti-corrosion designs/coatings of the time were not up to the same standard
I am taking pics of this so as to aid rebuild of others as to how are things are meant to be.
2 important points however
Both rear seat belt lower mounts on the D post were severly weakened by corrosion - none of this was apparent from out side or until the interior pitch pardbord parer had been removed.
Another was the well known extensive use of DUMDUM which must have been applied by a tube applicator so as to form neat beads over joints panel laps etc. This could all be peeled off very easily and was rock hard and it was obvious water had got behind and through the often bare unprimed steel. Modern brush on seam sealer I used on welded repairs 15 years years ago was still well stuck on although whether this would last over 30 years either I do not know
Strangely the very thick DumDum in the screen surround was softer although the screen had leaked unseen at a number of points behind it and water had dropped over the main battery/ammeter shunt Lucar block on the dashboard support frame at the back and it was corroding it
I will post some pictures when Imagecave is up & running again including how the parcel shelf should look (Miguel?) This has a very thick steel strengthner bolted underneath right across the width. The steering column support is bolted to this and to just underneath teh windcreen by very substantial brackets so its impaortnat the shelf is not weakened. It does not rely on the dash support frame which is bolted to it though.
I intend to reatin key parts so as to use a pattern for any future P5 repairs where corrosion hasremoved them entirely.
This is o/s inner wing top - only thin patchy coat of red oxide primer - DumDum fallen off
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usera.ImageCave.com/Philnottingham/2008P5/DSCF0596 (2).JPG[/img]
This is o/s under front screen scuttle - demister vents removed
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usera.ImageCave.com/Philnottingham/2008P5/DSCF0600 (2).JPG[/img]
This is n/s scuttle
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usera.ImageCave.com/Philnottingham/2008P5/DSCF0601 (2).JPG[/img]
This o/s D post showing unseen corrosion on seat belt mount point
This is n/s A panel showing major loom bullet connections to rear lights/fuel guage and interior lights/clock feeds. Leaks from top of wing can drip water on these connetions causing corrison and intermittent faults. On P5 3 litres the loom joints is on the o/s
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usera.ImageCave.com/Philnottingham/2008P5/DSCF0608 (2).JPG[/img]
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usera.ImageCave.com/Philnottingham/2008P5/DSCF0603 (2).JPG[/img]
Dismantling these finely built cars does however demonstrate that no modern car could ever be be bulit this wat nowadays as so much is hand fitted/fettled. Its a pity the anti-corrosion designs/coatings of the time were not up to the same standard
I am taking pics of this so as to aid rebuild of others as to how are things are meant to be.
2 important points however
Both rear seat belt lower mounts on the D post were severly weakened by corrosion - none of this was apparent from out side or until the interior pitch pardbord parer had been removed.
Another was the well known extensive use of DUMDUM which must have been applied by a tube applicator so as to form neat beads over joints panel laps etc. This could all be peeled off very easily and was rock hard and it was obvious water had got behind and through the often bare unprimed steel. Modern brush on seam sealer I used on welded repairs 15 years years ago was still well stuck on although whether this would last over 30 years either I do not know
Strangely the very thick DumDum in the screen surround was softer although the screen had leaked unseen at a number of points behind it and water had dropped over the main battery/ammeter shunt Lucar block on the dashboard support frame at the back and it was corroding it
I will post some pictures when Imagecave is up & running again including how the parcel shelf should look (Miguel?) This has a very thick steel strengthner bolted underneath right across the width. The steering column support is bolted to this and to just underneath teh windcreen by very substantial brackets so its impaortnat the shelf is not weakened. It does not rely on the dash support frame which is bolted to it though.
I intend to reatin key parts so as to use a pattern for any future P5 repairs where corrosion hasremoved them entirely.
This is o/s inner wing top - only thin patchy coat of red oxide primer - DumDum fallen off
This is o/s under front screen scuttle - demister vents removed
This is n/s scuttle
This o/s D post showing unseen corrosion on seat belt mount point
This is n/s A panel showing major loom bullet connections to rear lights/fuel guage and interior lights/clock feeds. Leaks from top of wing can drip water on these connetions causing corrison and intermittent faults. On P5 3 litres the loom joints is on the o/s
"B" awful stuff applied poorly by gun or strips or fingers at times and didn't stick very well! then went like rock and fell off a lot of the time 
