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Another One on the go!!

24 Mar 2012, 11:45am
The ones under the fuel tank are a bit fiddly sometimes and the ones I always forget are on the ends of the rear outrigger and halfway down the side rail ...they bolt upwards into the tub.

There really isn't much holding them on ....usually the sealer is what gets you....

As Towed said , don't forget the handbrake bolt....its a bit of a pig to get to underneath....we have cut a big square of floor out inside the car to seperate it before and dealt with undoing it afterwards....it bolts up into a captive nut under the rear seat base...
24 Mar 2012, 2:03pm
Thanks

Guys, thanks to you all. Regarding the bolts going up into the tub, none there. Got the handbrake bit done a real doddle. I thought "what are these guys all on about?" Rest assured once I realised there were two bolts on each of the boot floor riggers (if the rigger was still there) the whole lot came of a piece of cake. Thought you guys were making a fuss, but accepted that I was actually very lucky OR SO I THOUGHT!!! It would have been probably the easiest tub removal on this site until I struggled and struggled, and then realised some clever devil had welded the tub to the side rails!!! Probably more secure than the factory arrangement. I have taken some photos, and will upload them shortly, just waiting for someone to do the "Sammio site sitting in my chassis photo".

Thanks again for your help and encouragement. I am sure some tubs come off easier than others and this was going so well it was destined in Sammio land to stall part way through. Still we just get on and do it!! Otherwise we would all save up and buy a boring one size fits all ready to serve read the million page manual type car, which is ok for some, but that is why Gary made the Sammio and its relations and more importantly why WE all want one!!

Thanks Guys

Photos soon
24 Mar 2012, 5:54pm
Hi Simon, welcome to the "not a" club, i look forward to seeing loads of pics of your build in case i can pick up on any ideas on how i can mod mine :)

Dave
24 Mar 2012, 7:11pm
Rust

Thanks Dave, just come to a grinding halt with time n
and patience running out. See my rant on WorldClassAccidents bush thread. Need some more valium. No beer, don't drink very often so easy and very cheap for me to get hammered. What I wanted to say is will pop out for a take away and then post the photos. If you can get ideas or inspiration from a pile of rust..... Top Man!!!

Watch this space

Simon
24 Mar 2012, 10:27pm
Photos at last!!

Here we are guys, the photos you were waiting for! Or not as the case may be. Once the body came off, I wondered wether I might need to look for a replacement chassis. But hey, thats why we all wanted a sammio, because we all think we can weld and spray as good as the best. Ok some of you guys are doing some excellent stuff out there, I feel a bit worried about how high the bar is. Never mind, thats where we all need to go, if not we would all be driving souped up Corsa's or Saxos.

Hope they load ok
24 Mar 2012, 10:32pm
Couple more

Couple more just to keep you all amused. As you can see what looks like a genuine 49 thousand mile car has sat in a hedge for at least fourteen years. Shame, because the interior is really good. The dash padding isn't cracked or brittle and the seats are nearly perfect.
25 Mar 2012, 6:44am
Well, it's a start Rocker! It'll certainly needs a bit of TLC but nothing that can't be sorted.....

I think you have almost given WCA a run for his money on getting the roughest donor award! You guys like a challenge! Nothing that can't be sorted - just WCA's blog for inspiration!

Good luck, you'll have it stripped and cleaned by the end of the week :biggrin:
25 Mar 2012, 8:51am
The purists can't get upset about you re-bodying that one !

A couple of days welding and some cheap parts from Rimmers and she'll be sorted.....

Welding up a Herald chassis is actually pretty straight forward , you just work your way through it and its no where near as bad as some....in my previous life as a Classic Car and Bike restorer/number plate seller and importer of Classic American cars , I have had some really horrible , upside down , cramped space , getting burned a lot welding jobs ....Heralds are positively luxurious after all those !
25 Mar 2012, 8:57am
a bit of t-cut and she'll be fine. I took mine from the original that was parked up in 1989 to what I have now in a few weekends of work. Still a way to go though.




25 Mar 2012, 8:59am
When I first took my tub off I thought I was in for an easy ride with the chassis. After some cleaning up however I ended up having to chop all the outriggers off and start again so there really isn't much difference between a mildly corroded set and a rust bucket. The work is the same if you have to change them. I didn't have a clue about how to tackle it but by taking a methodical view of it and making a rudimentary jig out of ply with pertinent key points marked on it the job came together ok.
It may be initially disheartening but the feeling when it all comes together is well worth the bother.
25 Mar 2012, 9:27am
The 1958 Rocker wrote:
If you can get ideas or inspiration from a pile of rust..... Top Man!!!


Simon, you sure can gain inspiration from watching a pile of rust transform into a beautiful Spyder in a Phoenix from the ashes stylee.

Some builders have been lucky (shrewd?) enough to buy donors that are rust free and ready for the road but all too often there are hidden horrors that would see a modern car heading for the nearest non-renewable valuable resources recovery facility (scrap yard).

I found that looking at how other people had fixed their piles of scrap gave me confidence to tackle my own sorry chassis.

Oh, and if you'd like to post pictures directly onto the thread try [url]www.photobucket.com[/url] open an account (easy and free), follow the simple upload instructions then hover the cursor over the image you want to embed, click 'img code' at the bottom of the drop-down menu (the word 'copied' will briefly appear then fade away) then right click and 'paste' where you want the image. I hope that isn't too sucky-egg for you...

Anyway, don't be disheartened by finding so much rust under the surface - stick at it and before you know it you'll have it all sorted. Oh, and I'm sure someone posted a link to a Triumph spares chap in the Midlands who's retiring and selling off new-old-stock Herald chassis's for eighty quid!
25 Mar 2012, 9:39am
Support

Hi guys, thanks for your support (bit like saying to your wife you look lovely in that dress when you're thinking which way do I answer this one?) Ha ha ha. The chassis if F***** in a serious way, but after fitting a new fuel pump, cleaning the points and running from fresh fuel, it started second turn of the key and ran the best I can ever remember hearing a herald engine run!! Don't forget I used to work on these when they were no more then two or three years old. Regards the chassis, I did rebuild a series Landrover chassis, and have to say it isn't easy, but anything is possible if you "start at one end and work your way to the other." I can also say if you are lucky "like wot I am" and have a workshop that is about 15' x 28' then total strip down is the only way to go!! (bit dangerous when welding!! ha ha).
Did the Landy in no time, and was seriously pleased with the outcome. Once painted you then get inspired to carry on. The car came with two new outriggers, and I new the rest was poor, so from a chassis point of view not a brilliant choice of donor, but the engine more than makes up for it. I paid £145 for it, the engine oil was still clean and fresh, and it runs like new with no smoke even on first start in 14 years! I'm pleased and definately not dispondant.

Thanks Guys!!:doh:
25 Mar 2012, 9:40am
The 1958 Rocker wrote:
Here we are guys, the photos you were waiting for! Or not as the case may be. Once the body came off, I wondered wether I might need to look for a replacement chassis. But hey, thats why we all wanted a sammio, because we all think we can weld and spray as good as the best. Ok some of you guys are doing some excellent stuff out there, I feel a bit worried about how high the bar is. Never mind, thats where we all need to go, if not we would all be driving souped up Corsa's or Saxos.

Hope they load ok


Looks like a challenge, but i'm sure most of that wil polish out with a bit of elbow grease :)
25 Mar 2012, 9:41am
Chassis

Mr T, any ideas where that link might be found. If he still had one I would be there today. Don't mind the welding, but hey guys it would be a faster route to "my baby"
25 Mar 2012, 9:51am
Doh pipped at the post
25 Mar 2012, 10:01am
That was it, anyone know if he's got any left? Could be worth squirrelling a couple away...
25 Mar 2012, 10:02am
Chassis

Tirtone,
thanks for that, have emailed him. Didn't want to ring on a Sunday. Hopefully he might still have one, and have said if he had a chassis and was agreeable, I would collect it today. Driving a Nissan Navara as a company car does have it's uses!!

Thanks again guys.
25 Mar 2012, 10:05am
Chassiseseses!

Hi Guys, heard my phone pinging your replies while I was emailing the chap. If you want and subject to how many I can ratchet strap to my pickup I would be prepared to collect more than one if he still has any more!
25 Mar 2012, 2:08pm
Last I saw (Earlier this week) he had around 6 - 8 chassis in various states. He was talking about selling them off at £50 a piece for 'bulk buys'. I'm sure he'd be OK with a phone call. If he's there and available he'd answer otherwise he's likely to wait for caller to leave a message.
Beware if you go there though. I called in for a compensator (around a fiver) and saw so many goodies I left a ton short ;-)
Good luck!
25 Mar 2012, 3:30pm
Chassis

Hi Andy,
spoke to him, and going to get a price from a local to me courier. He said as I am a way off it would be too dear to do it. £200 ish. He says have about half a dozen or so left and wants them all gone. The riggers on almost all are not great, but he will supply new as required. Also the rear horns are not too good on most. I would like to buy more than one, but will have to wait until I get my courier quote. As I get rediculous discount from Rimmers, might buy two chassis and buy the outriggers as required from Rimmers. That way might get my cake and eat it:-)) Will let you guys know.
31 Mar 2012, 4:22pm
Before photo

Hi Guys, at last got round to a before photo. Not too sure if the seat I've chosen is the "correct" period. About the chassis, Max didn't get back to me, and things have been to busy for me to ring, but will and let you know.
31 Mar 2012, 4:52pm
Nice seats! I've always thought that there's not enough wicker used in the automotive industry :)
31 Mar 2012, 4:55pm
Seats

Hi Dave,
Yeah cannot wait to get it completed and give it a good "caning" up the road!!