GOT A PROBLEM WITH YOUR CLASSIC CAR? THEN GET IN TOUCH!
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Some people take to MIG welding straight away, others take a little longer. However the key to achieving good results is to keep trying. By repeatedly practicing welds of different types, your skill levels WILL gradually improve.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Q.

I was brought up with oxy-acetylene welding techniques and am finding it very difficult to successfully use a MIG welder. Before I give up the idea of buying my own MIG machine for my classic projects, is there any advice you can offer to help me improve?

Frustratingly, I keep reading that MIG welding is easy compared with ‘gas’ welding.

John Harding, Oxford

A.

Some people do find it difficult to take up MIG welding, especially if they’re used to the very different approach involved in oxy-acetylene work.

However, in the first instance it would be worth enrolling on a MIG welding course, often offered by local authorities in evening classes or in the form of part-time weekday studies. This will help with regard to acquainting you with the basic techniques required for MIG work, as well as the vitally important safety considerations.

You then need to practice, practice, practice, ideally on sections taken from scrap vehicles. It’s one thing welding nice clean metal ‘test pieces’ in the environment of a college workshop, but quite another when you have to tackle thin and often rusty sections underneath an old vehicle.

Of course, you may need to buy a MIG welder in order to practice, but you WILL eventually make good use of the machine and the investment in time and cash will be repaid many times over.

Don’t be disheartened by poor results achieved when you start. Keep at the practice and in due course you will have the satisfaction of being able to take on all types of welding repair and restoration jobs – as well as saving huge sums of money in the process.

For engines with a fairly long distance between the sump plug and the oil filter location, two drainers are better than one for simultaneously draining the sump and filter. Old cardboard/newspaper can be placed beneath the drainers, ‘just in case’.

Q.

I have always carried out my own repair work on my classics, but on my latest acquisition there is a considerable distance between the engine’s sump plug and the oil filter. The receptacle I drain the old into is good, but hardly bridges the big gap between the two when I am carrying out oil and filter changes.

As I am obliged to work outside, this means that the slightest gust of wind blows old oil over the edge of the drainer can and onto the drive. I have tried draining the sump first then re-fitting the plug and tackling the filter separately, but this doubles the time taken for the whole job. Any suggestions please?

Jeremy Adamson, Warminster

A.

One way round this commonly-encountered problem is to use an additional old, small enamel or plastic bowl just to collect the oil draining from the filter. Since the quantities of oil escaping as the filter is released are relatively small (compared with the sump contents), a small bowl is adequate and doesn’t take up much space beneath the vehicle. The main drainer can be kept for use directly under the sump plug (the closer the plug to the centre of the drainer area, the better). This way, both the sump and filter can be drained at the same time with far less risk of spilling oil.

Disintegrating, poorly-fitted or missing door aperture seals can be responsible for allowing substantial cold draughts into a classic car. It’s also worth checking these at the outset. Other areas to investigate include bulkhead grommets and window seals.

COLD COMFORT

Q.

I have sorted out the heater in my old car so that it now works fine, but it seems to be fighting a losing battle against a variety of cold draughts I can feel blowing around the interior of the vehicle. Of course when the car is not being driven, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where the cold air is coming from. Have you any advice please?

Fiona Skelton, Derby

A.

There are a multitude of possibilities when it comes to the entry of cold air, and sometimes rainwater into the interior of a classic.

The door aperture seals are obvious contenders, as they usually incorporate rubber which in time tends to break up. As they age, seals can also shrink away from the sharp corners of the apertures, allowing air to leak past them. On some cars the doors themselves are also fitted with additional rubber seals, which can disintegrate over time and with use.

Another area to check is all around the facia/under-dash. When new, your car would have been equipped with a variety of rubber or plastic grommets/bungs to keep air and water from entering the passenger compartment as well as providing a soft cushion for wiring, control cables etc. passing between the engine compartment and the vehicle’s interior. Carefully assess all such grommets; some have gone missing and others may be damaged; if so, renew!

Windscreen, door window and side glass sealing rubbers (especially around quarter light windows) can fail too and are further favourite entry points for cold air. Sometimes, if the rubber is in good condition, re-sealing is possible (classic windscreen fitters advise using traditional mastic sealants rather than silicone products), but if the rubber has lost its flexibility, replacement with new items is the answer.

Check also such components as water deflector shields within doors (if the shields are missing, draughts as well as water can get in), also gear lever, screen wiper shaft and control pedal gaiters, etc.

Even if you are unable to obtain the ‘correct’ replacement seals, grommets and gaiters for your vehicle, specialist suppliers of upholstery materials can

If you suspect that electrical components are not operating because of a bad earth, try temporarily connecting a separate spare cable with a crocodile clip at each end, between the body of the unit and the chassis of the vehicle (see text).

Q.

I have just acquired a classic with glass fibre bodywork and am having trouble getting all the electrics to operate. The car has been off the road for many years and a friend has told me that poor earth connections are the likely cause. I am not good at diagnosing electrical difficulties, so I’m not sure what to do. How can I check if poor earth connections are the cause of the trouble?

Jamie Peacock, Dundee

A.

First, make sure that the battery is in good condition and fully charged. Next, check that the power supply side of the circuit is ‘live’ by connecting a 12 volt test lamp or a voltmeter between the ‘live’ cable and a good earth − in your car, the chassis frame of the vehicle. If you are not getting a supply voltage, scrutinise all connections, fuses and so on – and don’t ignore the switch as this may be faulty.

If the supply is okay, try running a temporary earth cable between the body of the component under suspicion and the vehicle’s chassis. For test purposes, a short length of decent cable with a crocodile clip at each end can be used, but note that if wiring a permanent earth cable into the vehicle, the cable should be black and of at least the same electrical capacity (thickness) as the original wiring. The new permanent cable needs to be connected at both ends using quality earth connectors.

If connecting a temporary earth results in the component operating, this proves that the original earth is poor. Try cleaning up all the original earth cables and connections to see if this makes an improvement. Alternatively you could wire in an additional new earth cable, screwed/bolted to both the component under review (such as a lamp body) and the car’s chassis. This should provide a permanent solution.

Anti-friction fibre washers were often originally fitted between the interior door handles and trim panels. If these washers are missing, the handle can drag on the trim panel. Also check for over-tight handles and seized internal mechanisms.

Q.

The interior door release handles on my classic are spring-loaded but seem reluctant to return to their normal positions after use and have to be hauled back by hand. Is there anything I can do to improve matters?

Barry Coleman, Northampton

A.

First, check that the internal operating mechanism within the door is not partially seized; if so, lubricate all pivot points and try again. Next, make sure that the handle is not bearing too tightly against the interior trim panel. This can happen when screws are used to secure the handles and these have been over-tightened.

Another often-encountered possible cause of such trouble is the loss of the anti-friction fibre washer, often originally installed between the door’s interior trim panel and the handle. Your workshop manual or parts list may confirm if your car should have these washers. If so, and if the washers on your car are missing, you may be able to obtain replacements from a specialist for your marque, or from a fellow owner.

Most manufacturers have built strength into unitary construction body shells by joining multiple layers of steel at strategic points – but rust can form between the adjacent layers. A thicker, single layer of steel can often be used during restoration at these points.

Q.

I am planning to rebuild the underbody structure of my old Ford which has suffered from rusting around panel joints, etc. Is there any way of avoiding such troubles in the future?

Ken Brown, Swansea

A.

For many decades car makers have used multiple layers of steel to impart strength to unitary construction (‘chassis-less’) body shells. The trouble is that as the years pass, moisture can become trapped between the layers of steel, causing corrosion to fester unseen. By the time it breaks out, the damage is usually so severe that the only long-term answer is to cut away all the rotten metal and start again.

When rebuilding such areas, the use of thicker metal in a single thickness can give a strong finished structure which is less vulnerable to collecting condensation and should therefore survive far longer than the original set-up.

During reconstruction work it is also helpful to coat all steel sections prior to installation with a weld-through protective primer (often zinc-based). On completion of the work comprehensively spray the insides of all enclosed box sections using a protective wax/oil spray, and fully coat the outsides with a rust-resisting paint. Keeping the underbody clean helps too; so carefully power-wash away all dirt at least once a year.