You thought your car was too rusty to repair.

[Greenpeace]

I think Mr Greenpeace must be 300 years old.

I'd have spent 299 years on that Holden ute.

 

[Sunroof]

I'd have spent 299 years on that Holden ute.

I thought that when I saw it. Well I did think I wonder how many years that took. Now I know.

 

[manicgt]

But that means one less car on the road. I'm trying to get three Fuego's out of 4. But if I had time left in my life I could have got 4. We do have another very rusty one for the bits like headlights etc. Not that this is money making exercise, it isn't, it costs more to do than you can sell them for. But I hate to see a repairable car wrecked. Actually it is a 15/17 left hand drive in the picture.

A friend of mine lazor scanned the floor boards and than water jetted out steel plates to build dies for his new floor panels for the R8 they came out really well ! His car is almost completed now and he is planning on building a second one that will also be needing complete frame rails which he figures after scanning they can be built out of box tubing to replicate the originals . don't let a little rust scare you anything is almost possible !!

 

[angru]

I picked up this 17g a couple of years ago from a guy in Sydney who thought it was still quite restorable. It broke in half putting it in the trailer as it was so rusty. Had also been stored outside with no bonnet, motor was full of water to the point where the rocker cover had rust holes.

 

[JohnW]

A friend of mine lazor scanned the floor boards and than water jetted out steel plates to build dies for his new floor panels for the R8 they came out really well ! His car is almost completed now and he is planning on building a second one that will also be needing complete frame rails which he figures after scanning they can be built out of box tubing to replicate the originals . don't let a little rust scare you anything is almost possible !!

For something super rare, historically important etc, no objection to heroics. But ....

 

[JohnW]

I picked up this 17g a couple of years ago from a guy in Sydney who thought it was still quite restorable. It broke in half putting it in the trailer as it was so rusty. Had also been stored outside with no bonnet, motor was full of water to the point where the rocker cover had rust holes. View attachment 231251

Pretty slack of you not to fix it. Lucky the front spring structure didn't explode....

 

[Shoji]

I picked up this 17g a couple of years ago from a guy in Sydney who thought it was still quite restorable. It broke in half putting it in the trailer as it was so rusty. Had also been stored outside with no bonnet, motor was full of water to the point where the rocker cover had rust holes

I've got some of it. But on that note Angru, would you have that grill that goes on the scuttle? Mine got singed.

 

[David S]

I've got some of it.

Do you mean the more useful portions of rust?

Never forget that even a rotten bucket can still have a legit chassis/VIN/engine number and books etc.. Swapping the bulk of a donor from whatever source is not the same as repairing the original body or even using a new bare shell as is common in Europe. When does it become like the very excellent axe that's only had four handles and two heads? How much must remain for it to be deemed the same vehicle (or other object)?

 

[Greenpeace]

Do you mean the more useful portions of rust?

Never forget that even a rotten bucket can still have a legit chassis/VIN/engine number and books etc.. Swapping the bulk of a donor from whatever source is not the same as repairing the original body or even using a new bare shell as is common in Europe. When does it become like the very excellent axe that's only had four handles and two heads? How much must remain for it to be deemed the same vehicle (or other object)?

I remember in an episode of Fantomworks they "restored" an early '50s Chevy truck for a client.
Replaced the entire chassis, suspension, engine, gearbox, diff, cab, doors, the complete ute back, the entire interior, wheel/tyres.
The customer loved how well it came up.

 

[David S]

The parcel shelf and dash might have been the only bits remaining in some major jobs.
Look for the MB Pagoda 230SL episode at Car SOS from a few years back. Very revealing after a dip! More rubbish bin than Benz.

Maybe, get that Holden ute up to 88 mph and simply send it back with a note to store it better for 2023 than in a pond?

Edit: Here's the Car SOS 230SL body rebuild ...

 

[Kenfuego]

Hah reminds me of the controversary in the Austin seven Club when a certain keen member welded in early numbered chassis material just to rebirth an early registerable chummy. What is a a real car and what is a replica, is it worth the debate, the effort, perhaps the reward..?