Billy's budget defender project

First thing today put the a frame on the right way up, i was cheered up yesterday when I realised that it was on that way up when I took it off, I felt a little better about it




Got the fuel tank back in



The used the top info from beardy and turboman and patch up the seat belt bracket with alu sheet, I also reinforced the corroded alu on the tud fixings



Thought I would make a start repairing the battery box, but I ran out of welding wire half way through



We managed to get the tub back on but the battery died so no pics today

Quick question, I'm using small bottles of gas when mig welding, how often should I have to change the bottle? I'm going through then like buggery and I suspect a leaky regulator


Almost forgot, I waxoyled most of the inside of the chassis as well

Get a mate with a pub, £8 a bottle for a 3ft one then!


Lasts me about 8 hours does a big one again with a leaky reg

what about these people for rent free welding gas?

Stockist Finder

Excellent thread by the way, looks excellent!

i got me own way round the welding gas thing

i found a pub that was closed down and had 5 of the big 3 foot bottles sat at the side of the place in an alley way

so i err......well.....liberated them

so now ive drilled the non return valve out of them so they can be refilled and i just go to me local welding supplier to get them refilled ( still costs me £12.50 a bottle though )

Cheers fellas, I think I will definitely go for a large cylinder one way or the other

Thanks for the info :high5:

You can get large refillable argoshield on ebay, the small cylinders are crap!

Ebay no.300664155966

that's coming along nicely.... makes me think i should do the same to mine

great job mate. I really wish I had the time and space to buy one and have ago myself. keep up the good work

Cheers fellas, bloody shame the weathers been so crap this weekend

Hopefully can get moving again during the week

flat said:

what about these people for rent free welding gas?

Stockist Finder

Excellent thread by the way, looks excellent!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, I've been using a pub CO2 bottle for years, I might give the Hobbyweld mixed gas a go it should give me cleaner welds. Any idea of the cost? how much for a bottle/refill? It's not on the website, it just says contact your local dealer.

waldershelf said:

Thanks for the link, I've been using a pub CO2 bottle for years, I might give the Hobbyweld mixed gas a go it should give me cleaner welds. Any idea of the cost? how much for a bottle/refill? It's not on the website, it just says contact your local dealer.

Click to expand...

£50 deposit , £35 refill, it would cost £180 for that much in little bottles

I got one last week From Wellington welding, Plymouth

Finished early so I repaired the battery box and gave it a coat of primer





I like these light evenings

After spending all day yesterday welding up my daughters ka I finally got around to the 90 today.

Started by stripping the flashings on the tub



Went at the corroded alu with a flappy disc on the grinder





And gave the required areas a coat of etching primer



Then it started raining:mad2::mad2:

Hopefully start the inside during the week if I get home from work at a reasonable hour

Nice job... I wanted a new rear door but what put me off was the quote of £300 to paint it BT Grey! You are making it look very easy here....do you use cans for the colour as well as the primer? I understand the principle of etch primer but why not cover all of it?

You only need the etch primer for the bare alu, if you rub a good key into the existing paintwork there is no need to prime it, just paint over it

That said if I've got enough left when I've done the alu I will probably cover it all

I am using cans for the black interior and components but I am hand painting the body work

Billy B said:

You only need the etch primer for the bare alu, if you rub a good key into the existing paintwork there is no need to prime it, just paint over it

That said if I've got enough left when I've done the alu I will probably cover it all

I am using cans for the black interior and components but I am hand painting the body work

Click to expand...

B&Q have packs of little 4 inch rollers, they are for gloss paint I think. I like them to paint areas of the body, quick, no brushmarks, and cheap as chips I just bag and bin after use instead of trying to get the paint out!

Turboman said:

B&Q have packs of little 4 inch rollers, they are for gloss paint I think. I like them to paint areas of the body, quick, no brushmarks, and cheap as chips I just bag and bin after use instead of trying to get the paint out!

Click to expand...

Great minds think alike, I have a pack in my workshop just waiting for the weather to improve

Billy B said:

Great minds think alike, I have a pack in my workshop just waiting for the weather to improve

Click to expand...

Possibly better drying weather midweek, up to about 20C midweek in the south, bad news is another icy blast is coming at the end of the week, maybe more snow, not in D&C I shouldn't think. Think Im going to press on outside while its ok next few days

Turboman said:

Possibly better drying weather midweek, up to about 20C midweek in the south, bad news is another icy blast is coming at the end of the week, maybe more snow, not in D&C I shouldn't think. Think Im going to press on outside while its ok next few days

Click to expand...

I'm outside all week in woolacombe, nice when its sunny, orrible when it's cold