S3 109 Safari project......

I'm sure you will

Did a bit more prep on the bulkhead today. I guide coated the areas I had welded and flat block sanded them. Found the worst areas were the both ‘a’ posts at the very top where the front corners meet. I flatted the first coat of filler and applied a second lighter coat. While that was curing, I rubbed down the rest of front of the bulkhead. Treated it with some Kurust, which went off quite nicely. Next time I will finish off the front and start on the back….

Where did you source your Avon tyres from .

Lovely footwells too

auld duffer said:

Where did you source your Avon tyres from .

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I ordered them online from Camskill Tyres. Would thoroughly recommend them. Great to deal with and reasonable prices

Wagon Loon said:

Lovely footwells too

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Thanks, bought them off EBay from a fella who makes them to near original spec. The only part I added was the strengthening angle on the outside edge. Other than that change, they were brilliant and reasonably priced. The other good thing is that come with pressed in strengtheners as per original when most replacements don’t. Much stronger in my opinion…

Did a bit more on the bulkhead tonight. I sanded down the filler I applied last time and moved on the the opposite side of the bulkhead. It’s not too bad shape, but it needed some filling where I had welded repairs in just to shape it and Kurust as per the other side. Getting there, but it seems to be a really fiddly thing to work on with lots of nooks and crannies to rub down. I’m still hoping to get it painted before Christmas, but it’s looking less likely as time goes on

Getting a dusting of paint on will serve two purposes.
It'll show any imperfections you can't see, and it will make the whole thing look as one and like new.
So worth giving it a dusting of any colour just to see how the surface is looking.
I do like the kurust since it has surpassed all my expectations.
This has been outside for months and only protected with a couple of costs of kurust

I wish I had enough big space to keep it inside

I have given it a really good coat of Kurust, so hopefully it will stop any chances of repeat corrosion. I’m surprised your chassis has not rusted outside with only Kurust on it! I will seam seal the bulkhead after rubbing the filler down again. Can’t wait to get some primer and paint it!

I gave the bulkhead another flatting with the DA and some scotch pads this weekend. I also seam sealed all the joints in the panels, the gave it a couple of coats of primer. It’s looking a bit better, but still needs the professional touch to get it looking it’s best! So, I sent it, the tunnel adaptor and the vent flaps to the body shop to get a fresh coat of marine blue. Looking forward to getting it back - hopefully nice and shiny

Nice job, it's looking great

Thanks, hopefully it comes up well with some colour on it soon

Ok, so never managed to get the bodyshop to paint the bulkhead yet, but I expect it to be done in January. I’ve started cleaning up the tunnel diaphragm and improving with a skim of filler where I welded the sections together.

Thought it would be good to fit the new wheels and tyres and get the chassis rolling. After cleaning and painting the wheel nuts we fitted them, which seems a bit of a landmark moment!

Hopefully next time we will start on the front wings, strip and prep them for paint. Once the body shop is open, I will get the bits dropped off…

I finished sanding down the tunnel diaphragm and sprayed on some zinc rich primer on. Should be good enough now to go with the bulkhead for paint

Thought I would mount the PWDA valve, but as mine never had it from new, I didn’t have a bracket or the location for it on the chassis. After trolling through dozens of websites, I thought I would just make my own. There is also a load of info and discussion on which way round it goes, but it’s as simple as the 7/16” ports go to the front brakes and the 3/16”go to the rear. Mine is a five port version, so I will split two lines to the front and one to the rear. Just need to order up the unions….

Next I ran some 3/16” Kunifer pipe from the rear flexi through to the PWDA. I used the defender style retaining clips rather than the metal ones. Will remove it again once the 7/16” pipe ends arrive and fit it back on. Easy to do when it’s just a rolling chassis

You could just have run it along the top of the chassis, the fuel lines and brake lines normally go that way anyway? The bodywork is supported above the chassis for most of the way and I just essentially copied the original runs, when I fit the fuel line it will be alongside the brake pipe.

Hi, yes I could have run it along the top of the chassis, but I copied the way it way it was run originally on mine. The brake line is on the inside face and the fuel supply and return on the top of the chassis. Either way would work.