1990 country squire resto/lowrider in UK

[andyfanshawe]

A lot of these are rusty around that spot. I've always suspected the water runs in from the top side of the firewall under a seam or something, or maybe its just running down the A pillar water channel and dumping on the hinge, and the water runs around the bolts and gets between the layers.

Hi gadget. You could be right there. Need to do some more digging to find out.

Andy.

[hemihotrod402]

Been a while since I've checked in, and this was the first thread I ran to, you're making awesome progress! I know of a lot of people (including myself) who don't pay half as much attention to detail as you do.

[gadget73]

A lot of these are rusty around that spot. I've always suspected the water runs in from the top side of the firewall under a seam or something, or maybe its just running down the A pillar water channel and dumping on the hinge, and the water runs around the bolts and gets between the layers.

[andyfanshawe]

Over to a very suspicious looking A post.



So, what I am going to do is to peel back the layers and try to see what exactly is going on.

First section removed


Second bit peeled up



Third bit peeled back (hinge reinforcement)


and last bit clear so far.

This is some heavy rust. And I know for a fact that the passenger side is far far worse - to a point where someone has welded the hinge to the A post because the bolts dont work anymore!
I still need to find out why its rusted in the first place.

Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

Thanks guys!

Lip welded in


Now its time to reduce the width of the lip. Masking tape on and a pencil line to cut down





and cutting



Here's an interesting discovery. Final paint sanding and this line of rust appears through the paint





Same line with rust ground out


That would have caused some paint bubbling a year or so down the line.

Here is the fender all flatted back and ready for a skim of bondo and primer.



Andy.