Hello
 

My name is Stuart and I'm an addict.

I have an expensive Italian car habit that has taken over my life.
Obviously with such an addiction, bashing tin has become of great interest to me and lurking here has taught me a lot.

Like most UK members I have very limited workspace and recently I've been making a concerted effort to build or buy the tools I need to work in such a cramped space. I'm getting organised now.

I'll post some pictures when I get a minute. I'll contribute when I can but I suspect I'll ask more questions than I answer.

Stuart

Welcome aboard Stuart. :)

Hi Stuart.

Good to have you along, you neck of the woods is popular here of late, glad I'm not the only one struggling for space, thought for a long time we Brits need to find some friendly farmers with redundant buildings to help us along.

Ask away that what this site does good, got to be about metal doing what you want it to or build related, a real friendly lot of craftsmen.

Enjoy

Stuart, welcome hope you can learn what you are looking for here. If you have questions ask away.

Italian cars and British weather = lots of work, good luck!:D I have done a few italian cars lots of rust is the order of the day.

David

Welcome Stuart!

Thanks for the warm welcome guys.

yes, in fact the British weather is pretty much a killer for all cars from the pre-galvanising era. I'm single handedly keeping Corus going at the minute. My top tip for your stock portfolio? Screwfix zinc primer ;)

I'm currently restoring a '77 FIAT 124 Spider. Working on the ugly bits at the minute which I guess nobody will be particularly interested to see.
I'm getting the opportunity to practice on the bits most people will never get to see though so by the time I get to the cosmetic bits I should be a bit more skillfull :)

Just remember the Italians invented rust but the British perfected it. :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Funny thing Joe, years ago people over here used to say the American cars were rust-buckets - could never see it myself. They never seem to rot worse than any other car to me. Italian cars of the sixties often had sills etc. filled with expanding foam that soaked up water and rotted out very quickly. Aston Martin DB cars had bits of foam rubber stuffed in between the frame and body which caused rot galor -what were they thinking?

David

Hi
 

I always thought of British cars this way:
1) They will retain oil. Everywhere but inside the crankcase.
2) Lucas, the prince of darkness. (On, Off and flicker)
3) The original masters of lightweight, gorgeous coachwork. (Rolls, Jags, Aston-Martins, Bentleys, Lotus)
4) Labor issues and buyouts = really sad cars in the 70's.
5) Anything British + American V8 = Fastest moving objects on the planet.

Italian cars:
1) Coachwork is nice, but just shy of the british examples.
2) When they run, it's pure joy. When they don't- Just kill yourself. It'll be easier in the long run.:lol:

David, Many years ago, 1968, I owned a right hand drive Jag Mark IX that spent most of it life in England. It had more rust on it than any other car I had ever owned. The front wings, fenders, were like lace. Where the skirts mounted on the rear fenders almost didn't exist. I learned a lot making the panel for that car with nothing but hand tools and Oxy/Acet welding. Didn't have a shop at the time and all work was done in the driveway.

American cars rusted but not like the British car from what I have seen. I think a lot of the rusting problems had to do with the climate condition and where you were located. Many of the British cars that I worked on that were bought new in the US didn't have the same degree of rust as the used ones that came from England. The worst one that I worked on was a 1957 Roll Royce, I gave up on it. The owner did too because he couldn't find a shop willing to continue the work at a cost he could afford.

Sounds about right Joe but thats why I keep busy!.

David