<VV> welding in new door pillar support

[Jim McLott]

Driver's side or passenger's side?

It doesn't really matter though, because Christine needs both.  A
previous owner repaired the rusted A pillars with fiberglass (!!!),
which looked great when I bought her back in '98, but 10 years of
opening and closing doors has finally cracked the patch.  Right now my
plan is to drive her until the doors fall off and then use her as a
parts car, but readily available patch panels might change my decision.

Jim McLott & Christine, the 1966 Monza convertible wonder-car
Member: CORSA, Corvair Atlanta, Heart of GA Corvairs and Group Red
(ret.)
http://www.wittelaw.com/personal/groupred/mclott.htm


-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of Alan and Clare
Wesson
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 2:00 PM
To: Virtual Vairs
Subject: Re: <VV> welding in new door pillar support

If anyone felt like fabricating a short run of repair panels, I for one 
would be prepared to contribute to the setup costs. My low-mileage 65
has 
completely rotted-out A post bases, and although we can do the work, it 
would be massively less time-consuming (and therefore expensive) if
there 
were a repair panel that saved us fabricating our own.

I propose an 'LM A post repair panel fund' - anyone else on board?

Cheers

Alan




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harry Yarnell" <hyarnell1 at earthlink.net>
To: <cfmann at yahoo.com>; "Virtual Vairs" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> welding in new door pillar support


> I'd be curious what effective repair you come up with, as I feel this
this
> the Achilles heel of the late model. This spot is quite convoluted in
its
> shape, and, if I remember, made up of three layers of steel. It's 
> structural
> and door alignment depends on a perfect repair.
>
> Harry Yarnell
> Perryman garage and orphanage
> Perryman, MD
> hyarnell1 at earthlink.net
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "cfm" <cfmann at yahoo.com>
> To: "Virtual Vairs" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 12:28 PM
> Subject: <VV> welding in new door pillar support
>
>
>>I have a LM convertible. The drivers door bottom hinge/pillar area 
>>requires
>>some repair. There is concern that there may be too much gone away to
fill
>>in. Please do not snicker, I think she can be saved, it just how and
what
>>is the safest yield to repair. There is also a stress crack around the
>>bottom hinge base plate, can this be welded shut again and grinded
down?
>>Obviously, door alignment plays a crucial role here, we are aware of
that.
>>But is the type of repair common to Vair restoration, or I am to
believe 
>>it
>>may be more terminal than I know.
>> Before purchasing said vehicle, I did the "door open - bouncy" test
as
>> described in the Corvair Basics book for LM convertible pre-sale
>> estimation and it passed in my opinion.
>> Can a section of this area be grafted in from a donor car? Or is it 
>> better
>> to weld in new pieces of steel stock to bridge the gap?
>> Are there structural differences in this area between LM coupes,
>> convertibles or four doors?
>> -chris mann
>> 69 convertible
>>
>> _______________________________________________