"You are best off using the POR15 self etch primer on top to bind the next layer of paint."

Thanks Army. I think that with your warning, I'll go this route. Better to be safe than sorry.

Finished painting the steering wheel with gloss black paint a few weeks ago.

On my "rust stabilization" project, I have the passenger side floor pans almost completed from the inside. Three coats of POR 15, plus a coat of POR primer. Then a topcoat of an inexpensive tractor white. I'll recoat once more. Applied everything with disposable brushes. The white is "too white", the finish has blemishes, but it is all far less depressing than the mishmash I started with. I'm assuming it will all be covered with sound deadening material and carpet.

I still haven't decided what to do on the driver's side. So, instead of making a decision, I'm trying to remove the pedals from the toe board. I have the clutch pedal removed and as some of the parts are severely worn, it is obvious that I'll need to try to weld some metal back and reform these parts. That means that I'll need to finally get the welder out of the basement and try to learn to use it. If all goes well, perhaps I'll decide to cut out and replace the worst sections of floor under the driver's feet.

Not sure how to remove the brake pedal or the gas pedal. Removal from the bottom does not look especially feasible. I'll have to move a large box holding the remains of the carpets from the top of the motor and see if I can go in from the top.

Slow going, and I'm thinking of draining the gas tank.

Working mostly at night from about 8:00 to 10:30.

Also working on the MGA race car in the meantime. Had to swap in a 4:55 differential for races at Thompson last weekend. Now need to swap it out for the next event. Bought a 1622 race prepped short block that needs to be "refreshed" and a close ration transmission. Of course, I had to open both of them up. The engine is so-so. The transmission is another story.

And then, I suppose the biggest news is that my ghost main custom MGA crankshaft has arrive from Marine Crankshaft. Photos of a stock crank and the new ghost main are attached. In addition to the ghost mains, I had the crankshaft made with an MGB style flywheel flange. I just hope it will fit in my block.

I broke out the welder last night. My goal was to refill a roughly 3/16" x 3/16 groove that had worn into one of the clutch linkages on the Volvo. I also need to fill some oblong holes.

Never having used a welder, I was a bit flummoxed. I wasn't sure that my machine had enough power to handle the piece, so I set up close to max. In any event, I could barely see what I was doing - just a little glowing dot. After many stabs and repeated grinding, I had a reasonable repair. I may try to touch up a few small voids that appear to be located between welds,

In the process, one of the neighbors wandered over as he had heard the welding. Two beers each helped pass the time.

Unless I can work on the vision aspect, I think I've decided not to attempt welding in a new floor pan.

Get an auto darkening welding helmet, preferably one where you can adjust the lightness/darkness factor of the lens. For casual work probably not worth going for one of the expensive ones but if you like tools I'd certainly not stop you. If you have a local welding supplies shop they should have a selection and you maybe able to test them there. The one you like might be cheaper elsewhere but it's good to use these specialist shops. You can always haggle if you know what the "cheap" price is.

Info from Lincoln https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-g...ng-helmet.aspx

I'm back to puttering with the car for a few nights. Finished painting the passenger side floorboards. Then on my back under the car for two nights prepping and priming the driver's side floorboards. Tried my hand with the hammer & dolly to straighten out the improper jacking crushed lip below the rocker. Not all that successful.

I want to get the car started over the coming weekend. It hasn't been started since early spring and now I'm starting to worry about the stale fuel. The fuel in the tank is from last November.


Then I have to quickly move back to the MGA because I'm racing again at the end of the month. Here's a link to a run I had with some Alfas a couple of weeks ago. I figure the 444 can run with the Alfa sedan if I can ever get to that point. And check out the scenery!

https://youtu.be/FC2iwEkcTs4

If you're not used to a hammer and dolly I recommend you use this type of clamping motion =>

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/attac...1&d=1526315128

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showp...&postcount=235

Mine seems a double lip, I'd guess rocker and inner sill. Really twisted over on itself for about 12 inches in front of the rear jacking point. I used channel lock pliers to try to twist it open a bit. Not that important a problem to me at this point since my primary task is to get the bottom floor boards painted. I'll come back to it someday perhaps.

Over the years my car must have been jacked up from every where except the jacking points. All sorts of dents on the bottom of the car. I may try to pound a few of those out from above.


On another topic, is there some sort of insulating circular donut that fits under the shift gear gaiter to keep out sound, heat and dirt? It looks like I have an old, dirty dish rag wrapped around the bottom of the shift gear to serve the purpose.

Mine is also a double lip. Part is the floor pan the other is the outer sill (or rocker as it is known in the US of A). If it has been hammered so hard it is probably best to pre-heat before bending - you need to get it pretty close to red hot which will of course kill the paint work.

There is a bit of foam that goes around the shifter - I think I got a new bit from VP - If I did I'll post up the part number (but it was only a bit of open celled foam so could be replicated.

A 12" or so length of 1" bar with a central slot cut in each end can be very useful for tweaking edges of panels. A cutting disc should do the trick. Use a thick and a thick one to make the tool more versatile. If you are putting, say, a 1/2" lip along a new piece of steel you can custom make a bar with that size slot. It will then follow the edge of the panel as you bend up the lip. Be gentle with a hammer and dolly, light taps are better than heavy ones.

for gear shift get a piece of heavy sound insulating felt and cut a hole to suit.