On 08/07/2025 at 14:56, Bete Noir said:

Behind the NSR light unit there is a handy spare hole in the panel, intended (I think) for tow bar wiring. Run the cables through there and that gets them behind the bumper.

Foooounddd iiiit. Thanks so much for this pointer. I used a coax to 1/4inch adaptor to get through the seal without ruining the socket. I should really have cut the wire and rejoined it but i don't WANT to. It's horrible shoving a socket that big through a seal :/

I've not managed to drop it out under the bumper yet because I got too hot, stupid day star ☠️

I'm going to hide inside today and work on the input for the stereo control circuit.

Not quite so warm today, around the insufferable middle of the day, I got the last of the welding I think we need done on the passenger rail.

Started working on the stuff to mount the wings. Looks like the studs on the drivers side are ok, and one on the passenger side, but the other is snapped. That will need something rigging to allow bolting up the bracket for the wing and bumper.

Remembered that the head unit has a microphone so I clipped that into the headliner behind the mirror and ran the wire down the inside of the A pillar and ran it to behind the stereo. Did a test phone call and it seems fine.

I got the handbrake interlock attached, so my settings menus and video modes are locked out for driving. Responsible, me.

Also got the reverse wire connected so it goes into camera mode when I slam it in reverse.

I found the wipers, so they can go on at some point.

Boring progress, it's all just minor crap like this till MOT I guess.

Well, I got vol up/down, FFW/RW, track skip back/forwards, mute, play/pause, and change input source all working.

https://cat.scot/sony_alpine_working.mov

Sadly the codes for siri and the menu button don't seem to work, but I've got quite a lot, as much as the polo does from the steering wheel anyway.

The list of stuff to do before MOT gradually shortens.

20mm of rain, can't get it in a garage. Welp. Got the central locking wired in at least.

Might put some shelves up in the garage tomorrow. twiddles thumbs wishing more car work could get done.

Oh went to the motor factors to see about wheel liners and lower control arms, but they can't get liners and the control arms are a bit spendy....

Ordered two front liners from ebay, lets see if THEY turn up. I shouldn't buy new control arms till the MOT man says I have to :P

seam sealered all over my stupid welds.

Added a powered feed for the stereo remote but i need to find a location to stick all my miscellaneous earths, there must be something obvious on the firewall I'm missing.

I got the second headlight modified for the servo motor, but i really need to find connectors for the 6Y0 941 295 servos. The pins are NOT happy to be soldered to. I can't figure what connector type it is, nor can i find any loom cutoffs to fit, I'll ask chatgpt when I'm at work tomorrow and see if it can find anything for me.

I drilled out the snapped thread for the wing/bumper bracket and welded in a new bolt from the back so that will be able to bolt up securely now.

I ran a control cable for the headlight servos but still need to figure out where I'm going to take power for the servos from in the engine bay.

Last thing I started it up just because, and it came to life instantly and beautifully first crank.

Everything's getting cloooosssseeeerrrrrr.

Actually shopping for insurance now, what hubris is this?! At least the news on this front isn't too horrific.

I don't think it's hubris, it needs to be insured to get to the MOT station.

Hi.

If you need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.

Regards,

Dan.

cheers, Dan. I ran a quote. Sadly you're over twice what the people who insure my other car quote, soz. Chris Knott couldn't help either. Weird.

That'll be because it's a "commercial" probably. I had that problem when I had mine. Couldn't transfer any No Claims on to it either, had to start from scratch. Thankfully it wasn't too expensive then.

Yeh it’s such a weird quirk, it’s car derived and has the same load capacity as my polo with the seats down. How dare a normal person have a 2 seater with an odd void in the back. Sigh.

At least I have no ncd to transfer as this is an addition not a replacement.

today feels like it's been a bit trash, but actually i got a load of tidying up done. still can't find the 19" rack mount thingies i'm using as wing attachment nuts.

Anyway the front plastic thingies arrive so i tried to fit them

That'll have to do.

Spent the rest of my time finding and tapping all the existing nut thingies and working out where I need to put the cage nuts I've just ordered for next day delivery, sigh.

Once the wing's on we can figure out where the tub wants to sit, the places it would have mounted to are mostly gone so it's just going to get some strategic holes and get pop rivited on.

Games will have to be played with panel gaps, getting it tight at the door makes getting on the front panel and joining it to the wings a bit bendy.

I have NO idea how you're supposed to do up the screw that sits under the front light when the light is in place. and i don't see that the light can be fitted without removing the front panel.

Otherwise just earthed off all the additional electronic fluff i've been installing.

Still need to locate power sources for the headlight adjusters and whatnot. sigh.

Ok! Got all the 6mm clip thingies in place:

Finally worked out that you can remove the indicators to get access to the screw that attaches the wing to the front bit!

smacked brand new panels with hammers to stop them rubbing on stuff.

dry fit a wheel bucket to figure out how it everything... my neighbour is going to help me with a big jack to wheel off and rivet in the bucket soon.

and then just had a lusty look at the scabby thing.

It's getting clooooooosssseeeeeerrrrrrr

pigtails for the headlight adjusters in:

it's getting clooooooooosssssseeeeerrrrrrr

it's getting fuuuurrrrttthhheeeerrrr aaaaawwwwwaaaayyyyyyy :D

I'm not dead, I just spent a week in Iceland and caught corvids for the first time which gosh it sucks doesn't it?

Just barely back on my legs now but it's tipping down with tasty Scottish rain obviously.

I'm off work for 2.5 more weeks and want to get this thing to fail an MOT by the end of that.

I've picked up some more welding gas because it likes to float off at one hell of a rate!

The plan for Friday and Saturday (which look drier) is to get the sill fixed up.

Other tasks are just headlight adjuster and dashboard install crap really.

So obviously I've been working on adding DRO scales to my milling machine instead of working on the car. Sorry.

TBH you've done a massive amount so far and it is starting to look car/pick-up like again!

You have to understand how much I love this damnable truck since this is VERY much a rusteration where the money going in is MUCH more than the value of the lump.

I really hope I don't go off it when I find out just how gutless 55bhp is, hahahaha.

Thanks for the kind words, they do give me a boost!

1 hour ago, skoda_cat said:

.. caught corvids for the first time..

Stone the crows! 😁

You'd done well to escape it for so long. Think I've had it four times now - it gets easier (IME). Hope you're feeling better.

Gaz

Artisanal, hand hammered outer sill plate. return fashioned in the vise, curve formed on the argon bottle and tweaked with some sweating.. it's close and can probably be hammered in as it goes:

Honestly this could be a LOT worse than it is.

quite a bit of tin left on the inner sill.

It's a horrible job getting the underseal off, I'm using a serious wire wheel in a drill.

So the plan, as it forms, is to reinstate the inner sill first, repair the mid sill bottom plate, then weld on the outer, plug welding it to the mid sill and inner.

Then there's another bit to do at the rear of the sill which will probably be a bunch more fun, and there's a split boot on the left hand drive shaft which needs ministration.

Not going anything like as fast as I'd like but the post covid malaise is real (also I've got the DRO fitted to my milling machine which is a satisfying job to have completed; and gave me the confidence to get hacking at the sill)

In good news, the repairs will all be below the beltline where your eye falls when you're looking at the thing so should be fairly discreet. yay.

A lift, a lift, my kingdom for a lift. Working on your back welding SUCKS... who knew?

Still, I've scabbed in the inner sill/floor bit with the downward pointing metal bit, and molished a new bit of tin onto the bottom of the inner? middle sill? i don't know.

Then we've slammed on a bit of mangled rubbish which whilst not completely in-welded will get some more love tomorrow and frankly a lot of filler and underseal :P I may get the sills done professionally at some point if i feel like it but for now i am charitably just screaming GET AN MOT at myself.

I am knackered. mostly just from getting on the floor and then getting up again 400,000 times.

As a warm up today I fixed up the tail gate

Die grinding those shapes out freehand is haaaaardd.

I really need to buy a work light, this is somewhat of a joke but it's the best I've been able to figure out to see where to aim in my welding hat

The colours are actually the camera having 'fun' the light does look white to humans.

This has ended up a complete dog's breakfast, but is significantly stronger than the massive hole that was there before. All these crimes to be hidden by filler and underseal :/

Some tin wormy edges ran away and needed chasing till we found something sticky to fix to, hrm. Probably should have cut more out... like the whole sill perhaps. Just need an mot... Just need an mot...

It's raining for the next few days so I get to have a rest. haha.

Oh yeh, I started it to spin the disks to clean the rust off them before they get too bad and it started up first turn of the key. Thing's a BEAST.

Well, it’s facing the other way round and I bought a work light.

The tyres are soft in fairness but no power steering is horrible. The brakes are dragging I think, but it doesn’t drive “well” yet at all in loads of ways.

The rear quarter is now jacked up and I’ve started trying to work out how to build a new corner for the sill end. It’s the wheel arch, floor, and sill all in combo. I think I can probably build a copy of it off the car though and then weld that in from the back, side, and underneath.

Here's the view from underneath, it's all a bit 'soft' but was strong enough to jack the truck with. I'm not looking forward to fixing it, but it's got to be tractable.

20 hours ago, skoda_cat said:

Well, it’s facing the other way round and I bought a work light.

The tyres are soft in fairness but no power steering is horrible. The brakes are dragging I think, but it doesn’t drive “well” yet at all in loads of ways.

The rear quarter is now jacked up and I’ve started trying to work out how to build a new corner for the sill end. It’s the wheel arch, floor, and sill all in combo. I think I can probably build a copy of it off the car though and then weld that in from the back, side, and underneath.

Here's the view from underneath, it's all a bit 'soft' but was strong enough to jack the truck with. I'm not looking forward to fixing it, but it's got to be tractable.

A set of brake pads are included in the stuff I have for you which will get to you eventually!

Great work as always though. I'm sure that sill end won't be as much of a challenge as the windscreen aperture. Plus it doesn't have to be too neat! Keep it going, you're nearly there.😁

32 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

I'm sure that sill end won't be as much of a challenge as the windscreen aperture.

you're totally right in that it's less consequential, the problem is that i could stand pretty comfortably to weld the windscreen, this lying down with weld going down your sleeves is some kind of hell :) I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

42 minutes ago, skoda_cat said:

you're totally right in that it's less consequential, the problem is that i could stand pretty comfortably to weld the windscreen, this lying down with weld going down your sleeves is some kind of hell :) I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Of course, I was forgetting about that aspect entirely.🤦🏻‍♂️

Oops the weeks just fly by. I took a couple of days to let my aching muscles recover from that sill and flipping heck, a WEEK's escaped.
I did mostly build a box for my home-brew tube amp and wrap it in vinyl though so I've hardly been slacking.

Today whilst it rained I've tided up some of the garage so it makes me less inclined to cry and when the skies cleared I started un-peeling the onion at the rear of the truck to find out how it's put together.

I'm going to make a buck to form that wheel arch plate later but it seems to make sense in there. Lots to do, sigh.

It started raining again though, so I'm indoors having a cup of tea :P