What did you do today?

[DodgeRover]

Bella did it, or Chester visited to say hello, definately dog related.

[Hooli]

Gromit once managed to lock himself in a Sierra I had, while it was running. Lucky I was outside home defrosting the car so I could get the spare keys.

[bub2006]

Not what I'm doing but what my friend is doing at home. Investigation of rust on rear arch. The arch is wafer thin on the outside and the inner arch is about gone. Oh fuck sticks. I nor he has the knowledge and capability to weld it safely especially where the rear suspension mounts are and towing with it. I am waiting further photos when he's cleaned it up.
Another friend said bodge it and sell it but I couldn't do that. I can't have it failing on a new owner especially if kids in car and they have a crash. I'm too honest and kind to even consider that option.

[bub2006]

Gromit once managed to lock himself in a Sierra I had, while it was running. Lucky I was outside home defrosting the car so I could get the spare keys.

That's impressive knowing where the door locks are on a sierra. Also knowing fords erratic central locking of the late 80s and early 90s it may well have locked itself. My dad's g plate taxi went nuts over every speedhump.

[xtriple]

The wheel trim I bought from eBay arrived today. It's BETTER than the ad suggested it would be. I quickly went and fitted it to my next-door neighbour's car as it was for him, not me, I just bought it out of the 'goodness' of my heart...

Of course, now they want to know how much it cost but I just blamed senility and can't remember. I 'think' it was about £14 including Evri delivery.

My good deed for the day...

[FatherJack]

Gromit once managed to lock himself in a Sierra I had, while it was running. Lucky I was outside home defrosting the car so I could get the spare keys.

That's impressive knowing where the door locks are on a sierra. Also knowing fords erratic central locking of the late 80s and early 90s it may well have locked itself. My dad's g plate taxi went nuts over every speedhump.

Sierra keys can be used to lock any other Sierra I think.
I found this out in a Ford dealership whilst walking round the showroom.
I didn't know the keys were in the ignition until the deed was done.

[DodgeRover]

That was common to 80s Fords, any ford key will lock them but only the correct one will unlock.

[DodgeRover]

Not what I'm doing but what my friend is doing at home. Investigation of rust on rear arch. The arch is wafer thin on the outside and the inner arch is about gone. Oh fuck sticks. I nor he has the knowledge and capability to weld it safely especially where the rear suspension mounts are and towing with it. I am waiting further photos when he's cleaned it up.
Another friend said bodge it and sell it but I couldn't do that. I can't have it failing on a new owner especially if kids in car and they have a crash. I'm too honest and kind to even consider that option.

Can you use an arch repair panel to recreate the inner arch? Its usually only the bit where it meets the outer that goes.

[bub2006]

Gromit once managed to lock himself in a Sierra I had, while it was running. Lucky I was outside home defrosting the car so I could get the spare keys.

That's impressive knowing where the door locks are on a sierra. Also knowing fords erratic central locking of the late 80s and early 90s it may well have locked itself. My dad's g plate taxi went nuts over every speedhump.

Sierra keys can be used to lock any other Sierra I think.
I found this out in a Ford dealership whilst walking round the showroom.
I didn't know the keys were in the ignition until the deed was done.

I mean Internally though. If the dog was inside they either have a large catch at front of interior handle or a smaller rocker above the handle if it's a later one. They didn't have an internal lock button. Still carries on with our ford focus MK1 and my old X plate and 52 plate Mondeo having the lock switch above or around the door handles but no central lock button.
My dad did something similar with a Capri,cortina and a Granada. When I was younger my dad would buy any cheap banger out the admag and bull it up over the week to reinsert it in next weeks edition. If something similar was in Asda car park he has unlocked it and then found the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. One car I remember was a Granada 2.3LX that had half a key. The spare would only fit the passenger door and the other half of main key was stuck in the ignition barrel. He'd have to climb over passenger seat to get out and always parked driver door against a bollard or wall.

[bub2006]

Not what I'm doing but what my friend is doing at home. Investigation of rust on rear arch. The arch is wafer thin on the outside and the inner arch is about gone. Oh fuck sticks. I nor he has the knowledge and capability to weld it safely especially where the rear suspension mounts are and towing with it. I am waiting further photos when he's cleaned it up.
Another friend said bodge it and sell it but I couldn't do that. I can't have it failing on a new owner especially if kids in car and they have a crash. I'm too honest and kind to even consider that option.

Can you use an arch repair panel to recreate the inner arch? Its usually only the bit where it meets the outer that goes.

The outer arch which can be seen from outside isn't structural so can be cleaned and made to look presentable. The inner bit where it meets the inside of the van has been cleaned and it's not as bad as first thought. There is a small hole which can be seen on the inner arch from inside the van but it's only about the size of a 10p piece. It's getting a blob of weld,some rust converter and lots of underseal or wax applied. The outer part will probably get a thin layer of wob. Failing that it's a flat piece so the washer may be losing a side panel and pray the wife don't ask questions when the van has Hotpoint embossed on the "new" quarter panel repair section.