Offside C Pillar & Upper Rear Wheel Arch
a) C Pillar
Outwardly monstrously complex once all the rotten steel had been cut away, the C pillar proved to be a straight-forward repair. It's surprising how small steps of progress, forming and welding in clean steel quickly change one's perspective on the task in-hand. Initial thoughts of horror and despair increasingly turn to satisfaction and comfort in realising that it's not so tricky after all.
Being easily shaped sections, all the work was done using plate steel apart from the lower outer leg. It's a complex and precise section, far easier to buy than to make.
Below are a selection of photos of the build in chronological order.
(i) removing old metal
(ii) Work on the sill and rear channel section
(iii) Welding in the lower leg base-plate
(iv) Repairing the upper inner pillar
(v) Final finish and spray.
b) Upper Wheel Arch
The upper wheel arch was far more difficult and probably the hardest section to rebuild apart from the front wings (of which, more later). The upper arch had completely corroded and purely from its location, I'm guessing that water/condensation gathers each side of the rear parcel shelf in the seat-belt indent and the section rots from the top down. Either way, a large quantity of metal was cut out in complex layers (see first photo taken from under the wheel arch, looking up).
I decided to recreate the layered structure as a stand-alone fabrication outside the car to enable me to index each layer to the next to ensure proper final fitment. By building the structure remotely, I was able to mark matching blue index lines on both the car and the fabrications, allowing me to then fit and weld them individually without losing alignment. I don't own an English Wheel, relying only on a leather sand-bag, a hefty vice, some hefty angle-iron and a selection of hammers and dollies and these complex curves took some ingenuity to make.
The finished structure was very satisfying.
The finished repair looking up from below the wheel arch. Things could only get simpler from here on.
