RHS middle section The driver's door is in good condition apart from a shallow crease along the length of the lower section. When I'm ready to paint Cynthia, I'll (bravely) knock out the deepest bit of the crease using a hammer and dolly before applying a thin layer of filler (eg Plastic Padding) or cellulose putty. Two points are worth noting about filler: It is designed to be applied on bare metal and is more likely to separate from a painted surface. It is porous and absorbs water. Paint filler as soon as possible after it has set and been finished. Most primer paints are also porous. The door tread plate has rusted through in a few places, a fairly common problem. Spot welds (at the side of the vertical flange to which the door draught seal attaches) were ground out before applying hammer and chisel to remove the old tread plate. A small of the floor section below the tread plate needs patching. A replacement tread plate (left) was obtained from John Kipping. As you'd expect, for such a simple section, it is an accurate match for the original. The replacement plate will be plated on the underside to prevent future rust and it will be plug welded in place. There are one or two small perforations in the outer cosmetic sill panels. These have been stored in my spare bedroom for several years and they'll be one of the last things to repair during this restoration. The structural outer side rail is not an original part and is slightly shorter than the proper part and lacks the strengthening gussets. This part will be replaced after the rear outrigger has been replaced. The centre and front outriggers both require patching at their outer ends where they join the outer side rail. RHS rear suspension, drive shaft and brakes As with the front corner, I chose to strip the mechanical components from the rear corner to improve access for the welding work. I daresay you only need to partially dismantle the suspension to gain access to the outrigger but it is a tricky enough job without making things harder. The only difficult part of rear suspension disassembly was unfastening the bolts on the universal joint flange. Good quality spanners and generous use of penetrating oil (PlusGas) made all the difference. The brake cylinder was again removed and put in dry storage. The hand brake had always a problem at MOT time, even after the mechanical linkage had been correctly adjusted and lubricated. I suspect that the brake drum is worn undersize or that the brake shoes are "wrong". I haven't checked the universal joint for play yet. I have a couple of spares handy if they're worn. The wheel bearings have fortunately never shown any sign of play. If I do detect a problem, I'll send them off to a specialist with the proper tools to disassemble the hub All of the radius arm and shock absorber bushes are in surprisingly good condition and will be re-used. The transverse leaf spring has been left in place and only requires a little cleaning. Previous restoration page: RHS front corner and wing Next restoration page: RHS rear corner and electrics

Phil Beesley (beesley@mandrake.demon.co.uk) December 1999