It has been a while since my last post, but I haven't been entirely idle. After my initial investigations into the state of the boot floor (see previous post) I have removed more from the car in preparation for repairs, including the rear window. This was the last piece of glass still fitted to the car and I was concerned about damage from grinding sparks.
The stainless trim that surrounds the glass is extremely delicate and really expensive to replace, so needs to be removed and stored carefully. I used a couple of old plastic spatulas and they seemed to work pretty well although in hindsight, I think it might have been worth investing in some proper trim removal tools.
One important thing to note is that the chrome finishers that sit on the C pillars are actually held in place with bolts, so if you are attempting this yourself, do not try and prise them off! They will break! Instead, you will need to get at the retaining nuts from inside the car by lifting the bottom edge of the head liner. They are pretty awkward to get at, there are 2 on each side.
I had removed the boot lid to improve access to the boot floor, so I made the hinges 'safe' by wrapping them in plastic packing. Then from back inside the car I used the spatulas again to gently prise the rubber away from the window frame/lip/channel (whatever its called), running slowly and carefully along the rubber strip to release the window, a bit like using a tyre lever on a bicycle wheel. I took this operation gradually, with caution and absolutely minimal pressure on the glass.
I actually managed to perform this operation on my own (hence no action photos) but I wouldn't recommend it. Its risky and I suggest that you really need a second person, in case the window slips. I placed rolled up dust sheets resting between the boot hinges across the back of the car for insurance. The window rubber proved to be surprisingly supple and in fact came away intact. Best news of all, no corrosion to the window edge channel.
I have also removed those dodgy rear arch repairs and the lower rear wing/sill sections, and yes I can confirm that those idiots I referred to in a previous post did indeed weld the o/s arch repair to the n/s arch, and vice versa. The more I dug into their work, the worse it looked. The only positive I can take from this is that as they hadn't bothered to cut out any of the old metal before welding the repair sections on top, I have revealed original bodywork underneath and thus have a fighting chance of working out how everything is supposed to be.
The rear ends of the inner sills have some corrosion. The image shows the o/s sill*, the n/s is worse.
I give also taken off the rear lower quarters by cutting through the welds with my new air cut off tool (Christmas present). This tool is easer to control and has considerably more finesse than my disc cutter/angle grinder.
I was thinking that the next task would be to start cutting away at the boot floor, but with a clear picture now as to the full extent of the rot, I think that I should address the inner sills first, certainly on the n/s. I would like to get some strength back in to the car before I do anything drastic, like jacking it up. As these are 'chassis' areas, I will need to get my hands on some 16 gauge steel.
* As a UK car my amazon is right hand drive
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