I've picked 10 or so of my favourite pics from the last year to get up to date and to assuage my lurker guilt.
June 14th 2011 - 13/60 donor delivered from Welwyn into my newly borrowed workshop. It was a few days after its 40th birthday when it arrived, and it had been off the road for the last 20.
A couple of weeks later I had some time to get started. This is one of my favourite pics because it was on this day that I realised I really was going to build a Sammio.
The main chassis rails were very solid with only minor repairs needed in the usual diff area.
Which was very different from all of the outriggers that were made of dust.
Who needs a pit?
Some of my chassis plating. Quite pleased considering it's a gasless mig. It was at this stage that my obsession began to appear. I wanted the chassis to be "symetrical" so if I plated one side, I'd add an identical plate on the other even if it didn't need it.
Floorpans were salvageable........
But I couldn't resist.
In April I went down to Poole and met a nice chap called Gary........
I stopped three times on the way home just to open up the van doors and look at it.
My little risk - going for a steel floor. I want the profiled steel and the curved tunnel rather than flat sections.
It's cut along the line of the centre of the diff. I may have to take more off when I add the lowering block. And, the steel wheel arches will need some trimming so that they are not visible, but rough layups have suggested that the idea is not total madness. Another reason for the steel floor is I want to encase the fuel tank in a steel "box".
I was travelling home one Friday evening and I couldn't resist dropping by the workshop (which is known as "The Glade") just to tuck her in.
All her "arms and legs" back on. New outriggers and rails all round.
Yesterday was time for some reorganisation so that I can really make progress on the chassis.
You can see why it's now dubbed "The Glade". I've had deer wandering past and I saw a weasel last week.
Which brings us to today. The back is off completely and I've had the N/S driveshaft and hub on the bench to use one of my lovely new tools.
I have set aside every Friday morning, so although progress will not be fast, it will be steady. And, as the evenings are light, I shall be able to get plenty of small tasks completed.