Rain stops play

So there I am with a big hole in the side of my VW - and a repair panel to fill it with. All I needed was some cooperation from the weather. Which of course I didn't get.

The day was spent dashing out from under the garage roof to take advantage of any moments when the sea wasn't falling from the sky. It's not clever to use electrical equipment in the wet but your standards go down as bit when in the midst of a project. Besides, I was wearing thick leather gauntlets so I'm immune from anything aren't I ?

The hole was tidyed up a lot and gained neat corners and a flat(ish) top. I'm getting good with the angle grinder !

Then during a wet bit the panels was chopped down. Most of it is now spare metal in the corner for future projects. What was left fitted surprisingly well. I even remembered to clean paint off for the welding earth and drill some holes in the flange for plug welding.

Clamped into place the fit was OK but got better when I shuffled it up a bit to overlap the existing side a couple of MM. The panel's not that thick and my van seems to be home for plenty of filler on that side so I think I'll get away with this. It certainly makes the welding easier - in an hour the thing was fitted and I was attacking it with the grinder again.

Then cam the rain. I suppose if I'd set fire to anything this might have helped, but I hadn't, and it didn't. SO I sprayed the job with zinc and as soon as the sun comes back will splodge some filler on. I know it's not perfect and a proper bodywork man would do a far better job. But I did it and this makes me proud.