My 79 Beta spyder 2000

[deks]

Good choice with the R-Tech. It is soo much better than the Clarke/Machine Mart items. Mine has let me get away with welds that would be impossible. Always check your settings on test pieces before doing real work. Thicker stuff is easier than thin for learning on.

Thanks for the advice. The welder was recommended to me by a friend. I was looking at cheaper used items but artery were at resto show with a special offer on so took advantage of that albeit with the gas I am into it now for £1000k  I do wonder how much I am saving over paying someone to come round and sort it out but hey ho.

[deks]

So I've made a start today on the welding.  I had already prepped some areas by removing the plates previously welded but decided to tackle two other areas that I feel are easier for first go at welding. Small hole 4cm square on inner wing which soon became a lot bigger when I started grinding the metal back and then the small hole in bottom of windscreen which is proving a lot trickier than I expected. I've not finished this piece obviously but packed up for the day as it was gone 6 and the grinder is quite noisy.

[peteracs]

Hi Steve

Good to see you starting the journey!

The surround of the windscreen is probably one of the most difficult areas, I would see if one of guys parting a car out had a shell with good parts you can cutout as will save you hours of work.

Peter

[deks]

Hi Steve

Good to see you starting the journey!

The surround of the windscreen is probably one of the most difficult areas, I would see if one of guys parting a car out had a shell with good parts you can cutout as will save you hours of work.

Peter

I'll see how I get on tomorrow or next time with screen frame, if I cant sort it then I will like go down the route of getting a piece cut out from a breaker. I was going to order one from BB's before the fabricator retired.

[deks]

So a few days on from the start of windscreen frame repair and  am still not done. What I am learning as advised is that thin old rusty metal doesnt like welders near it. as quick as I repair a bit  blow a hole in another and yes I have the amps turned down and wires speed turned up. Also with the realisation that my new purchase will be here tuesday without a viable home as the spyder is in it I am starting to think as many family members have been suggesting to me that i reconsider my options and for me its also considering my ability. When I purchased the shower a year my financial security was vastly different to what it is today hence why I purchased the spyder. it was all i could spare budget wise and I hoped it would be a useable rolling restoration which it sadly wasn't. the best part of buying it though was it lead me here to this very supportive informative and above all very friendly club. it also lead me in the direction of the HPE which i would never have found without the forum. The HPE isn't perfect but she's very good but will benefit from a few upgrades and a little TLC which she may not get if I am focussed on the Spyder. So with a little help from the wife i think I am almost at the point where I am going to abandon the spyder and either sell whole as is or more realistically sell the parts and salvage what good panels the car has. I have always been mindful of the costs involved in restoring the car though I will openly admit I have massively under estimated this cost by around 50% if not more and although some of this is done for love I am also realistic and know that i can buy a good one for a lot less than ill spend doing mine. to be honest if Derek's spyder was anything but red I'd likely have tried to buy both off him (not sure he'd have sold both) I kind of feel a little deflated that i am thinking like this but equally know its the right thing for me to do.
I am really looking forward though to the delivery of the HPE next week and getting it booked into local shows that I want to go to which was the reason for purchase of a classic in the first place as felt the need to attend in a related car rather than my modern car.

[deks]

This part week has seen a lot of thoughts and ups and down with the Spyder and what I should with it. Culminating with me making a rash decision as other post will verify which was based more on storage than anything else and a need to be able to store the new arrival in the dry. I am still uncertain of my ability especially when I start to look closely at the steel around the rear turret and its thickness and complexity but I will cross those bridges as and when. However the point to this post is that I have re arranged my garage and can now store the Spyder and steel get to everything in the garage in part as I moved all the racking to the car port which isnt in the way as its positioned between the posts that support it  the car port is fully wooden and fully enclosed and dry and plastic sheet lined on two sides. This is where the HPE will be housed when it arrives on Tuesday.

 I will continue with the spyder but at a slower pace. It may be more so in the winter when I can swap the two around as the HPE will probably be laid up for winter and can sit in the garage covered up or possible stored at my parents as they dont do much in the winter so it wont be in their way though not as warm and dry as my garage. These are things to be worked out as and when.

[Ferrit]

I was thinking of doing one of these maybe next year

https://the-machine-shop.co.uk/