anyone reco. a cheap restoration project

How about a Landrover? There's plenty of rusty examples about, and the repair sections are all available. Plus straight edges mostly, nothing complicated.

Alex

PS. Yes, I'm biased, I've got 4 of em

Something you are interested in, anything else will become a bore to you, and a 'that will do' attitude could well follow.

In news:c8r6s4$dfl$ snipped-for-privacy@sparta.btinternet.com, Mental decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

I've got a 500 SEL Mercedes that needs a bit of welding... it's all in "interesting" places as well....

But also a lot of aluminium, not easy to fix...

You don't fix the ally panels, you replace them.

Alex

thats exactly what i feel will happen to the Astra to be honest, i may see if i can get it up for a swap for some restoration project, always used to love the MK2 Cortina's, cant wait to get the welding class's under my belt though, anyhow if anyone fancys restoring a Vauxhall astra GTI let me know hehe.

Cheers Mick

Exactly. So where's the steel to practice welding? Out of sight. Which doesn't really encourage high welding standards.

Better to go for a steel car as a first effort. But something not too rare or expensive. How about a Mini?

Not the easiest car to do correctly, simple to weld yes, but a panel beaters nightmare to get the correct fit to some of the panels.

I do know what you mean; reskinned doors are a particular problem. But my point really was that, for a beginner, Minis are cheap and relatively plentiful. I have several other cars that are easier to restore, but nowhere near as cheaply.

Spridget basket cases come up on eBay fairly often. Reasonably interesting, cheap parts (and plentiful), lots of enthusiasts to help you. Trouble is, most of them have been bodged by now, or fully restored anyway.

But are they cheap on the whole? Any I've ever seen locally are overpriced pieces of crap held together with P45 and chicken wire - they seem to attract the same rose-bespectacled buyers as old VW Beetles. That is, their existing owners have a hopeless view of how much their little rotbox is worth at sale time, and they shift simply because there's a buyer out there for anything.

Naah, the chap wants a Nova - he'll be sure to get something thats unadulterated ;-)))

As long as it hasn't been within a 100 meters of a boy racer, or owned by a little old lady and been serviced by *Joe Bodge-it and Son's Car Repairers*!

I doubt that there are many early Mk 1 or 2's that haven't by now....

For something less likely, Rootes Arrow range are pretty cheap, basic and often in need of plenty of welding practice. Not cars I'd normally think of, but I've just been reading this:

Ford MK2 Escort Ford Capri

I was joshing ;-)) They're all bastardised now, and never were "drivers' cars" in the first place. Nice to see however that the laddo brigade has moved on up to Vauxhall Calibras now...ooh nice neon underlights.