Never let an idiot weld up a car wheelarch...

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...or if you do, make sure you watch for flammable objects touching said floor. Despite thinking that I'd propped the sound deadening mat clear of the floor, I obviously hadn't done it well enough, as when I returned to the car after a loo break I found it full of smoke, with the only recourse open to me being to call the fire brigade.
This is what the interior of the car looks like now:

OK, it was only worth about £250 (17 year-old Renault 19) and we were looking at replacing it within the next 6 months, but I'd rather have tried to sell it on!
I am now trying to think how to phrase the opening statement to SWMBO when she get home.........

 

[Hilldodger]

My mate did the same with his old Escort

 

[ThePainInSpain]

Wish someone would do that with mine, so I can claim the insurance and get a new one.

 

[Mr Cheese]

Yes, it happens. I've done a fair bit of welding on our Triumphs, it's amazing how the sparks manage to seek out flammable materials where you hadn't realised there were any!

 

[tyred]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt

Anyone want a partly burnt out MkIV Cortina?

 

[Theseus]

Back in my student days I had a Triumph Herald. Great for working on the engine. It needed some welding to get it through the MOT so I borrowed a gas welding kit from my dad's work and set to it in the works forecourt near the maintenance shop. I forgot to clear any combustibles out of the interior, but that wasn't the problem. The welding was close to where the plastic fuel pipe ran and I suddenly found myself with a sheet of flame inches from my head. Luckily there was someone working at the weekend in the maintenance dept and he rushed out with a fire extinguisher and no major harm was done other than needing a new fuel pipe. The next time I did any welding I made sure I included the removal of the fuel & pipe before starting.

 

[Hacienda71]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt

Anyone want a partly burnt out MkIV Cortina?

If you scrap it you might want strip off the front hubs and flog them on fleabay as they are sought after in the kit car world and are becoming quite rare.

The other thing to remember when welding older cars with a mig is to disconnect the battery or your alternator will cease to function as I found out twenty years ago on a country lane in my mk1 Fiesta.

 

[Hacienda71]

Is that really true? I always thought this but I was told by someone recently (he used to be a mechanic) that it was an old wive's tale.

The Jaguar mechanic who welded the car up told me it was an old wives tale, while all the other mechanics at the garage where I worked laughed told me it wasn't and told me he should have disconnected it and he was just being lazy as it was a "foreigner". If it was an old wives tale then the fact within 48 hours the alternator failed made me a little unlucky.

 

[tdr1nka]

At the garage I worked at, I would stay in the car with a water spray bottle handy while my Gaffer did the welding.

Best practice really is to remove all flammable from the foot well, either that or pull up the carpets and noise dampening gubbins then lay a fire blanket underneath.

 

[Over The Hill]

[QUOTE 1236499"]
Triumphs? Which ones?

I had a 1500 Spitfire (with overdrive of course), and so did a mate. Had so much fun working on them.

We also took a Dolomite apart just for the fun of it.
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Now you are talking cars!

I had two Dolly sprints, smashed up the fist one but kept the second one for some years. It had a full length cloth sunroof (was it webasto or something) and was lovely. Really classy in white with the black roof.

Also had a Spitfire which I had to change the gearbox on. So easy on them though. Would not try it on a modern car!
When I bought it the thing was sky blue (horrid) and I painted it BRG and sold it for a good profit. It was a 1100 or 1300 if I remember they did not have overdrive like the later 1500 but a mate had one that he fitted with an overdrive from a dolly sprint. I used to drive it with the top down whenever it was not raining hard.
People never seem to actually use open top cars with the top open now!

I had a TR7 for about two weeks. It was crap so I sold it.

 

[Campfire]

Yes, it happens. I've done a fair bit of welding on our Triumphs, it's amazing how the sparks manage to seek out flammable materials where you hadn't realised there were any!

Triumphs!!!!! Mr Campfire restores them. Are you in owners club? If you've ever been to any shows you might even have met.

 

[Mr Cheese]

Triumphs!!!!! Mr Campfire restores them. Are you in owners club? If you've ever been to any shows you might even have met.

A few people have asked about our Triumphs! My first car when I passed my test was a Dolomite Sprint, a bit different to the Datsun Cherry I passed my test in!

More recently we had a 1973 Stag but that was beginning to cost way too much, so now we have a 1972 Triumph 2000:




I am the the Triumph Sports Six Club, and we regularly go to Tatton Park, Capesthorne Hall, Cholmondeley etc etc., so we may well have seen you!

 

[tdr1nka]

Back to the OP, we always used to disconnect the battery as matter of course.
IIRC this is because the welder earth strap is connected as close to the metaly bits you are welding and the cars electrics are generally earthed to the same metaly bits.

I may be wrong, so any car electricians please feel free to set this straight.

 

[slowmotion]

I don't know if this is an urban myth, but there is a story about someone who wanted to weld his fuel tank. He very diligently drained out all the petrol, and then scratched his head wondering how to get rid of the petrol vapour. He got out his vacuum cleaner, and stuffed the hose into the tank......

The sparks on the electric motor brushes instantly ignited the vapour and his Hoover turned into a very powerful turbo-assisted flame thrower.

 

[Mr Cheese]

I had two Dolly sprints, smashed up the fist one but kept the second one for some years. It had a full length cloth sunroof (was it webasto or something) and was lovely. Really classy in white with the black roof.

Yep! Webasto sunroofs are the next best thing to having a soft top. Basically the whole of the roof opens up! We want one for ours but they're not cheap.

Speaking of not cheap, have you seen the price you have to pay for a decent Dolly Sprint now?

People never seem to actually use open top cars with the top open now!

So true! People with classic convertibles struggle with catches, hinges and get their fingers trapped, but still seem to manage. People with modern convertibles just have to press a button, but can't be bothered!