HZ Kingswood Major rust work.... where to start...?

Question

I am about to do up (fix up) a 1979 Holden HZ Kingswood 253 V8 sedan, there is a lot of work involved I know, but am prepared to put the time and effort (and as little money as possible) into the project. It was Dad's car and I love it so I really want to get her on the road again.

Major issues identified........so far....

Floor pan (front both sides)
Diver side pillar..... rust damage

Am a bit scared to have the windscreen taken out for fear of what lies beneath.......

I think it's called a cow panel maybe its channel not sure, its where the front vents sit, between bonnet and windscreen, anyway whatever its called, it is probably in fairly bad shape considering the extent of damage to the floor.

Any way I am a fairly mechanical girl and am not scared of attempting welding or of any power tools, my goal is to get the car fit and well so I can get it registered and usable.

I have the pans ready.

Hope someone can give me a few clues on where to start.

Answer 1

Hi. first off i'd take that windscreen out, and strip any other part of the car which may be hiding rust. Always know what your up for before you begin, so that there are no suprises once you start, and you will also have a better idea as to wether the project is still viable.
As for the floor pans, lay your replacement panels over your existing pans and scribe a line all around the new pans onto your old ones. once you remove the new pans, cut out the old pans about 5mm inwards from the lines marked. you can now mig weld your new pans, using the original lines as a guide to line them up. Make sure you mark the outline with a scribe, so you can't lose them when you strip the paint to bare metal. (very important before welding!) i suggest making a full seam weld all around the replacements. it's stong and will make the rego poeple happy. when finished protect it with sound deadening bitumen, also known as underbody shultz.
Your pillar will be a similar story, always make sure you protect it from rust afterward (drilling some holes in non visible areas behind carpet and interior trim is advisable for the sake of access) and make sure that your welds are strong enough to penetrate the steel fully, particularly when welding areas like pillars. Practice will make perfect.
Most importantly though, have fun! don't be shy to get stuck in...... we all make mistakes, but thats how we learn, so we don't do it again. Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

did the same to a EK wagon.. hundreds of hours and about $5000.. stripped the car & had the body sand blasted...this removes all the rust...new panels can then be welded in to fill the holes...( mig or tig welding is the best way to do it) Arc/stick welding to very thin steel isnt easy.

I pop riveted some of the panels back in place & painted the bottom of the car with Hydro seal.( bitumen paint)..

this is an easy way to do it & if you paint it thick you can get the car through the Registration..(what they dont know wont hurt em)...pop rivets are as strong as the original spot welds so I didnt have any quarms about doing it that way...car turned out pretty good..been on the road for 9 years now & still looks OK..

Answer 4

This is a good time to get to know a junk yard to cut parts off of other cars or see if the local body shops can get you replacement panels or floor pans. The a pillar will be the trick. I used to be a rust repair man. I would have to have sheet metal shops fab up a pillar then I run a piece of steel down them after to reinforce it.

But make sure you become friends with your welder or rivet gun and rivets or a crimper to flush mount the metal.

Answer 5

Holden Hz

Answer 6

Hz Holden

Answer 7

Always when I post a question, even if it is the simplest one, they cannot give me a proper informed answer on this website. wtf happened to people that actually take the time to write an answer?