Bulkless Bulkhead.

Good title that. You see what i did? Yes very apt and good. One of the best so far I think.

I’m prevaricating; this one gets pretty nasty.

Beelzebub’s bulkhead is like a rotten onion. Lots of layers of rot. Lots. Layers. Rot. Plus curves and angles with layers of rot.

Let’s get started. Bottom up i think. With footwells and feet.

This is tale of two sides; one side shows a learning curve and the other approaches a degree of professionalism. It’s all relative of course, but in my garage my definition of professionalism rules.

Whatever, I will compare and contrast improvements each side. So you can see how brilliant I am at learning and stuff. And how professional I have become.

Illuminated by the hot light of hell – this needs cutting out – stepwise to protect the geometry as much as possible.

As a note, in complete reversal of normal climbing advice, when looking directly at the subject matter of the pictures – ‘don’t look up!’ It’s normally depressing and scary. We are adopting a bottom up approach here. For that matter probably best to not look across either.

I think this is similar advice to the mental preparation for the chassis, repetitive? maybe – vital advice? Definitely.
All gone. Next time I would spend less time fussing on the internal sides. We’ll see that on the other side. Also looks like I didn’t follow my own advice – its all gone, all in one! No reference points. Let’s hope its all goes back together okay.

One other thing would be to invest in a spot weld drill – there are loads of spot welds randomly spaced and positioned. Good old Solihull consistency, but we are not here for anything else are we? I made a right pigs ear of this. What evs – lets get to the shiny stuff.

Ooh nice – in an unprecedented act of largesse I bought galvanised goods. They look great, but unfortunately make everything else look shite.

For those in the know the top is obviously prepping for the first fuck up. But that’s a layer cake all of its own.

On a more positive note – in the background resting on the tub you can see the feet of a cosmetic roll bar. No land rover should be without one. Controversial addition I would imagine.

First a quick patch to tunnel. Nasty and a bit fiddly – but i will leave raw as a visible battle scar
Layers, Layers. Luckily the innermost strengthening pieces were OK. This picture is aggravating me. Those damn layers.


The top of the post is flush with the outer layer. This makes the join look odd when its finished – I went back later after finishing the other side to bring the top of the post inwards so the main bulkhead can fold round like the original. This was when I thought I could patch the vent panels – an overly optimistic position it turns out.
Nasty welds, like metallic malformed black berries, vanity grinding required.
On the inside a new door check bracket was needed; must remember that these nuts are metric…
Footwell welded in – much vanity grinding took place on the left, but its in.
Screw up number 2. I shaved the edge of the new pillar to fit in the channel – but then a change in plan – rather than using the original seals (you there at the back, yes you, go and count your rivets elsewhere), I used defender seals so no lip required. Hence the addition of a piece of horror steel to make up the flange thickness again to take the clip on seal. Let’s move on, this is depressing.
Driver’s side much neater, but you looked up didn’t you? I told you not to – but while your eyes are there, be it known that small perforation by the steering column bracket is an actual gateway to hell…
Nice puddle welds. Take my word for it. I was there as an unbiased eye witness.
Plus the new check plate and more small, annoying bits of metal…Vanity grinding a bit of a must here too.
And on this side repairs to the inner structure with the top of the post in the right position (I think). Again don’t look up or across – there’s a conspicuous scary absence…

Ok lets go to the front and see the horrors that await us….

Nasty, and I really do not want to take off the bonnet drip channel…but deep breath and lets keep going before that gateway to hell grows any larger.
Optimistic lines in typex for the replacement panel – but first we need a new strengthening plate for the steering column attachment..

Oh, on this one you can look up AND across, you are positively encourgaged!

Yes there’s good news there – the welding fairies (I run an inclusive and diverse imaginary work force in my garage) have been in and welded up the substructure of the vent panels. That drain channel is still hangin on in there too! Good times. But If I was that drainage channel I’d keep my eyes peeled.
New steering support plate..and captive nuts in progress of being welded. Turn away imperialists – those nuts are metric scum.
Plate installed, waiting on seagull attendance to join it onto the vent panel. The outer patches are welded on to the plate for trimming to fit the new vent panels.

It’s debatable if you can look up on this one. The clamp and level method of straightening is controversial and largely ineffective, but the fairy repairs look OK. IF you look to the left, just visible after vanity grinding and galvanising spray is a repair to the inner structure.

One sad missing piece here, the drain rail had to go – another fun 30mins wrestling with Solihull spot weld scatter.
Oh and another rent in the space / time continuum took me down another rabbit hole. Repairing this hole which was rotten both sides took 300 light years (yes I am measuring work in units of distance).
Work inside too. This was not enjoyable but the results were OK.
Especially when spaffed with Tractor enamel.

You looked across didn’t you? Yes there’s a hole above the hand throttle. Well spotted. But nobody likes a smart arse. Oh you looked up too? Yes there’s a hole there too – but that’s DASHBOARD, not Bulkhead. Get with the program. Anyway the bulkhead hole was fixed – what a pain that was. The dashboard will be two posts down the line with more spaff and vanity grind.

This is exciting, the new vent panels midway through installation. At this stage my no bondo (is that a revolting Americanism?) dream is more pragmatic in the fact that i have a load to pog in straight after vanity grinding.

There is a fly in this wondrous ointment tho. I had a replacement piece on order for the top rail where the windscreen meets the bulkhead. It looked like it wasn’t going to arrive. So I went pure bodge – then just when I had finished it arrived. Big dilemma? Do I go back and re-work? Hmm…I’m not telling. Let’s move on.

Welding finished. And all bits from the old one fitted (bonnet hinges, windscreen hinges and the good old drip rail). More or less in the right place. I don’t see a need for filler, do you? That line is not a deformation but a trick of the light. Naughty light.

Next pic you’ll see its flat.
Well would you look at that, a coat of high build primer and that trick of the light is gone! That’s pure craftsmanship, definitely not bondoment.

I have also squirted my favorite tractor enamel over the engine strategically – very effective bit of turd polishing even if I do say it myself, almost matches the duck egg whatever shade the engine originally had. The oil and dirt blend things nicely.

Here comes another fly; headed straight for the ointment. Its starting to get a bit crowded at that pool.

The high build primer is not compatible with the top coat. So now I have an interesting crackle effect over my perfect metal work. But I’m hot to trot to get onto the road and start burning fuel – this will have to wait until later.

Finished! Not perfect, not even close. But shiny and has passed the Mrs Phatslax test of minimum viable safety (i.e. no preview of the road through the floor etc). Oh and as much as I love my tractor enamel the latest finish is back to galvanising spray..The fickle charm of colour is not yet spent here – more changes may occur.

So what next? This was always supposed to be rolling restoration – so this is now what it will become…..In fact by a major work of stealthy genius – it will pretty much look when emerging exactly as it did when entering the garage. Hurrah. No real external evidence that £5000 has been hidden in it, rather like a low rent Gold Finger Rolls Royce…..Let that not put us off. Onwards.