Bulkheads and clutch tubes and welding (... oh my?), Unanticipated chassis repairs Options

[daveandliz]

Some will have seen my query on a clutch suddenly needing frequent adjustments and that a new cable didn't solve the problem (no obvious issues at the time). Well, the problem struck again (2 days into our season). Yes, I could now see a tear in the rear bulkhead and that led me almost immediately to a clutch tube failure.

What surprised me more was why. The tube to bulkhead fitting is still intact, but the bulkhead has torn away from the floor pan! more poking revealed rot on the trailing edge of the driver's floor pan AND a wadge of fibreglass in the corner mount all hidden under what appeared to be "factory" undercoating.

I believe that moisture had entered some decades ago and the "repair" held quite well... until now. Then, when the weak point (after the clutch tube detached) became the bulkhead and it was flexing before ultimately failing. I was quite prepared to do the "cancer surgery" on the tube this weekend, but a rotten floor to bulkhead seam is quite another matter. Cue the shipwright's disease?

I've resigned myself to a summer of metal work (I've restored Triumphs) but I'd love to hear from anyone else who has undergone this travail and might be able to point me away from errors or omissions- but please don't suggest a full restoration (just yet).

Dave