Check for rust here

[timedwards]

The Floorpan on my x300 was not too horrendous and I think the inner wings and bulkhead are o.k. as far as I can see but here is one area to look for. This required my whole front suspension to be removed and so I thought I would post some pics to help anyone in the market for an xj.

Rust right where the suspension rear arms bolt on!

Worst side (passenger)

Driver's side cut out by me for welder

[timedwards]

Welded & primed

Top coated

Cutting away was fiddly and needed snips as well as dremmel and pliers to peel away. The grinder was too big.

The big issue is that taking the front suspension off is such a huge job, especially if the car is outside as the bonnet needed removing to cover the engine with plastic sheet under the car cover due to the crossbeam mounting bracket. At least the re-bushing was easier when it was off. Driving the lower fulcrum bolts out was another story though. NEVER AGAIN!

The car is still SORNED

[J44EAG]

Sadly, endemic on 40/300/308.

I once owned a met black 308R which was superficially visually a B+ car. It would have graced Downing Street. Bought from a friend of a friend whilst full of beer in our local pub. I had asked for first refusal four years earlier. What stole my heart was a decent gas system. Then the trouble started. Some may remember my subsiquent problems!

Investigation of a knocking shocker at my local Portsmouth Indy revealed much worse. The A-frame could have its prime parts pulled out by hand. Corrosion all along the inner sills, across the floor pan at the rear front seat mounts, under the drivers heels, front chassis legs, suspension turrets and more. Sold to a Polish buyer who had the car collected on a tank transporter via ebay. A lucky escape for me.What a terrible mistake on my part and such a disappointment and shame generally. I really wanted that car with its wonderful Medteorite wheels. Gone but not forgotten. Probably the best looking ever XJ ever. This happened about five years ago and I still feel mortally wounded! I lost £72 by the time I knocked the car on. My first loss ever in bangernomics!!

Thats a nice looking repair. One of my first jobs was as a panel basher and sprayer. Forty year on, I can stlll achieve a factory finish with Halfords spray cans in a dusty Portsmouth Marina car park. Welding is now a thing of the past for me. My utmost admiration for anyone who doesn`t mind holey clthes, welders eye, crap in every orafice, severe discomfort and flying grinding sparks. If I were still twenty years old, I might have another go at it. Now I tell people to get a desk job.

Mike K

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Yes Mike, looking for a mobile welder is like looking for a needle in the sand. I guess because there must be easier ways to earn a living. The guy I used, having been let down by the first one I called, was a really nice bloke and a real car enthusiast. So if anyone wants a mobile welder in the Dudley area here is the link to his website.

http://www.harrismobilewelding.co.uk/

I did the cutting and grinding and blowing of the crap out of my nose, like you say not pleasant. The bit I was not keen on was the grinding so near to those fuel lines, same sweaty palms as when messing with the front road springs! I went totally overboard and stripped all the underside of the car in my search for rust. Have now painted up and about to put the Gravitex on. I did find rust though, some of which just needed treating and other parts which needed cutting and welding. I took all the seats out front and back and the ski-slope to get the carpets out!! In hindsight I only needed to peel the carpet back and definitely could have left the squab in place as it was really difficult to get out and unnecessary in hindsight. Still, I like to think this car respects me for it and will hopefully make life a bit easier for me from now on. Here's hoping. I'm a bit concerned because the 12 month MOT I bought it on was so obviously dodgy that who knows what problems there will be when it is finally ready for MOT again. Still I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Cheers Tim