1952 Jowett Bradford Utility

Looking forward seeing this.

Is the Utility the one with rear seats making it an early MPV?

Karl

Chris, that is the first resto of yours that I saw.

Such a great idea, and all 50 years before the Citroen Berlingo!

Karl

The speed at which all this happened had me confused at first and then I saw the date on the first post. Don't remember seeing this before but maybe I wasn't a member of the forum at that time.

you need another workshop bay

Radiator cowl completed 




These front lower quarter panels bolt to the cowl then connect to the inner wing panels along with the front wings 



These have also been got at with snot weld all over the place - the panels are distorted and well out the true profile that they should be 





Some hours later dressed back and loosely reshaped 



There's a piping bead that goes between the two panels 



I need to see how it all aligns with the chassis and wings next - The bottom of the radiator cowl & the quarter panels will be shaped & dressed with body solder to match / even the profiles up but again better done on the chassis 

Now working from front to back on the flange repairs 



Which in some areas also require repairs in to the wing panel itself 



Its much easier to section areas and form the repair pieces prior to just cutting everything away - this allows you follow the original profiles 



Soon tacked in 



Then dressed back 



If the removed section is in one piece it can always be retained for pattern for repairs to the opposite side or identical panels 



Nearly completed the flange 



The factory dressed 3 swages into the flange in order to stiffen it up and maintain the radius profile 



Next was the end panel 



For which I already held a pattern 



Soon made up and let in - the factory spot welded this section which I replicated 



Just this small edge repair to now let in 



Welded in - I'll dress it back in the morning 



Which just leaves this bracket mounting area at the base of the wing to repair then the wing can be set aside prior to being trail fitted 



The impact damage to front nose of the wing is much better straightened up with the panel bolted to the van which will allow the area to be worked with a hammer & dolly 


I always like to clean the weld beads back on the underside but you need to be careful that you don't overthin the metal around repaired areas - once the wing is in primer I can seam seal the repaired areas prior to adding a underbody wax to protect the underside of the wings 



More tomorrow 

Much fettling undertaken to resolve the poor panel fits - The quarter panel & inner wing panels are the ones that had been very poorly repaired and these affect the fit of every other panel 



Some cutting and letting in of fillets helped align things 



Some additional bolt apertures also helped 



The flange return edges I can true up when the profiles are formed but the wing piping will cover the flange joints - Unsure on how the previous repairer of the panels expected these to align & bolt up when they had obviously never trial fitted the panels together - they must have been confident though as they had placed them into final paint 



Nearside now ready for mounting to the chassis & body 



And onto the offside frontal panels 



Offside quarter panel fit is just as bad 



And I'm now working my way through the repairs / adjustments required but its a long process that involves assembly / disassembly many times over 

More reshaping & letting in of repair sections 



Some areas of the wing were so heavily pitted that the metal was paper thin - these were cut out & replaced with repair sections 



Then reassembled to check the panel fits 



Repairs to the end of the wing undertaken in preparation for the new end panel 



End panel fitted & dressed back 






Which now just leaves the perforated areas around the swaged edges



Which shall get sorted tomorrow and I can then think about trial fitting everything to the chassis & bulkhead 

I have a new pair of rear door frames for the van 



But a old pair of door skins 



These are weak with rust perforation in some areas but with repair they will see another life 



I'll have to get the edges shotblasted and deal with the centre of the skins myself - shotblasting the skin its self would near on destroy them through distortion



Offside door skin is a little worse than the nearside skin 



Which also requires repairs to the bottom of the skin 



Along with the area under the window 



Difference between the original frames and the new ones which have additional cross bearers fitted to add strength rather than the flimsy metal frame - I'll send the old frame up to Jowett Car Spares as it may help someone that needs an original frame