To keep things going on, I think It is time to inspect the chassis on cracks and bends, and repair what I already can see. Yes, I like to do that before it goes to the sandblasting company, after the sandblasting process I still can look at the minor faults, and repair them at that moment.

Fortunately after a close inspection, I discover that the general state off the chassis is not so bad as I thought. It has only surface rust, so there are no parts to be welded in. An on the field of cracking, It is a cold riveted chassis. And I am always told such chassis can “work”, and because of that they don’t crack. True or false? I don’t know, but I am willing to believe it, looking at the state of this chassis # 1861.

The worst damaged are the fixing points of the rear springs. Where the bolt goes thru the chassis, it is not an round hole anymore, but a buttonhole. I repaired it by welding a thick washer on both sides of the chassis, so now it is three times thicker than it was originally. I think that will do the job for another 50 or 60 years.

Another small problem is the tube between the two spare wheels, for the bolt fixing the spare wheel clamp. Somewhere in the past it has been cut in half. Maybe the needed a piece of tube to repair the central heating? Anyway, I put the tires on their place and measured the high required. Then made a new tube, 5 centimetre shorter than the complete high, and with a nut welded in. Simple, and but since I have to make the fixing bolt also, this should work. For the rest I reinforced the welding of the transverse bar holding the pedal assembly. And then the chassis looks good enough to be sandblasted.

The sub frame for the front suspension requires more attention. It has major cracks and it is bend a little. And the cross that is in the centre, and responsible for the strength of the sub frame is simply cut out.

Why it has been done I don’t know, maybe to take out the engine? But no panic, I still have some old iron on surplus from the rusted Austin Healey that I broke down to restore mine. And AH uses a cross almost similar to that from my Morgan. So after some cutting and welding, I have a sub frame that looks like it has to be.

Now I have to straighten the LH tubes and repair the cracks where they are welded on the middle section. To reinforce the transverse tubes, I made some extra inner tubes from central heating pipe. I made them on measure on the lathe, and now they slide just into the original ones. After that I MIG welded everything, so one Sunday morning solved the whole sub frame problem. Now I still only have to make a new tension rod for that left side, and the sub frame is ready to be painted.

So with the major problems already fixed, the chassis and some other parts are loaded on the trailer, and went up to the sandblaster. I also took the oil pan with, to have it (more gently) sandblasted, so I can have a good look on the corrosion damage, and decide what to do with it. After a week the chassis was back, and al lot cleaner.

After a close inspection I could find othing special, only some little cracks that are welded in a second. So finally I can paint the chassis in wash primer, to prevent it from surface rusting in the time I need to fix the other parts that are needed to come to a rolling chassis.