Vauxhall Sportshatch Restoration Project

In October 2008, I re-acquired this Sportshatch, which I had first owned back in the mid 1980s. It was my first "Droopsnoot" car, after a short line of standard Vivas and Firenzas. Back then it seemed like it was in good condition, but when it went off the road a couple of years later it was a little rusty.

After quite a few years awaiting restoration in my garage, I sold it to someone who promised to restore it but didn't, and then he passed it on to another enthusiast in Wales who ran out of time. In October 2008 I got it back, and started working on the bodywork to restore some basic strength into the shell.

Update May 2015 - I'm making steady progress with this restoration, but it's way too time-consuming to update this page, and the restoration thread on the Droopsnoot Group forum. As that's more widely-seen, for any more recent stuff please have a look on this thread - you'll need to join the forum (but not necessarily join the club) to post on there, but it should be possible to view the thread without doing so.

The photos, most recent at the top

So, off with the inner wing, to temporarily place the new one so I can make the front panel repairs.

And the door pillar back in place, making sure it fits (I test fitted the wing and door to make sure) and making sure that both skins of the pillar are welded up properly.

New panel fitted after making it. The pressings aren't great, but roughly in the correct location.

Panel behind the door pillar is quite badly rusted, so the only way is to cut out the pillar, after a lot of careful measuring.

But managed to make and fit repairs to the rain channel, upper bulkhead and fusebox mount.

Removed the drivers side front wing, to find a little more rust.

Some more work on the passenger side bulkhead lower sections.

And a bit more of the passenger floor, showing the patch over the chassis rail repair.

Some work on the passenger side floor at the rear:

Drivers side almost finished:

And some work to the floor pan:

After some repairs to the chassis member:

Additional ventilation:

As retrieved: