Spent the morning cleaning up a few welds and then started what we thought would be the most harrowing bit of welding so far, the bonnet, Its a beaut, straight and rust free but someone (me) drilled holes in it for bonnet pins a few years back.
All went well though, cleaned it to fresh steel and then with a block of aluminium underneath welded it first go with no warping or blow holes, stoked

 Got the passenger side done today, once again in three pieces to get the bends right. Got some grinding to do during the week though. Satisfying job, my panel beating and weldings getting better and I've saved a ton of money, almost fainted when I saw the price of a whole new bulkhead, although it hasn't been painless, haha got plenty of holes in me from hot metal falling down my sleeves, in my boots and hair

Cheers Bryan, yeah you can see exactly where the water has run down the bulkhead and pooled on the floor... You never know I may take you up on a working holiday Going to invest in a welding jacket though, pulled up pretty sore this morn.... On to the top of the bulkhead next weekend..........

Got my panels to do the top of bulkhead and heater. One side done this weekend, would've done two days on it but had to go to work to help pay for them Cut the top panel short so that I didn't have to re-align the bonnet hinges, dubious feeling cutting up a couple of hundred bucks of new panel..... Can't wait to get back into it next weekend ...........

Nice feeling to see that old rusty metal gone. I admire you guys who can do your own body work. I hope to learn, one day!

It's been a few weeks now so I thought it was time for an update....
With the welding finished I pushed the car out into the open for the first time in a while, it's covered in primer patches but looks much better for the rust repairs. Floors have been painted using POR15, they're not wrong when they said to use gloves, that stuff doesn't come of your hands in a hurry
Ran the wiring through the new bulkhead, made a the cut-out for the fuse box and plumbed the washer bottle up under the guard. Test fitted the air con no worries just need to work out a couple of wires now.
Prepped the bulkhead cover ready for a coat of vinyl paint, it was all there but took a fair bit of glueing to tidy it up, shouldn't be noticeable when I paint it.
Been cleaning, bagging and tagging the last of the interior parts, console came up a treat with the am/fm radio and a/c switch, need to paint the ash tray but that'll be done with the rest of the car so theres no colour difference....
Phew, so that's the progress.... haha nice to have greasy hands again rather then welder splatters down my sleaves and in my boots
Onwards and upwards, stay tuned..........

Engine time......
Ok, got the engine back in this morning, double checking the wiring, mounting up the aircon and sorting out the fueling for the  IDF's. Had the compressor checked, got a modern alloy condenser and new gas bottle. Got a mobile hosing guy who can do the plumbing. That'd be the first time I've paid someone to work on it for me.....
The engine planning and collecting has started, the IDF manifold and alloy sump/ pickup has arrived.
I want to save the matching numbers block so on the lookout for a second hand pinto to rebuild now.....
Another saturday morning well spent...............