n/s front crossmember replacement

One thing that was obvious when I purchased the car was the front crossmemember was completely corroded. The front bumper bolts onto here but as the crossmember didnt actually exist anymore, the bumper bracket was just hanging at the side of the car! not ideal, and the extent of rust was also an advisary on previous MOT's.

I decided to completely cut away the whole section as it was really too far gone to be able to weld onto good metal.

This is the extent of the rust here:







The whole thing was rotted, so it was cut off at the nearest piece of good, sound metal:






I then used the old front piece as a template to cut my own new part:



And this was welded on in the exact same place as the old one so the wing and bumper mounts will align:



I then continued to create the box section by adding a "floor". I also added an access point here in order for waxoil to be added:





Then, using the opposite side as a template, I welded two nuts onto the new metal in order for the bumper to bolt onto and this was welded in place:




Then after a small amount of shaping a curve at the end with the faithful angle grinder, I added the end piece to the new box section:





With this complete and smoothed and finished off, the whole area was POR-15'd. The front was primed and painted in the body colour for a OEM look.





UPDATE (09/05/09): Now the new front wing is fitted, I had the opportunity to fit the bumper bracket to the new crossmember. Fortunatly my measurements must have been spot on as the bumper bracket fits perfectly in the correct place for the bumper to bolt onto and be spaced from the side of the car: