Anyone done this? I'm toying with the idea of actually restoring my Charleston properly (structurally at least) instead of taking the pickup truck route. It will also need inner rear wings (unless I make repair patches), a boot floor and a windscreen surround. I have no back seat, so rear seatbelt mounts aren't going to be an issue. I'm happy enough with doing repair patches, but entire panels will be a new experience. Anyone got any advice?

Fitting new panels is much easier that patching. Just cut out the crap and weld in the new bit. If when cutting out it looks like you will affect the main structure i.e. sills, always brace everything before you cut. Leave about 1.5cms of a lip to weld to where needed. Stand back and look at a job well done and have a beer.

I'll dig some photos out of when I did mine on my old 2cv. If the sweeps are fucked then there's a good chance the rear light panel underneath is on it's way too, and if so it's best to change this at the same time. Really easy bit to change, but don't be tempted to do what some so called specialists do and hide the seam with wag, Citroën never did it and it screams out 'bodge' even if there's sound metal underneath. When I did mine I welded the new panel on flush (not overlapped as paul suggests) with a big old copper block behind it. I then sanded off the weld until it was just slightly proud and finally finished it off with a sanding block and progressivley finer grit paper. On the inside the weld was behind the two lugs on the back panel so I didn't (couldn't) finish that to a similar standard. Basically I made sure it was straight with a strongback while I tacked it in and you can hold a level on it now it's painted and it's perfect. Bodyshop didn't use any filler and the joint is invisible. (unfortunately the pricks didn't spend very long prepping and painting it, and the back panels crying streaks of rust, but that weren't down to me, they won't be getting my business again though!)

Pics when my computers back from the shop.

I shall be reading any advice here with interest, and hoping someone might talk me through it in Caen. The holes in mine are beginning to look serious. Any semi-trained chimp can wield a grinder and pull the trigger on a mig, but it's the stuff that's specific to making bodywork look tidy where I fall down.

Cheers folks. I'll be learning as I go with this (if I do it: I'm still tempted to turn it into a pickup), but I'll photograph every stage and post it all on here. I've got to do the windscreen panel whatever I do with the back end.

Just take care of your wiring when you do John.

You and me both. I'd love to learn lead loading to do stuff properly. I spent way longer doing my sweeps than needed.

I'm afraid I'm firmly in the "semi trained chimp" category when it comes to welding. But hey, there's only one way to get better at it ...

Indeed. People who claim they can't weld just haven't had enough practice!