August 3rd: The summer holiday will be in the Netherlands this year. It's nice to be back home after 1 year. This also gives me an opportunity to visit the welder and see the progress with my own eyes instead of by pictures only. "The surgeon" is not only a true craftsman but he is also a kind gentleman who welcomes his clients very well. After a drink we go to see the project. The pictures I received so far were already very convincing, but the real thing is still something else. The work is done to a very high standard with a detailed eye to keep the vehicle geometry in its original condition. I'm very lucky I found such a capable welder by accident. We run through the items done so far together and there is not even 1 tiny remark I can make. Unfortunately "the surgeon" also points out an area we both overlooked before. The rear shock absorber dome on the left hand side has been repaired at some point in time by somebody who doesn't care how repairs are done obviously. The difference between the original geometry on the right hand side and this crappy left hand side is enormous. Although this area will be invisible behind interior trim once finished the welder and my opinion is the same, it can't stay like this and has to be put back in its original condition. I guess the story never ends, every time new areas keep popping up which need work. Another item to add to the long list of things to do.

Reviewing the rear end with "the Surgeon".	Not 1 bad thing to say about the excellent work of the "surgeon".
Alfasud TI QV with 1.7ie engine, nice driving machine.

After looking at the magnificent work and frustrating left hand rear shock absorber dome it's time for some fun. "The surgeon" has an Alfasud TI QV with a 1.7ie Alfa 33 engine in it. He asks me if I want to drive it, but I wouldn't forgive myself if something would happen so I'll just do the navigation. It's truly amazing how smooth the engine runs, there's absolutely no shaking at all. The sound of the running boxer engine is great music to my ears. A short but very enjoyable drive on the highway in this nice Sud brings a big smile to my face. A big thanks to "the surgeon" and his family for his time and great reception today and of course last but not least his amazing craftsmanship.

August 5th: During the visit to the welder "the surgeon" said that the current wagon door is almost beyond repair. Not only the rust damage but also the accident damage from the previous owner result into a questionable geometry where the amount of hours to make it a good door again will not be justifiable. Because I have a spare door which is not perfect but in my memory in better condition then the current one it's probably worthwhile to use this spare one. The welder suggests to make 1 good one out of these 2. In my memory the spare one has rust damage but at least has no accident history. As far as I can remember the rust is also much less severe. Today is a good chance to get the part from the loft and see its condition. It is stowed a bit further away then I had in my memory. After removing many parts finally I got access to the wagon door. Since there's nobody to help me I have to get this part down from the loft on my own. I hope that's going to work out. I managed to get the part down without hitting anything or injuring myself but to be honest I don't recommend to do this on your own. A wise lesson for the next time I guess. When looking at the part the rust damage at the licence plate area is a bit worse then I remembered. Of course the location where the handle used to be is also affected by severe rust. This seems to be a standard area for rust due to the multiple layer steel construction. All in all this wagon door looks better in my opinion then the current one on my vehicle, but I have no idea what the expert will think.

Blu Possilipo 904B spare boot taken down from loft.	Holes of number plate attachment have lead to quite severe rust.
Left hand side of window frame in pretty good condition, only surface rust apparently.	Right hand side of window frame in pretty good condition, only surface rust apparently.
Handle area affected by severe rust due to multiple layer metal?