Today has been the first really warm day of the year and I was able by lunchtime to complete removal of the rotten steel gusset flich plates around the boot OS side pillars, ground the remains of the bolts flush with the bearers and, where they could not be removed, with the pillars.
Next I sanded the bearers and the underside of the boot floor ready for painting with aluminium paint, which I completed before the end of the day, then I applied a coat of red oxide to the steel curved corner pieces.
Final job of the day was to apply a coat of grey topcoat to the corner section so it will be ready for fitting when I have made and fitted new steel gusset flitch plates to the first OS pillar.