Operation Integrity Options

[amfab]

OK, well I had to have a thread title. I am calling it that because it will restore structural integrity to the car and I want to be able to say that the rust has been correctly repaired if I eventually sell the car, unlike the lack of integrity of the person who hid the rust to sell it.

Pictures below

The floor is a little shiny because there is still some mineral spirits on it from trying to get the tar off.

The open areas that you are seeing are after I wire brushed with knotted wire wheels on a grinder, then a carbide burr on a die grinder. While I will take some more off, what you see is getting close to good weldable metal.

First the longs:

The driver’s side is the worst. The bottom edges inside and out were full of holes, or very thin, so I cut the outside of the driver’s all the way off—except I haven’t got to the front under the door pillar yet.

I have cut out about 30 percent of the passenger’s side. The middle section is solid but I will replace it anyway. I started getting a little scared to take more out until I brace up the body.

The floor pan:

There are lots of sloppy welded patches and holes around the seams. The rear passenger’s and rear drivers quarters of the floor pan have been replaced with some plain steel—blue for some reason. The PO welded a solid bar on each side to mount the seat hinges. Sloppy, unground welds abound. There are some rust-through spots at the front of the pan that will need patching, but overall the pan in front of the cross member is solid.

Some patches in the lower firewall are solid.

Measuring diagonally, window frame to targa bar and straight back window frame to targa bar it is off no more than 1/8 inch. This changes depending upon doors open or closed or movement of the jack stands. The door gaps were never problems—maybe the driver’s side was a little wide. So it seems the car is pretty within spec and adjustable doorframe bars should be able to pull—or push—things to be good

Here is where I need advice. This is my plan, please give feedback:

1) Pull Wiring harness, speedometer cable and gas lines out of the center tunnel (What else is in there?) pull gas tank.


2) Pull doors and build adjustable bars to align doorframes

3) Continue to grind back to clean metal in the inside of the longs. Sandblast, then create internal angled patch pieces to repair the inner longitudinals from 18ga cold rolled. I am using michelko’s example see:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?s=&...st&p=219748

4) Cut off the majority of the inner rockers (The upper half or three quarters of the longs are very solid) and replace with inner rockers from Restoration Design.

5) Coat interiors of longs with Ospho then Eastwood frame coating

6) Patch any inner long parts to the area aft of the Restoration Design patch with 18ga cold rolled steel.

7) Install Brad Mayuer reinforcement kit over the longs

8) Cut rear floor quarters and cross member out

9) Weld in new rear floor panel and cross member, grinding out old welds and creating flanges from18ga where necessary—in the spots where there is no flange left in spots along the firewall and inner long

10) Remove and rebuild pedal cluster and create patches for small rust spots in the front of the footwells.

11) Sandblast interior and prime and paint.

12) Cut holes for front sway bar, sand blast and prime and paint bottom of gas tank area.

13) Install gas tank, new stainless gas lines and reinstall wiring harness.

Please give any feedback regarding my plan

[Tdskip]

Great thread-I’m late to the party but thank you for documenting everything.

Can I ask what voltage and wire speed you’re using? No it will vary by welder etc., but I’m about to dive in and do some similar things and was hoping to get some experience on settings.

Thanks!

[amfab]

Great thread-I’m late to the party but thank you for documenting everything.

Can I ask what voltage and wire speed you’re using? No it will vary by welder etc., but I’m about to dive in and do some similar things and was hoping to get some experience on settings.

Thanks!

I was using a Lincoln 125Plus—it is a 110V MIG welder. I tried .024 wire and .030. and started with the welder's recommended setting for 18 ga then tweaked from there. I found the spool mechanism that the Lincoln used would not give a steady wire speed sometimes due to spool weight and/or the rotation of the mechanism binding up the spool. I found the little 2lb spools were the worst, but the 10lb spools would also be problematic when they got down toward the end. I replaced the liner and lubed the wire and it would do well for a bit, then give inconsistent feed. It was very frustrating.

In some instances the .024 wire had a little less burn through, but If you get the .030 dialed in it seems to work as well or sometimes even better.

When I got to making the dolly and was welding on the heavy gauge tubing it was a bit under powered so I went and bought the Hobart MVP. I liked the option for 110v or 220v. I run it in the garage on 220v, but I wanted the portability of 110V.

It does not have a continuously variable voltage—it is stepped. I was a little concerned about this when buying, but I find that changing the wire speed slightly gives me all the fine tuning I need.

It is solidly consistent. I think that the drive wheels are designed to grip the wire well and help to isolate spool issues. I am really impressed with the welder, it may not be a high-end MIG, but for the money (under $800) I love it.

Normally what I do is look at the chart inside the door of the welder at the recommended voltage/wire speed for 18 ga and 20 ga and play around between there until its woking well. Sometimes I will set it to 22 ga if Im getting burn through in odd instances and play with the wire speed a little.

-Andrew

Picts of the two welders.

[Tdskip]

Great thread-I’m late to the party but thank you for documenting everything.

Can I ask what voltage and wire speed you’re using? No it will vary by welder etc., but I’m about to dive in and do some similar things and was hoping to get some experience on settings.

Thanks!

I was using a Lincoln 125Plus—it is a 110V MIG welder. I tried .024 wire and .030. and started with the welder's recommended setting for 18 ga then tweaked from there. I found the spool mechanism that the Lincoln used would not give a steady wire speed sometimes due to spool weight and/or the rotation of the mechanism binding up the spool. I found the little 2lb spools were the worst, but the 10lb spools would also be problematic when they got down toward the end. I replaced the liner and lubed the wire and it would do well for a bit, then give inconsistent feed. It was very frustrating.

In some instances the .024 wire had a little less burn through, but If you get the .030 dialed in it seems to work as well or sometimes even better.

When I got to making the dolly and was welding on the heavy gauge tubing it was a bit under powered so I went and bought the Hobart MVP. I liked the option for 110v or 220v. I run it in the garage on 220v, but I wanted the portability of 110V.

It does not have a continuously variable voltage—it is stepped. I was a little concerned about this when buying, but I find that changing the wire speed slightly gives me all the fine tuning I need.

It is solidly consistent. I think that the drive wheels are designed to grip the wire well and help to isolate spool issues. I am really impressed with the welder, it may not be a high-end MIG, but for the money (under $800) I love it.

Normally what I do is look at the chart inside the door of the welder at the recommended voltage/wire speed for 18 ga and 20 ga and play around between there until its woking well. Sometimes I will set it to 22 ga if Im getting burn through in odd instances and play with the wire speed a little.

-Andrew

Picts of the two welders.

Very helpful, thank you.

I have the same (or near identical Hobart). Good machine.

Fortunately I will be doing localized floor patching etc which makes it a bit easier but still want to make sure it is tidy.

[amfab]

Well I am swearing at it today, I have some thin spots in the wheel wells that Im running at 2 voltage and 20 wire speed which is what is says for 22G., I get to a thin spot and shine a light from behind and find a pin hole, and next thing I know I am chasing an opening as I keep burning a half an inch past it. then I go back and grind it smooth and find another pinhole.

What do people do just kept patching or just throw some filler on it?

-Andrew

[bbrock]

Well I am swearing at it today, I have some thin spots in the wheel wells that Im running at 2 voltage and 20 wire speed which is what is says for 22G., I get to a thin spot and shine a light from behind and find a pin hole, and next thing I know I am chasing an opening as I keep burning a half an inch past it. then I go back and grind it smooth and find another pinhole.

What do people do just kept patching or just throw some filler on it?

-Andrew

Are you using a copper backer? Helps a lot in those areas. But there have been times like this when I realize I need to start over with a larger patch that ties into healthy metal.

[Tdskip]

Well I am swearing at it today, I have some thin spots in the wheel wells that Im running at 2 voltage and 20 wire speed which is what is says for 22G., I get to a thin spot and shine a light from behind and find a pin hole, and next thing I know I am chasing an opening as I keep burning a half an inch past it. then I go back and grind it smooth and find another pinhole.

What do people do just kept patching or just throw some filler on it?

-Andrew

Are you using a copper backer? Helps a lot in those areas. But there have been times like this when I realize I need to start over with a larger patch that ties into healthy metal.

Agree - that was my take too. Tempting to just keep zapping it but better to cut a larger patch.