My restoration begins!, Or, what am I doing working on a parts car? Options

[autohausdolby]

Yay for resto threads! Keep it up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Cevan]

Well, I gave welding another try, thanks to all your encouragement. I switched to some 18 ga steel that I bought and practiced some more: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[Cevan]

Back to the repairs. I had pulled out the patches I made before (those welds truly sucked) and redid them with the 18 ga.



This time I went around the seatbelt attachment point.

[Cevan]

On to the front corner. I figure I'd try easier, less structural repairs first.




A little weld thru primer and a shot of rust converter into the longitudinal.

[Cevan]

First one welded:




Second one fitted. I bought an inner rocker panel. I need to replace the back half. It took alot of going back and forth taking a little metal off and checking the fit:




Second patch welded:




Success!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Not pretty but no one will see this when I'm done. I'll do some more grinding and check to see if I missed any spots. I do notice that it's more difficult to get the molten metal to fuse to the old metal, especially where I have to use a wire brush instead of a sanding disc.

[Bartlett 914]

For a little welding help, I found this to be interesting reading. It may help you improve your welds.

http://www.autobodystore.com/new_page_11.htm

[rjames]

Looks like you're doing a good job! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

Just make sure you're getting enough penetration- What's the back side of the metal in this pic look like? It will let you know if you're gettin enough penetration.

[Cevan]

From the other side you can see where the welding was done.

I'm looking for some body parts for my rusto-ration:

- front corners, up to the fog light mounting area
- door jamb on passenger side, even just the area around the door latch, say 2 inches above and below the latch area


Also had a question. Some of the inner bracing on the trunk lids has started to pull away. How is this best repaired?

[SGB]

I surprised myself at being able to make strong (but UGLY) welds. Go to a body shop or metal recycler and get some scrap. I think body panals are 10 guage mostly. Cut out pieces and start trying to reattach somewhere. I'm just usig a cheap harbor frieght flux core welder. Here are the real BASICS- about as far as I've gotten so far.
When you first strick the arc, sparks and slag fly everywhere, but if you feed for a second into that initial spot, more of the wire starts melting onto the molten blob.
The magic is in getting the wire to feed out and melt at a rate that corresponds to the rate the base metal is melting and re-solidifying.
I've had some success "placing" little globs of welding material to build in missing metal, then melting that into the base byapplying the welder to the base metal a few mm away from the built up part so that the heat to melt the globs comes up from the good metal I want to fuse to.

Get one of those auto-darkening helmets from China frieght. Take some scrap, weld some pieces on, then beat the whee out of the weld with a hammer to see if it really penetrated. The metal should bend . The weld should stay strong.

edit- well, in the time it took me to write this, you got good. ALRIGHT!

[Cevan]

I surprised myself at being able to make strong (but UGLY) welds. Go to a body shop or metal recycler and get some scrap. I think body panals are 10 guage mostly. Cut out pieces and start trying to reattach somewhere. I'm just usig a cheap harbor frieght flux core welder. Here are the real BASICS- about as far as I've gotten so far.
When you first strick the arc, sparks and slag fly everywhere, but if you feed for a second into that initial spot, more of the wire starts melting onto the molten blob.
The magic is in getting the wire to feed out and melt at a rate that corresponds to the rate the base metal is melting and re-solidifying.
I've had some success "placing" little globs of welding material to build in missing metal, then melting that into the base byapplying the welder to the base metal a few mm away from the built up part so that the heat to melt the globs comes up from the good metal I want to fuse to.

Get one of those auto-darkening helmets from China frieght. Take some scrap, weld some pieces on, then beat the whee out of the weld with a hammer to see if it really penetrated. The metal should bend . The weld should stay strong.

edit- well, in the time it took me to write this, you got good. ALRIGHT!

The link in Bartlett 914's post above is pretty good, worth reading. I tried welding the end of 1 inch strips onto a bigger piece and then pulled them off to see where the metal would bend/break.

I think body panels are less than 18 gauge (the stuff I'm using). I'd guess they're 20 or 22 ga.

[rjames]

I tried welding the end of 1 inch strips onto a bigger piece and then pulled them off to see where the metal would bend/break

Just remember that nothing should 'break off' after it's welded. The idea is to make two pieces into one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Festive_Zombie]

I tried welding the end of 1 inch strips onto a bigger piece and then pulled them off to see where the metal would bend/break

Just remember that nothing should 'break off' after it's welded. The idea is to make two pieces into one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

On the 914 you have different gauge metal everywhere, you can fin 18, 20 and 16. The key to good welding is preperation, make sure your metal is cleaned on both sides, that also prevents fires

[dkos]

Hi Chirs,

We've been talking about those two parts cars in the Philly area. I just found your resto thread. My story is similar to yours. Bought a car that looked ok. Started digging and found a big mess hidden under bondo, fiberglass and riveted in scrap metal (I think one piece was an old license plate!). My car's probably not worth repairing, but I'm learning a lot and having fun.

I've been rebuilding my longs in a similar way and was concerned about rigidity too. I bought an aftermarket reinforcement piece made by Brad Mayuers (sp?). It's heavy (at least 1/8" thick), but it's stiff. I've finished one side...here's a pic.

[dkos]

ooops! Sorry posted this on the wrong thread. Meant to post this on typ11969's restoration thread. I had too many windows open!

[Cevan]

Finished the rest of the front corner. One part of my car is actually repaired. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)



I need a break from looking at rust. Hitting the slopes tomorrow. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rocking nana.gif)