O.K. folks, here it is from start to finish:

First you must remove the seam sealer and body tar from the inside corner of the longs.

It is very thick in the corners.

notice the bead of seam sealer that must come out so the sheet metal can fit to the floor pan tight.

another

an air chisel works very well to remove the material

the width of the chisel point using careful, short bursts will quickly break out the tar.

tar out

without removal of the seam sealer and tar the sheet metal panels will not fit properly.

passenger side drops right in.

driver side in. the area around the e-brake handle needs to be worked to fit the contour

more

I like to grind the edges for a good bite with the welder

the inside corners need to be bent and worked into place

other side

back piece in .
3 sided dry fitment. Make sure it fits tight before any welding begins.

put the weld in the hole and burn into the car's long. then back fill the holes and make good contact into the long sheetmetal.

It takes practice. Use low voltage and fast wire speed.

mask off the interior and windows so as not to damage them. Ask me how I know

grind your work

What are the black ovals for that are on the passenger side long's? Are they for access to the heater hose or what?

driver side and ground down

back plate

all three sides tied in

corner detail shot

ready for paint

paint

rattle can , daddy

spray it

bird's eye

The black ovals are tar pieces that cover access holes to the paper air tubes.

This install took about six hours.
Why do it?
Simple...It makes an instant, noticable differance in all around handling and steering response.
Obvious stiffening and strengthening can be had for 18#'s of metal.
Take out and leave out the sound deadening matte behind your back pad and it's a three pound investment.

The car will stay flatter and turn in smoother in the fast turns. My car does not lift the front wheels anymore.
I also added a rear stock sway bar to go with the package.

I believe that my car is now very well balanced for me and now I must gain experience to drive it well.

No understeer at all to speak of. Oversteer is only present when throttle induced ( the good kind ).

Come to Marina and feel the car.

Trekkor

Hope you enjoyed my little show

Great job,
That is a great documentary on your install.
At bare minimum,you've given someone else an education,and some encouragement to tackle their own job.
You should let us know where you got your kit,and for how much$$$$.

Ron

Awesome job both with the welding and the pictorial! (I think that is the first time I've seen someone add the arrows ON THE CAR and not with photoshop!)




I vote for "classic" status! Anyone second the nomination?

The kit is Engman's Inner Long Reinforcement kit Available Here

I second that!

Trekkor just showed me this at the AX in Alameda. I must say that just jumping up and down on the longs, one can notice a substantial improvement.

i'm thinking about it now...

How do you think that this "inner" kit compares with those "outer" longitunal kits? Same amount of stiffness? Less weight?

Out of curiousity, which welder did you use and did you use gas
or just flux wire?

--- bill

I'm still trying to figure out how he welded all those little holes......

to a painted metal chassis.......

Without going through a paint strip step.


Ken

Miller wire feeder mig welder.

When the wire hits the metel kit it burns right through the painted surface, then you swirl a puddle of metal to fill the hole. Very simple. You'll be a pro in ten minutes.

The secret to good welds on thin material is low voltage and fast wire speed.

Here's the settings I used.

Does that have clickstops at each # for power? Mine has an infinite adjustment rheostat.

I know it clicks at each interval. I've never tried it between 'em. Not my machine.

Trek

I have a question...

Is there a reason why you didn't weld all edges of the stiffening piece?

It appears from the photos that you welded the holes, and then only did a stitch weld around the outside perimieter of the stiffening kit.

Good question.

My understanding is that a deep spot weld every 3 inches and perimeter stiches are enough.

I don't know if full beads around the edges would do anything but add time...and weight! \

KT

Wow - great pics on the install and testing! The one I am working on is gonna take awhile.

On the welding of the edges - it depends upon the quality of the metal you are welding to. If the floorpans and top and front areas are solid I recommend a 1/2" weld every 3-4". Watch the ones on the top to make sure your door gasket will still fit correctly.

Trekkor - great job!

M

I was concerned more in the event that water got in your car, that water would run in between the panels causing rust... unless it were all sealed shut with welds!

You could use silicone.

I'm going to do that, thanks.

KT

Are these pieces made of coated steel?

My personal/professional preference is 3M Weld through primer on the car steel and "galvanealed" steel. I don't know if galvaneal is the trade name or what, but it's a non-rusting coating that can be welded through with minimal fumes. This would help prevent any future corrosion, even if it got wet. I also use the SEM two part catalyzed seam sealer, which is expensive but very good. When you think about it, what's another $28 for seam sealer, after you've spent hours doing this sort of work?

The other thing to consider is the fact that most of these cars will not see the exposure that they did, say with the 2nd or 3rd owner, ie as a daily driver or whatever.

What about an L at the bottom to tie it to the pan a little easier? Just my .02. I made some very similar pieces about a year and a half ago to put on a car that needed some structural help, but I made them so it turned inboard 90 at the bottom, to weld to the pan. This looks like a great kit. (howbout a thumbs up smilie?)

PK

These have a zinc phosphate coating and then are primered with a weldable primer. I am trying to stay away from galvanized steel. Welding galvanized is just plain nasty. I always have to drink a glass of milk after I do much of it. (helps get rid o the taste).The fumes generated by welding galvanized are just horrible for you, steel is bad enough.

The 'L' at the bottom has been talked about. Most people do not relize that the front area goes has a slight incline follwed by a flat area followed by a \ to another flat area. It may be better to make a piece just for this.


M

Hey Mark, what about the ecoating, does it need to be removed before welding?

No ecoat on these puppies. I do run it through the cleaning system and zinc phospate them. Then a weldable primer coat. You can weld the ecoat - it will weld after you get a ground to it, it is just not for this product.

M

I was referring to the other stuff-rear sway bar mounts in particular.

Rear sways - ground to the car (make sure battery and ECU are disconnected) and just wire wheel or gring the edges were you want to weld. You really only need one to start, the others will burn thru after you start to weld. Be sure to touch up with some paint after you are done welding and it has cooled.

M

Great job Trekkor Sorry I didnt have time for a writeup. I highly recommend this setup for V8 cars and 6 conversion cars or anyone who runs a track car. Tying these pieces together is more important that slapping on the exterior kits. The chassis flexes most directly below the windshield hoop. The other kits out there weld onto a COVER for the frame rail. This kit actually attaches TO the frame rail.

Thanks Mark for another quality product. Hopefully the 914 community will reward you with some sales.


B