Our '65 coupe project, so it begins (Lots of pics)
11-10-2009, 02:29 PM
#31
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 307
looking good!
you might want to keep a couple of holes at the base of the shock tower to allow water to drain out. that shelf fills up with water and dirt and rusts out pretty easily. my '67 has 2 on each side from the factory. even with the drains both sides were caked full of clay.
good luck with the hobart 140. i have the 135 and have been pretty happy with it. prepping the metal is 95% of welding. for sheet metal you want to be on 1 or 2 and have the feed at around 40-55. you should get a nice flat weld with no blow-throughs that's not too hard to grind if you don't try to run a bead–you want to stitch or rosette weld sheet metal.
you might want to keep a couple of holes at the base of the shock tower to allow water to drain out. that shelf fills up with water and dirt and rusts out pretty easily. my '67 has 2 on each side from the factory. even with the drains both sides were caked full of clay.
good luck with the hobart 140. i have the 135 and have been pretty happy with it. prepping the metal is 95% of welding. for sheet metal you want to be on 1 or 2 and have the feed at around 40-55. you should get a nice flat weld with no blow-throughs that's not too hard to grind if you don't try to run a bead–you want to stitch or rosette weld sheet metal.
11-10-2009, 03:01 PM
#32
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 2,243
Thanks.
Thanks for the tips!
I assume your running gas mig and not flux core?
What are you doing to the rusty metal as far as prep? I know your supposed to have it be shiny metal, so do you cut it right back as far as you can or grind it down until it is shiny? Are you wiping your netal with any kind of chemical to clean it as well?
Lynn
Thanks for the tips!
I assume your running gas mig and not flux core?
What are you doing to the rusty metal as far as prep? I know your supposed to have it be shiny metal, so do you cut it right back as far as you can or grind it down until it is shiny? Are you wiping your netal with any kind of chemical to clean it as well?
Lynn
11-10-2009, 03:32 PM
#33
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 307
i'm running gas. 100% argon right now but i'm going to switch to the ar/co2 mix as soon as this bottle is empty.
you must get rid of the rust to weld. rust does not weld. it spits, splatters, and burns through. grind off the rust or replace the rusted metal. anything less than shiny metal will not weld very well. a wipe down with a cheap solvent like lacquer thinner or acetone helps. you want something that will evaporate quickly and not leave any residue.
the only real exception to the "shiny metal" rule is if you're doing a rosette weld or overlapping metal in some way. you can use some weld-through (high-zinc) primer on the underside to add some rust protection. use a little of it as possible. it's a pretty miserable primer and scratches off easily. i usually run a strip of 1" painter's tape where i'm going to weld, apply the normal primer, remove the tape, and then apply the weld-through primer. that way there is only 1" of the zinc primer.
you must get rid of the rust to weld. rust does not weld. it spits, splatters, and burns through. grind off the rust or replace the rusted metal. anything less than shiny metal will not weld very well. a wipe down with a cheap solvent like lacquer thinner or acetone helps. you want something that will evaporate quickly and not leave any residue.
the only real exception to the "shiny metal" rule is if you're doing a rosette weld or overlapping metal in some way. you can use some weld-through (high-zinc) primer on the underside to add some rust protection. use a little of it as possible. it's a pretty miserable primer and scratches off easily. i usually run a strip of 1" painter's tape where i'm going to weld, apply the normal primer, remove the tape, and then apply the weld-through primer. that way there is only 1" of the zinc primer.
11-15-2009, 07:57 PM
#35
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 2,243
Update...
Ran into a SNAFU getting the passenger side spring out so I decided to clean up the rear frame rails and floor pans out frustration. LOL!!
Got to get my buddy up here with a torch so I can burn out the rubber spring bushings so I can get the rest of the spring out.
When I get the shocks out, I'll go to town more with the wire brush and get the rest of the gunk off. Everything looks in surprisingly good condition, just some mild surface rust here and there.
The back of the frame rails and corners of the trunk brace support have a few issues I have to fix I discovered tonight. It looks like the past owner who had it on the road got stuck some place really grassy and muddy and plastered the back of the rails with mud and grass which caked all inside those areas and rusted the rail tips just before the springs through on the ends. Nothing that looks really major, but it was like, ah crap.
Lynn
Ran into a SNAFU getting the passenger side spring out so I decided to clean up the rear frame rails and floor pans out frustration. LOL!!
Got to get my buddy up here with a torch so I can burn out the rubber spring bushings so I can get the rest of the spring out.
When I get the shocks out, I'll go to town more with the wire brush and get the rest of the gunk off. Everything looks in surprisingly good condition, just some mild surface rust here and there.
The back of the frame rails and corners of the trunk brace support have a few issues I have to fix I discovered tonight. It looks like the past owner who had it on the road got stuck some place really grassy and muddy and plastered the back of the rails with mud and grass which caked all inside those areas and rusted the rail tips just before the springs through on the ends. Nothing that looks really major, but it was like, ah crap.
Lynn
Last edited by LynnBob Mustang; 09-17-2011 at 06:53 PM.
11-15-2009, 08:25 PM
#37
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 2,243
Thanks buddy! I can't to see more of yours either, how's it going?
For those of you have gotten this far or have done this much work on your car.
What would you do with those rear floor pans and rear frame rails?
Would you just paint them epoxy black?
Or would you paint them epoxy black and put undercoat or truck bed liner on them?
I'm not looking for concurs accurate and this car will never be driven in winter and rain short of getting caught in a 10-30% rain shower going some place.
Lynn
For those of you have gotten this far or have done this much work on your car.
What would you do with those rear floor pans and rear frame rails?
Would you just paint them epoxy black?
Or would you paint them epoxy black and put undercoat or truck bed liner on them?
I'm not looking for concurs accurate and this car will never be driven in winter and rain short of getting caught in a 10-30% rain shower going some place.
Lynn
Last edited by LynnBob Mustang; 11-15-2009 at 08:28 PM.
11-15-2009, 08:31 PM
#38
5th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Smyrna, TN
Posts: 4,524
Well i just got a quote for new floors, both front frame rails, torque boxes, cowl, and inner rear wheel wells patched + the whole underside of the car, engine bay, inside of the car and the trunk sandblasted and sealed for 5400.00. Hes starting the work in the spring time. I cant wait, come fall it will be wearing fresh paint!!!!
Last edited by jrherald420; 11-15-2009 at 08:34 PM.
11-15-2009, 08:40 PM
#39
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 2,243
Sounds cool!!
Doing what I'm doing with the car my self and knowing how many hours I have into it at this point, it seams like you will have a deal when yours is done.
We don't have the $$$ to get it done, unless things start happening with the natural gas drilling lease we have knock on wood, so I got to do it my self up to a point I can't do it and have someone else to take over.
Lynn
Doing what I'm doing with the car my self and knowing how many hours I have into it at this point, it seams like you will have a deal when yours is done.
We don't have the $$$ to get it done, unless things start happening with the natural gas drilling lease we have knock on wood, so I got to do it my self up to a point I can't do it and have someone else to take over.
Lynn
11-15-2009, 08:46 PM
#40
5th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Smyrna, TN
Posts: 4,524
I can complain, i was very depressed about all the rust i found but i was put in touch with a guy that restores classics on the side but is a metal fabracator and a tool and die maker for a living. Ive got a quote from him for all the paint and body work for another 3500.00. Hes a friend of a friend and does sweet work, he normally restores bel-airs, mercs, impalas ect. For what i would have spent on tools and a place to work on the car at its cheaper to have this guy do it.
Last edited by jrherald420; 11-15-2009 at 08:49 PM.
