So I have a bunch of pictures for such a small piece. Y'all like pictures, right? Couple posts for these.
First off, I needed a new drill bit to drill the holes for the spotwelds. I'll recoup that money spent by selling my hole puncher I keep leaving at work. I really like this new drill bit. It drills a small pilot hole at first.
I started by putting those new seat studs in the crossmember (cm).
Then I mounted the seats in the cabin so I would be sure to put the cm in the correct place.
I marked the area where the cm needs to be welded.
Then I marked all the spots I wanted to weld on the crossmember.
Drilled the holes and dressed them both top and bottom to get ready to weld.
I put the cm back in and marked and then cleaned all the spot weld areas on the floorpan.
Then I put the cm back in to be sure I had clean metal to weld to.
I'll do the welding in the morning. The mosquitoes are out and in charge tonight.
I got the cm welded in. I put the seats back in one more time to be sure I welded it in the proper place.
On to the ladder system now.
I started by measuring the rockers for the length I will need for the "jacking rails" portion. 62". I cut out two sections from my dirty nasty 1x1 tubing and began cleaning it up. I had to use my 5" grinder and about an hour of time to make them clean metal again. I sprayed a quick coating of an etch paint on them to cover them up for now.
I'm taking a break right now and should get back after it in a little while.
Since you are taking a break, I have two Capri's that need some metal work now!
The Capri is such a different car, so it will be a nice change of pace for you.
You are making great progress and its really coming along well! Congrats!
Trey
"I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"
"I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."
Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
Current Mustangs:
1969 Mach 1
1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently
Current Capris:
1981 Capri Roller
1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts
Thanks Trey.
I did more today. I finished making the jacking rails. A bunch more pictures for such a small item.
First off the front ends needed a 45* angle cut and then capped. So, I started by measuring and marking the ends.
Then I cut that piece off and cut a cap from the scrap pieces I cut off earlier to make them the right length.
I started the welding of the cap and ground off the excess
Finished welding the front end
And dressed them
More or less did the same thing for the rear side. Made a cap
Welded them
Dressed them
And painted the ends with the same etch paint as before
Tomorrow will begin the real making of the ladder system, I had to get these ready first to do all of the rest.
So for today.....
I started by by doing a few tack welds to hold the jacking rail in place. Then I started with the first of five rungs in the ladder system I'm making to attach the jr to the sfc's.
I only had time today to do the next two rungs and the diagonal supports between them. It takes some time to clean that nasty old 1x1 tubing I have. If I had bought new tubing then I would probably be done with the driver's side. But I would be down over a hundred bucks as well, so I'm ok with the time loss.
I still have to do two more rungs behind the seat brace with two diagonals to brace them.
This is one of the easier mods I've done so far.
Once I complete the system on this side I will cut the spot welds I've been using along the pinch weld and sfc's. Then I'll put the system on a stand and do a nice perimeter weld around each tube.
Then back in it goes and I'll do spot welds about every 2"s along the rocker pinch seam and maybe a dozen or so along the floorpan too. I don't know if I'll be able to do a total perimeter weld where it attaches to the sfc's, there's a nice gap there on the top, so maybe?
Before I put it back in I'll seam seal the area along the floorpan to rocker along the bottom side too.
Last edited by Davedacarpainter; 09-03-2018 at 06:18 PM.
I got to thinking.....
If at the rear of the ladder system I will be doing a diagonal to the sfc from the jr, why not do that to the front.
All of the rest of the rungs and diag pieces took maybe ten minutes each to make. This dang thing took me an hour!
I guess you have to consider the angle drop between the jr and the sfc, the angle between the front rung and the sfc, then the brace on the front of the subframe that the diag piece needs to conform around.
Whatever, right? Here's before.
And after.
Ok guys, been busy.
I have to work in the morning, then watch OU play UCLA at noon, then I'll get back after finishing the driver's side support.
Pictures tomorrow.
So into work I went this morning and shot the driver's side of a camry. Since I was already there I took advantage of the shop compressor and cleaned up the remaining 1x1 tubing I have. Jeez it was nasty.
I had to use a full size grinder and then my die grinder with 50 grit discs to clean all the crap off.
And because it's raining here today, I used an etch paint to coat them.
I want to get out to the garage today to cut these puppies up, but I'm watching my Sooners play right now. After this the Hawkeyes play Iowa State. THEN I have to watch OSU play at seven tonight!
I am a slave to college football
Love those jacking rails, wish I could do that to mine it is a total PITA to jack up.
BTW, Go Bucky!
OU beat the crap outta Potato Chip Kelly and the Bruins. Just like my Bulldogs did to great-grandpa Bill Snyder's K-State.
It's nice to have access to SHOP tools isn't it? I need a new compressor at home. Mine works but it's old and it pops the breaker before it shuts off now. I plug it into an outlet strip so I just have to reset that instead of going to the panel. I think my brother dug it out of a junk pile on a job site about 25 years ago. I may get one of those vertical ones from the Harbor Freight. It would fit better in the corner of my garage.
1985 GT, Sunroof, 5 Lug, Rear Discs, 01 Graphite Bullets, 88 forged piston shortblock, 2.02/1.60 Alum heads, Weiand Stealth, Holley C950 TBI, BBK Long tubes
So, all my teams won yesterday, yay. I was a little worried about my Hawkeyes, especially in that first quarter.
Anywho.....I'm getting ready to head to the garage in a minute here. I'll have more pictures in a little bit.
I have spent the last 2.5 hours making this little jewel.
This is rung number four for the chassis support.
I went to the garage thinking I should be able to blow through the last two rungs and three (maybe four) diagonals.
So I started with number four, this rung goes under the rear footwell where it drops down. It was one of three things to do here, one: cut the new floorpan......Ah no. two: beat the hell out of the new floorpan, again, I'm not going to do that. Third option? Make the rung fit to the floor pan.
So I drew a general design on the new rung for the floorpan and cut a section out. Then I ground on it for a while, fit it to the chassis, ground on it for a while, etc...
Eventually it conformed to the shape of the floorpan, but then I had to cut capping pieces for it, weld them in and dress them.
What I found out is I cut the initial piece about 1/8" too short like a raging moron. So you'll notice it has a cap on the sfc end.
Anyhow, here it is fit up.
I'm taking a little break right now, the last rung should be fairly simple and the diagonals shouldn't be too difficult. I want to at least finish fabbing the driver's side today.
So I went back after it. The fifth rung was easy peasy, took maybe ten minutes.
The first diagonal, simple too. Another fifteen or so minutes.
The second diagonal? It goes directly underneath the torque box. The torque box sits lower than the floor. It took some time.
So I did the same thing as the fourth rung and drew a shape of the torque box on the diagonal piece. Then I cut out the area that needed to go. Same as before grinding, fitting, grinding, fitting, etc.
Once I finally had it shaped I made the first filler piece that I would need to weld up the new hole.
I welded it in and dressed it to check the fit. Then welded in the second patch piece partially.
I cut/ground off the excess and finished welding the piece. Then I dressed it.
Then I tack welded it into place.
So, here's the driver's side chassis support all fabricated.
Now I need to cut the spot welds on the sfc and the rocker pinch weld and drop the system out. I'll put it up on a stand and make some pretty perimeter welds around all the attaching tubes.
I got a bunch to do underneath the floorpan after I drop the cs. I need to seam seal along the rocker and floorpan and go ahead and coat the underneath side in POR15. I'll coat the chassis support at the same time. Then It can go back in for it's final welding.
Last edited by Davedacarpainter; 09-09-2018 at 07:14 PM.
That's some crazy nice fab work on that support system....
1979 Indy Pace Car Mustang 302 / 5spd
1982 Mustang GT T-Top 302 / 4spd
1986 SVO Mustang - 1C
That car will be as stiff as.....well... stiff!
MIG or stick welding those pieces?
Great job.
It’s MIG. I really suck at welding on my back, lol. I’m forcibly learning to do better welds laying down, I should be good at it sometime shortly after I finish this project.
On a stand I can weld pretty beads, so the tubes will probably look decent there.
I wanted to put enough on the connections between tubes so it would hold together nicely when I cut the spot welds from the sfc and rocker. I will clean up the ugly ones I did on my back then.
Everything is looking Great!
I had similar thoughts when I did the system on my 82 GT, but I apparently wasn't as motivated as you are. I just ran a rung straight along the rear torque box and stitch welded it to the box for added strength. I was going to add one more diagonal, but after looking everything over decided it wasn't really adding much in my case and just left it out. Oh I will warn you that you won't be able to snake in any hard brake line or fuel lines as originally run . . . Ask me how I know!
Trey
"I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"
"I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."
Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
Current Mustangs:
1969 Mach 1
1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently
Current Capris:
1981 Capri Roller
1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts
Trey
"I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"
"I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."
Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
Current Mustangs:
1969 Mach 1
1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently
Current Capris:
1981 Capri Roller
1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts
Tonight I cut the spot welds from the sfc and the pinch weld and dropped the chassis support out.
This is the best I could weld tonight.
I need to dress the top welds anyhow to be sure of floor clearance when I put it back on. I think I'll just go ahead and dress them all before I coat it with POR15 and undercoating.
Tomorrow night I'll be on my back applying seam sealer and drilling the spot weld holes in the floor and pinch weld. I won't have much time tomorrow night, so that'll be all I will be able to get done......I gotta watch America's Got Talent.........
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