Day 27 - 26th Sep 2010, Welding Part 2

Well over the weekend I got a few hours to do some more welding and a bit of clean up grinding.
I’ve been contemplating whether to full seam weld or stitch weld the car, to full seam weld the car I would weld between the welds that I had already been done to form a seam weld. Weighing up the benefits of doing this as far as I can tell from reading forums and talking to other people, the main benefit of welding up the seams is to make the car stronger not so much stiffen the car, although I’m sure it has some affect on stiffening the car up. To stiffen up the car a well constructed roll cage, and adding stiffening plates in the correct area's of the car would be the best option. The end result of this is that I will be stitch welding up as much of the car as I can and work towards stiffening the car at key points.
Over the weekend I moved from the boot area into the cabin which I got about 75% done. While most of the seams where tight some of the seams had large gaps between the panels, from 3 to 5mm in some cases filled with filler and spot welded, with these seams it was easy to remove the filler and a few taps from the hammer to bring the panels together followed by a tack weld worked the best before stitch welding the seam.

Update for the past 2 months

It's been 2 months since the last update to the blog, and it has been a slow 2 months for the car, but that is all about to change over the next few months.
The past 2 months has been finishing a project I started some 18 months ago, painting the outside of house. The walls had been painted back when I had 5 weeks off last year due to lack of work, it was the dry season and so I got most of it done, with just the windows where left to do. Then work picked up and I didn't want to spend the weekends doing windows, so I left them for a few months. 12 months later it was time to finish them off before moving on to the car.
The past months have not been all about painting windows, over the past 9 months I've completed night classes in welding at the local TAFE, completing basic courses in MMAW and GMAW. With the purchase of a MIG welded with intentions of welding and stiffening the car body myself, I've been practise welding light gauge sheeting while the windows where drying, preparing and getting the confidence to start on the car.

Yesterday the welding started on the car, though the best place to start would be the boot area, that way by the time I get this area done, the welds might be visually acceptable to the hard core welders when I do the engine and cabin area.
After 3 hours of crawling around getting the right angle to weld, spacing out the HAZ's to minimise any distortion, the boot was half done. Most of the welds where just acceptable, bit of grinding will be required on most, by the end of the day I had the correct settings on the MIG and the welds where flowing with good penetration.

I will be aiming to get at lest half a day a weekend to weld up the car and get it ready for the roll cage.

The cost so far

The major costs so far have been the initial car cost and the tools.

CAR

Omega 1200kg trolley Jack
Omega car stands
Force 1/2" Torque wrench
Pin punch set
Engine crane 1t
Wire strippers
Heat gun
Cordless Torque wrench
Force metric Torque sockets
Car trolley
Force imperial torque sockets
Lincoln 180C Mig welder
Force 1/2" socket set
Force 1/2" breaker bar
Misc including tarps, welding bits and bobs, small tools

Plus a few early items for the car,
Lico seats x 2 (special)
Laser 3 rally computer

So total cost including a few items not mentioned above a little over $9000

Once the car has been welded up, then the real cost will start to come in with a roll cage, painting and then fitting it out. The time line is to get the car finished by around this time next year, so I'm in no rush. But saying that there is a lot to do and a year isn't that much time.

Day 24 – 27th June, Let the grinding begin

With a 100mm wire wheel on the drill I started removing the seam sealer, and don’t Subaru use a lot when they put a car together, probably why I haven’t found any rust around the joints, yet. After 18 years, its no longer soft, more like putty that has hardened. Still its easy to remove so I'm not complaining.
Yesterday was the front window, I thought the tar removal was the worst job, but taking out a broken front window, what a job glass everywhere. I like to think we both had wins, it got blood out of me and I got it out of the car. Next time I will get someone else to do it, seems way to dangerous for the cost of getting someone else to remove it.

Day 22 - 20th June, No much left to take out.

The main work over the weekend was under the car, removed the front cross member, rear cross member and diff. The moved onto the fuel tank, filler pipe and fuel lines. Next was the doors leaving not to much to remove.




After 22 days in weekends the car is a shell, with a bonnet (to large for one person to remove) and a cracked front window, (that will be coming out next weekend).
A few weeks back I was deciding how far to strip the car back, and with most things I do, I don’t seem to know when to stop. So where to next? Let the welding begin!

Day 20 – 27th May, Gearbox, drive shaft and diff

After a bit of a struggle, mainly with bolts that have not been removed in 18 years, the gearbox and drive shaft have been removed from the car. It was a bit of fun removing the gearbox by myself, awkward position and a little heavy, but the engine crane helped. It will be interesting getting it back in, I may have to phone a friend and offer a few beers.

Day 18 – 16th May, Pedals and firewall

Spent a few hours to remove what was left inside around the firewall, with the wiring loom out of the way the cabin is nice and clean ready for welding, well apart from a bit of tar mat to remove.