BUILD THREAD Rustier then I thought!!!
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Speaking of tools. What is my best bet tackling the 1 million spot welds i see in my future. Im willing to go as far as plasma cutter if its the best route. Im thinkin that could get to messy. Spot weld bit kit, drill bits, or cut them out with grinder. Any idea would be appreciated.
I already made the suggestion in my last post. Spot weld cutters and drill bits
Right on i got the grinders and 4 in grinding wheel. Im heading to pick more up. Some more drill bits and some earmuffs and a better respirator. I might buy the spot weld cutter to see if i like it. Thanks Doug for the the steady help. I made a list this time before i go to the store.
Spot weld cutters work great. Use a punch in the center of the weld first, so the cutter doesn’t wander on you. You’ll learn the feel of the tool when you go through the first layer of metal, you DONT want to go through both. I’d suggest cutting the bulk of the floor out first within about an inch or so of the factory welds. With the floor gone you can work on the welds from inside the car, having room instead of becoming a contortionist. Just don’t be a Tim Tayior (Tool Time) keep checking under the floor before and as you cut so you don’t cut anything you don’t want to. Cutting out and trimming neatly will save alot of extra work when you install the replacement floor.
I bought about 400 in tools/consumables the last 2 days. I spent 60 on clamps and probably dont have enough. All ill say is if your gonna do this be ready to buy tons of tools. Thank god i already had 2 welders and bottle and compressor. I gotta go back to work but this weekend i hope to get the fenders and doors off. Then start cutting the floor and bracing for seperation. Im getting the new pan this weekend too. I need to order a new back seat brace also the pass side is chewed up.
I wish i
I wish i could afford snap on anything. When i said "I wasn't worried about the money" it didn't come across the right way. Im of average ilk. I know if i pull this off the car still wont be worth what i got in it. Im ok with that. Since I've never used a snap on screwdriver i wonder if its worth that much more then craftsman. Back to reading project olds cool thread. My first g body was a 81 calais with a 403 it blew up. My stepdad and I put an olds 350 in it. I drove it to Mississippi after katrina to work. I tore it up using it as work truck. It never died I smashed the whole front end and drove it to the junkyard.
I wish i could afford snap on anything. When i said "I wasn't worried about the money" it didn't come across the right way. Im of average ilk. I know if i pull this off the car still wont be worth what i got in it. Im ok with that. Since I've never used a snap on screwdriver i wonder if its worth that much more then craftsman. Back to reading project olds cool thread. My first g body was a 81 calais with a 403 it blew up. My stepdad and I put an olds 350 in it. I drove it to Mississippi after katrina to work. I tore it up using it as work truck. It never died I smashed the whole front end and drove it to the junkyard.
Some advice from someone who's been there done that professionally - some tools, don't cheap out on. Screwdrivers, buy a couple of good ones from Snap-on or Mac. The aggravation and frustration that you'll save yourself far outweighs the extra cost. You don't necessarily need a full set, but a couple of different lengths of Phillips and a couple of different lengths of Flathead will make a world of difference on stubborn screws.
The same with a spot weld cutter - a Harbor Freight or a Princess Auto one would work fine if you need to cut two or three spot welds but past that, they're going to start going dull and they're going to just aggravate you. Mac Tools makes an extremely nice spot weld cutter that comes with several different blades and the blades are lifetime warranty. I think it is somewhere in the $100 range if I remember correctly. I bought mine probably eight or nine years ago and the blades are still sharp. It works like a hot knife through butter. You actually have to watch how hard you lean on the drill when you're cutting with it or you will cut through both layers of sheet metal.
As far as the rust repairs that you are going to have to do to the car, I'm Canadian, in Southern Ontario and in the middle of the Rust Belt so I get it. Rust sucks. I worked in a high-end restoration shop for several years and the best piece of advice I can give you is that if you are determined to go forward with this car for sentimental reasons (again, I understand completely) and you are going to do what sounds like essentially a frame-off restoration is to completely strip it the body, brace it completely and send it out and get it chemically dipped. This will get rid of every trace of paint, primer,rust, seam sealer, and other assorted crap you would have to deal with when you're welding in new panels. It's an expense right off the start, but it's worth it. Again saving aggravation frustration down the line. That way you will know you got all the rust out of it. Most of the places that dip them also offer a service where they will spray a primer or a rust preventive on the car so that it will not start to rust again right away. I understand that you're not building a show car, but you will be money ahead in the end and have a better car as a result.
The same with a spot weld cutter - a Harbor Freight or a Princess Auto one would work fine if you need to cut two or three spot welds but past that, they're going to start going dull and they're going to just aggravate you. Mac Tools makes an extremely nice spot weld cutter that comes with several different blades and the blades are lifetime warranty. I think it is somewhere in the $100 range if I remember correctly. I bought mine probably eight or nine years ago and the blades are still sharp. It works like a hot knife through butter. You actually have to watch how hard you lean on the drill when you're cutting with it or you will cut through both layers of sheet metal.
As far as the rust repairs that you are going to have to do to the car, I'm Canadian, in Southern Ontario and in the middle of the Rust Belt so I get it. Rust sucks. I worked in a high-end restoration shop for several years and the best piece of advice I can give you is that if you are determined to go forward with this car for sentimental reasons (again, I understand completely) and you are going to do what sounds like essentially a frame-off restoration is to completely strip it the body, brace it completely and send it out and get it chemically dipped. This will get rid of every trace of paint, primer,rust, seam sealer, and other assorted crap you would have to deal with when you're welding in new panels. It's an expense right off the start, but it's worth it. Again saving aggravation frustration down the line. That way you will know you got all the rust out of it. Most of the places that dip them also offer a service where they will spray a primer or a rust preventive on the car so that it will not start to rust again right away. I understand that you're not building a show car, but you will be money ahead in the end and have a better car as a result.
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