jaime240z

Looks like fun! Keep us posted on your progress. Be sure to keep a fire extinguisher handy too!

Those silver bolts with the flanged heads look just like the ones that came with my MM CV axles as well (20 also) I don't have the MM brake kit so I can't comment on the type of bolts to use with the brake kit, but from your pics the silver bolts do look a bit short for the hubs.

Does anyone know how long a bare metal car can survive in this condition? I might be doing something like this soon, but I'm not sure how long before the car will be primed..... And for sake of conversation, here in the bay area there is a company that will strip an entire car (interior, exterior, and undercarriage) for $600-700 depending on the size of the car using a media blaster. If you really want to save some cash on labor costs I would suggest building a rolling cradle for the stripped down unibody. That way you won't have to pay for unecessary labor for the shop to remove and then reinstall your suspension pieces to get the car rolling from one place to the next. I'm in the middle of building one now. It should be too hard to do.

YEAH! Check out the forums at http://hobartwelders.com/mboard/

Well I'm no expert but I've had good luck tacking 1" apart. I would recommend prepping 2 or 3 different areas to weld, that way you could alternate tacking 2 or 3 different pieces. This will allow each piece plenty of time to cool in between welding. I've heard of many people being able to lay mig beads on body panels. I guess it would take some practice and moving the gun quickly.

Yeah welding shops might have that tool. I got the pic and tool from grizzly.com for 10 bucks. As for the wire, you will get much better results using .023 solid wire with C25 gas. Much less work when finishing (grinding/smoothing) the welds. Also, I believe flux core welds get a bit hotter, which will increase the chance of warpage on your panels. Also , as someone has already mentioned, a backing plate to dissipate heat will help too, but you could get by without one if you take your time and let the area cool between welding.

I've had good experiences with boltdepot.com It seems like metric fasteners are getting harder to find locally for me too.

Get rid of the flux wire. The smallest flux core wire you can get is .030 which is too big for the job. Invest in the gas set-up and run .023/.024 wire with C25 gas. It will make the job easier and look better too. The panels you are doing are roughly 18-20 guage. If your welder comes with a setting chart for this thickness use those settings as a starting point and fine tune your machine from there. Use alternating tack welds along the seams, you should be able to lay down short beads, but if you're getting alot of blow through you definitly want to stay away from trying to make long beads. A nice tool to have is one of these: Takes the guesswork out.

Congrats on the new welder. It looks like you're not wasting any time jumping in to a new welding project. If you're plannin on replacing the lower valnce portion of the rear end, I would highly recommend getting the piece from Charlie at ZedFindings. I got that piece from him and it is a beautiful OEM quality piece. I'm not sure but it sounds like you might be wanting to replace the entire rear (from the hatch striker to the lower valance)...? If that's the case, you might want to look at Tim240z's web site as he did this on his old Z. You will need a large piece of sheetmetal (around 18 guage). Cut it to shape, and insert your taillight design. Easier said than done! Keep us posted on your progress. Remeber to tack weld on body panel to avoid heat warpage. have fun and goodluck!

Thanks guys. I think the tech guy was referring to a race only car. I had a specialty shop section my housings and these were the struts they recommended for a street car. I trusted them since they are a specialty shop and also I wasn't buying the struts from them, so they had no real reason to tell me otherwise. I'm going to look into the Bilsteins as alot of people seem to like them but I guess I'll give the VW Illuminas a road test first.

Is anyone else with sectioned struts using Tokico Illumina BZ1073 in the front (VW strut)? I have my 240z strut housings sectioned with these struts now. I was talking to the tech guy at ground control and he said these were the worst choice to go with.....? I have yet to drive my car with this set up but I don't want to be dissapointed once it's back on the road. Are they really THAT bad? I have the 240z front struts in the rear now, and I guess these are OK. Next question, if they really are that bad, and now that the housings are sectioned and powder coated, is there another insert that I can use that will fit in the sectioned housing? Without having to cut and weld again. Thanks.

Sorry, it's not my car. I found the pic here on hybridz so maybe the owner will chime in. I agree though, it is very nicely done. I'm sure it's a one-off.

This is not my car but it is a nice way to show that bracing can be done in style:

Lookin' good so far!!! Keep the pics coming !!!!

It's a '98 Vatchamacallit:confused:

On the other hand though, if you can pull it off with low overhead, and jump through all the environmental hoops, it sounds like there must not be alot of competition...........

Hey did you remember to "clearance" you front LCAs? Dave's intstructions require this to be done.

I'm a big fan of the satin black look, but are you thinking of painting the entire bumper black...? Those bumpers are much bigger/different than early Z bumpers..... Actually, since you're going to paint the car black maybe the bumpers and mirrors should match the bady and leave the satin black for the wipers and vents....

The Eastwood unit or something similar will probably be the best bet to getting NICE,even results. Who's in for a hybridz loaner......wait, shipping would be a pain......

Let us know how you like Dave's camber plates. I've had my eye on a set for a while now. A good review might convince me to buy. I'm still not sure I want a weld-in sret though.......

If any of you guys have time to rest your arms you're not driving your Z hard enough !!!!!

One more vote for the 175 series. It is always a good idea to buy a little big with welders. I got the 175 and now I wish I had went with the MM210, even if it is only 1 instance in which it would be an advantage. One thing the smaller machines have an advantage with is the input voltage. I don't know about you but I only have a dryer plug to power my 175 welder and there is 110v power outside the house readily available. This is more of a convinience factor than anything though.

I believe the pic is correct. Here is a loko at the same pieces immediately after being disassembled. I'm pretty sure the position is the same on both pics. Thanks Tim240z for the pics!

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=90068&highlight=q45+axle

DavyZ, the panels look like they're coming along nicely. Thanks for following through with this project for us! I MIGHT be able to scrounge up another door panel for the cause. Does it need to be driver/pass side?