Gettin' Started!!!

[BillZ260]

Well, I have finally started a major project on my z build up this month. The sub-frame connectors and the floor pan replacment thearapy. I started with cutting out all the rusty floor areas. Luckily this was the only place on the car with ANY major rust. I bought my 2x3 steel tubes and have been working on them trying to somewhat replicate pparaska's frame rail design. Mine ended up almost identical to pete's but for the front section I cut the top off of the tube so it can wrap arount the front frame rale. I cut them with the 14" Harbor Freight Specail hot saw I got this week, man that thing works great for 50 bucks! So today a buddy from work brought over his mig and we got to work. I have the passenger side rail in, fitted and the front is buttoned up. Still need to tie in the rear of the connector on the passenger side. He did all the welding so this week I am going to practice on some scrap pc's and if I can get my tecnique down I will finish welding the driver side frame connector. I have been reading so much on this site since I bought my Z the week of thanks giving weekend last year. I really never thought that I would ever get the nerve to cut this car up and actually get with it. So for the 1 yr anniversary, i hope to have the rails and floors finished, then on to wiring and fuel system, suspension. This is the most fun I have had in a long time. I am a machinist by trade so everything has been taking alot longer than thought, IT MUST BE RIGHT! I guess that is all for now. Sorry no digital camera, will try to borrow one or something to show you my version. i will work up some dwg's of the rails and their finished dims this week or when I get to it. I love this site and all the info here, I am so sure that I wouldn't have gotten this far with out you guy's.

 

Thank so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Bill

Tulsa, OK

[Guest 240hybrid]

Glad to hear your enjoying yourself....the satisication of seeing what you have done to better your Z structurally and visually gives you a great feeling of accomplishment when its all done. Even if it is just a small part of the project. Also completing a certain job also gets you into gear and wanting to do more. As for welding, it shouldn't take you too long to get pretty descent at it. I just quickly read over the manual that came with my mig, that tells proper and wrong ways of welding and went to it. The rest is just doing it and seeing what works best for you, pulling or pushing (pushing will concentrate more heat and penetrate the metal more than pulling if I remember correctly) a weld and different techniques of welding. Have fun with it and keep use updated and post some pics if you find a digital camera to borrow.

Chase