buZy Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 It has been awhile since I posted any progress on my car. Here is what I had to deal with, it's not pretty. This was the last and final battle with rust. Would not even wish this repair job on my worst enemy as I wasted my lower back doing this one. Ouch, at 38 I am getting old for this stuff. These are pics before seam sealer and paint to show repair job. They will remain in my gallery for awhile as to maybe help others someday who search confronted with this horrible crisis carnage. Process- Cardboard templates, .048 mild steel, Steel Rivets, I love them as they really perform compared to welding to .034 thick 30 year old metal. The ability to pull the material together and increased surface area. Some welding too where I could work it in. Difficult welding down in a hole and no upsidedown welds underneath. Jegs battery tray which was cut down to fit accordingly. The battery sits about 2 inches lower than oem. Yes it still clears the tire at full suspension compression and turn. Roughly about 3/8 clearance, quite the design task. Result- Very strong. Actually tied back into the firewall, inner fender and shock tower. More progress soon. Ok enough said here are the pics. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8dats Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 WOW! that looks great! good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poundz9oh9 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 That's awesome work. I'm glad I was blessed with a perfect battery area, I don't think I could handle the work involved in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Brian, the work is coming along nicely!! Thanks for posting the pics. If you have a thread going under Member's Project's, it would be good to post them there too!! Good resolution on the photos and decent lighting by the way. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 awsome im gonna be tackling this shortly what kind of rivets are those again?? i like that idea because well im not that good with a welder lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thanh Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Love the battery tray you made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerrari GTO Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Brian, Where did you get the battery tray and hold-down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share Posted May 31, 2007 Brian, Where did you get the battery tray and hold-down? This the Jegs battery mount I used. Modified it greatly cutting down all the extra material as possible around the base and relocated the uprights to clear the optima battery terminals. The top part is made from .250 thick alum. http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_75398_-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerrari GTO Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Thank you sir. Looks good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metallicar Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 That repair is a bitch to do! Your's look good! Makes me think that there is another hole in the marketplace for someone to fill with a prefab, preformed repair piece that goes around all of the bends and curves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Today finished pics. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 looks good im waiting on a optima battery holder from e-bay its one that doesnt have the top bar and only holds it from the bottom. my repair isnt as pretty as yours but i still got the job done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gr8White Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I am so not looking forward to this..... That's the only area I have rust on my 78 and knew it was going to be a b*tch....Very nice work, I was going to go the all welded route but after looking at yours I may reconsider. Great job and nice idea on the Jeg's tray. This site is saving me a bunch of mistakes and associated headaches!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFancypants Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I am so not looking forward to this..... That's the only area I have rust on my 78 and knew it was going to be a b*tch.... Yep, me too. I will procrastinate on this one until the motor is out, that's for sure. Do a quick search on battery trays and you'll find a thread on lowering the battery tray at the same time. Helps with CG and all that good stuff. - Greg - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 check ebay for billet battery trays way cheaper then jegs and they are still nice in my opionion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Arvin Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Awesome work, Brian! What did you end up surfacing the rivets with? bondo, then paint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 No bondo, used 2 part epoxy paste. Applied then smoothed over by hand with water (using rubber gloves). The water helps the smoothing of the paste. Allow to cure. Paint is Rustoleum flat black brush on. Looks great on the engine bay area too for those interested. A Very easy to maintain finish. These materials can be purchased at your local hardware store cheap. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thanh Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 No bondo, used 2 part epoxy paste. Applied then smoothed over by hand with water (using rubber gloves). The water helps the smoothing of the paste. Allow to cure. Paint is Rustoleum flat black brush on. Looks great on the engine bay area too for those interested. A Very easy to maintain finish. These materials can be purchased at your local hardware store cheap. Brian That is some nice work you did. Loved how you trace cardboard to metal. Very professional. The bodyshop here in my area only know how to cut pieces into squares and hammer it in to fit before they weld. You went the extra mile and that deserves a reward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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