v8dats Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 well after mocking up the 2jz i decided that the car was a little too rusty and that the stock rails were junk! so after some words of encouragement from my friend Derek,i started to take some measurements and hack off the rails and do some rust repairs. here are some pics. they arent the best quality but you get the idea. i used 2x3 .083 rectangular tubing. i also cut the firewall and battery tray areas because they were swiss cheese. still working on the tray area. i still have some more welding/fabbing to do. i will then start to fab up the rails from the firewall all the way to the back. more pics(better quality) to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMWHYR0HEN Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Looks Good! keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigenOut-S30 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 WOW man looking amaizing!!!.. Keep up the good work dude.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 That what I call having some balls!! Great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fhptom Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Those are some nice looking welds. Did you use that Craftsman welder in the background? What amperage is that welder? I wish I could get my welds looking like that. I guess I just need to keep on practicing. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8ZRACER260Z Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Looks good! I know how it feels to take that first step and cut out the old rails. After that it gets easier. keep us updated on the progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-Gad Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Nice job Juan Will it be reay for DNI in March? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerryb Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Nice work!! Keep up with the postings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 That looks good, just be careful to keep everything square. Don't ask me how I know this. I know how it feels to take that first step and cut out the old rails. After that it gets easier. I think you probably know how it feels to cut out a wee bit more than just the frame rails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Nice work, You da man!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8dats Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 Thanks guys! hell yeah i was so freaking nervous when i started to hack away! i measured for like a whole day and took down many notes. i did use the craftsman welder in the background and it worked awesome. i did use argon and practiced on some scrap first.not sure on the amps of the welder but it is a 115volt. it also helps that i have my friend Derek's car at my shop for reference..haha he had the guys over at Mazworx do his rails. at first i started with the rear rails but i was talked into doing the fronts. as far as keeping everyting square i did have a support bar tacked in between the rails to keep them square and then removed it after i had them welded in. the front end was so floppy without the rails and it was a pain to clamp everything in place before welding. i am happy with the way that its all turning out an cant wait to finish the rears. thanks for the compliments guys! i have had alot of inspiration from many members here. as far as DNI Zgad.... no way in hell!! hahah i may trailer it up with the engine/tranny bolted in (wishfull thinking). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strokerzedd Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 That's a project! Years ago I decided that I wanted to stiffen my street car so I sort of did the same thing only I didn't have any rust to contend with. I cut the bottom off of the rails and inserted 1/4" wall 2.5" square tubing and brazed it in place. I continued under the car with 1x2" rectangular tubing back to the diff and connected it to the roll cage. I added extra metal to the strut towers and added braces down to the frame rails. Three wheels come up in the air when I jack one up and it handles like a slot car! I couldn't get any more power out of my 3.1 litre stroker so I sold the whole drivetain and am just assembling and mounting a built RB26 with all of the toys. I think that all of the stiffening I added years ago will help tame the motor. Keep up the good work and think about continuing the frame rails all the way to the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Z-artist Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Wow; I'm encouraged from your post. I'm a novice welder and I'm glad to see some of the comments concerning your fab and welds. Although I haven't cut and reinforced my Z car yet; I did do a leaf spring relocation on my classic Dodge Dart and I really wasn't sure if my welds were up to snuff. (considering all the rear end torque will be transfered to my welds) Fabbing and welding on frames is really scarey stuff! Your welds do look better than mine do by the way. Good job dude! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeeper42 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Looks great, I'll be doing the same to mine this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8dats Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 more pics to come! did some misc tabs for intercooler and rad mount. also tacked up the rear rails! this is starting to get fun and my confidence is getting better and taking less time to measure and cut. all i can say is practice,practice,practice!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 You know, I'm mulling over replacing my rails and pans. I've been reading a lot of these threads and seen a few slightly different takes on how to combine the front rails to the underside rails, etc. The one thing I don't see is any comments on what everyone has learned about measurements, etc. So, what are the critical points to measure? What "tricks" or "revelations" did you stumble upon that would make it easier next time, etc.? How much weight do you think you gained (if any) by going to the .083" wall tubing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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