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Last of the V8 Interceptors.. my XB Falcon Coupe

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,428 ✭✭✭quietsailor


    I can't find the photo (which I downloaded to remember this idea!!) but I saw a rotisserie pic somewhere on the internet and it had a manual winch built into the rotisserie rotation system so that the car can't rotate out of control. The worm drive on the winch preventing it going out of control - an better idea would be to get a combination worm drive gearbox & motor and mount that to the rotation device. Then it's literally the flick of a switch.

    One rotisserie I plan on copying was from a thread on the American Garage Journal site; Rotisserie fabrication by MP&C. DaveXB - he is a master car painter and restorer, I'm probably (definitely!) sending you down a rabbit hole of wasted evenings on the internet here but he writes very detailed informative posts on car repairs and car painting and is always willing to answer questions put to him.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I got a new little tool for the shed that I’m very happy with, a lot of the welding I do is in areas of the car that have shadows & I struggle to get a torch setup so that it shines light onto the work area but isn’t in my way… so I present to you the MIG Light

    IMG_8749.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    It’s really helpful for lighting up the work area just before I strike the arc.. it just clips onto the head of the MIG torch

    IMG_8748.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8747.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I spent a bit of time moving the XB around on the rotisserie to adjust the height of the centre of gravity & I now have it set so that I can pretty much turn the car on my own by hand & if I pus it to say 45deg it will just sit there & not want to death roll like a croc… if you look closely at old pics above vers new pics below you’ll see how the height adjusters are all in different spots now… so happy days there

    IMG_8744.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Next up I wanted to work on the bootlid, so I need to strip off all the paint & the light surface rust but also repair the small rust hole & the drilled hole, a long ago removed badge I assume

    IMG_8742.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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    Went with paint stripper to remove the paint as I had some left over that almost gone off… it took a few passes as the potency is clearly gone from the chemical

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    Very happy with how it looks under the paint, came up nicely

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    Welded up the hole & repaired the rust in the other corner

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Cleaned the panel & primed…

    IMG_8756.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Please excuse the piss poor lighting in a lot of these pics now as it was late on the weekend & we where having thunderstorms so the shed doors where shut…. Linished back the whole rear panel

    IMG_8757.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Again some old badge mounting holes needed to be filled in

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    They will be hidden behind the honeycomb trim piece anyway but still no reason to have holes there anymore

    IMG_8761.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I’ve gotten most of the rear end of the car including the boot channels & the rear window channels & frames all sorted now & ready for panel prep & some primer

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    IMG_8764.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I ran out of the normal grey primer I’d been using & we’re in full lockdown for a few weeks yet here in Melbourne so I ended up getting some ordered online & I now choice on the colour… so now I’m annoyed that it’s such a radical change of primer colour… but we all must make sacrifices during these covid times I guess…

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I got the rear parcel shelf sections all welded together now & there is a lot of strength in this panel now… I’ll linish it all back & primer it this weekend

    IMG_8780.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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    The doors will need a bit of work too… this is the bottom edge of the passenger side door & it’s well buggered

    IMG_8743.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    The same spot on the drivers side has a tiny bit of rust that hasn’t fully broken thru yet so won’t need as a big a repair… the other spots on both doors are at the tops where the felt strip would be that stops the glass from getting scratched, I guess the felt has done a great job of holding the moisture next to the door for all these years

    IMG_8745.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 59,553 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gremlinertia


    I did wonder for a second to myself, feck he can't be going to paint now, he's mad! You're a pro at the spot weld and polish repair, well done..


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I did wonder for a second to myself, feck he can't be going to paint now, he's mad! You're a pro at the spot weld and polish repair, well done..

    Thanks.... but given the amount of practice I've had I guess there would be no excuse if I wasn't by now.. hahaha


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I grabbed the “spare” boot lid that I have in the shed, that I’d kinda forgotten about & decided to clean it back to bare metal too & then compare the two I have to see which one goes on the car & which one get stored away as a spare

    IMG_8786.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    The weather is getting better here now as we start our slow climb out of winter & it’s daylight till just on 6pm now.. so where possible I’m move parts to be sanded outside the shed to minimize the mess made inside the shed

    IMG_8796.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    The boot lid is totally rust free on the surface

    IMG_8798.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8797.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    But it looks like a golf ball… I have no idea what’s happened to it but its rippled to hell

    IMG_8799.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I started heat shrinking it by using the stud welder to put heat into the panel & then water to rapidly cool & pull the metal

    IMG_8801.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8800.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    It’s working but it’s going to be a slow process for sure… also there is some rust in the frame on the underside that needs repairing

    IMG_8802.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Also the holes don’t line up with my original boot for the rear wing, my rear wing is a factory correct aluminum wing, so I assume these holes where for an aftermarket wing… plus they are really far up the boot lid, twice as far back as my original one so these holes need to be welded up & new one drilled

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    I’ve decided that this boot lid needs a few days work to get it even close & that will just be a distraction from the actual project… so I’ll clean, prep & prime it now & then store it back at the back of the shed until I have “free” time & then I’ll fix it up


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    First time the old girl has seen sunlight in a while

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    When my panel beater mate had been helping me he had finished off the driver’s side rear Qtr & had started to lay some filler onto it to be sanded back smooth…

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    I decided that I wasn’t happy not seeing the actual bare metal under there myself so it’s all coming off

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    I’m really glad that I did this as there are some pin holes where the parch repair panels where welded in that where just covered over so I’ll need to sort them, also there are some dents that where filled with 3-4mm of filler & that’s just not good enough so I’ll be using the puller & the hammer & dolly & getting them to at least my halfarsed level before I prep & prime the panel

    IMG_8792.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8791.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Once I’ve that sorted them I’ll move onto the end sections & getting them right… can’t test fit the bumper till she’s off the rotisserie but I can patch up all the speed holes

    IMG_8794.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I prepped & primed the spare bootlid & that’s put away in a corner & I’ll to it when the actual car body & panel stuff is done.

    IMG_8807.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I want to finish off the rear end corners where the Qtr’s meet the beaver & taillight panels

    IMG_8808.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I figured it made sense to test fit the lower rear valance panel, this is a NOS part so if this fits then I have the shape of the rear Qtrs correct…. Well correct by 1975 Ford factory standards

    IMG_8809.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    You can see the whole thing is about 4-5mm off, it’s too far to the drivers side

    IMG_8811.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8810.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Looks like the two central tabs it bolts too are off & both need to be moved 4-5mm to the left, if I clamp the panel on instead of bolting it the edges line up nicely

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I cleaned up the area so that I could finish seam welding the whole lot, the top of the filler panel needed to be pulled in & welded from inside the boot

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    Used the dent puller to remove the dents (clue was in the name there I guess) from the Qtr that had been bogged

    IMG_8824.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Took a bit of work to line up where the bottom edge of the Qtr meets the bottom edge of the inner boot panel, but got it sorted & welded up

    IMG_8823.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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    Cleaned prepped & primed… she’s looking good

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Next up I wanted to finish off the structural welding needed on the floor…. I know it may seem that there is no plan here or no sense of purpose & you’d be right… I’m just doing a job, getting a fresh cup of tea or beer depending on the time & then walking around & looking for the next park that screams just ****ing do me the loudest to me… it’s actually working better for me than my old method of thinking & planning on it days before was… anyway back to the rusty ****box

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    This seat brace repair section isn’t lining up nice to the contour of the floor, on the leading edge its tight but the back edge is way off… so I’ll have to adjust the edge of brace

    IMG_8833.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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    As I was just getting ready to do this, I noticed that the passenger side sill panel isn’t seam welded along the lower edge

    IMG_8835.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8834.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I didn’t want to weld the seat brace to the floor without having the sill fully welded & tight so that nothing can move from the heat of welding in the brace to the floor…. Out came the clamps

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Took my time to slowly move along with the clamps putting a tack weld every inch of so

    IMG_8840.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Then again moving about from section to sections slowly seam welded the whole sill, being very careful to not put too much heat into any one area

    IMG_8842.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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    Then I ground off the paint from the brace

    IMG_8837.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8836.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Prepped the brace & the section of floor & coated them in weld through primer…. or ultra splatter primer as I think they should call it, I hate how badly it causes splatter but it’s a necessary evil for parts I can’t get to with paint later

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    Then spent some time forming & bending the edges of the brace so that they meet the floor nicely

    IMG_8847.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    With that done I tacked the edge to the sill first & then set about plug welding all the holes

    IMG_8848.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8849.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    With that fully welded on, I actually think that that’s the last of the structural welding to be done… not the last of the welding, still more seam welding to be done but I think that’s the last part that need to be welded on if you get my meaning.. so small win for me I guess

    IMG_8851.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8850.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Next I think I’ll go back to the boot area & seam weld all the boot floor join & in & around the wheel tubs etc

    IMG_8821.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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  • Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭biketard


    I really appreciate how you're documenting this in so much detail, Daved_XB.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    biketard wrote: »
    I really appreciate how you're documenting this in so much detail, Daved_XB.

    Thanks..


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    There are a few big holes still to be filled in, well I say big… you can’t get a badger thru them but in car panel terms they are big, so 7mm across or so in most cases. These holes are in such awkward spots that there is no way I can get in behind them to place in a patch, I’m going to try & bridge weld across most of them but the old metal is very thin & it’s not the easiest to work with.. any I can’t fill this way I will have to look at putting a patch on the outside I guess.. The good thing is that the holes are really in spots you’ll probably never see once the car is finished & on it’s wheels

    My mate who is/was a panel beater his whole life is responsible for these joins & I really wish that back when these bits where being done that I was more hands on with these sections, not saying I could have done any better but I’d be much happier if I was redoing my own crappy work now that someone else’s

    This is tight inside corner of the rear most join of the inner wheel tub to the lowest section of the rear Qtr panel

    IMG_8855.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    These are the rear most corners where the boot floor & the rear Qtrs meet

    IMG_8857.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8852.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    This is where the Qtr panel & the rear light panel meet.. the bumper will sit up in here & hide this I guess, but still needs fixing first

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    Started by seam welding up this whole section

    IMG_8858.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    The big hole is now bridge welded… I need to grind it back & clean it up obviously & there will be a lot of time to be spent shaping this section yet to get it right

    IMG_8888.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Welded up the join for the Qtr & the boot floor too

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Getting the above spot on will probably take a whole weekend on their own, so I decided to tackle something bigger that I knew I could knock off in a single day this Sunday… I decided to do the inner boot floor area… so where the floor meets the two inner wheel tubs I want to fully weld

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    This will get a full line of seam sealer applied later obviously but I wanted it all welded solid under that sealer, this a big enough gap to bridge so I needed to be careful not to put too much heat into the floor & warp it or worse blow holes in the original metal of the wheel tubs

    IMG_8862.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Also needed to weld up the join where the vertical & horizontal boot floor sections overlap, the passenger side was easy as the two panels overlapped tightly

    IMG_8863.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

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    The drivers side not so much, the two panels needed to be screwed together to pull them in tight as I don’t own the correct long arm shaped visegrips needed to clamp them together (note to self, you don’t own all the southern hemispheres allocation of clamps yet)

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Next up these crash structure brackets that tie the chassis rails, boot floor & rear tail panel together

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    The last section to be done is where the boot floor wraps around the diff hump

    IMG_8874.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Right… well that’s the inside of the boot finished then

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    It’s all be linished back & cleaned & now primed

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Before the coat of primer I decided to test fit the long rang 160ltr fuel tank to be sure that that fits, didn’t want to find out later that it wouldn’t fit the hole

    IMG_8886.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Turns out it fits like a glove & looks pretty good too I think

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    Not sure what section I’ll tackle next… given I have no real plan it could be anything, but I think I’ll work on the inner floor of the car next…


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Moving forward from the boot for now into the passenger compartment, so next up is finishing off the cross bracing on the parcel shelf that the rear set will sit on

    IMG_8889.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    There is the central point where the two braces join to the trans tunnel hump that needed to be secured, probably overkill but why stop that process now…

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    I also needed to sort the front & rear of where the braces join to the parcel shelf itself

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    These cleaned up & clamped to be sure of a correct fit

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    Then welded home

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I also finished the welding of the inner wheel house to the floor, this is the front half of the inner wheel tub

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,428 ✭✭✭quietsailor


    Your going to hate me for asking this but ............ are you certain the chassis rails are straight - that when you put back on the suspension & driveline parts and let the car sit on the ground again - that the car will sit correctly. Otherwise the welding, especially cross braces like that parcel shelf, will hold the car out of alignment

    Sorry :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Your going to hate me for asking this but ............ are you certain the chassis rails are straight - that when you put back on the suspension & driveline parts and let the car sit on the ground again - that the car will sit correctly. Otherwise the welding, especially cross braces like that parcel shelf, will hold the car out of alignment

    Sorry :o

    Nope, would never hate anyone for asking a valid question. I've measured & cross referenced the **** out of both cars.. if the car was out of alignment before I seam welded everything it still would have been out of alignment.

    The only reason I'm doing this additional welding work now is that I'm doubling the BHP & tripling the torque of the original engine here so I'm doing what the race teams back in the 70's found that they needed to do to stop the bodies flexing & cracking under race engine loads.

    I've a little more to do on the floor this weekend & then I will actually be putting all the running gear back in one last time before I commit that the body work is done.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,428 ✭✭✭quietsailor


    Daved_XB wrote: »
    Nope, would never hate anyone for asking a valid question. I've measured & cross referenced the **** out of both cars.. if the car was out of alignment before I seam welded everything it still would have been out of alignment.

    The only reason I'm doing this additional welding work now is that I'm doubling the BHP & tripling the torque of the original engine here so I'm doing what the race teams back in the 70's found that they needed to do to stop the bodies flexing & cracking under race engine loads.

    I've a little more to do on the floor this weekend & then I will actually be putting all the running gear back in one last time before I commit that the body work is done.

    Thank god for this I've measured & cross referenced the **** out of both cars.. if the car was out of alignment before I seam welded everything it still would have been out of alignment. I'd cry myself if you finished the project and then found out is was misaligned and had to start again.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Finished off the floor, specifically I’m seam welding where the floor meets the sill panels… as a Coupe these cars are known to suffer from flex with big torque engines & the fix seems to be making the floor as solid as you can

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    I’ll grind these back a little later but I’ll be seam sealing over the welds & then the carpet goes over that so you’ll never see them again

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    IMG_8908.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I’ve also welded along the top of the inner & outer sill panels

    IMG_8907.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8909.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    There is a gap in the floor just in front of the rear wheel tub where I’d cut out some rust so that needed a small patch welded in

    IMG_8914.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8915.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8917.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    On the drivers side there is a also bad patch of rust that needs to come out

    IMG_8918.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    It’s against the tub but also along the sill join

    IMG_8919.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8920.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I didn’t want to stuff about with little patches so I decided to just cut out a large section

    IMG_8923.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8925.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8924.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Then a little Cardboard Aided Design work Binky style…

    IMG_8927.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Used my vice mounted break to bend the long side

    IMG_8928.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8929.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I couldn’t use the same to put the second bend in obviously so just used the vice & a hammer to put that bend in

    IMG_8930.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8932.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Then just a little fettling to make sure that the new patch fits perfectly

    IMG_8933.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Now that that’s welded in I think that that’s the floor welding finished…

    IMG_8934.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    One big bit of the suspension install will be the front brace that locates the from of the huge torque arm that goes from the face of the diff to just before the back of the gearbox. As this brace is the whole width of the space between the front chassis rails & is held in place by 28 bolts I’ve decided not to just place the brace/bracket where they show in the poor quality pics of the instructions, I’ll mount up all the suspension & set the diff at the correct expected hide height & that will allow me to have the exact location of the brace/bracket.

    First up the bracket that holds the coilovers & the 4 link rear end go on

    IMG_8935.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8936.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8937.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Then slid the diff under on some axle stands, I’ll need to set the ride height using the axle stands as obviously the shell won’t be heavy enough for its own weight to compress the coilovers to the right level.

    IMG_8940.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8939.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8938.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Then I jacked up the front end of the torque arm so that I can get the diff level so I can connect the lower arms & the coilovers

    IMG_8942.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8941.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Then I install the Mumford multilink arms on…

    IMG_8949.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8948.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    IMG_8946.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    I hope this stuff ends up working half as good as it looks…. They say to try & get the arms as close to parallel with the diff housing, so I disconnected the coilovers & jacked up the diff till they where parallel

    IMG_8950.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    With the diff at that height the diff is way to high I think for the ride height I’m chasing… right now there is about 95mm from the top of the diff housing to the bottom of the chassis rail & from memory the old ride height was a little over 130mm.

    The diff isn’t centered right now, it’s about 8mm too far to the drivers side, so I need to use the central adjuster arm of the Mumford link to slide the diff over & center it

    IMG_8951.JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

    Once that’s centered, I’ll dig out the wheels so I can set the diff height correctly & then I can mock up the front torque arm floor brace & drill the 28 holes to mount it… but the engine for my GTO turned up so it’ll be a week or so till I get back onto this now I reckon…


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