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uoofff that looks ugly....lol nice to see you making progress on it though!
I'm trying, but with a wife, and 5 kids. Plus kid's wives, and several grandchildren, it's like trying to walk through a mine field, All heck is gonna break loose, before you even think of getting to work on it! Oh Well **** Happens!
im always stretching myself way too thin. i can't help it....lol but im also one of those people that if i sit still i go stir crazy within 30 mins....lol i just picked up a 1983 peterbiult 359 that needs pretty much a full restoration, i think i have officially lost my mind.
I'll second that thought. I've finally reached an age where I quit dragging "projects" home. At one point I had 13 cars in the back yard. Now I've realized if I want to accomplish any of them, I better limit my focus. So right now it's the Jacobra, (I snuck in a 4x8 trailer, I built to haul my Lawn tractor) next will be my Dad's 87 Ford Ranger, with a 2.9 V6 and 5 Speed. But that's another story. Oh and don't worry I had ADD, and ADHD long before they knew what the heck to call them. I'm still going 900 miles an hour, with my hair on fire. Most of the time anyway. Most people were taking bets I'd never make 21! I've beat that by 40 years!!!
Update, started cutting the rust out of the floorboards as they were rusted worse then I had thought. Thank You Stacy David! I've watched him for years, and have learned to cut, bend, shape, and fit sheetmetal, as that was a skill I was a little weak at,
now I'm a lot better at it. here's a couple pics.
Well a little more work on the drivers floor. I decided to leave the original floor in place, and lay a full 1/16 thick sheet over the top of it. I cut, and shaped it, then cuts slots through it to correspond with the raised ribs in the original floor sheet metal. Then I welded into the original sheet metal, and tied it into the new sheet metal, to create a 2 layer floor. Which has accomplished 2 things. I didn't disturb the car by removing the floor. Thus there is no chance for any movement of the chassis, such as twisting or distortion. 2 it has greatly increased the strength of the floor, and the over all structure of the floor pan, as it is also welded into the thicker / heavier sheet metal along the trans tunnel, rockers, and the front floor where it meets the fire wall ahead of the pedals. As I said before, I'm overbuilding this car because I know how I'm gonna drive it! Here's some pics! Cleaned and repaired floor, it's intact for the most part with several soft spots. nothing to bad but definitely not as strong as the day it was new. New floor cut, and shaped. Working on making the slots wide enough for the Mig wire to go through and attach to the original floor for good penetration and to tie the 2 floors together, instead of just a spot weld. I used a jack, and piece of 2 x 4. to push down on the new floor, and one from underneath to make sure they were touching, before welding them together. A little cleanup and some more primer. 1 floor done 3 to go.
It came through ok - just the one question from me, and I am sure you have thought it through - but know you have sheet metal touching sheet metal, with no way of rust treating in between. So I am presuming you are doing a seal weld around everything to prevent moisture from getting in between, other wise it might become a Fred Flintstone car
It came through ok - just the one question from me, and I am sure you have thought it through - but know you have sheet metal touching sheet metal, with no way of rust treating in between. So I am presuming you are doing a seal weld around everything to prevent moisture from getting in between, other wise it might become a Fred Flintstone car
Cheers
Steve
Hey Steve, Yeah the Idea of rust, isn't gonna be a big issue. I didn't show a picture of it but you can see around the outer edges, if you look real hard, it has all been sprayed with weld through primer, before the new floor was put down. And it will be primed again as soon as all is cleaned up. Then I'll put it on the lift, and fully undercoat it. After some repairs on the bottom side as well. So it will be well sealed by the time I'm done with it. Also being as I'm in Arkansas, USA, and we don't use very much salt on the roads in the winter. Cars here don't typically rust, if at all. In my buddy's salvage yard he's got 40+ year old cars with no rust. Most of the paint is faded off, but no rust!!! Thank God. I'm originally from Chicago Ill, USA otherwise known as the "Rust Belt". I can remember 1980 Camaro's that were only a couple years old, and you could reach into the trunk without opening the lid!
Jacobra
It would be well worth using some seam sealer on all the joins before you do the undercoating etc. Just a thought, but in more rust-prone climes it is essential.
Jacobra
It would be well worth using some seam sealer on all the joins before you do the undercoating etc. Just a thought, but in more rust-prone climes it is essential.
Yes Sir, you are absolutely correct. I will definitely be sealing the seams etc. Once all the repairs are done. I'am definitely glad I live in an area where rust isn't a big issue. But I do understand, an ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure. LOL
An Update! can't believe it's been so long without an update, but this year has been "NUTS" with this damn Corona Virus, people out of work, shutting down the schools etc. It' just short of ridiculous. I've been working on and off, on the Jacobra, and made a lot of head way, on getting the inner fender wells, and firewall closed back in. I had to remove some rusted metal to start with, under the brake booster, and then along the back of the shock tower areas. I cut, and ground off the old metal, and cut a piece of new metal, and plug welded it all over it in a grid pattern on the PS. Then I welded it around the edges and tie it into the original inner fender, good as new. This is where we are today. Most of the firewall are is all coming together, and the shock tower patch has already been done on the PS. The DS. just has to be welded in. Still lots of grinding fitting and welding. But I'm headed in the right direction. Here's some pics showing the closing of the firewall area, which isn't quite finished but you can see where I've been LOL!
Last edited by 89 Jacobra; Sep 14, 2020 at 08:18 PM.
Okay all closed in and since it's been a long time between updates I'll add some pics to show where we are, and how I got there.
Jack
Wow It's Spring Break already!!! It seems like School just started, and here it is Christmas is over, and it's Spring Break! Dang it all. Actually Spring break is over also. Tomorrow it's back to Work, but I did make good use of the time, Yea!!! The floors in the Jacobra are completely finished as far as the welding, sealing, and sound deadening / insulation. I can't believe it took 5 solid days, on my knees, bent over the rocker panels, to install all the sound deadener, just Wow! Here's a couple pics to show how nice it came out. It wasn't all that hard just real time consuming to get it to fit as good as possible. But I'm Happy.
Jack
Passenger / right side all welded in 1st coat of primer Drivers side all welded in and primed A look down the hole! Interior floors all welded and sealed shut. Sound deadener / insulation installed Drivers side all done.
