[unstable]

maybe helpful

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

maybe helpful

Thanks, brother! Yeah, I've watched that one a bunch and I'm sure I'll watch it again more than once. Fortunately, I won't be welding anything much less than 20 ga aluminum so my current skill set is pretty dialed. I'm actually way better with TIG on aluminum than steel for now as I've not hardly spent more than maybe 2 hours messing with steel and probably more than 65-70+ hrs on Al so, I really like working with aluminum though. I'm doing my entire interior in it with a carpeted overlay and accent panels built into or on top of the aluminum panels with some black heavy vinyl upholstery I picked up long ago. Should be nice when I'm done, just need to find a cheap source here in Sac for sheet aluminum that I can pick up without donating my annual salary.. I'll be messing with the steel sheets for the foreseeable future so i can get dialed in for when it comes time to get the outer part of the body done. I also am likely going to MIG my cage, not TIG as I don't feel comfortable with a life-safety feature and my current DOM wall mild steel tubing TIG skills just yet. Maybe in a year or so.. LOL

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

@unstable I also watch a lot of Dusty's stuff for aluminum... And The Fabrication Series with Justin... Going to head to one of his classes in Vegas next year:

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

Update on the bodywork: Following my adventures of a crab feed with the wife and my best friend on Saturday, Sunday was a new beginning after I got to tearing the rest of the passenger quarter off to expose some damaged-a$$ mess that needed attention... UGH. After digging out some of the original quater panel steel I saved, I was able to fab up a replacement part for this disaster! (someone's idea of a joke? There was epoxy, hot melt glue, RTV Ultra Copper (LOL) and spray foam hiding it way back there)... I was going to try and get the new fresh rear taillight section installed today but DETOUR!!!

My first view

Just lovely!

Cancer exposed (sorry for the blur)

So much FAIL

Once I brushed it out a bit, what a meth!

Again, METH KILLS!

All I wanted to do was install this! LOL... ugh

So, fabrication begins...

Anvil and tinning hammers in hand

Cancer EXCISED (mostly, gonna need a bit of chemo...), more pics to come

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

Oh, I shook hands with danger today... Wheel of Death got me... even with pro-gloves, right through like butter... that'll teach me! LOL

NEVER SAY DIE (DIE WITH YOUR BOOTS ON!!!), Got a test fit for placement and the taillight section corner all tacked in but had to tend to some bleeding so... tomorrow more pics LOL

 

[J Mark]

I totally understand the naming of your car now.

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

I totally understand the naming of your car now.

Quite fitting, No?!?

 

[lwlevens]

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!

now that I can finally do the work correctly, I have my work cut out for me for sure! I already know someone previous to me had just laid a fresh rear driver's side floor pan over the old rusted out one and tacked it in everywhere so I need to replace it but I have complete new L/R pans front to rear. Gonna cut them up for just the parts I really need to replace and I'll repair the rest before I get to welding. I have my subframe connectors to weld in and the 8-point (soon to be 10 point) to build and install so I have a bit of welding soon... and cutting... and grinding... and more grinding... and more welding... LOL YAY! I get to finally work on this beast though!!! Happy guy!

 

[lwlevens]

I also replaced my L/R floor panels only toe board needed replaced both sides but installed both whole front to rear pieces. I wish I replaced the whole floor with the one piece. I think it just looks better,nicer when looking from underneath of the car.

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

I also replaced my L/R floor panels only toe board needed replaced both sides but installed both whole front to rear pieces. I wish I replaced the whole floor with the one piece. I think it just looks better,nicer when looking from underneath of the car.

Yeah, I will likely wish that too however, for my purposes, I'm not totally dead set on perfection in the looks department down under (smooth criminals.. LOL), and I have some fabrication to do too as the PO MethHead did a real number on the tunnel...
TADAAAAAA:

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

Fortunately I have the piece to cover it. Since I have subframe connectors and the 8(10)- point, I'm going to use riv-nuts and fashion some tabs to mount this back in properly with some seals around it so I can have easy access when necessary.

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

The picture above is the way the car came, not my handiwork... Just so we're clear I ain't no meth-head hack!!

 

[xxdabroxx]

Is that an oil drum? LOL

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

Is that an oil drum? LOL

I think it's actually the old tunnel, just totally FUBAR from the hacking. They welded a shifter "hump" on it (consisting of a box welded with what appears to be flux core toothpaste) to close up the mess as it was likely an original auto car. Just a total METH

 

[lwlevens]

Some people shouldn't try to do fab/bodywork.😱

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

Some people shouldn't try to do fab/bodywork.😱

At least not "Meth-Enhanced"...

 

[J Mark]

The PO I got my car from used what appears to be a claw hammer for the shifter opening. Also when I had it on the rotisserie I found some hieroglyphics on the leaf spring that said "this car is a piece of S" and "I hate this F'n car" written in pencil. A little methy but the car had not really been molested that bad.

 

[TheBandit]

I could not keep the tires from spinning no matter what I did. It was like I was getting a mainline shot of epinephrine every time I changed gears. IT WAS AWESOME!!!

I love this line! What a great way to describe the feeling of rowing gears in a powerful car. Love the good attitude and humor sprinkled throughout this thread. "Methtrap" is a perfect name considering some of the work you've unearthed. I'll be reading along!

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

The PO I got my car from used what appears to be a claw hammer for the shifter opening. Also when I had it on the rotisserie I found some hieroglyphics on the leaf spring that said "this car is a piece of S" and "I hate this F'n car" written in pencil. A little methy but the car had not really been molested that bad.

I bet they knew each other... Thinking maybe they had a common friend, Heisenberg?!?