[19mach69]

I'm grinding some brackets off of my roll cage. It sure does suck to remove them without damaging the cage. I'm using a 7" grinder and it is taking a while. I have both of them about half removed before I burned out. I also mowed my half acre yard. I don't have a riding lawn mower.

 

[1937Austin]

I use my sawzall or portaband to remove brackets, then just touch up the remainder with my grinder. Saves a lot of headaches and sweat.

 

[bukit]

a grinder with a cuttin disk works good. even tho grinding anything sucks

 

[OpelGasser]

a grinder with a cuttin disk works good. even tho grinding anything sucks

It does SUCK!!!!..... but in the end having it done sure feels good!!!!

Especially with "all those sparks" just like the ones they always show on all those hot rod shows on TV !!!!!

 

[19mach69]

Im going to get a new reciprocating saw this week. I have a wimpy one that wont cut much of anything. I can use it to cut a few pieces of wood. It should speed up bracket cutting amd then i can grind everything else.

 

[OpelGasser]

I'm going to get a new reciprocating saw this week. I have a wimpy one that wont cut much of anything......

I didn't think to try using a reciprocating saw(saws all) until Vall mentioned how well it worked for him.

I have a Milwaukee that used to belong to my Father that is a good one.....I use it in combination with a smaller pneumatic sawsall & of course a die grinder with either cutting or grinding disc as needed for most of the cutting I have done so far.

One thing I did learn (OJT) is grinding thru most of a weld or tack-weld prior to cutting it with a saw makes the cut easier to do.

Another thing I learned while cutting out the inner fender wells on the Opel it that it helps to have different tools for different cuts/areas. In tight areas sometimes the regular die grinder works while in other areas a 90 degree die grinder is necessary. In tighter corners I have used a Dremel & also (depending on the quality of cut) an air chisel helps to get the job done.

In addition to drilling a hole to insert the blade/chisel to start the cut also drilling a hole where you want the cut to end is a good way to prevent over cutting.

Having tools helps!!!!! Don't know how I ever got anything done when I was younger when all I had were basic hand tools???????

 

[1937Austin]

Nothing like good tools for sure!
I'm not a huge fan of my sawzalls. I have a nice Milwaukie corded, and a Porter Cable 18v. battery drive. I hate using either to cut anything that isn't well secured, as they make the material jump around with the reciprocating motion. They work great on heavy brackets, but when working on thin sheetmetal I find it's easier to run the cuts up close to the end, but not go through, as that holds the piece in place until I make all the cuts and then finish each off.
Whenever possible I use my Milwaukie portaband for cutting, as it's so much faster and smoother for everything from thin to thick material. I don't have a floor model bandsaw, but I sure would like to have one for fab work where I could clamp it and just come back when it's done cutting. I've seen some at good prices, but I keep wondering where I'd put it with space being such a premium at my house.

 

[19mach69]

10 years ago when I started playing with cars I barely had any hand tools. I bought my first set with a sears gift card I got when I was dumb enough to get married the first time. (Second time is good!) I bought as big of a craftsman set I could get my hands on. I still have 90% of it and It still works great. Now ten years later I have enough tools to get myself into trouble. I need a few more to get myself out.

I have more than enough room to get a saw blade between the steel and the welds.

 

[1937Austin]

I love tools! I could easily just spend my time and money gathering tools if it wasn't for some of it going into cars! There are certain tools that get lots more use than others, and I find myself looking forward to doing jobs that involve them. My MIG welder is one of those tools. I love welding, and sticking steel things together is like therapy for me!

 

[OpelGasser]

10 years ago when I started playing with cars I barely had any hand tools. I bought my first set with a sears gift card I got when I was dumb enough to get married the first time. (Second time is good!) I bought as big of a craftsman set I could get my hands on. I still have 90% of it and It still works great. Now ten years later I have enough tools to get myself into trouble. I need a few more to get myself out.

I have more than enough room to get a saw blade between the steel and the welds.

I love tools! I could easily just spend my time and money gathering tools if it wasn't for some of it going into cars! There are certain tools that get lots more use than others, and I find myself looking forward to doing jobs that involve them. My MIG welder is one of those tools. I love welding, and sticking steel things together is like therapy for me!

I agree.... like car parts.... I am always on the look-out for deals on tools. One of the reasons we like going to "flea markets". More chances to find good quality hand & power tools for both auto & home repair/work.

It is amazing when you think you have enough tools to get by the "need" for more happens.

When I started cutting out the inner fenders wells & firewall on the Opel it quickly became evident that having a "90 degree die grinder" would make the job easier. Even with the other ones I have I knew I would one day need the 90.

 

[19mach69]

Well, my new battery powered craftsman sawzall took care of the metal. I hacked it up so it looks ugly and I've been doing some grinding. I will also have to weld one area to fix something I messed up. I doubt It would pass NHRA tech now with the gash I made in the tube. Running in the 10's would need some work in that area but with this power plant it won't be running in the 10's. It might hit 12's. That is a big MIGHT. As is, it won't crack 14's.

 

[1937Austin]

Just weld the gash in and grind it smooth. Should be fine with tech if you ever need it with a different motor

 

[19mach69]

That's exactly what I did. I welded it up and did some grinding. It's not perfect but looks better than with a gash. I am sure it would hold up in a crash. I didn't think my little junky Harbor freight wire feed welder would work, but it penetrated into the metal and didn't make a huge mess. The last thing I attempted to weld didn't look so hot. I will be getting a new welder in the next month or two for real body work. For what people want for a used MIG I am going to go brand new. I think people are crazy with their prices. 50 dollars less than new for a 10 year+ welder is ridiculous.

 

[OpelGasser]

............... I will be getting a new welder in the next month or two ....

Good News.... Good Move!!!! I really believe there are certain things/tools that cannot be "comprised". Having a good welder is one of them.

I am sure a person who is a good welder can figure out a way to overcome using a "lessor quality" machine. Using a high quality welder can help a novice welder overcome lack of experience & prevent frustration.

When I was looking for a welder the advice I was given was to at least "buy the best one you could afford" ... or better if you can find a way to do it.

Good luck shopping!!!!

 

[1937Austin]

That's exactly what I did. I welded it up and did some grinding. It's not perfect but looks better than with a gash. I am sure it would hold up in a crash. I didn't think my little junky Harbor freight wire feed welder would work, but it penetrated into the metal and didn't make a huge mess. The last thing I attempted to weld didn't look so hot. I will be getting a new welder in the next month or two for real body work. For what people want for a used MIG I am going to go brand new. I think people are crazy with their prices. 50 dollars less than new for a 10 year+ welder is ridiculous.

I used a Harbor Freight welder to do the bodywork on my Camaro and a few other projects, but didn't trust it for structural welding. I made up a pair of traction bars for the Camaro, and didn't get good penetration on the welds. After a few hard launches I tore the welds loose and broke them.
I bought a Miller 140 when I started the Austin gasser and never regretted the purchase. It's the largest welder I could find that still runs on a 120v. 20a. ckt, and I had to wire in a dedicated ckt. for it to keep from tripping a breaker on high amp welds.
As John said, a talented welder can make most any machine work, but a good machine allows guys like me to do a decent weld too.

 

[OpelGasser]

I am by no means a welder.... but that doesn't mean I don't want to be. Especially with the re-building & re-purposing of the Opel from DRAG CAR to Street/Strip.

At first glance it didn't seem like I would have to do too much to make the conversion to the street and while at it make the Opel a better drag car as well. WELL.... I was wrong. The more I looked (and continue to look) the more & more changes I find are needed to have the Opel the way it SHOULD BE.

With all of the other cars/hot rods I have owned I never had so much major sheet metal, frame work & add-ons to do.

When I built the workshop a few years ago I anticipated what I wanted to do in the future and I opted to have a 220vac line installed in the workshop. I knew I needed a large air compressor & also a good overhead electric heater. So when it came time to decide what type of welder to get I was able to get a great deal on a MillerMatic 180. It is basically the same as Vall's Miller 140 except it operates on 220vac.

I have yet to learn how to use it other than to tack weld a little. Which is something I will learn how to do better over time. Fortunately I have a couple of hot rod buddies who are professional welders who will be doing all of my welding until I get better at doing it myself.

I guess the point is DON"T SKIMP when buying a welder. Even if it means spending more than the budget allows.

 

[19mach69]

John, we are in the same boat car wise. My Falcon was a drag car. I can't believe how much work it has taken and will take to get it on the road and be legal. It's missing some basic parts that are unfortunately very hard to find!

The welder I have been eying is the Millermatic 211. It uses 110v or 220v. I never know what power source I will have at each house I will move to. If I can have both, then I can use 220 when I have it available or 120 if it isn't. It is probably more welder than I need, but I might actually get good at welding someday and it will come in handy. I am going to use my little HF wire feed welder to make some junk outside. I will mostly be working on my beads and sticking pieces of random metal together. I did figure out I was moving way too fast in the beginning. I slowed down my hand movement and it has resulted in much improved beads and way better penetration. For the 211, I haven't read a bad review on it yet. I've been saving up to buy it so I should be able to bring one home in about two more months.

 

[OpelGasser]

John, we are in the same boat car wise. My Falcon was a drag car. I can't believe how much work it has taken and will take to get it on the road and be legal. It's missing some basic parts that are unfortunately very hard to find!

The welder I have been eying is the Millermatic 211. It uses 110v or 220v. I never know what power source I will have at each house I will move to. If I can have both, then I can use 220 when I have it available or 120 if it isn't. It is probably more welder than I need, but I might actually get good at welding someday and it will come in handy. I am going to use my little HF wire feed welder to make some junk outside. I will mostly be working on my beads and sticking pieces of random metal together. I did figure out I was moving way too fast in the beginning. I slowed down my hand movement and it has resulted in much improved beads and way better penetration. For the 211, I haven't read a bad review on it yet. I've been saving up to buy it so I should be able to bring one home in about two more months.

Did NOT KNOW the Falcon was a former "drag car".... I am sure we could talk about that for a LONG TIME..... Way too much to "type" about!!!!

My BIGGEST issues are how the firewall was fabricated with NO thought about heat being transmitted into the interior of the car..... also the cooling system was NEVER am issue when it was raced..... having the car running for 5 minutes or so to do a 1/4 pass never allowed the inferior cooling issue to be known or the interior to raise to unbearable temps. Drive the car for awhile & then end up in any stop & go traffic & water temps would raise quickly (to 260+) and stay there. So these are the major issues I am working on now.

Hopefully my "overkill" approach will solve" these major problems.

Happy to hear you are taking the "smart approach" to buying a new welder. Especially the 110 or 220 vac model.

My friends who are good welders make welding look so easy. The advice they give me is "if you WANT to learn how to weld.... keep welding".

Makes sense to me!!!!

 

[19mach69]

I hope my overkill 28" radiator will be enough to keep the car cool. I also set the cam back to straight up from the retarded timing set it came stock with. I will be using the stock fan. My engine stock made 177hp. It won't have PS/PB or ac so I theoretically should get a little bit back. With the 4v intake and 4v carb and headers I hope I crack 200hp. With that low of power, I shouldn't have too much trouble with overheating.

I went to check out a welding shop today and the were closed. It seems like everything closes here early on the weekends.

 

[1937Austin]

Even a stock 2 row 28" should cool it with a decent fan, and if it's a 3 or 4 row it will run cooler.