Just crawled out from under my car after welding in the drivers side frame rail. Compared to your work mine looks like Cromagnon Man pooped it out and stuck it under my car, heh. Steve, you guys do great work. I'm going to be tackling moving the firewall back and may be adding some metal to the floors. What do you guys recommend to use for sheet metal to build the firewall and the floor? What thickness and type of metal? Thanks for your help guys.
Hi Mark
Hey thanks for the great compliments from all you guys, kinda makes my head not fit threw the door way... Mark I like to use (.048) 18 gauge cold rolled steel, 1008 series. This can be purchased at most of your local metal supply co. I would stress to them one you want no more than 1012 series and it is a must that it is COLD ROLLED . This makes your bending and shaping the metal much easier and is very compatible with factory sheet metal. Now the metal on your car is 19 gauge which is harder to get at local supply co's. Just as a note the 1008 series has the lowest carbon content which is a softer more malleable but still with ample shear strength. The last two numbers in the 1008 (08) is the percentage of carbon.....
Great info Steve. With my present unfamiliar/inexperienced state of metal recognition, my question to the metal suppler would probably be more like. "Hey ya got any sheet metal"? That would be the extent of my technical knowledge, heh. Your info helps a lot. Thanks Steve. How does the metal come? In 4X8 sheets or ??? And would you have a ball park cost for metal like that. Just so I know going in what to expect? Since I don't expect to use a back seat at all do you think I can use that same sheet for cutting out the rear footwells to replace with flat sheet? I will tubbing the rear wheelwells also by cutting the existing tubs and sectioning the cut out farther inboard, then splicing in a filler strip. Will this work for that also? Hope you don't mind all the questions. It's just nice to have a fabricator to talk with. Mark L
Hi Mark
Don't mind at all, most sheet steel is offered in 4'X 8' or 3'X 8'. Ive seen sheet steel price any were from $38.00 to a wopping $64.00 depending upon location. Thats a rough estimate I purchase by the pound most the time so mileage may vary.
The cold finished steel will suite all your needs, I would however suggest maybe stamping or beading or even bending some reveals to strengthen your panels. I can add a help section you you need advice on common house or shop items that will help you achieve this with out breaking the bank on equipment....
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