pretty unimpressed
11-06-2005, 10:49 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
pretty unimpressed
with the welds on my 75s frame. I had it blasted so i can do a full weld on it and box the front horns. after it was done i got a good look at the originial welds. 
11-06-2005, 11:50 AM
#3
Drifting
Member Since: Aug 2005
Location: East Waterboro Maine
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Much to my surprise most of the welds on my frame looked disgusting after I sandblasted the frame. Many still had slag on them! I ended up touching up a lot of them. It looked like they were done by a 4th grader...
11-06-2005, 01:00 PM
#8
The ORIGINAL and bestest
Member Since: Oct 2000
Location: Toronto Ontario
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Toronto Events Coordinator
I found the same poor welds on my frame during my body off restoration, so I ended up welding every single inch of the frame, as well as adding the recomended gussets to it, with the exception of covering the round hole on the drivers side, I forgot to do that one. I guess I will do it in 30 years when I do the next body off on the car!! 
A few areas where I did a lot of welding work are: the front shock towers, the front lower control arm brackets,the motor mounts,the rear diff crossmember, and the rear kick ups. Its no wonder these cars rot out in the kick up area, there are at least 4 different pieces of metal all joined here with poor welds, but I fixed all that!
People ask me all the time if all the frame work was neccessary, or made a difference, since it took me about 6 weeks here and there to get it all done. It took me 7 years to finish the restoration, and honestly I can't really remember how it drove before, but I will say that the car is extremely tight, and handles really quite well, considering the shortcomings inherent in the factory design. I also have a full VB&P suspension kit and all poly bushings.
Here are some pics from recent track time that show how flat the car is on the corners:
A few areas where I did a lot of welding work are: the front shock towers, the front lower control arm brackets,the motor mounts,the rear diff crossmember, and the rear kick ups. Its no wonder these cars rot out in the kick up area, there are at least 4 different pieces of metal all joined here with poor welds, but I fixed all that!
People ask me all the time if all the frame work was neccessary, or made a difference, since it took me about 6 weeks here and there to get it all done. It took me 7 years to finish the restoration, and honestly I can't really remember how it drove before, but I will say that the car is extremely tight, and handles really quite well, considering the shortcomings inherent in the factory design. I also have a full VB&P suspension kit and all poly bushings.
Here are some pics from recent track time that show how flat the car is on the corners:
11-07-2005, 01:34 AM
#13
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Oct 2002
Location: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
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The front cross member is a common problem.
Beware of that front crossmember to frame weld. Mine was found separating and welded before complete failure - others have not be as lucky to find it in time before some major frame twisting.
A year or 2 ago someone posted his pix of some ugly bent-up crossmember that hurt the frame also. I recall it was the Xmember seam (mine was on the joint with frame). He was able to bend it back and reweld but left frame scars that don't help car value - even if it was never in a collision it shure looked like it.
cardo0
A year or 2 ago someone posted his pix of some ugly bent-up crossmember that hurt the frame also. I recall it was the Xmember seam (mine was on the joint with frame). He was able to bend it back and reweld but left frame scars that don't help car value - even if it was never in a collision it shure looked like it.
cardo0
