You done good kid!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks like it wll work!!!!!!!!

In regards the Amish comments....let me say that they are without a doubt the hardest and most trust worthy folks I know of. When my neighbor and I had our roof's redone this past year it was a pleasure. They don't walk around talking and BS'ing all day about what they did or whom they did last Saturday night etc..... The only time they spoke to one another on the job was job specific...other than that they were very quiet and worked their butt's off....not to mention they were the low bidder on the job. I give the Amish 5 STARS for any work I would consider in the future.


Stay in tune....

 

Man they really did weld that up tight..so what's next..paint the frame or is there more welding to do..

 

That's what my next question was going to be.

I can practice my welding and fill in all the stitched welds on the frame. If it would help i will definitely do what i can, but if it would be a waste of time then i'll just continue on powder coating the frame one section at a time with my propane heater...

And by the way the 21yo amish kid worked on this... good and cheap enough for me to feel satisfied. You guys can be the judge on how well he really did... It's not 100% perfect but i'm happy. He said the outer metal was fine, it was the inner piece that was the one rotting, so once he got it cut out and blasted he was able to put in a replacement and the original outer part back on and weld it all together.

 

The repair looks adequate, the weld quality is very good and you got excellent value for your money. Seam welding will stiffen your frame a lot, and the practice will be a good thing as well. If you don't already have a self darkening helmet, you'll wish you did before you finish the seams (hint hint). The first time you flash yourself you'll understand... it hurts a bit.

 

got one!
My welder I got off craigslist is only a 120v Craftsman and I don't have the gas for it so I'll be using flux....so i'm not sure how smooth I can get with that. But I'd rather learn on flux instead of investing in the gas to see if i'll continue to weld... But it did come with the auto tinting helmet, jacket, hammers, gloves....


I'm glad the frame is fixed but I feel worse now then ever. I still feel like I betrayed my values by letting someone else take over. Hopefully it was for the best as being able to drive it sooner will be a pleasant treat.

 

Don't beat yourself up... I don't know what your restoration experience is, but I have a story for you. I'm building a 1977 Corvette right now. I am 52 years of age and have at various times made a living as an auto body tech, dealership used car recon man, dealership line mechanic, autobody supply warehouse salesman and I have been involved in the parts end of Ag and construction equipment parts sales since 1990. I have owned more than 50 cars in my lifetime and worked on them all.

Late last summer I put my suspension rebuild on indefinite hold when I found severe cracks in the left front suspension pickup points on my rust free southern frame. I own and am OK using a MIG, but I waited nearly 3 months so a friend of mine could repair that section using his own machine... I had to run a new circuit to the yard so he could plug in. I did this because I know how good he is (better by far than I), and I wanted to absolutely trust the repair here so as not to lose a front wheel somewhere on the highway.

Your frame is now safer and sturdier than you could currently make it yourself. It was repaired in a timely and professional manner by an individual of your choosing and it seems you chose well because the repair is good. That frame is now a good platform to hone your own skills without fear of compromising its strength. I see no betrayal of values at all in admitting your discomfort to tackle areas beyond your experience... I see a man who has the brains to know when he should seek a pro's help.

 

they did the framing on a cabin a friend built. It was amazing work.

 

Take it back to the Amish welder to finish. He did a great job for such a low price. You won't be able to match his skill.

 

Do it yourself, OR take it to a professional and pay to have it done...correctly.

Either way you can still say "I did it all".

The "Tool" you used in this application was "Cash"...and you made it happen.



Bobby

 

1. Pictures on a monitor don't tell the whole story. The proof of the pudding is if the frame is straight and level...it could have sagged from that amount of rot.

2. Speaking of DIY...do you intend to also do the 4 wheel alignment? Do you have the equipment to balance the wheels? Let's face it, some jobs just have to be farmed out.

 

I've read meany a thread on alignment and how someone at home can do just as good a job then a shop.

Probably not the case if the shop actually knows what they're doing but i bet i can get it pretty close by myself. Already did once after my suspension install. Never focused too much on it as I knew I was going to have it all off again soon.

But you're right. i know I won't be able to do everything but if I just give up whenever I hit a hump i'll never learn anything new....
Engine work will probably be an area I cave... but we'll see when I get there...

 

Don't be too quick to throw in the towel. No one that I know of has a machine shop in their garage, so cylinder boring, block decking, crank balancing and 3 angle valve jobs get farmed out for sure. But you can do all the preliminary work and the actual blueprinting/assembling of the engine. Even cc'ing the combustion chambers and smoothing out the casting flash from the ports only takes a few bucks worth of equipment.

 

Before spending money on powder or paint, check the frame for warpage. Heat from welding can warp the frame and should be pulled back before making it look pretty. You can use a plumb bob or just a nut on a piece of string and take measurments along the frame to floor. A level floor helps get precise measurements, but even if close will give you valuable feedback. That frame looks plenty strong for a street car. If you are abusing it racing, then they all need reinforcing. Good luck with the project. There is no shame in having a pro do a step in the process. It is a smart move on your part.

 

Don't forget the money side of things as well. Is the overall cost of learning to do something worth the amount of money to get it done. Some of these tasks require a ton of money a specialty equipment that you may only use once. Is it worth it? Learn, observe and gain experience. But don't feel you have to be proficient. It takes years for some of these guys to be as good as they are. I don't think you're less of a man and neither does anyone else.

Another quick thought. What if you did make a try at it and ruined the frame? That would have sucked far worse. I'll be watching, have fun.