Some motivation

[Arthur1947]

So I became motivated lately with the change of weather and of course this forum. I just finished rebuilding the rear brakes and now I have to make a decision on some rust spots down towards the rockers. I should repair that and then put the front clip on but my eagerness gets the better of me. My excuse? Well I don't really have one. I need to make some more air cleaners but that's a poor excuse. I don't weld and would like to fix this the right way. There's no major stuctural damage. Any suggestion?

Best.

ARTHUR

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[Norm's Coupe]

Don't let the welding inexperience stop you. I never use to weld either until the late 90's. I picked up a cheap ARC welder for around $90, some rods, welding gloves and a helmet. Still couldn't weld the right spot most of the time though. Then I bought a cheap auto darkening helmet a few years ago from Harbor Freight. That was all I needed. Now that I can see where to strike the arc I can weld. Not the best welder, but I get the job done. You can too with the right stuff and a little practice. It's actually fun to be able to stick two pieces of steel together.

By the way, today you can also buy cheap 110 volt wire welders and they are easier to work with, so I've been told. I still use my cheap 110 volt arc welder though because I'm use to it.

[steveplym]

Is it rusted all the way thru or just surface rust? How bad is the damage?

Several things to ask when getting ready to repair it. You may not know how bad it is until you remove the rust and paint from the damaged area.

I used to do many a backyard body shop jobs in high school. Screen wire and bondo glass was all I used. Then once I found out after a few months it will crack and fall out went to school to learn how to do it the right way.

Mig welding is fairly easy once you get the hang of it, but you need to know what type of repair your car needs. If it is just small rust holes or surface rust it may fill with long strand fiberglass for now, or you could have it mig welded.

Other option would be to cut out that piece and replace it. (Probably the best option) You need to know if there is a patch panel available or if you have access to some metal you can make your own patch panel.

It's all totally up to you and what your budget will allow.

[Plymouthy Adams]

arc welder..too heavy for the job..wire welder..good one is very expensive..cheap one has a low duty cycle..weld and wait if you really get into it..oxy acetelyne..my favorite method, metal is less brittle, burn out is at a minimun due to abiltty to gauge the heat by eye as you go thus no punch out or gaping holes..if you get a gap..no biggy you can fill it so super quick with a torch..if using the wire machine..back it with heavy plate aluminum to prevent burn outs to some degree. bottom line...got to have the right tools..patience and luck soes come in handy when starting out...

[Norm's Coupe]

Tim,

As I mentioned before. Wire welding is easier than Arc welding. However, I can weld very thin steel with the arc welder using the small diameter rods and it'll look like wire welds. Also have a stitch welder attachment for it so I can weld even thinner steel. Works real well once you get use to it. My arc welder does have different amp settings on it for various size rods and gage steel you are welding.

Either way, arc or wire though, my welds are a little sloppy. However, someone told me thats why they made grinders, to smooth those sloppy welds out.

[knuckleharley]

My suggestion is to buy a MIG welder. Don't make the mistake of buying a cheap (in quality) one,though. Buy either a Miller or a HTP. I have a HTP,and can't recommend it highly enough. 1-800-USA-WELD.

That doesn't mean you have to get carried away and buy one like used in shipyards,though. Mine is a 140 amp that will weld up to 1/4 inch steel with one pass,and I will never even weld steel that thick with it. Best of all,mine is 110 volt that can be plugged in anywhere,and it is AC/DC that will use any size wire,even flux core wire for welding outside.

Mig welding is so easy you could train a monkey to do it in 30 days. HTP used to sell a video tape of their MIG welder being used to show you what it will do,and if you bought one of their machines they would give you a 20 dollar refund on the videotape you bought.

Once you buy a welder,you will be surprised at how often you can use it to make brackets or repair things.

[Rodney Bullock]

Authur, how are you, glad you are back on your project. Welding is no big deal, you can make as many mistakes as you want because where you weld people ussually can't see that repair anyway. Plus some body filler can make any repair seem perfect. Glad your back contributing to the forum again , keep up the good work!

[knuckleharley]

....Glad your back contributing to the forum again , keep up the good work!

Thanks,Rodney. Finally got my health back to the point where I can start working on the 42 again. Have it in my shop and up on the lift now. Stripping all the front sheet metal off so I can start working on the engine and the chassis. Have a broken front sway bar and discovered the front crossmember is "soft" from having a mouse nest in there. Now I need to find a good crossmember before I start putting it back together.

The good news is that the engine is the cleanest old engine I have ever been into. I bet there wasn't a quarter inch of sludge in the bottom of the base pan,and there is none at all to be seen up inside the engine around the cam. I think the 30,000 miles showing may be the actual mileage.