Welding Body Panels-Any Tips ?

[whitescout]

So,.... how is the new job going, and have you done any work on your car?

[ISKI]

I think that Tig would be great, but slow. I paid for college by fixing cars with a buddy in his garage. I would hold a large wet sponge on each sided of the seam (ice cold water). He would run a Mig bead as fast as possible while I moved the sponges along the seam to quench the heat. This resulted in almost no heat distortion to the panel. One would need to tap/grind down the bead as it bumped up (need some indent so you don't grind it all away). If it was an expensive car we would fill with lead and scrape, most cars got Bondo or Marglass. I would think that with a Tig you could eliminate most of the bump, but it would be 4 times slower and you would have to watch the heat.

[wellis77]

How is the job and have you made any progress on the car? There is a guy on Viperalley.com building a Ghia with a Viper V10, custome suspension, all kinds of craziness. Would love to see where you are at with your build.

[ISKI]

A Viper V10 should be tough to match. I can fit this V10, but it is out of my budget. Currently I need to remake the rear A-arms, Add some gussets, add some thin tube to hang the glass body, and make more aluminum interior panels. So I've done the brunt of the direction stuff, and am working the details. I can mount the transmission, suspension and most of the body today.