BUILD-OFF CHALLENGE: Tygaboy's '75 LS3, It seemed a good idea at the time... Options

[Andyrew]

Love the progress and all the boxing!!!

[Jeff Hail]

Boring, I know, but progress is being made!

I patched all the battery acid and rust damage on the inner wheel house (except the small hole you can see just ahead of the reinforcement plate). This allowed me to get the passenger side outer reinforcement fit and tacked in; I can deal with that hole later. I REALLY want to wrap up the install of these raised pick ups.

And after looking more closely, I think I can weld these plates in with the access I have. At the very least, I'll give it a go with things as they are.

Nice job Chris!

...about 600 trigger squeezes to button it up.

[dr.tim]

Have I said that I don't see how folks do this install without a rotisserie? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

It's not unpossible, but it does require a remnant of youth, flexibility and determination; knowing how to speak cursive fluently, and understanding when to just walk away.

[tygaboy]

Boring, I know, but progress is being made!

I patched all the battery acid and rust damage on the inner wheel house (except the small hole you can see just ahead of the reinforcement plate). This allowed me to get the passenger side outer reinforcement fit and tacked in; I can deal with that hole later. I REALLY want to wrap up the install of these raised pick ups.

And after looking more closely, I think I can weld these plates in with the access I have. At the very least, I'll give it a go with things as they are.

Nice job Chris!

...about 600 trigger squeezes to button it up.

Jeff - I've been TIG'ing everything so far but to your point, I've been thinking these outer plates would be simpler to MIG. At least along that upper edge. I hope to find out later today! Thanks for the encouraging words, too.

[tygaboy]

Have I said that I don't see how folks do this install without a rotisserie? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

It's not unpossible, but it does require a remnant of youth, flexibility and determination; knowing how to speak cursive fluently, and understanding when to just walk away.

@dr.tim - Fluent cursing and walking away: Interestingly, my go to, which I spontaneously and uncontrollably shout ends up being "Piece of s*** mother f***er!!!"

I find if I really emphasize that 2nd to last syllable, I don't have to walk away and can keep after the work at hand. But I hear you - whatever gets you through it!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[tygaboy]

I opted to go MIG along the top edge. Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
Not my best welds but so long as they are strong, this area is really function over form.

And there's no doubt I got good penetration! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

That rubber isolation mount was reinstalled after things cooled.

[Superhawk996]

- Fluent cursing and walking away: Interestingly, my go to, which I spontaneously and uncontrollably shout ends up being "Piece of s*** mother f***er!!!"

I find if I really emphasize that 2nd to last syllable, I don't have to walk away and can keep after the work at hand. But I hear you - whatever gets you through it!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

According to my wife, I'm the only one that acts this way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[Jeff Hail]

- Fluent cursing and walking away: Interestingly, my go to, which I spontaneously and uncontrollably shout ends up being "Piece of s*** mother f***er!!!"

I find if I really emphasize that 2nd to last syllable, I don't have to walk away and can keep after the work at hand. But I hear you - whatever gets you through it!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

According to my wife, I'm the only one that acts this way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

That's funny..... yet there is a collective of fine gentlemen that can eloquently turn five words into single word with only one syllable. If they weld they can under some circumstances simultaneously break dance while removing one boot in two seconds flat reminiscent of a bizarre ritual.

[tygaboy]

After some TIGing, I decided I would have better, faster, less heat results going MIG.

There are places where, despite my best efforts to clean things, I still had crap pull though the weld from the other side of the chassis panel and cause some blotchy spots.

But in all, I'm happy with how this is coming out. It's going to get tinted bed liner on the entire underside so things will be all nice and tidy. Still, I'm after the best I can do.

[Cairo94507]

Man, that's some nice welding. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Krieger]

That looks really good Chris!

[Jeff Hail]

After some TIGing, I decided I would have better, faster, less heat results going MIG.

There are places where, despite my best efforts to clean things, I still had crap pull though the weld from the other side of the chassis panel and cause some blotchy spots.

But in all, I'm happy with how this is coming out. It's going to get tinted bed liner on the entire underside so things will be all nice and tidy. Still, I'm after the best I can do.

Nice work! That area looks much cleaner with the flanges trimmed down at the lower cap.

Funny thing about your observation that crap pulled through the weld from the other side. Seriously its like Casper the ghost walking through steel. Very annoying.

[tygaboy]

Major Milestone: Install of the Tangerine Racing rear pick ups is complete! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

OK, so there are a couple spots where I got contamination in the welds so I'll go back and tidy them up but that's essentially cosmetic so I'm calling this DONE!

In all, it wasn't bad. I was just so paranoid about it because it seemed like I could really screw it up, what with it being the suspension points and all. But I took my time and quadruple triple checked things along the way and it turned out pretty well.

And the final welding did change the camber measurements. Following Mr. Hail's recommendation of welding upper outside/lower inside first was spot on. I added a couple tenths negative camber and can happily report that with no shims, I have -1.9 degrees on both sides!

Can't hardly believe I did it. Hopefully, my experience will help others like @914forme who have this install ahead of them.


Big thanks to Jeff Hail and @ChrisFoley (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) for their help and encouragement!

On to the next to-do...

[sixnotfour]

Thats a strap..I mean a Wrap... Great Job....Tangerine will sell more kits with documentation like this,, and Jeff Hails too... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[tygaboy]

Back to the custom fab to-do list stuff. There are a ton of little things to finish off so this afternoon it was welding in the side supports for the main fire wall panels.

Drill some plug weld holes, prep and weld-through primer between the mating surfaces and in they go. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

It's finally happening: less Clecos! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

I'll be seam sealing all these panel intersections, too.

[tygaboy]

And here's one of those "well, I didn't see that coming" items.

The door bars and rear suspension tower brace bars were installed prior to my fabulous idea of a custom fire wall. The aforementioned bars are welded to plates that were plug welded to each other when the factory fire wall was there. Now that things are "different", these plates ended up sort of hanging in space. They are plenty strong and are pretty well tied in to the chassis so I'm really just trying to visually tidy things up.

After a bit of head scratching, I decided to plate them in.

This first pic shows what's left of the original fire wall below the rear window on the driver side. The sharpie line is what will be removed and gives you an idea of how the plates look like they're just hanging there. The second pic is the passenger side showing the fire wall trimmed to final shape and the beginnings of the plating in of the plates.

Yes, I have a full plate! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[tygaboy]

Chipping away at all the chassis stuff. Here is another "extra thing" I have to do due to the custom fire wall.

You can see the shape of the factory floor panel means there's a gap between it and the lower cross member, which leaves a nice little passageway into the interior. That won't do!

A quick cardboard template transferred to sheet metal, some trimming/fitting and it's ready to weld in. Repeat on the other side.

[Andyrew]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

Your making a lot of progress in such a short amount of time! Not gonna recognize the car shortly!!

[tygaboy]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

Your making a lot of progress in such a short amount of time! Not gonna recognize the car shortly!!

@Andyrew - Thanks. For the first time, I created a to-do list of what's left before I can send the chassis off to be media blasted and epoxy primered. It's about 40 items. Some quick and easy, some not. Some require design decisions (radiator vents in the inner fender or not).

I have the skin cancer surgery on 12/23 and the doc says because of how close it is to my eye, and because I've had two other surgeries near it, he doesn't want to reconstruct until after the tests come back showing they got it all - which takes like a week. This means I'll have a covered "open wound" until the Jan 7, reconstruct surgery.
All this means I'll be required to limit physical activity for almost 3 weeks.

Hey, after over 3 years, suddenly NOW I'm in a hurry to finish! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[Cairo94507]

I will be thinking of you on 12/23 buddy. Hopefully it all goes easy-peasy and you are home relaxing before you know it and counting the days until you can get back to work on your car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)