Author Topic: Resto started! (Read 71899 times)

Challenger III · « **Reply #90 on:** May 08, 2010 - 11:05:57 AM »

Welcome Home!

Looking forward to seeing more progress on your project.

Sean · « **Reply #91 on:** May 08, 2010 - 10:02:49 PM »

Thanks Mike, it's great to be back home!

Sean

Cuda 72 · « **Reply #92 on:** May 10, 2010 - 09:30:28 AM »

Hey Sean, what unit are you with? I'm AF out at Whiteman. Nice project by the way, a lot more in depth than mine.

sleepychallenger · « **Reply #93 on:** May 11, 2010 - 12:28:30 AM »

Welcome back Sean. Good to see that you are back safe and sound. Better get on it before you have to go again.

Sean · « **Reply #94 on:** May 11, 2010 - 02:39:29 PM »

Cuda 72 - I'm currently with the Air Force Network Integration Center (AFNIC), but will be moving across base to the AMC ACCC when my R&R and leave time is done. How about yourself?

Drew - I hear ya buddy! Need to call the place I'm getting the steel for my rotisserie from to find out if they're done cutting it for me.

Sean

Cuda 72 · « **Reply #95 on:** May 11, 2010 - 08:49:52 PM »

Currently weapons safety, but decided to jump into the predator/reaper world.
I look forward to watching your progress; sounds like it will be a sweet ride!

Sean · « **Reply #96 on:** May 12, 2010 - 04:12:22 PM »

Sounds like a pretty cool job! Working with the UAVs should be fun!!!

Yesterday I got the metal from the supplier for the rotisserie. The total came to $441..ouch! But that�s better than the $1000+ you can plan to spend for a pre-fabbed one.

So today, I rigged up the table saw with a sanding disc and beveled all the edges of the stock I bought. This will give a greater surface for the weld to grab onto. Plus it cleans up the edges so the posibility of getting cut on an edge lessens. Next step is to layout and mark all the pieces before I bring it over to a buddy of mine's house to weld it all together.

Sean

Sean · « **Reply #97 on:** May 20, 2010 - 06:48:25 PM »

Today I finished the last of the prep work for the rotisserie. Drilled a couple more holes and cut out the areas for where the rotating sleeves go. Then gave my buddy Jim a call to see if he was busy. He wasn't so I loaded up the metal and hauled it over to his house. With plans in hand, he tacked it all together. From there, he gave me a quick tutorial on how to MIG weld and I was laying beads in no time. Not pretty at first, but I caught on pretty quick. It's defi9nately a finese kind of thing. It too about 3 hours to get it all welded up. (Sorry, no pics of it right now)

Tomorrow, I'm going to call a portable sandblaster guy and have him come out next week to sandblast the car. I'm going to take the car over to Jim's and have the sandb;asting done there. That way, he can spray it with epoxy primer while the metal is fresh. Jim also has a car that he wants done - a '29 five window Chevy. In the meantiime, I'm going to do the rest of the prep work on the car which consists of taking a few more pieces off the care (instection covers, a fuel line and some other small bits).

geminiviper · « **Reply #98 on:** May 20, 2010 - 07:45:04 PM »

Sounds like a blast, heh... Sandblaster... Nevermind.

I'm also stationed at Scott. For a tad longer anyway.

Sean · « **Reply #99 on:** May 20, 2010 - 09:46:18 PM »

Hey Ben,
Where do you work out at Scott? I'm currently working for AFNIC but will be moving to AMC ACCC.

Sean

geminiviper · « **Reply #100 on:** May 21, 2010 - 11:47:34 AM »

I work out in Security Forces in the Training section. But I probably won't be here too much longer because I just put in for K9. Can't wait to go play with the puppies.

It would be totally awesome to see your car if you're cool with that. Since my purchase plan fell through I've developed a new plan. I'll be buying a body/project car when I finish up my degree so getting to know my way around a car will be fun.

Sean · « **Reply #101 on:** May 26, 2010 - 01:16:35 AM »

Today was a busy day. First thing I went to St. Louis to get more metal for the rotisserie. Picked up the piece that joins them in the middle and a few smaller pieces to fab up a special bracket for mounting the rear of my car to the rotisserie.

Then I went into the garage and finished stripping off anything that could possibly unscrew - transmission mount, fender bolts, roof seatbelt holders, door catches, fuel lines, brake lines, and a few other small things.

Then I took the metal over to Jim�s house and picked up the pieces of the rotissereie that will mount to the front frame rail. Brought it home to drill holes into. After I was done drilling the holes, I got a call from the sand blaster. We are confirmed for Thursday morning! Tomorrow we are going to take the Cuda over to Jim�s.

Sean · « **Reply #102 on:** May 27, 2010 - 08:06:00 PM »

Major milestone achieved!!! This morning I got up really early and a buddy came over with his trailer. We loaded the Cuda up on his trailer and hauled it over to his place. Once there, we unloaded it and put it up on the rotisserie. We didn�t have any problems getting it up and she spins just fine!!! One problem I will encounter is once the quaters are on there will not be clearance for the car to sit completely sideways when on the rotisserie. It would hit the 1/2" steel plate gusset on the rotisserie. Oh well...

Once up, the sandblaster came over and got to work. It took him 2 � hours to blast the shell, a door (didn�t get the other one broken down in time), and the rear valence. He didn�t do the roof as the media he was using was very aggressive and he didn�t want to risk warping it. He did a really good job and it cost $300.

I knew I was going to have to replace the driver side, rear passenger foot well and the driver side floor pan was questionable. It looks like driver side floor pan is salvageable. However, the sandblasting revealed some rot that I wasn�t aware of � which I was expecting but hoping I wouldn�t have. The passenger side, rear passenger foot well is going to need to be replaced and found a bunch of rot on the firewall just below the cowl.

Sean · « **Reply #103 on:** May 27, 2010 - 11:53:36 PM »

Jim called me as I was about to sit down for dinner to let me know he was getting ready to spray the car with the epoxy primer I had bought earlier in the day. So I woof down my BLT and head on over. He�s got the underside just about done. He finished up the underside just as his wife came up with his dinner. Great timing! He hands over the sprayer and then it�s my turn!!! I finished up what I could with the car on its passenger side and then flip it over to the driver�s side. I sprayed some more, mostly in the interior. Then we level it out and I sprayed all remaining areas.

Man, spraying the floor and other interior areas was so easy on the rotisserie!!! I couldn�t imagine painting a car without one.

Some close ups of some of the rot...

dutch · « **Reply #104 on:** May 28, 2010 - 03:04:14 AM »

nice rotisserie

Do you plan on welding the quarters and floors back on while the car is on the rotisserie? I`d advise you to put it on a rig and have it measured... I personally think it`s quiet scary to hang a unibody with so little stucture left up in a rotisserie.