welded my bay with fuel lines in it and the tank in the car with fuel in it.....

Yea but that's because your chiseled jaw also acts as a fire suppresser.

Does anyone have pics of smoothing the firewall lip? I dont know whether to tap it down and cut it off and weld it or just knock it up and weld it. I've mucked around with both ways and i'd rather cut it off but dont want to rush into it without some more info first. ---------- Post added 10-10-12 at 11:14 ---------- Quote: Originally Posted by SL1987 [View Post] It doesnt leave a bump, you tap it up, weld it, grind it, bog it! job done. I do them almost every day and thats how we always do it.. I might try it this way myself. tell me, what do you do before you tap it up and weld it? do you tap it down, wire wheel out old sealant and surface rust then etch prime, new seam sealer then knock it right back up flat before welding it?? i just want to do everything properly so the job and car lasts.

clean it up to bare metal, zinc it then tap it up and weld. I always do them with tanks in and fuel lines, never had a problem

Quote: Originally Posted by gold-vlt [View Post] Does anyone have pics of smoothing the firewall lip? I dont know whether to know it down and cut it off and weld it or knock it up and weld it. I've mucked around with both ways and i'd rather cut it off but dont want to rush into it without some more info first. ---------- Post added 10-10-12 at 11:14 ---------- I might try it this way myself. tell me, what do you do before you tap it up and weld it? do you tap it down, wire wheel out old sealant and surface rust then etch prime, new seam sealer the knock it right back up flat before welding it?? i just want to do everything properly so the job and car lasts. l did it 2 mine it looks like crap ,after that l cut all the strut towers out ,boxed the rails and a moved the engine back 8'' tubed front end with strange racing struts and went left hand drive l will finish it one day

Quote: Originally Posted by [T]Matty [View Post] Neither of these 2 posts have helped me at all. I would rather ask here on the official vl forums than go ask the 70 year old cvnt who works up the road at the panel shop repairing trolley dings. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

It went from how to weld a lip to tube chassis and left hand drive... just saying.

Quote: Originally Posted by gold-vlt [View Post] Neither of these 2 posts have helped me at all. I would rather ask here on the official vl forums than go ask the 70 year old cvnt who works up the road at the panel shop repairing trolley dings. if you dont want in to crack the bog do your prep as you said and you will be ok, but leave then lip on, the engine bay looks like crap with out it

So true nice bay none the less! Lol

Just wondering if you guys paint stripped or got you bay bead blasted ???? Back to bare metal ???

Quote: Originally Posted by pigsy [View Post] if you dont want in to crack the bog do your prep as you said and you will be ok, but leave then lip on, the engine bay looks like crap with out it already tapped it up then cut it off yesterday then grinded it a bit. looks way better already. got the very far edges of the lip trimmed with a small cutting wheel on the dremel so now it blends in alot better and looks neat! ---------- Post added 13-10-12 at 11:47 ---------- Quote: Originally Posted by rb25vlt8 [View Post] Just wondering if you guys paint stripped or got you bay bead blasted ???? Back to bare metal ??? I would also like to know this. would be great for all the hard to get to folds around the head light and grill area and right in corners. But considering i'm stripping the majority of the bay back with brumby stripping discs, wire wheels, paint stripper i can't really justify paying the $300 to have the bay blasted when it would only make a difference on those hard to get to spots. im just going to spend some time masking up the bay and areas where you dont want grit getting into (seams etc) then use my sca hand air sandblaster gun around the headlight area. afterwards you could just sweep and vaccum up all thedust and use comperssed air to blow out the areas you blasted and the rest of the bay that would already be masked up anyway.

I'm just wondering if you guys just sanded and repainted after doing your modifications to the bay ??

i would strongly recommend blasting it if you can afford it, if not just use an air sander/grinder. For the seem sealer use a wire wheel on a drill/die grinder. Sand blasting at home is probably the messiest job and a f*cking prick! id steer clear of it..

Quote: Originally Posted by gold-vlt [View Post] already tapped it up then cut it off yesterday then grinded it a bit. looks way better already. got the very far edges of the lip trimmed with a small cutting wheel on the dremel so now it blends in alot better and looks neat! ---------- Post added 13-10-12 at 11:47 ---------- I would also like to know this. would be great for all the hard to get to folds around the head light and grill area and right in corners. But considering i'm stripping the majority of the bay back with brumby stripping discs, wire wheels, paint stripper i can't really justify paying the $300 to have the bay blasted when it would only make a difference on those hard to get to spots. im just going to spend some time masking up the bay and areas where you dont want grit getting into (seams etc) then use my sca hand air sandblaster gun around the headlight area. afterwards you could just sweep and vaccum up all thedust and use comperssed air to blow out the areas you blasted and the rest of the bay that would already be masked up anyway. each to their own l didnt like it

I was wondering where and how everyone gets their patch panels made up. The ones you weld in where you have cut out under the battery tray and air box. I need one made up for under the battery tray and i need it to roll over the edge and then continue down about 100mm in the direction of the chassis rail.

make them yourself, buy a sheet of .6 steel and make them. there easy to do..

Quote: Originally Posted by SL1987 [View Post] make them yourself, buy a sheet of .6 steel and make them. there easy to do.. Care to elaborate? What tools and techniques do i need to use? All i've really got to cut is a 4" grinder with thin cutting wheel. I need the rolled edge to match the factory shape. I'm sure you know which edge i'm talking about.

i wonder if tafe does courses for basic welding & fabrication. is that the dent on the drivers strut tower where the battery goes? i tapped all of mine out and dollyed them flat

Anyone got suggestions on dressing up the rails a bit ? I don't wanna box mine .