2002 Arizona Rebuild

[blackyb]

As usual, great work buddy.

[Lumphammer]

Don't know if this is useful but it works very well to weld up holes, like when a spot weld drill goes all way through the second piece etc. Just an offcut of copper bar held behind the hole

01_weld_hole.jpg (403.64 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

Weld doesn't stick to the copper and the copper stops it blowing holes everywhere

02_weld_hole.jpg (398.66 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

03_weld_hole.jpg (417.26 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

I saw it on a youtube video somewhere, it's very useful

Got on and did the back inner sill reinforcements. Tacked on the two pieces

04_back_pieces_alignment.jpg (414.5 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

Then fitted the outer sill to check how it all fitted together

05_back_pieces_sill.jpg (399.12 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

The most awkward part is the fitment of the "fingers" (for lack of a better word) against the sill as they get plug welded together. In this picture they are "ok" but some are a bit out, to fix it I just bend the panel until they all sit nice and flush

06_back_pieces_plugs.jpg (391.81 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

When it's all good the back piece is welded on, front piece tacked on and fitment of the sill rechecked

07_first_piece_welded.jpg (404.29 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

Then the front piece is welded on

08_next_piece_welded.jpg (372.15 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

This shows how resistant to heat the 2-part zinc weld through primer is, i cleaned off the soot in the picture with a wire toothbrush but you can see the stuff hasn't moved

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Because i had access I gave it a coat of zinc aerosol

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At the front of the inner sill these are the repaired a-pillar reinforcement piece with the internal strengthening bracket about to get plug welded in

11_a_pillar_reinf.jpg (403.6 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

After it's welded in etc it got tacked to the a-pillar to work out the fitment on the joining piece which connects the three sill sections together.

12_a_pillar_reinf_tack.jpg (386.38 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

The joining piece gets tacked where it needs to be

13_join_piece_tack.jpg (370.16 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

Then it's all removed, fully welded, dressed and given some protection. Then it can go back in

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It gets welded onto the inner sill and the joining piece plug welds get clamped down onto the middle sill reinforcement

15_join_plugs.jpg (428.17 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

Then it's all welded in

16_a_pillar_welded.jpg (426.36 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

Dressed back and given some zinc aerosol

17_a_pillar_dressed.jpg (350.95 KiB) Viewed 4471 times

Going to get the front middle sill reinforcement in tomorrow and the plate thing under the cover that braces the outer wing arm

[blackyb]

[Mazda Mender]

Ally works the same as copper for this, its what I use...
M-m

[Lumphammer]

Thanks both. Yes alu works too, i just prefer copper because it absorbs more heat before it burns you

Got the two bits in today. First checked how the plug welds on the a-pillar reinforment piece to outer sill sat, they are ok about 1mm down but when pressed up with the jack they are good

01_plug_weld_alignment.jpg (361.28 KiB) Viewed 4446 times

Then prepped the front part of the sill reinforcement piece to go in

02_front_piece_prep.jpg (386.9 KiB) Viewed 4446 times

Welded in, dressed back and some zinc aerosol on it

03_front_piece_done.jpg (359.44 KiB) Viewed 4446 times

Then did the brace that goes between the inner sill, outer sill and arm reinforcement piece. This was an awkward one but it got there in the end

04_bracket_done.jpg (399.9 KiB) Viewed 4446 times

Fitted the outer sill and the front arm reinforcement piece to mark the plug welds

05_things_refitted.jpg (398.18 KiB) Viewed 4446 times

I marked and measured my plug welds on the inner sill to middle sill reinforment piece so i can dril the plug weld holes in the correct place on the outer sill. I want all the plug welds to sit on top of each other, it makes it stronger and emulates how the factory spot welds are

06_measure_things.jpg (379.84 KiB) Viewed 4446 times

Worked well, needed the jack to squish the outer sill up a few mm

07_check_holes.jpg (365.25 KiB) Viewed 4446 times

Going to get on with the outer sill tomorrow, there's a mad amount of plug weld holes to drill

[Lumphammer]

Haven't got a lot done in the past day but Happy Christmas to all of you sad enough to have read this far

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[Mazda Mender]

Haven't got a lot done in the past day but Happy Christmas to all of you sad enough to have read this far

Christmas.jpg

M-m

[blackyb]

[Lumphammer]

Finished preparing the outer sill, it's got weld through on all the weld points then they were masked before it got a coat of etch prime followed with a top coat of gloss black

01_sill_prepped.jpg (456.79 KiB) Viewed 4389 times

Got on with putting the sill on.

Found the back inner sill reinforcement piece wasn't sitting as flush as i'd hoped, don't know why but I needed a long reach welding clamp and didn't have one so made this contraption. The pivot is in the wrong place really but it takes up all the slack on the front clamps then you tighten the 19mm nut up at the back and it clamps down really hard

02_contraption.jpg (418.34 KiB) Viewed 4389 times

Lets me get some clamping on the inner reinforcement piece and close up the gap for the plug welds

03_contraption.jpg (423.83 KiB) Viewed 4389 times

Worked well

04_contraption.jpg (377.2 KiB) Viewed 4389 times

Plug welds on the rear inner reinforcment piece

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From the outside before any dressing

07_plugs.jpg (361.37 KiB) Viewed 4389 times

Going to get the front arm cover piece on tomorrow but that's another PITA piece done

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[Lumphammer]

Had a disrupted few days but got the front cover thing prepped

01_front_thing.jpg (445.05 KiB) Viewed 4315 times

Welded in and dressed back

02_welded_front_thing.jpg (433.08 KiB) Viewed 4315 times

And some zinc aerosol to tide it over until the whole structure gets protective paint, probably epoxy

03_painted_front_thing.jpg (390.26 KiB) Viewed 4315 times

Sill end plate and inner structure prepared the same. I think the sill end plate has the highest density of plug welds anywhere on the car

04_prep_sill_ep.jpg (414.07 KiB) Viewed 4315 times

Welded in, dressed back and some zinc aerosol. Seems to fit nice

05_done_sill_ep1.jpg (390.89 KiB) Viewed 4315 times

06_done_sill_ep2.jpg (360.38 KiB) Viewed 4315 times

Going to tidy up a few things and then get on with the outer rear arch tomorrow

I've been doing this car for about a year now. Took a big gap in the summer with other stuff but it's a crazy amount of time to spend, I know the pro guys are a lot faster than me but i can't see how there's any economic point in rebuilding these. I'm doing it because I like this car and it wasn't ever going to get scrapped.. definately in the 100's of hours, might be getting towards a thousand.

[blackyb]

In the end, once she is call done and sorted you can sit back and look at her with pride, knowing that it's all your own work. Imagine the miles of smiles your going to have. Well worth it in my opinion.

Looking forward to the day she is completed.

Happy New Year to one and all.

[Mazda Mender]

Because of the person he is , the next project is rattling around in his head.
It's murder but satisfying;0)
M-m

[Lumphammer]

Been a bit busy over the past few weeks but finally got the rear outer arch on

The fitment of this panel wasn't as good as the last one, it had the fold which i just cut out and welded up but had to use the shrinker to make the lower bit wrap around the back of the sill properly.

01_fold_shrink.jpg (308.1 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

The rear part sat a bit low just like the other side but was easy to fix by shrinking the top of the arch curve and hammering it against a dolly to make it smooth

02_rear_3mm.jpg (304.16 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Test fit.. seems OK

03_fit.jpg (382.97 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Prepared the inner, did the two notches in the inner arch for the rear arch liner and the bumper mount grommet

04_prep_1.jpg (392.34 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Prepared the outer

05_prep_2.jpg (398.78 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Final fitment in place ready for welding

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Then lots of roughly evenly spaced tacks spread out and cooled with compressed air

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08_tack2.jpg (345.76 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

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Picture of the back part that didn't fit properly now fitting alright. Haven't cleaned it up much in picture

10_rear_fitted.jpg (303.5 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

It went alright, think i did OK with distortion but there is a slight the dip just in front of the arch, will need a few mm of filler

11_arch_thing.jpg (388.68 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Plug welds in the arch before dressing

12_plugs.jpg (351.3 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Dressing in the bit inside the door shut. I've decided I prefer 80 grit paper in the finger sander, takes longer but gives a bit more control and wierdly the belts last a bit longer than 40 grit

13_door_side_dressed.jpg (428.09 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Arch dressed

14_arch_side_dressed.jpg (341.14 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Plugs on the underside dressed and some aerosol (forgot to take one before)

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Plug welds inside the arch

16_arch_plugs.jpg (346.91 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Finished rear arch panel

17_finished_rear_arch.jpg (376.23 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

Now got both sides and the back of the car done, got to move onto the front chassis rails and engine bay...

18_finished_side.jpg (389.61 KiB) Viewed 4122 times

[Lumphammer]

Because of the person he is , the next project is rattling around in his head.
It's murder but satisfying;0)
M-m

I've got too many projects and not enough time.. I'd like to make a lightweight widebody NA, but I'd really like to rebuild a silvia or 3000GT too. Probably won't have much time for a while after this car but there's a few small-ish things i'll probably get time to do with the blue car

[Mazda Mender]

Because of the person he is , the next project is rattling around in his head.
It's murder but satisfying;0)
M-m

I've got too many projects and not enough time.. I'd like to make a lightweight widebody NA, but I'd really like to rebuild a silvia or 3000GT too. Probably won't have much time for a while after this car but there's a few small-ish things i'll probably get time to do with the blue car

See, told ya
M-m