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The "What Did You Work On Today" thread

3M views 36K replies 388 participants last post by  cerial 
#1 ·
4 hour work day for me at the shop. Used the time to do a valve body swap on a '01 Jetta 1.8t auto .... I successfully installed a transbrake on the car .... that however wasn't my intention.

Its in 2 gears at once in park, all other gears (R/N/D/2/1) are forward gears.... they all seam to be first gear.

I have it torn back down most of the way. Tuesday I'll actually get the VB back out and see whats up.... but part of me wants to take it out for a test drive the way it is just for the fun of it.
 
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#3,922 ·
Your torch welding looks good. :thumbup:
Ditto for me Brian. It looks great. When I was using a torch I always used a #2 tip with a soft flame. The 00 tip tended to pop back on me more. Do you have any problem with the jewelers torch popping back? When I chopped the Merc I did the whole car with a torch but have not lit it in ages. You are making me want to play with mine. :thumbup:

John


 
#3,923 ·
The welds were not pretty, I have to get up to speed. I am talking with everything, I was fighting it a little. Both torches provided a pretty good weld, I have a ways to go before I could even discuss it with any clarity at all. First time in many years and I fumbled thru it.

John, I love your leaf spring to maintain the rear deck curvature, very clever. Talk about a lot of welds! Isn't it a treasure that you have photos! I can't believe how stingy we were with those photos but damn, when you only have 12, you just couldn't take them like we do today. I just looked and I have 11 photos of welding this hole up, that would have been a whole roll of film in my Kodac Instimatic! And it would have been a week before I saw them!

Brian



Brian
 
#3,926 ·
No, believe me with the large tip it isn't that hard at all. And it is so light! So if you have to hold it all day long it is a lot easier than a brass Victor. My Craftsmen torch actually has an aluminum butt with small brass tubes going thru it so it's not too heavy either.

I used this little torch welding the quarter patch on the bottom of the Gran Sport and it worked like a charm.

Brian
 
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#3,927 ·
You know what's funny, in all of my top chops, sections, what ever, I have never ran a brace across anything! I always set them up so I didn't have to. However, in doing collision repair and replacing the whole sides of cars I found how helpful they can be and will be doing that in the truck I believe.

Brian
 
#3,929 ·
Nice work on the fill Brian!
And I love the leaf spring support on your top chop John! I've never seen that done, and it's great!
It really was not done as a support. I was looking for something simple to use as a template to make sure the top flowed evenly as I added the filler material. I think it was a suggestion on Tommy Steadman's video in chopping Mercury's. Been a long time ago. Not possative.

By the time I chopped that sucker and put it on a Skylark floor pan and firewall assembly my welding skills definitely improved. :D

John L
 
#3,930 ·
It really was not done as a support. I was looking for something simple to use as a template to make sure the top flowed evenly as I added the filler material. I think it was a suggestion on Tommy Steadman's video in chopping Mercury's. Been a long time ago. Not possative.

By the time I chopped that sucker and put it on a Skylark floor pan and firewall assembly my welding skills definitely improved. :D

John L
Well it works! I've seen some top chops that were flawless, but didn't "flow" well because they didn't make the transistions right. I love a chopped top that is so subtle it's hard to tell it's even chopped!
 
#3,931 ·
Well it works! I've seen some top chops that were flawless, but didn't "flow" well because they didn't make the transistions right. I love a chopped top that is so subtle it's hard to tell it's even chopped!
Me too. Customizing should enhance the factory styling. Different is not necessarily better. The Merc was chopped 3 1/2 inches and if I was doing it again I would do it,2 1/2.

John L.
 
#3,932 ·
Me too. Customizing should enhance the factory styling. Different is not necessarily better. The Merc was chopped 3 1/2 inches and if I was doing it again I would do it,2 1/2.

John L.
I am actually thinking about un-chopping my cab a half an inch. It's 4" which was the same as the old cab. I think it will look good but I have to think would the GM styling studio did it that much? :sweat: A half an inch makes a heck of a difference, so 3 1/2" may be what I do. It only has one post on each side all welded, and I have the pieces I cut out, I might as well. :p

Brian
 
#3,933 ·
I am actually thinking about un-chopping my cab a half an inch. It's 4" which was the same as the old cab. I think it will look good but I have to think would the GM styling studio did it that much? :sweat: A half an inch makes a heck of a difference, so 3 1/2" may be what I do. It only has one post on each side all welded, and I have the pieces I cut out, I might as well. :p

Brian
Now that is being particular. It is a lot more work to unchop it than it is to chop it. If you do that we will Have to give you credit for stamina or something.:rolleyes:

John
 
#3,935 ·
Got back on the Falcon today, and put my trunk mounted battery box in. Then ran the cables, and installed battery cutoff switch. After that I hooked up my remote starter sw. and cranked the engine over to adjust the valves.
Got more wiring done to the front and installed my QD connectors to make pulling the tilt front easier. Had my neighbor help me reinstall the tilt frontend, and I need to do more trimming than I thought. With the pivot/tilt system, the front moves forward 5.5", and then tilts. That made the rear edge too narrow to clear the bug catcher. I'll have to trim another .5"-1" on each side to clear easily. After that I can bend up my edge trim, and weld a raised lip to the opening to dress it, and help make it stronger.

looks good is that a straight axle. its got that 60's drag car look. brings back memories of Colchester drag way inCT.
 
#3,936 ·
Had to "un-chop" a 30 model A Ford once. The original chop having been done by a 24-pack bodyman, with hack saw and brazing rod.. Was quite a challange.

Love that Falcon, reminds me of the days at Pacific dragway in Missouri.. Boss had a 60 Falcon with a big Pontiac in it.

Worked on my narrowed 9" rear today. Finally got it assembled. Less a few pieces. Lost half of the bolts somewhere and some of the brake parts. They will show up after I buy some new replacements.

Now I have to get it under the chassis and figure out the parking brake cables and a flexible -3 line from frame to brake line T.. Also noticed that the only way I can fill this rear with gear oil. Is thru the vent.. No fill plug in housing or carrier. Why didn't I notice that before??

Geezer itis is catching up fast!!
 
#3,939 ·
looks good is that a straight axle. its got that 60's drag car look. brings back memories of Colchester drag way inCT.
Yes, it's an Econoline straight axle.

Finished up the wiring today, and did some tests of the lights. Found some minor problems with turnsignals and tailights, but they were all either socket corrosion, or lamps and easily fixed. Thought I'd bump the starter to test it, and nothing happened. After some troubleshooting with a test light I found no output on the start lead of the ignition switch. I'll pull it tomorrow, and replace if it tests bad.
Still need to hook up temp/oil gauges, and bleed the brakes, but pretty close to firing it up.
 
#3,940 ·
blocked on the 55 Chevy I'm working on. Second round of primer and it's night and day compared to how little primer the old painter applied. One gallon of poly for the first round and one gallon for the second round. First round I blocked with 120 a couple times. Second round I'm blocking with 240 and even reguide coating on the important panels. It's wiping off the guide coat really well. After we're done we'll fix a few areas in the jamb and kick it to the painter. He will then 2k prime with one coat and wet sand with 600. No sealer to bunch up and cause issues. I will do my own car the same way with the exception of my last app of primer will probably be two coats and it will be spi epoxy (yet to order it). I will also skip the sealing stage.
 
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