Maybe I'll work on my..... something.

I don't know if I should envy or pity you. Love the epoxy floor, but would never waste my time with the protective boards under the jack stands.

Every one of the scars or stains on my floor has a story...usually starts with "watch this, hold my beer".

Keep the pics coming.

Thanks
Kirk

 

Epoxy floor is shit. Didnt hold up anywhere near as well as it was advertised. Plus, multiple jugs with the same lot number have obvious color differences. Next time, polished concrete.

 

I agree...for the most part. I would not want it polished. I have one section of my shop that the finisher made too smooth. Any snow or water on that section and it is stupid slippery.

 

Driver side is fully cut and held in with cleco pins. Passenger side need 2 more tabs cut. Ran out of cutting blades for the grinder and local shops are 5 times per disc more than HF for discs that dont last half as long. Tomorrow, I have to go get a sheet of 16ga anyways so I'll stop by HF to get more discs.

This gives me 1/2" of clearance on the top of the tire at full tuck. But since I dont want my 4 link smacking the frame rails, I am going to put in 2" bump stops which will give me 2 1/2" at full tuck.

 

Tomorrow, I will make the inner skins from 16ga. Then I will clean the paint off the OE inner fender and start the long process of welding everything together.
This is the contour it needed.

 

One side trimmed out. Other side is almost done, just need to trim the top edge a little bit.

 

Fuel cell mount came in. Just waiting on the cell itself.

 

impressed with the progress!

I'm impressed that I was able to find time to change oil in my truck.

Find me some time to work on my drift boat project.

 

Meh. I get mad at myself for working so slowly. Back when I was younger, it took me a day to put a v8 in a Chevy Luv. Now, its taking me a day to cut out two pieces of metal.

 

You've obviously learned to work more carefully.

 

A little bit done today. I welded a couple pieces of 1x1x1/8 angle to the tub after shaping them to the same curvature of the frame rail with 1" spacing. They act ad a ledge to mount the trunk floor pan which I am making out of 16ga sheet. I plan to mount the fuel cell then box the floor over it so that it gets airflow. Im basically going to make a toolbox without a floor that will be part of the trunk pan and also be a shield for the fuel cell. It will have a lid that opens to access the cell for maintenance and adding fuel. The cell will sit on eight 1/2" rubber dampers on frame mounted crossmembers. That way, it is separated from the body.

 

Very nice!

 

Love watching all this.

Gotta ask. Where did you learn your skills?

 

Started turning wrenches before I can remember (father was a mechanic in the army). Most stuff I just figured out along the way. Probably would be easier to do with the proper tools, but I make it work one way or another.

 

I get the mechanical stuff. Dad was a gifted mechanic as well. I learned a lot at his side and crewing on an NHRA E/S ET record holder in my late teens.

It's the metal working that amazes me, for you and @koditten both. That is not easy to self teach. It also takes a bit of abstract thinking.

When you are building an unusual platform (old Mopar) for a hot rod (not many OTC 'kits'), sans any plans, melding frames, building tubs, etc. it's not easy.

Shows both creativity and metal working skills.

While it's not something I care to learn to do, I have a great admiration for those who do it well, like you guys do.

Much more fun to watch than bolt on plastic air boxes, mufflers and preloaded springs to create 'level' lifts.

Keep up the informative posts!

 

The metal working stuff comes from seeing how other people do stuff with the right tools. Then saying they are nuts for wanting that kind of $ and saying I'll figure out how to do it with a 4 1/2" grinder and a BFH.
If I had a Chevy or Ford, parts would be easy. But its a Mopar, so if I want something I either make it or I need to win the lotto.

 

Subbed! All kinds of good stuff in this thread!

 

Didnt get much done today. Added a small piece to each inner panel and finished getting the angle/rails contoured and welded to match. Im kinda at a stand still on any major advancement until monday when I can go get another sheet of 16ga to finish building/mocking up the trunk. So, I will be making templates/measurements for what i need to cut out of a sheet on monday.

 

Meh, so what, you had a down day.

The trip is often as much fun as the destination.

 

Wasnt too much of a down day. Changed collector gaskets on my truck, paid bills, and stripped off a bunch of nasty oil based something that was on the OE inner fenders in the trunk. Figured out I need to replace the rear body mount/floor sections due to rust. I got it far enough that I can more easily visualize how I am going to make other sections.