My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

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Trevor Gates
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#106 Post by Trevor Gates »

Wow, that fillet weld looks nice, real nice!
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Mark Dionne
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#107 Post by Mark Dionne »

Tom Perazzo wrote: The Stoddard paint was removed, because I wasn't sure how good it was. If my memory serves me right, the paint wasn't easy to remove so it might be worth keeping.
Weld thru primer is a good idea, but I didn't use it. ... I also injected epoxy primer from the outside seams wherever possible.
Thanks. "Injecting" epoxy sounds like a good idea.

I've tried SEM weld-thru in several places with plug welds. Sometimes it worked perfectly and other times I had trouble striking an arc or got lots of splatter. I suspect that one needs to use a very thin coat, but that's not so easy to guarantee. In one case I was able to pull off a small piece with 5 plug welds because none of them got penetration. The idea of this happening half-way through installing the outer longitudinal is enough to keep me up at night!
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Tom Perazzo
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#108 Post by Tom Perazzo »

Mark,
Yes, the strength of a plug weld depends on the root pass of the lower most sheet metal. If the weld sputters or has porosity due to the primer, than I wouldn't use the primer. Try a sample panel without. I set my MIG fairly hot when doing these plug welds too. For instance, if a butt weld is 4.5 on the miller heat setting, then I use 5.5 for plug welds. In theory they should be stronger than a resistance spot weld assuming you use a 3/16" or larger punched hole. The resulting plug is almost 3/8" after welding. The fact that you are testing your welds, already means you are ahead of the game. Best of luck, and if I can be of any help please ask.


Tom Perazzo
1964 SC Coupe (under restoration)
www.ZalexIndustries.com

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Phil Planck
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#109 Post by Phil Planck »

I use a Q-Tip saturated with laquer thinner to clean the weld thru primer out of the plug hole before doing a plug weld. Figure that particular circle's worth of primer is going to burn away anyway, plus be filled with weld, thus not needing to be there in the first place.
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Vic Skirmants
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#110 Post by Vic Skirmants »

Good idea!
No... Great idea!

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Mark Dionne
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#111 Post by Mark Dionne »

I tested the Stoddard outer longitudinal's black paint with lacquer thinner, and it came off very easily, so I decided to remove all of it and use epoxy primer.

I got it all off in less than half an hour: pour on a bit of lacquer thinner or acetone, scrub with coarse steel wool and wipe with a paper towel damp with solvent. Do about a square foot at a time. Use a proper respirator and avoid flames! Vinyl gloves seemed to work a bit better than nitrile ones.

I found a small amount of what looks like surface rust UNDER the black primer.

I masked the edges and plan to use Tom's idea of forcing epoxy primer into the joints with compressed air after doing the plug welds.
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Tom Perazzo
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#112 Post by Tom Perazzo »

The media blaster did a fairly good job of cleaning the inside and outside of my door.
IMG_7808.JPG
IMG_7810.JPG
I ran a palm sander (without sandpaper) around the perimeter to loosen trapped dust and then used a long air nozzle to clean the interior of the door. Then sprayed with CRC 3-36.

Today, the focus was on the lower section of the interior frame featuring rust holes galore.

I formed a replacement piece by hand. Was it easy to form the corner? Hell no! I wish I had a nickel for every time I hit it with a hammer :)
IMG_7820.JPG
And here it is welded in.
IMG_7824.JPG
Hard to see in the picture, but much effort was required to preserve the jog in the frame. My weld was dangerously close to the jog the entire length. I also filled some of the pits that were near the jog with my TIG. Next time I fill deeply pitted areas I will remember to take a close up before and after picture.

Thanks for following along. This old door is slowly getting better.


Tom Perazzo
1964 SC Coupe (under restoration)
www.ZalexIndustries.com

Justin Rio
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#113 Post by Justin Rio »

Great work Tom! I admire your commitment to saving the original doors. You have more patients then I do. I would have taken the easy way out and located a pair of cherry doors. I'm lazy! :D Nice work! Justin

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Phil Planck
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#114 Post by Phil Planck »

Tom

Definitely not a Michigan car, otherwise that inner would have looked like this before and after. I didn't have enough metal left to know that the corners were curved.
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bad inner metal.JPG
All repair pieces tacked on inner.JPG
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Tom Perazzo
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#115 Post by Tom Perazzo »

Hi Justin, Ha...Lazy is NOT the word I would use to describe you and your project!
Maybe my car's soul will be happier with the original doors, but to be honest I'm just too cheap to buy a cherry door!

Phil, Thanks for making me feel lucky to have easily restorable doors. Yours look great after lots of hard work for sure.

Today, I worked on the top of the door where the fuzzy strip goes.
Piece removed from top rear of door.  This entire flange is very pitted, but I only cut out the pieces that had holes.
Piece removed from top rear of door. This entire flange is very pitted, but I only cut out the pieces that had holes.
Patch welded in.  I always plan my welds to be on a ridge to reduce distortion.
Patch welded in. I always plan my welds to be on a ridge to reduce distortion.
This is probably overkill, but I decided to edge weld the seam that could siphon water in.
This is probably overkill, but I decided to edge weld the seam that could siphon water in.
More to follow:


Tom Perazzo
1964 SC Coupe (under restoration)
www.ZalexIndustries.com

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Tom Perazzo
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#116 Post by Tom Perazzo »

Here's another patch on the same flange at about the midpoint of the door.
IMG_7863.JPG
This may be boring to most, but I'm in an instructive mood. Below is a sequence of pictures how I make my patches prior to TIG welding.
Plain paper marked with my dirty thumbs running over the metal edge.  For more complex contours I prefer manilla folders from my office.
Plain paper marked with my dirty thumbs running over the metal edge. For more complex contours I prefer manilla folders from my office.
A fat dry erase marker is used to mark both the paper and metal simultaneously
A fat dry erase marker is used to mark both the paper and metal simultaneously
Final cut should just remove all ink.
Final cut should just remove all ink.
First cut is always 1/4 " larger than necessary.  Cuts made with tin snips
First cut is always 1/4 " larger than necessary. Cuts made with tin snips
Second cut prevents patch from distorting.  Instead the scrap rolls up like a cinnamon roll
Second cut prevents patch from distorting. Instead the scrap rolls up like a cinnamon roll
Test fit.  If any adjustment is necessary I use my right angle die grinder with 2" 60 grit disk to sand the edge.
Test fit. If any adjustment is necessary I use my right angle die grinder with 2" 60 grit disk to sand the edge.
Welded in.  I like to leave tails near the weld seam to avoid difficultly welding at the ends.  Additional metal prevents consuming base metal when approaching end.  A cutoff wheel takes this off quickly.
Welded in. I like to leave tails near the weld seam to avoid difficultly welding at the ends. Additional metal prevents consuming base metal when approaching end. A cutoff wheel takes this off quickly.
If you look carefully you can see where I cheated and filled some pits in this flange. I think this old door might last my lifetime if its painted correctly despite the pitted areas.
There were some broken spot welds near the vent window.  Once again I edge welded things and even added welds above the factory spots welds.  This thing isn't going anywhere now.  I need to get my chrome strip and double check which holes are correct.  One of the two holes on the right will get welded closed.
There were some broken spot welds near the vent window. Once again I edge welded things and even added welds above the factory spots welds. This thing isn't going anywhere now. I need to get my chrome strip and double check which holes are correct. One of the two holes on the right will get welded closed.
This junker door tells lots of stories of how many times it was probably slammed. At least enough times to break some spot welds.


Tom Perazzo
1964 SC Coupe (under restoration)
www.ZalexIndustries.com

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Tom Perazzo
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#117 Post by Tom Perazzo »

More repairs to the lower hinge area.
Some of the forming was done in situ to ensure all the bends were in the right places.  Risky, but I got lucky!
Some of the forming was done in situ to ensure all the bends were in the right places. Risky, but I got lucky!
Fully welded in
Fully welded in
Bend reliefs look crappy on lower flange.  See next picture for original part
Bend reliefs look crappy on lower flange. See next picture for original part
Crappily formed part with relief cuts.  Totally hidden by bumper stop bracket.  Good enough for me.
Crappily formed part with relief cuts. Totally hidden by bumper stop bracket. Good enough for me.
I'm forming a new bump stop bracket and hope to weld that on soon, then its the door bottom up next. Thanks for following and if there are any questions or comments, please keep them coming.


Tom Perazzo
1964 SC Coupe (under restoration)
www.ZalexIndustries.com

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Tom Perazzo
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#118 Post by Tom Perazzo »

Last night I finished my door stop bracket piece. Here it is just sitting on the door.
Formed with my homemade press brake.
Formed with my homemade press brake.
Another angle
Another angle
And now, for my extreme outlaw modification.....Boxed in bumper stops! How many hotrods do you know have this!
Attempt to stiffen this bracket which is bent on every door I've seen.
Attempt to stiffen this bracket which is bent on every door I've seen.
Not going to weld this on until I get the door bottom trimmed and fitted. That's up next.

By the way, I made an extra bump bracket because I thought for sure I would screw one up. Please let me know if anyone here can use it. It doesn't have the nut or brace, but formed exactly like the one pictured here.

Thanks again for following along.


Tom Perazzo
1964 SC Coupe (under restoration)
www.ZalexIndustries.com

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Phil Planck
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#119 Post by Phil Planck »

Tom - I don't recall seeing that piece forward of the weldnut. Is this what you are calling the bump bracket? What is height and distance from front of stop, if original. If not, good idea and I might add those to mine but don't need the dimensions.
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Re: My SC coupe project. Made by hand…again.

#120 Post by Justin Rio »

Really nice looking repair piece Tom. Looks like it came right from the restoration catalog. You did make this right? :wink: Looking great! Justin

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