jfmck
Jul 12th, 01, 4:40 PM
Am in the process of replacing the entire trunkfloor on my 73. Have removed all the old metal at the factory seams. OrigonalPartyGroup offers a complete 73-77 trunk kit. Is there any differences in the 73 trunk floor because of the unique tail lite setup? It comes in 3 pieces. Is it better to spot weld the sections together or do a continuous weld, ect, ect? Anybody out there been down that road? Appreciate any help. Thanks Jim
70isfine
Jul 12th, 01, 7:09 PM
You should spot weld it all the way around first then stitch it an inch or two at a time jumping around from one end to another until it is fully welded.Some say tack every few inches and seam seal it but i have seen seam sealer fail in a few years so dont depend on it.Also if you weld it solid you can grind it down smooth and finish with a liitle filler instead of having a visible seam.
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70 chevelle,400cid turbo400.blue with silver stripes.
http://members.spree.com/entertainment/ochrisl/
jfmck
Jul 13th, 01, 1:55 PM
Thanks 70isfine for the help. Im not a welder but have had an wire welder for a number of years and have used it many times for various projects. Its a less expensive model and has 4 heat settings. I was planning on attaching the trunk to the surrounding panels using spot weld just like the factory does but wasent sure about how to attach the 3 floor pans to themselves. If I do a stich weld like you suggested will the metal distort from the heat? Should I use a heat absorber product? Also I have to replace some metal around the outer edge of the wheel well. I have aftermarket quarters from which to cut patch panels. My thoughts were to cut the patches larger than necessary and then uing a panel flanger flange them so that they overlap under the origonals then spot weld and fill the gaps between with metal filler. Can I do a stich weld on those areas without causing the metal to distort? Also the areas im patching are in front of behind and all around the wheel well. Should I make one large patch to cover it all or do it in pieces? Have never done a body project this extensive before thus all the questions. Finally, I was going to use flux cored wire for the inside areas ang solid core w/shielding for the outsides? what wire size would you recommend?Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Jim before
70isfine
Jul 13th, 01, 6:06 PM
I have used flux before,.30 i think,but i found it blew holes in the thinner metal to easy.I use gas now with .023 wire.If you do a stitch an inch or two long and let it cool and then continue you will be ok.Of course there will be some distortion around the weld,but it will be minimal.As far as the patch panels,flanging them will work if you have access to the back,like thru the trunk,as long as you dont mind seeing it when you look in the trunk.I prefer to cut the patch panel then lay it on the quarter then cut around it.This will give you a perfect hole to lay your patch panel in and butt weld it.This looks good from both sides but you need to be good with your welder or you can blow holes and have a real mess!
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70 chevelle,400cid turbo400.blue with silver stripes.
http://members.spree.com/entertainment/ochrisl/
jfmck
Jul 15th, 01, 7:02 AM
Thanks again 70isfine for the info. Most of the areas Ill be patching arve very close to the lip of the wheel well and should be hidden by the inner wheel wells. When I cut out all the rusted areas I had to remove about 6 inches of the inner wheel wells all around the wheel opening. This should make it easier to patch the outer quarter since Ill have access to the back side of the quarter. I dont have the skill to to a good butt weld thats why I think Id better stay with the flanging. And thanks for the tip on wire size. Will be ordering the trunk kit in the next few weeks. Thanks again for the all the help. Jim