Classic Mustangs List Archive

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Mail From: Paul Manning (email redacted)

I have started the body work that my '68 coupe needs and have discovered
that it needs partial outer firewall panels and floor pans. I know that
these parts need to be cut out and the new ones welded back in place. What
I need to know is what type of Welding Equipment do I need. I have done a
little bit of ARC welding but I do not believe that an ARC Welder is the
correct tool for the job. Does anyone have an suggestion or an experience
with welding repair panels?

Thanks in advance
Paul Manning
1968 Coupe
200 CUI
3 spd
Paul Manning
www.concentric.net/~pmann
AOL IM Paul Manni
ICQ 2163679

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Mail From: Mark Dixon (email redacted)

MIG is the best, cheapest and easiest way to go. The portable models
available can be dialled to suit the metal thickness, provide better
penetration than ARC and can be done indoors or outdoors. The surfaces
must be spotlessly clean or the weld won't happen or spits and saprks fly
everywhere. If you intend doing it yourself, best to practice on junk
panels until you learn how to apply it properly. One test of proficiency
is to practice until you can write your name thew same as you would with a
pen. Good luck.

Mark Dixon
Capital Classics
Canberra

Check the Upgraded Capital Classics Web Site
:"capitalclassics.cyberone.com.au"

----------
> From: Paul Manning . I have done a
> little bit of ARC welding but I do not believe that an ARC Welder is the
> correct tool for the job. Does anyone have an suggestion or an
experience
> with welding repair panels?


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Mail From: (email redacted) (email redacted)

Your instinct is correct. The arc welder is not the correct tool. I
recommend a MIG welder and there are a lot of options out there. Most of the
home improvement stores sell the smaller units. I personally use a HOBART
Handler which is slightly more expensive unit (around $700 when I purchased it
a few years ago), but it works wonderful. It has a small tank of inert gas
and I cut down a roll-around bed frame to mount all of the welding equipment
on it. One of the nifty features of MIG welding is that it tends to be easier
than ARC welding and it does such a neat job on sheet metal. (You still have
to practice and watch out for overheating the weld area.)

In selecting a welder one of the features that I would consider very strongly
if I were buying another MIG welder is the "stitch" feature. This feature
causes the welder to cycle on and off while welding which reduces the amount
of heat. I can do this manually but the automatic method is pretty nifty.

I originally purchased my MIG welder to weld in the floor pans in my '65 Coupe
and I'm done with the right side, but then took some major time out to build a
garage and have to resume welding in the left side and then on to some other
rust repair.

If you have more specific questions, feel free to email me directly.

Tim Bowman
'65 6 cyl 3speed Coupe

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Mail From: John Dettori (email redacted)

Paul Manning wrote:
>
> [...] my '68 coupe needs [...]partial outer firewall panels & floor pans
> [...] what type of Welding Equipment do I need [...] Does anyone have an
> suggestion or an experience with welding repair panels?

Paul,

You want a MIG welder, and rent a gas tank. I have been down this road;
3 suggestions:

1) Get the book "The Welder's Handbook" by Tom Monroe (HPBooks) ~$15
2) Get the video from the JC Whitney catalog "Learn to MIG Weld" ~20
3) Check local vocational schools for welding classes. By me, I paid
$175 a few years ago to take a 60-hour course. While they covered
all types of welding, I only MIG welded. Truely valuable.

You must realize that I then went nuts, upgrading the electric in my
house so I could have 220v outlets for the compressor and MIG welder
I bought. In the end, I had a friend who did most of the welding for
2 Mustang Restoration shops on Long Island help me jig and weld. As
in body work, the preparation was as important as the welding technique.

--
================================================================================
John Dettori 86 SVO (2.3l IC Turbo)
Sr. Principal, Technology Solutions Corp. 70 Mach I (351C-4V)
800 759 2250 mailbox# 2447 67 GT Convert (289-4V)
(email redacted) <reserved for 67 GT500>

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