S13 project.....body and rust repair

[240sxrb25]

i got a 1990 s13 with a smashed front end from MI and had a complete 1991 front end at home for $900. the car had rust all around. i recently read a full lenth thread about a guy who did all the body work on his and it came along great. i have never had any expirience with welding, or any kind of body work before this.
this car is my winter beater. i have an rb25 sil80 that someone else did the body work on and painted so, this is just my project. please dont haggle me about anything you think im doing wrong. id just like to show people what im doing....
heres the pictures
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8926.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8927.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8928.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8929.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8930.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8931.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8932.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8933.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8934.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8935.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8936.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8937.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8938.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8939.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8940.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8941.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8942.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8943.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8946.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8947.jpg

ill post the rest in a few minutes after they load
http://www.zilvia.net/f/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8927.jpg%5B/IMG%5D

[soon2bs13]

good luck with ur project!!

[240sxrb25]

thanks a bunch!! i have the rocker panel finished where you can see its all cut out. ill have pics in a few

[Walperstyle]

man, mine wasnt as bad, but very close. Very well done thus far.

[240sxrb25]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8948.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8949.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8950.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8951.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8953.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8954.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8955.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8956.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8957.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8958.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8959.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8960.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8961.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8962.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8963.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8968.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8969.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8970.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8971.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8972.jpg

[240sxrb25]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8973.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8974-1.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8975.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8976.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8977.jpg

thats all for now. i hope that everyone likes what im doing. once i get some more significant work done, ill post more pics.

[808_Drift]

are you driving that sil80 with the rb in the winter :o
Nice work man looking pretty good. I really really hate doing this kinda work lol its so demanding. +1 for you

[firelizard]

Dude, It was looking good until you painted over unsanded Bondo. SAND THE BONDO before you paint. And by sand, I mean sand it so that it is smooth and recreates the original contour of the panel as faithfully as possible.

[bo2o]

meng you got all the same rust i have on my car hahhaha...

im just going to cut off most of the rush and fiberglass it and cover with parts

side skirts and rear valence ftw!
for the frame rail ill prolly do the same thing i was going to get some steal beams and just weld them in.

im stock with a bucket. too..sumtimes i wish i can just start over with a better chassis but im too far in.

gl with yours.

[240sxrb25]

Dude, It was looking good until you painted over unsanded Bondo. SAND THE BONDO before you paint. And by sand, I mean sand it so that it is smooth and recreates the original contour of the panel as faithfully as possible.

oh believe me i did!! i know better than that. i just didnt get any pictures of it sanded. i got too caught up in the work and just spaced it off. you can see the bondo under the 1 layer of enamel and that it was downsized quite a bit....

[wannabe_drifter]

Good job on that !

You're giving me some hope !

[PoorMans180SX]

Man, I don't want to be a downer or anything man, but your welds look really spotty. On bodywork, you want basically solid welds so there is no gap for it to crack by. Same with the frame rails

I'm glad you're restoring an old rusty chassis, cause I hate to see another one just scrapped, but I don't think that bodywork will last for long. I suppose if you're like most of us, you'll just cover it up with a kit though.

Nice project.

[Addicted2Kouki]

yeah about the welding. just do that all the way across.
do lil tact welds until you get to the other side if you cant get a steady weld across.

it doesnt have to look like perfect tig welds with overlapping beads.
just get coverage.

it looks like you are using a MIG... those are probly the easiest to control and work with.
you need to adjust the settings.
its either not hot enough or not enough inert gas.
looks like both in some of them.
because they do not look like the metal you are welding and the metal you are welding to are bonding correctly.

also. what gauge steel are you using?


but very very nice. i like your idea.

[240sxrb25]

24 gauge i think, i got it cheap from school so thats what im using. i have an old mig that was given to me so its not incredible. the panel is just as strong as any other panel on the car. the gaps you see below were sealed before undercoated. if i turn the heat up, it just seems to burn through the metal. sheet metal is tough to make long welds without warping or burning. im only 18 and new to it all, so thanks for the advice.

[statik]

wow your subframe/control arms look like a pile of rust =[, good luck with the project though heh

[unicoladron]

+1 on not being a pussy and going for it even though it's new to you. my trunk pan is a little rotten, and a lil more rust near the rear left quarter panel. car is from the south :). i too will be picking up a mig soon and giving this a shot myself as i've never done any body work myself. if i were you tho, i would trash that rear subframe and those springs/struts/ca's. pickup some suspension parts in better condition, OR fucking clean all the rust off and undercoat it or powdercoat.

as mentioned before, i would take a little more time with grinding those welds down and neatly applying/sanding that bondo down to a smoother, more uniform finish.

[motorsnail]

Damn alot of work looks good though sence its your first time weld better then I can:naughty:

[ROUGE180]

Damn bro.. good job.. I have some rust on my frame aswell. I had a big ass hole on the driverside on the frame right before it notches up and goes parallel to the wheel well. Got that welded up. I can't wait to see the progress. Much luck.

[240sxrb25]

thanks. my very first 240 had so much rust where yours did that the frame ripped away from the wheel well and it cracked all the way around the strut. the strut tower moved up and down inches when you hit a bump....

[driftxing]

You need some more heat on those welds, other than that, those patches are pretty good quality. The filler is a little wavy, but much better than before. You can get a pneumatic flatboard for 50 bucks and fix all that. Good job on the DIY repairs. Lower rockers are the hardest shapes to try to re-make!

[ROUGE180]

thanks. my very first 240 had so much rust where yours did that the frame ripped away from the wheel well and it cracked all the way around the strut. the strut tower moved up and down inches when you hit a bump....

GOOD LORD.!!! rust is EVIL lol.. funny thing.. my first 240 had no rust.. but thats cuz it was from Cali... The one I have now that has the rust is from Maryland. I do need to take care of the rest of the rust before it starts snowing. Damn I miss Cali.

[Jung918]

What make is your welder and which setting did you use?
There should be a guide on your welder somewhere telling you which setting you should use depending on metal thickness and if you are using fluxcore wire or soild wire.

[240sxrb25]

so i got some more work done on the spot infront of the rear wheel and repainted. heres a picture of the side that didnt need any work and the side that i worked on....

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8988.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8990.jpg

[P_856]

looks great i with i know how to do body work my car has so many dents

[240sxrb25]

this is where a big dent was between the fog light and wheel that i pulled out
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8999.jpg

and now some work behind the wheel...

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9000.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9001.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9003.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9005.jpg

inside
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9006.jpg

[240sxrb25]

ill post more tomorrow. the spot behind the wheel is almost done. i got too into the work and stopped taking pictures up until the bondo part haha.

also some pics of the underneath of the car. the frame patching is done. the surface rust on the rails was ground down to shiny metal and re-undercoated, along with the floor boards.

[clutch kick drifter]

why.... man i guess good luck but id rather just cover it with a kit and slap some bondo on the shit and fuck it.

[drift freaq]

wow I applaud your determination. I would have just scrapped that chassis and looked for somethng cleaner. I give you major props for going on the restore kick.

[Lurpin]

wow nice work! I'm 18 as well and, I have some surface rust on my roof, but don't have tools or any kind of experience to do anything about it. After seeing this I'm gonna start thinking about it. You give young guys like us hope =) +1 for you

[LloydXmas]

looking good, but I think I would have found a less rusty one to start with.

[240sxrb25]

the car was intended for a winter beater but i hated looking at the horrible rust problem and im going to be goin school for collision repair. i get out of highschool at noon and enjoy it so why not?

and why would anyone ever want to bondo rust and put skirts on a rusty car? i could never do that...all i would think about it is coming bat a month later!!! oh well.

heres some more


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8998.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_8997.jpg



this is an after picture of the frontend. when previously owned a truck or something backed into the car and crumpled the hood, fender, bumper, and light asembly....hood layed down ontop of the fender and the light could not close.....now it can!!

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9002.jpg

[240sxrb25]

enjoy(to most of you) haha

[240sxrb25]

how the spot behind the wheel is now

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9019.jpg

a little fender work

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9017.jpg


then one day my hopes were crushed and my project came to a great hault.....until spring, heres how it will be..:-/

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9012.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/jasontucker/240sx%20project/IMG_9014.jpg



BUT, through the discouragement, big parking lots with fresh snow are very very fun. its amazing how controlled of drifts you can do!!!

[240sxrb25]

wow, pictures fixed, no more red X's everywhere.