UPDATE…well i decided to fix the huge hole today…i cut out all the old rust(was very generous) painted it…then got some sheet metal from crappy tire and put atleast 40 rivits in it…then i fibreglassed over top of it. in my opinion i think it is a great fix and is very strong now…now all i have to do is fix to more looney size holes the same way. but i still have to fibre glass the underneath of all the holes so you won’t even be able to tell. then im going to coat the whole inside with some special tar shit…all and all i am very pleased with the final resaults.
and don’t worry so far i have taken pics of everything(engine removal, rust fixing etc…)but i can’t put them on using my computer because it is shit…i have to wait until i can use my bros.
I would prefer to fix as well, unfortunately, a repaired chassis is not ever going to be as strong as mint chassis.
OP: Good job on fixing it anyways, sounds like you’re doing it right!
Depends how it was repaired. If thicker metal is welded on with a thick bead it will be stronger than the original thin metal spot welded together. Fiberglass/rivet fixes aren’t great though.
Welders rule.
Seriously??? I gotta stop listening to my mechanic so much. lol.
I rally have to come visit your guys’ shop sometime. I hear the powdercoating machine is almost done…
I would love to learn to weld sometime. Would trade any photos of your veilside car plus any other projects for welding experience!!!
Chassis I’m buying needs strut tower repair, like all of them. Wheel well area.
i spent about 100 on the sheet metal and rivets…fibreglass etc…it feels a lot stronger to me…i cut out ALL the rust and then got the sheet metal to fit good, then i took some bulldog glue (really really strong) and put it along the edge of the hole (so it acts like a sealer kinda and holds it to). then i put a whole box of rivets in it lol…then i took the fibre glass and did the hole floor with it …and i still got to do under the holes so you can’t see them…its good enough for me…and didn’t cost me 1000 and up to fix …
I hope you didnt use steel sheet metal and aluminum rivets…they will react with one another and corrode. Just a heads up.
i could only get aluminum but i painted them after…k guys well i have fix all the holes in the floors with sheet metal and rivets with a jb weld…then i fibreglassed the whole floor pan where the holes were…i plan on fibreglassing the underbody so you can see where the holes are…but my real question is, is will this last? will it take the abuse…and can it handle a sr20det…to me it feels strong as hell and looks great…but i just want some input from other that have done this…
UPDATE…today i decided to wire up sr wire harness using this http://www.frsport.com/SR20DET-Swap-Engine-Harness-Wiring-Diagram-Guide-SR-SR20_t_26.html … everything went great…and the big news is that i am going to be picking up a miller thunder bolt stick welder to fix my floors properly and the frame and some custom frame work…stay tuned,.
UPDATE…okay so project is going good…car has no engine right now and im prepping the engine bay. I do have a question about the powersteering pump tho…okay so i have a s13 redtop motor and i am going to be putting a non hicas powersteering pump on,cuz i don’t want hicas. so can i just put the pump on and just the connect the front powersteering line to the pump. and then remove all the rear line and just plug the one little hose from the reservoir, and get a lockbar? thanks for the help in advance guys.
Glad to hear you will be welding the floor, fiber glass would crack and worst case scenario you would fall through your floor… Good luck with your swap.
does anyone knopw the powersteering question tho?
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if the car had hicas where your front lines bolt to the pump the bolt size is diffrent.
on the non hicas cars there is an extra 4" metal tube that bolts to the lines then to the pump if memory serves me.
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you can just plug the lines to the rear or remove them all to gether and replace the rear steering rack with a “hicas locking bar” however iv had both a hicas subframe and a non hicas subframe and even with a locking bar proper allignment and good susspention (teins, Kazzama locking bar) it never had the rigidity a non hicas subframe does.
if you can id say go with a non hicas subframe, keep ur hicas rear sway bar, swap it to the non hicas subframe and slap the non hicas subframe into your car.
Just my 2 cents.
Make sure you take the carpet out first,I had a buddy that thought it would be ok to weld without removing the carpet because"It was only a small hole".
Guess what,His carpet caught on fire and melted the wiring harness along the driver’s side by the door.
So make sure you remove any of the interior you plan on welding near bro.
Good luck with your build,I agree with sticking with your chassis by the way.
Every time I go to the junkers and see a s13 or s14 a piece of me dies!!!
Cheers