fiestaturbo.com

[~XX03GTR~]

Does anybody have any pics of a seam welded chassis? Im going to do mine in the next few weeks, when i weld everything up on my shell.

If not, can anybody give me any advise on where exactly to weld? I want to seem weld the engine bay and interior floor pan - this is going to be a fast road and track car btw. Any pics, info or advise welcome. Thanks .

Henniker.

[sailorbob]

When a mate had his Puma shell done he had all the seams done (inch on inch off) which is probably over the top but it stopped the shell creaking like it used to when we moved it around

When doing the window, door apertures etc use a spot welder, it makes for a neater job (and saves on wire ).

[~XX03GTR~]

Well ive been digging round google and it appears the ''inch on inch off'' appraoch is the way to go about it, in the way that if the chassis ever needs straightening you have play which you can use if you crumple the car - on the inch off. So this is what im going to do on the floor pan where all the joins meet - does this sound right?

Also it appears that the only engine bay welding thats necessary is where the seam is on the strut top/turrets which i will do both front and back.

On the link below, the first picture you come to is a red strut turret, where he has spot welded it - was this done with mig?

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... n%26sa%3DN

Because in my mind there two types of spot welding, a spot welder that has two electrodes that clamp together with your two joining metals between, for say putting a wing on OR a few blobs of mig every so often along a seam which is also know as tacking. Is this right?

Sailorbob where exactly on the puma shell was welded - engine bay/floorpan/rear sus turrets? Any pics?

Is there a point where you can stiffen the chassis so much it ruins the handling or becomes dangerous? Any info wanted!! CheeRS.

[sailorbob]

So this is what im going to do on the floor pan where all the joins meet - does this sound right?

We did every seam on the basis that when you weld up the front and rear beyond the suspension points it help to stiffen the shell because of the 'ladder frame' effect.

On the link below, the first picture you come to is a red strut turret, where he has spot welded it - was this done with mig?

Probably. Those little spots of weld aren't worth the effort IMHO.

Because in my mind there two types of spot welding, a spot welder that has two electrodes that clamp together with your two joining metals between, for say putting a wing on OR a few blobs of mig every so often along a seam which is also know as tacking. Is this right?

The spot welding I meant was the twin electrodes clamping method. You would be basically replicating the factory welds here.

where exactly on the puma shell was welded - engine bay/floorpan/rear sus turrets?

All seams.

Any pics?

No, but I could probably get some if required.

Is there a point where you can stiffen the chassis so much it ruins the handling or becomes dangerous?

I doubt it. I think the stiffer the shell the better the suspension can do it's job and you would be hard pressed to get it stiffer than a WRC for example.

[Excursion]

http://www.mwstewart.co.uk/cars/xr2iseamweld/

[sailorbob]

Lots of pictures You didn't do the apertures then?

[Excursion]

Not yet mate, I'm around 70% of the way through, still have the engine bay to do too

[sailorbob]

Ahh, work in progress Do you find that if the galvanising isn't removed it makes it a pig of job to weld through?

[Excursion]

Mk3 shells aren't galvanised...I can imagine it would be a pig if so; lots of spatter!

[~XX03GTR~]

Thanks to the both of you (Excursion and sailorbob), most helpfull i have all the info i need .

CheeRS .

Henniker.

p.s. if i get chance ill post some pics up of my shell so far!

[Gazeddy]

does this make a noticeable difference and do you do it with a normal mig

[Excursion]

It makes a big difference and yep, you can do it with a MIG.