Yep, fitting body panels is sometimes like black magic. The damned thing won’t fit one day, but the next it does. Patience is the key word.
Good luck and hope to see some pictures … Ole
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Yes. It never seems to hurt to take a break and think about it overnight. Or stop for a beer or two. My progress has been a bit slow because I have a 2 year old grandson who comes first. Here are a couple of pictures of the train table I made him for his birthday. It is all white. The different shades are just the lighting. B
It took a while because I had to set up a temporary paint booth to spray it. A four post hoist and a roll of poly works quite well for that. image|375x500
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What did I do with my E-Type today? I took it out for some spirited mountain driving on its 50th birthday. Manufacture date January 27, 1969. Purchased new by my father in May, 1969. I drove it the way he taught me.
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A rotisserie’s the only way to go Steve. Take lots of before, during and after pics.
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In the snow???
My kinda Jag owner!
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We had a 25cm dumping of snow in last night, so I’m just staying in and planning my cars’ 50th Birthday party May 15.
Spent the day in the garage welding on the outer rocker panels. There was an ice storm raging outside… After many months of work they are back on and I can finally remove the cross bracing, which is always in the way.
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What a coincidence. I did exactly the same thing on mine today. In your second picture what were you plug welding to? Did you place some sort of extra support in there? Normally the outer sill only contacts the floor along the lowest 3/4 inch or so. No Ice storm here but the temp went down to minus 34 celsius overnight.
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I installed a hidden 1x2" steel tubing subframe so I had something beefy to weld to. It also helps strengthen the outer edge of the floor which was a bit cheesy. Here is a photo.
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Nice mod! Had I thought of that, I’d have done the same on the one rocker panel I replaced.
Building the courage to start this step on my '69 FHC.
Q1. Did you build the support structure that is attached to the rotisserie? And do you have the details and dimensions?
Q2-5. What were the specifics on the plug welds? Size of hole you started with? Do you grind the weld spot flush afterwards? Type of welder/settings/wire, etc?
Q6. I see the bracing on the inside is bolted thru an existing hole but I can’t tell how you attached it at the front bulkhead?
-Steve
Q1. Did you build the support structure that is attached to the rotisserie? And do you have the details and dimensions? Yes I built all of it, including the rotisserie. The car sits on 2x2" 1/8 wall tubing, should have gone 2x3", that is why there are braces added. Where are you? I hope to be done with it soon.
Q2-5. What were the specifics on the plug welds? Size of hole you started with? Do you grind the weld spot flush afterwards? Type of welder/settings/wire, etc? I experimented with different hole sizes on scrap steel. 3/16-1/4" hole works well, smaller for thinner, larger for thicker. Hobart 140 (120V) MIG on high with .024 (.6mm) wire, C25 gas, clean down to bare metal, cut wire off for short stick out, position gun 4mm spacing, then trigger for 2-3 seconds . I grind them afterwards, but if you are good the hole fills and is flush
Q6. I see the bracing on the inside is bolted thru an existing hole but I can’t tell how you attached it at the front bulkhead? Used old bed rail that I pick out of trash, that included 90 degree end piece bolted to door mounting points, you are welcome to the bracing as I am done with it.
Your cockpit bracing is similar to mine, though I didn’t install rod stock cross members. Mounting at the rear is the same but I mounted the front part of the brace to the dash structure where it is most rigid. 1x3x0.125" rectangular tube and 0.25" plate.
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Can you be more specific on the location of steel tube – please
Craig
First I cannot take credit for the idea of a hidden subframe, I was inspired by monocoupe Metalworks. See here http://www.monocoque-metalworks.com/main/category/how-to-hidden-subframe/
I installed 5 of the 6 tubes he uses. I made mine instead of buying the tubes from him. The hidden rocker tubes are installed so that the lower outer corner was flush with the inside surface of the outer rocker panel. This puts the bottom of it about 1/8" above the floor. I also reused the original stiffeners by notching them so the tube would slip under them. I also used 3/16 SS rivets to attach the tubing to the inner rockers and floor in addition to welding.
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The pictures bring up a regret. One of those “while you’re in there” thoughts. I think the recess for the driver’s seat could be extended maybe an inch or so into the box beam and the seat tracks moved back. The extra legroom sure would be nice.
Ed
I agree, would have been nice! My only thought was to add an additional stiffener plate above the mid-rocker jacking point. It came to mind after I noticed that the “body shop” that replaced my rocker panel never welded it to the floor all along the seam.
My take is simply increasing the scallop behind the driver’s seat by an inch might cut too deeply into the box beam, considering the original design was without the scallop entirely. You would need to reinforce the panel with several internal stiffeners.
I’m of two minds wrt the practical advantage of a hidden subframe in a monocoque that has been restored to original spec. It would greatly help to keep the structure rigid as it deteriorates with age but where I have observed flexing damage in Es, particularly the open cars, is at the B post when it has been compromised by rust, manifested by paint chipping at the door shut face. I’ve also seen collapsing sills at the midships jacking point, also associated with thinning of the sheet metal to rusting. There may also be an advantage to the hidden subframe in competition, though there would be some additional weight added.
I had a couple of phone chats with Chuck Hadley on different subjects while I was doing my total restoration, decided in the end to forego the subframe mod. No regrets, but I’m sure I’d have no regrets otherwise, too.