79 Trans am

[Snoots]

I can't do or get any of that stuff here in this hick town we don't have a powder coating place, chrome shop anything. I can't even find a mobile or sand blasting buisness

Sounds like a great business opportunity.

 

[Swims350]

yea we really need something like that, someone to come in and offer like blasting, plating and powder coating. I mean maybe there's not enough interest here for broke rednecks but there's a good bit of guys who have or are building hot rods etc. I'm sure I woudn't be able to afford it LOL. We even lost the local machine shop, now you have to drive an hour away for machine work. Well automotive machine work, there's a good bit of machine shops for the mines or like hydrualics etc. We just a year or so ago got a tractor supply. We lost the local sears/craftsman place, no harbor freight, it's over an hour away. We don't have a book store, we do have one body shop supply store.

 

[f6john]

Powder coating and blasting could be done with a reasonable investment, but plating is an epa nightmare. I bet way more plating businesses have closed than opened in the past 20 years.

 

[CSFJ]

Powder coating and blasting could be done with a reasonable investment, but plating is an epa nightmare. I bet way more plating businesses have closed than opened in the past 20 years.

Sad to say, but from what I've heard, the good chrome comes form overseas these days where they don't have environmental regs to keep them form using all the good chemicals. It's just too bad it's sh!t steel that they're plating.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

The cost of getting anything rechromed is through the roof nowadays. I had 73-74 headlight bezels rechromed for Daryl and it was 380.00. Not surprising so many trucks are driving around with plastic replacements.

 

[Swims350]

frame hole got bigger after using a wire brush setup on my big grinder.

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[bucket]

Oh man, that's rough. I'd bet that whole area is thin, a body pick hammer would be a good test. Bummer.

I can take it back home with me if it looks like it might be repairable, but I couldn't say for sure when I could bring it back. I'm supposed to go back to VA soon to train a couple new guys, but there's also planting season right around the corner. There's a lot of uncertainty coming up.

 

[Swims350]

I know, but as you can see I used a pick hammer LOL, a big ball peen one to test the strength which is why it's so large and sunk in now.

I figure it's not too bad further up front since it goes uphill, but going back it may be another few inches, and that one side rail is bad on bottom so I'm sure it needs to be repaired.

I don't want to chance it being welded up with my 90 amp flux core and it not hold due to being hot enough or something. I mean if that's good enough and will work I'll go for it but if it's not gonna hold anything I just wasted time, metal and wire.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I know, but as you can see I used a pick hammer LOL, a big ball peen one to test the strength which is why it's so large and sunk in now.

I figure it's not too bad further up front since it goes uphill, but going back it may be another few inches, and that one side rail is bad on bottom so I'm sure it needs to be repaired.

I don't want to chance it being welded up with my 90 amp flux core and it not hold due to being hot enough or something. I mean if that's good enough and will work I'll go for it but if it's not gonna hold anything I just wasted time, metal and wire.

I do alot of sketchy ****, but I wouldn't patch that with a 90 amp flux core.

 

[Swims350]

I do alot of sketchy ****, but I wouldn't patch that with a 90 amp flux core.

that's what I was afraid of. I also thought maybe do it and then beat it with a hammer to see if it holds.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

that's what I was afraid of. I also thought maybe do it and then beat it with a hammer to see if it holds.

You'll need to take care to get good penetration, especially if you cut the whole piece out back to good metal. Also, alot of the second gens have a brace that runs right to that area, mine is a 72 and doesn't, but your's probably should.

I would use 3/16 plate, and .035 good quality wire, but honestly, I'm not confident enough in my own hobbyist level welding, I personally, would cut all my bad areas out with it braced, cut my patches, and take the whole mess to a good welder with good equipment.

 

[Swims350]

just remembered my mom's boyf has a lincoln 240 volt arc welder I need to saee where it's at now or if he can use it at his place or mine. At one point he had it hooked up to their dryer plug so not sure how it's setup but I only have a dryer plug to use as well no 240 in my garage.

 

[Frankenchevy]

dryer plug will work. it should be 220/230v 30A. as long as there isn't a long extension cord between the outlet and welder.

I just got a Hobart that welds on 110v or 220/230v. I've seen guys that had to weld thicker stuff on 110v that will preheat the material they are working on with a torch to get better penetration. I would consider this as a last resort if you can't get anything else to pan out.

 

[Swims350]

that would be good if I had a torch to do so. I only have a propane torch

 

[yevgenievich]

Someone can correct me, but I believe a propane torch should be efficient enough for a preheat.

that would be good if I had a torch to do so. I only have a propane torch