shaving my drip rails, 73 dart

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snapetwo

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SO i have decided to shave my drip rails while waiting for parts on the hemi and tranny.

Pulled the trim off the passenger side yesterday, little confused on how everyone is doing this. I can see the actually drip rail needs to be cut off and ground..this is the pinch weld. I understand that.

What gets me is the chrome peace that holds the weather stripping, I have read others say there is a special clip or something that will hold the weather stripping, so you can shave the chrome piece off as well...I think this will look a little weird, but does anyone have any pictures? suggestions? Im wondering if instead of shaving that chrome strip off, maybe painting it black to match the weather stripping might be a better route.
 

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Well screwed the pooch pretty good first time around...Got the metal to damn thing, and mig is burning through it. had to switch to .25 and lowest setting..burning a bead good now, should say a tack...tack tack tack...but im have to rebuild the metal, cuz its just so thin burning through. I may have to use a a filler strip.

All i can say so far is, don't screw up like I did and get the metal to thing trying to "shape the rail" as your grind if off.
 
Don't know what you did, but be aware that drip rail pinchweld is a structural part of the unibody. I've experimented with this a little on a parts car, without the drip rail the roof looks too "thick" for lack of a better description. My plan is to cut off the part of the drip rail that the moulding attaches to, the vertical piece, leaving the pinchweld intact. Then I plan to bend the pinchweld down and reattach the moulding so there's something to break up the "thickness" of the roof. It will look subtle(which I like very much) and most people won't even notice until they take a close look. Sorry no pics as of yet.
 
I can see what your refering to, I am past that point. I have ground it down to be flush, with the rest of the body. I actually started at the corne of windshield and a pillar, I think it will look ok. But we'll see, I may have to come up with something later to break it up if it looks to thick.

Any pics you get, send my way, i'd love to see another Idea and perspective.
Once I get my hackjob of a weld smoothed out, i'll post a pic. Im working in about 4 in sections, to keep the pieces from warping and moving outta place.
 
First attempt. I think it didn't turn out to bad. Little more gridning, filling. It will look pretty good.
 

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With the little chrome/weather seal in place. Pretty big damn gap.
I think im gonna end up making a sheet metal peace that i'll weld in the same place as the drip rails, feather it into the existing metal so it looks seamless. then I'll have this strip bent at the end, in the place at the chrome/weather strip piece, so that it will hold the weather stripping in...
 

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You should Look in my thread for the pictures. I had a hell of a time and did the rails 3-4 inches at a time and I was using .025 wire with 70% Argon to weld the roof. I have several samples of weather strip that I'm experimenting with I will post part numbers when I have them.
 
John, do you have a link? you have alot of threads, and I haven't quite figured out a way to search your threads for specific word.
 
nevermind, geez im dumb. Mr. I work IT for a career, over looked it.
the form is setup to it looks like you search for either a keyword OR a user name, didnt realize you could do both..i talked myself outta trying. hA.
 
Oh and watch out for the lead in the Pillar and sail panel it will give you a hell of a pop back when the welding wire hits it.
 
John, I am jealous of the stance you got on those wheels, being so tucked up in the rear, kinda like swsswill has. I want that. Looks great.
 
A scab is an extra piece of metal used to strengthen the area. Gussetts are used in corners, a little triangular piece. Just get a piece of metal, same gauge(thickness, not shotgun shell size) cut about 1 inch wide and how ever long and weld it to the inside. If possible, use a brake(pinches metal and allows one to make perfect long bends) to duplicate angle. Or use short scabs, not long ones if it makes it easier. Makes welds stronger.
 
Continuing cutting drip rails off this weekend, while I wait to save up for cash for hemi.
I have posted this in my "car rebuild diary thread" as well, (not exactly sure what the protocal or etiquette is when you have a rebuild post..and do side posts for information).

Anyway, here is a few pics of the drip rails.
I am using a new tip i read on a chevy post, about taking a grinding and "splitting" the drip rail seem, to better allow a weld to penetrate both pieces of sheet metal. Its pretty invasive, but I think will yeild a better result. After you grind the drip rail pinch material down to where u want it to be flush, its so damn thin its hard to weld.
This seam splitting seems to do the trick.
Still working on my welding techniques, just a DIYer here, go easy.

Any tips or tricks, advice, dont' hesitate to post.
 

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