THE BIG DOG BUILD (Scamp)

[BIG DOG]

While I had it on it's side wire wheeling the bottom I decided that there was a bit too much corrosion between the floor panels and the frame soooooo , I decided that the best way to get at it would be to remove the floor pan . With the floor pan gone I would be able to blast wire wheel clean up any remaining rust and then prime it .So where exactly do you stop? I couldn't continue knowing the rust was there.

 

[BIG DOG]

I'll post up some pictures of what's next hopefully tomorrow . But as you can see the scrap pile is getting bigger and if you peek through the fire wall or look past the inner fender tops you will see where it's going !

 

[txstang84]

Oh boy--another busy soul! Good luck man, I can't wait to see more on it.

 

[BIG DOG]

Oh boy--another busy soul! Beileive me there have been times juring this process that I haven't been too busy ! However I'm a one man show I've had help on maybe three occasions.

 

[BIG DOG]

So with all the rust I drilled out all the spot welds in the floor pan and removed the whole thing. Here is a picture of my girls told them to get in the car LOL! My oldest isn't even a teenager any more :wack:this project has drug on too long!!

 

[BIG DOG]

I then fit the pieces that I had in, new pans, hand made pans and pans from a donor car so that I had one complete floor pan.

 

[BIG DOG]

There was lots going on here but this is the floor pan after I got it all stiched together looks like frankenstien! And part of a firewall from donor car.

 

[BIG DOG]

Next I put it up on jack stands and leveled it front to back side to side. Lots of shimming and farting around to get it perfect as the car still has a lot of stiffness to it .

 

[BIG DOG]

Next it will need some subframe connectors .

 

[BIG DOG]

I cut them so they would fit under the cross member and I made pads that contour to the frame .I see quite a few people just weld them to the crossmember but the pad will distribute the force better.

 

[BIG DOG]

That's all hopefully more tomorrow. Should I show fewer pictures this isn't gettting too long and BLAH BLAH BLAH is it if you know what I mean?

 

[Darren]

keep up the good work. love the pic of the kids. you must be Canadian. lol

 

[BIG DOG]

Yes Canadian the rust gives it away!

 

[BIG DOG]

I started to slice it then I removed this pan the cut out in the tubing fits over the rear frame .

 

[roadrunnerh]

Great work!

 

[BIG DOG]

The subframe goes over the rear frame and I run a grinder up the side so I can tie the old mounting point for the front spring to the subframe. I suggest being careful if doing this grinder kicked back and got tangled in my pants luckily my leg missed any major damage!

 

[BIG DOG]

More shots of the subframe.

 

[BIG DOG]

After the subframe connectors were put in I put outriggers to the sills .I also used pads ther to help distribute the stresses.

 

[BIG DOG]

I figure if I decide to put in a cage I can tie it into thes .The front ones actually are at the same angle as the car and I won't need any tourqe boxes here. After blasting it cleaned up real well and I shot some epoxy on it.

 

[txstang84]

Wow-looks awesome bro! Something tells me you won't be tweaking that frame.

 

[BIG DOG]

I didn't like these flimsy / rusty seat brackets so I figures out how high the needed to be and added on to one outrigger and put in another as the front seat bracket . You can see that I also boxed in the inside of the torsion bar crossmember to strengthen that area to hopefully keep it from breaking out ...........if I use torsion bars!
I have owned 4 A bodies and never had a bad torsion bar frame . But back in the 80's I worked in a welding shop there were times when I fixed three a day! Guess I learned what to look for.

 

[BIG DOG]

Finally time to get the floor back in I made up a couple of floor pans and saved good parts from my parts car.

 

[needsaresto]

Damn! That car is gonna be VERY strong. Nice framework!

 

[BIG DOG]

Finally floor all in cut it so it would fit around the outriggers and subframe connectors.Then welded around them where they came through the floor and primed it all.

 

[txstang84]

Dude-that looks good! Are you planning on using factory type seats, or will you use some aftermarket seats?