Burntorange70
Well-Known Member
Very nice work. Good to see you are still working on her.
The Little Dart
- Thread starter turbodart68
- Start date
-
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Cage fitment is done. I need to finish welding everything and off to the blaster then paint jail (again).
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Some welding. The wheel houses are done, but I don't have any pics. Go figure.
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
I know its like watching paint dry, but progress is still being made although really slow! Here is my attempt at an aluminum gas tank.
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
My welding skills are really rusty! This tank will be more like a B body tank. 23 1/2 gallons, rear sump for drag racing, and it will use a stock filler neck and grommet. I will make a steel trunk floor bead rolled, pretty much a copy of a B body trunk floor. The tank will be attached from underneath. I have about 5 hours total in it in labor. I have about $100 in material and bending, which was done by the local race car fab shop.
forcedfedmopar
Well-Known Member
That looks NICE! What type of welder are you using? I wish my alum. welds were as clean as yours! Did you baffle it at all? Check the NHRA hand book. I think it says any non oem fuel cells need to have a case around them. which is a shame to hide all that beautiful work!
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
I am using a Miller Synchrowave 200 TIG machine. I didn't baffle the tank at all. I figured I would need any since its just a drag car with some street use. I looked at the current rule book and had a local chassis builder consult me on it and we both agree the rule says it can be mounted from below without any further protection. It does state really clear that a plastic cell needs protection but the sump doesn't need to be covered. The rule book states that metal gas tanks need to be within the frame rails or steel body. Thanks for the compliment. I tried finishing it up last night and started to really mess up where the bungs are welded in. Its getting contamination from somewhere. Really frustrating!!
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Here are the pictures of the tank mounted in the car. I tried to finish up the tank and was really doing well until I totally messed up one of the bungs! :banghead: I had to walk away. So no pics of that mess, lol.
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Well I am back at it. Making a career out of this gas tank. Big triumph though. I got the bungs welded in and now I am moving on the filler neck. Thats a whole nother story. If your wondering what the photos are of the circle in aluminum is, well that is how I cut the opening for the gas filler. To cut a pretty perfect circle with a plasma cutter, you first need to drill a small hole for your stainless filler rod to fit through. Then bend a filler rod at a 90 to act as the hinge. Then put a bend at the other end that will fit your plasma cutters tip. Mark the aluminum at center and at half the diameter away from it. This will allow you to line up the plasma cutters tip and do the final bend in the filler rod. All that is left is to cut in a circle using a little outward pressure.
needsaresto
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2004
- Messages
- 7,603
- Reaction score
- 265
Thats a pretty nifty trick.
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Well tank is done. I am getting a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. I need to weld in the last of the bars for the cage and weld a few things in the trunk, not to mention fab up and install the trunk floor. Then its off to paint jail!! Hopefully by the end of the month.
Mad Dart
Nothing to see Here!
Nice work Chris! I like the Hillbilly engineering trick on the filler neck! Sweet.
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Thanks Louis! Thats all I got! I never did say that I was a master fabricator. :angry3: I actually think I am about a 3 on a 10 scale haha!! But my poo keeps going.
Mad Dart
Nothing to see Here!
Shoot man if your a 3 on the Richter Scale then I register in the negative somewhere! I never realized how much work goes into a custom fabricated car until I attempted one myself. It is easy to look at a finished car and go oh wow no big deal but when you do the work their is a different kind of appreciation you have for those same cars you see all done!
Burntorange70
Well-Known Member
Looking good man! Some trick work going on.
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Ok almost there. Where? I'm not sure, haha.
Mad Dart
Nothing to see Here!
Dang Chris you did get that work done after I left, your on a mission! That food had me asleep at the wheel 2 miles into the 91! Haaaa
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
I did! The Mrs gave me a hall pass to stay out till 10. So I put it in high gear and fabbed up and welded the trunk floor. I then busted out the rotisserie and fabbed up some brackets. Hopefully I will get a chance this weekend to go get some steel to tie the ends together on the rotisserie and finish welding the bars left for the cage. Then its off to the sand blaster and then paint jail! Wish me luck. Haha.
BTW the 91 has put me to sleep more times than I can remember especially after a big ole burrito and some tacos! How long did it take for you to get home??
Mad Dart
Nothing to see Here!
Yup you knocked it out! It took me about 1.5 Hours to get home. I stopped off and did my usual valentine shopping so I wouldn't be in the dog house on that one.
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Like molasses on a cold day! The rotisserie is now all set and the welding continues. I found out that TIG welding a cage is much easier when you can stand. I need to order a new torch for my welder, I guess they make a tiny little torch for the hard to reach spots.
Mad Dart
Nothing to see Here!
At least you are moving forward!! My 67 is in Park....... haaaaa
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Well its back from the sand blaster and in the paint shop. Lets see how long it takes this time!!
Mad Dart
Nothing to see Here!
Ok now you are moving along a Lil too fast...your makin me look bad!
turbodart68
Well-Known Member
Riiiiigggghhhhttt!!
-
