World class weldfest

[brammy777]

Well ive only done a small amount of welding so far, bare in mind it can take a few sessions to get it right, but when you do, you get such a rush. I cant remember when doing something educational gave me such a feeling!Its brilliant and I recommend it to all of you. The place where i did it has courses for £159 IIRC.Trick is (for me) to stand over it and hold the welding torch with two hands, and make sure your facemask is a fairly posh one which gives you a view of everything in green before you start. The old ones with no sight until welding begins are shit.

[danthecapriman]

Looks a good project to me. Great to see an estate being saved.

 

Ive got a mk2 Granada estate that was in a similar state, its slowly getting there but takes alot of time to do properly.

 

It and my capri were both well rotten when I got them and definatly not worth starting with, you can pick up a better starting point fairly easily but weres the fun in that!? Its nice to start with a car that would otherwise have had no chance and put it back on the road, far better in my opinion, than just going out and buying a minter. If I didnt buy mine they would have ended up going around the oval.

If you do it yourself at least you know its done properly too!

Its also great to prove the sceptics wrong, loads of people said both my old fords were scrap, and to get a better one etc etc but its great once you get them back on the road again.

 

As far as welding is concerned, I agree with Ratdat, just get a welder and have a go. Start with scraps and off cuts then when your confident move on to a car. Maybe start underneath on floors, (where its not normally seen!) first, then move on to the actual bodywork.

 

Also, this is a good site to have a look at for welding. www.mig-welding.co.uk The forum there is particularly helpfull.

 

Keep us updated on this, Id really like to see it progress.

[v6pop]

Save the Estates!!!!!!!!!

 

Loved my one,2.3 V6 Ghia S model,towed real well and carried all the tools and wheels for a weekends racing,top car and wish I still had it Sold it and bought an XR4i in 1991.

 

FPE325V....where are you now...........

 

[Dead_E23]

I reckon the best way is to just buy a welder, read up what you can and have a go.

I did this when I needed to apply a small patch (or so I thought) to my Range Rover for the MOT. Basic MIG welding turned out to be fairly straightforward, which was just as well because I ended up fabricating both sills and much of the floor. By the end of the job most of my welds weren't too disgraceful, but I think it's a skill that you could keep improving at for a long long time. A couple of my friends work as blacksmiths and their welding is so perfect that it seems a pity to paint over it.Twiddle around with the settings until the arc sounds like bacon frying. That's my tip.

[v6pop]

I did a lot of learning by gluing old escorts together in the late 70's/80's,you can read alot to get you going but you have to have a go to get the feel of it.

Unfortunately they dont teach you how to weld rust to rust in text books ,

 

 

My £225 Mexico in 1990

 

Another old Escort..........

[Guest]

I'm going to do a welding course at the local college, 20 weeks of evening classes starting next month, can't wait. Will give me the excuse I've been looking for to pull one of my Fiesta bodyshells out of its Scottish hibernation and get some new metal onto it, then I'll just need to master the art of spraying.