Cobra Transformation...

[Rodeheaver's]

Tim,

You are correct, I did start and stop. That is a very hard area to prep and lay a good and continuous weld. You know where I got the idea from? Dave Zimmerman @ Team Z Motorports. I was there a couple weekends ago and noticed thats how they weld up the boxes at their shop. Dave was kind enough to explain to me why and I wanted to try this on my car first, before attempting to do so on a customers car.

In response to...



The dimples you are referring to are from when I let off the trigger, not from contamination. Do you know what the discolored metal 1/4" out on each side of the weld is from? Heat & Penetration, AKA a good weld. See attached photo... hope that helps..

Cool man, i wasnt knocking your welds... Just explaining to Ed, to better answer his question...

[2000 Ultra Z]

Im state certifed in stick and mig welding from 18ga to 3/4 and thats the way to do the light stuff because theres a thing called to much heat where the weld will be there and look ok but all the heat made the area around the weld weak and it tear away from the weld

[MBH]

Cool man, i wasnt knocking your welds... Just explaining to Ed, to better answer his question...

Im state certifed in stick and mig welding from 18ga to 3/4 and thats the way to do the light stuff because theres a thing called to much heat where the weld will be there and look ok but all the heat made the area around the weld weak and it tear away from the weld

sounds like you guys are saying the same thing

really dumb questions I should be embarrassed to ask: what do torque boxes do and why do they need upgraded? I'm guessing that they have something to do with chassis stabilization (like chassis twisting and flexing) but I wasn't sure and a quick google search just brought back results for installing new ones etc.

[HidalgoGT]

sounds like you guys are saying the same thing

really dumb questions I should be embarrassed to ask: what do torque boxes do and why do they need upgraded? I'm guessing that they have something to do with chassis stabilization (like chassis twisting and flexing) but I wasn't sure and a quick google search just brought back results for installing new ones etc.

The torque boxes are where your control arms mount and are only spot welded in. Once you start making the car hook with tires and upgraded control arms they start taring apart at the spot welds as they are the only holding points. So, you weld the entire seems like Mike did in his pic's to greatly strengthen it. They also have plates you can install and weld around to make it thicker to handle more abuse. Only, dumb question is one not asked.

[Rodeheaver's]

You know Mike, this is actually great news for me to hear, you know as well as i do how hard those torque boxes can be to weld, especially on an older fox that has seen its far share of rust.. I feel that doing it this way may turn out to be a much better/easier way of doing it. The biggest problem i run into is while trying to maintain a solid bead the panel itself gets very hot and starts to melt the undercoating and paint in the surrounding area and it runs into the weld.. I am glad to have read all of this..

[Wolfpack Speed]

i wasnt knocking your welds

Thats how I took it, no big deal either way.

[Wolfpack Speed]

theres a thing called to much heat where the weld will be there and look ok but all the heat made the area around the weld weak and it tear away from the weld

Bingo!!!

[Wolfpack Speed]

You know Mike, this is actually great news for me to hear, you know as well as i do how hard those torque boxes can be to weld, especially on an older fox that has seen its far share of rust.. I feel that doing it this way may turn out to be a much better/easier way of doing it. The biggest problem i run into is while trying to maintain a solid bead the panel itself gets very hot and starts to melt the undercoating and paint in the surrounding area and it runs into the weld.. I am glad to have read all of this..

Give it a shot, I think you will like doing them this way.

[Wolfpack Speed]

Did a little more welding and started to paint...

[street591]

Did a little more welding and started to paint...

Looks really good mike!

[2001GTTT]

that things come a long way quick, looks like it will be sick when done mike!!

[bgblockelcamino]

just checked it out. looking good mike!

[coralcoupe1993]

Looks great! Glad to see the paint. Kind of like a bumble bee black and yellow.

[Mater]

SHOW BIT CH ,UR hanging around Lou to much

[biminiLX]

Great idea to do that now Mike, looks killer.
-J

[Wolfpack Speed]

Thanks guys!!!

[yeahloh95]

looks great mike i need to come check it out

[Wolfpack Speed]

Did a little more painting today...

[Shadowstealth]

Did you single stage that hoss?

[biminiLX]

Gonna need those show-car mirrors under the car at the track? :)
-J