So my progress was slowed down a little today. I was foolin around with my bud's tig welder (heavy duty arc) that I was plannin on usin. Test welded some scrap sheet metal of similar thickness as my body panels, and found that it tended to eat it up

Glad I tested it before I started cutting the panels today, or I woulda been drivin around with nothin but an open frame behind my seat lol...

So I think I'm either gonna have to make friends with someone who has a nice little wire welder, or go buy me my own mig welder... Dunno!

 

Buy your own.

Nothing like having your own tools.

 

Talk about a "bob job"
I saw this in VA on US-17. Had to stop and take a pic.
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Well that didn't work I guess. lol

 

hahahahha i saw the opposite of that at ecology auto parts it was the same style of dodge van but had an extra axle in the back along with more sheetmetal...looked sweet lol..rednecks and their bob jobs...swamp thing u get started yet? still plannin on those stacks?

 

never done a bob job but am experienced in sheetmetal trimming and cutting body panels. I wouldn't recommend a recipricating saw. They can very violent on the flimsy sheetmetal. Mask your line and use a grinder with a cut off wheel. It isn't that hard to keep it steady. I think the key is to cut a nice groove the full length of your cut first, then work it down. If you try and cut all the way through at first it will heat up the metal and it can be harder to control.

 

Whats up Ya'll. Just wanted to add to the dialog. We just did one on a 83 and used a sawzall and grinder. I figered a sawzall was as good as anything. Just made the cuts a little fat and trimmed down with the grinder. Maybe not the fastest way but I was so scared I was going to major damage I took the cautious route. Its a crazy feeling chopping up a truck with a saw. But oh so fun. Good luck!

 

Hah naw I aint got started yet. We were gonna start yesterday, but my buds got me drunk and somehow convinced me to get my nipples pierced... Weird long story...

I figure I'm just gonna ride around with a naked backside till I find/buy a MIG...

 

nipples..my friends did the same to me...theyre gone now..the friends and the nipple rings lol

 

ya having done a bobb personally dont use the sawsal. It is way to hard to cut straight. Go with the cutoff wheel its way easier to follow a line. Or if you can get you hands on a plasma use that and a straight edge of some sort. like one of those aluminum yardsticks that you can bend to contour and follow it. That works super good. definatly use some sort of backer material too macks it much easier and less time consuming to get it right the first time.

 

Well, I aint got a cutoff wheel, but I do have an electric angle grinder with a plain diamond blade (used to be a floorman, tile and such) and a serrated non diamond blade. Probably use the angle grinder for the body panels and the sawzall for the bottom of the bed since I think that metal is a little thicker.

Hmm I probably could use some of the scrap I take off for backing material. Maybe that'll let me use my bud's TIG without eatin up the sheetmetal so bad.

And yeah I was pretty irate once I sobered up and and realised I got my nipples pierced, but now they're kinda growin on me. Fun to play with actually lmao...