Stick with it Matt. It's an awful job to do but your getting lots of good content whilst further building your character. As a younger man I kept my cars going by doing my own repairs crawling around on the drive. You have my upmost respect for taking this on!
Hey Matt, plug weld wise a few tips from my experience. Drill your hole slightly larger, I use a 6.5/6 something like that. Crank the power up, the welder sounded good but maybe a little low. I start dead center then do a quick circle outwards in the middle of the hole and that seems to work really well. Weld thru primer is also a god send as its high in zinc so you can protect the metal everywhere and just weld rather than having to clear up spots. Finally if you do need to clear up a section of paint I just use a spot weld drill bit, the flat ones, through the panel with a hole in it and that wipes the paint away really quickly. Hope that helps and love the channel!
Hi. Love the videos. Back in my last life I was in metal fabrication . The cutting discs you have are metal. The ultra thin discs are the best for that kind of metal gauge. They don't last as long but give a much better finish. Just be careful of the glass on the cars parked near as the sparks will stick to glass and that can't be undone and always disconnect the battery when welding, it might burn out the alternator. Have a little wire snips on hand to clean the tip of the welding gun when it gets stuck and a metal file. And keep note of position of spot welds as when you put the sill on it will be very difficult to drill through a spot weld. Jesus that was a long comment 👍
Hi Matt ,get a couple of bits of scrap metal and practice the plug welding. You can weld them then try pulling them apart . You will get the hang of keeping the pool of weld on the edge of the hole. Very important to have the two layers very tightly clamped. You need to make sure these welds are strong.
Sack the editor! 😂 Measure sill, have conversation about dog, measure sill again.. Keep at it Matt, as you say bodywork is so labour intensive, you can spend hours at this stage - especially in the prep, for what looks like very little progress. That little bender is a very handy tool too 👍
Stick with it Matt, its progress. For plug welding I found it better to drill a 10mm hole as then you get more area of the lower panel to get a good weld on, but also stick a vice grip either side of the hole to make sure that there is good contact between all panels otherwise you can end up just filling the hole in the top panel (which I suspect was your issue with your 1st go at it).
Truly impressed by the determination and hard working spirit you’re showing; these old cars provide loads of content for the channel which is getting better by the day and deserve to skyrocket
Having spent a decade working as a fabricator, always keep a good supply of welding shrouds/adaptors/tips in stock. In the early days when your technique isn’t the best, you at least then have a quick solution to welding your tip to the shroud! As you get better, you’ll find that this happens much less frequently. I really admire your enthusiasm but do wonder whether this particular job is a little beyond your current capabilities. Sincerely wish you all the best with it.
With plug welds make a bigger hole (7 or 8mm), make sure you are welding to completely clean metal behind and make sure there is zero gap. Start right in the middle of the hole too. You want to weld the back piece to the front, not just fill the hole like your first set did. If you watch Nitro Silvia on here he explains it well.
As I have no knowledge to offer, I’m sending a big man hug cause your a lot braver than me. As you know mr nitrosilvia could you twist his arm to give you a quick lesson?
I've watched a bit of Halfass Kustoms working on old shells putting in new metal. He gets the pieces somewhere near the shape, tacks them in, then makes slits and cuts to adjust the fit and them seam welds the slits when he gets the metal in the right place. It is a fast method and looks easier that trying to get the panel right with mole grips etc before fitting. You have to go back a couple of months on his channel as he is rebuilding after his shop burned to the ground. The 1935 Dodge he was working on had many good examples of the technique though it is now a charred wreck after the fire!
As an enthusiastic amateur, I have done many jobs like this. Checking if your welds are any good, I found a good indication is; does the weld glow red for a few seconds afterwards? If so, then it's no good. There is no heat conduction. It should stop glowing almost immediately. With plug welds, I used mole grips (where possible) to really clamp the metal together at the weld site. Keep up the good work.
I admire your determination with this car. To be fair, any dream cars we might deserves any treatment to keep it alive, no matter how hard it is. That folding tool is so handy!
Having not got a clue about welding i cant describe how daunting that looks! But its brilliant to see you cracking on with it and makes great viewing. I admire your determination to get this car back in shape. Good work 👏
I still think the best way to keep it from rusting again is to banish the plastic sill cover off the car as that is what causes the rusting in the first place. Those sills trap water. At the least make sure to drill several good size holes in the underside of the sill so the water drains out. Also keep watch over your B pillar (the one between the doors) American Fords like to rust at the bottom of the B Pillar. This is cause by the fact Ford added stuff in order to cut out road noise. This also traps water.
Great little Tinkering video Matt, admiring the dedication you have for getting the Crown Vic sorted and back on the road, it will be worth all the pain in the end.
Brilliant bit of fabrication, you did the right thing drilling through the original steel your tacks will penetrate and stick. Get 1mm discs they cut through sheet metal alot easier use thick discs in awkward places because 1mm disc tend to snag n shatter but good luck with the rest of the job
That comment about the cutting disc made me laugh out loud Matt! 🤣 some people really think they know it all and comment without engaging their brains. You’re doing such a good job on the Vic, keep up the great work
I am starting to understand why I'm having a hard time finding a body shop that is willing to replace the sills on my Volvo Amazon. The process seems very involved and time consuming. Regardless of having the funds, the shops I have spoken with so far have rejected the job. Your dedication to getting the car repaired is inspiring. Makes me want to buy the necessary tools and start learning the process my self. Will be interesting to see how you do the ends that were completely gone.
Great video! You probably need to get a new "tip" for the welding gun. Get a pack of 10. Hate to be that guy but I thought at the time that if those were your first plug welds they wouldn't stick. Practice off the car a bit. Important that the two bits of metal are well clamped together and you have to start with the arc going right into the middle of the hole and then bring the puddle to the edges. The arc wants to jump to the sharp edge around the hole so you get a nice button but which isn't stuck to the back.
Plug welds are a sod until you get the hang of them! Took me a while! You want a nice big hole so you have space to get the penetration in the first layer without just filling the hole. I had a 10mm hole. Once I had the penetration in the middle of the hole, I could work the weld pool to the edge of the hole. Does that make sense? Great work!
Fair play getting ripped into it and get it done, there is always a danger of pushing this type of project into the corner. The fact that the Ford is body on frame definitely helps things!
Yes, of course they're cutting discs, but they're the equivilent of a meat cleaver when a carving knife is available. A lot of people are recommending weld through primer and I would too, but it's really only weld through when being used for heavy fabrication work. For car bodywork, where a clean arc strike is essential, I use a point style wire brush through the plug weld hole to create a clean spot. I'd also use 8mm, or even 10mm holes to make things easier and you need to clamp right next to the weld to make sure the layers are touching. They even make Molegrip style welding pliers designed just for the job. Self tappers or even pop rivets can do temporary duty. It may be all learning, but perhaps a bit more research on techniques before hand?
I'm a mechanic (now retired) not really into bodywork. But here in the U.S. we use some stuff called POR-15 to coat rusted surfaces. It's actually called a "rust converter", and is actually used by professional car restorers.
Good effort for someone who doesn’t work as a car restorer. Regarding 1mm cutting disc most places have them, even the likes of screwfix. Sometimes just called slitting disc.
It's not a problem. The enjoyment of welding the sill in, and it looks pretty after you'll be proud. You look downbeat, but you should be.......prep is the pits!❤
Well done Matt. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of CAD Cardboatd Aided Design. Mind you i have watched all of Bad Obsession Motorsport's Project Binky!😊 Keep your chin up. You have got this. 👍👍
I've never come across any paint or chemical that will fully neutralise rust, it always eventually comes back. The only way to get rid of it for good is to chop it out completely.
Matt, I’m so happy that you also follow Sarah. Next time I go to AZ for work, shall defo try to pop in there for some extracurricular fun over the weekend if that can be arranged. What a star. Also, you are far braver than I. Good on you for actually taking this on yourself.
I'm not a welder, but maybe try doing the seem weld first and allowing it to cool, then do the plug welds. I admire your determination, you'll get it back on the road and improve your welding skills along the way. Where's the fun in getting someone else to do it?
Your a brave chap taking this on Mat! strange design concept here, build what effectively looks like a monocoque body and then mount it to a ladder frame chassis? It will make some powerful content Mat and puts a lot [most] of amateur you tubers in the shade!
Toolstation, Screwfix, even Aldi and Lidl sell 1mm cutting discs. When you get some you'll be wondering why you didn't get them sooner for the kind of cutting you're doing. That's a nightmare weld job and full respect for you cracking on with it, I hate welding but that car is so cool it has to be done. Looking forward to the next vid.
Lovin the sarcastic stuff wae the cutting disc😂. Nothing i can say is gonna make it easier. The guys at Yorkshire Car Restorations post plenty of vids on this kind of stuff. What i can say is it is soul destroying stuff and it will take a long time to do it. One option would be to sell one of the fleet and use that to fund the repair on the P71. Tough choices. Good Luck.
I insured my escort thru Lancaster insurance last week. Because I keep seeing you advise them on your channel. Really chuffed with the price and how helpful they where. Was definitely a good shout.
I'd love to learn how to do a bit of welding properly - i think its a fear factor holds me back. Its really nice to see you making progress without the ideal facilities. It always seems that the people explaining how easy it is have a mega-money workshop
You go for it, buy the best mig welder you can ressonably afford. A stick welder is cheap and cheerful but too manly for thin stuff. Stick welder from Aldi/Lidl, grinder, gloves cheap vice grips and automatic face shield are the basics needed. I got the steel from an old tumble dryer and cut it up to practice on😊
Your resolve never ceases to amaze me and your work is superb, stick with it and when you have finished one side you can have TWO cups of tea AND a biscuit. 1mm cutting discs are very cheap and readily available, I have got a box of 100 in the garage, one day I will get around to using them.
Matt your correct that you can use that disk for cutting but it would be quicker to use a 1mm cut off wheel. There much faster but just remember they can't be side loaded. Enjoying the video's keep uo the good work!
That's been an interesting watch as my Rover 75 is booked in to have a new Sill welded on in a few weeks time. I'm obviously not skilled like you to tackle such a job so I've intrusted a local body shop to tackle it.Never the less it's good to see videos like this to get a rough idea of what's involved 👍👍
You doing well Matt, its hard work though. In can see a box of cavity wax spray coming in haha. Oh for the tip of the welder there is a spray that avoids that a tip cleaner.
I’m doing much the same with a couple of my projects on my channel , but unfortunately for me I don’t get the exposure on TH-cam 😫 but I’ll keep plodding away. Good work up to now 🙂👍
Hey Matt! This has turned into Ball ache on this CV. But The failed MOT and The Great American bodge job has given us a whole mini TH-cam series,Man Alive indeed!
That's a lot to take on fella but progress is progress can see why the last owner bodged it still not the right idea ...good luck fella ,like your TH-cam channel 👍
I think your clamps/vice grips were too far apart when plug welding, allowing a gap between the two pieces of metal being welded together and thus a weak/poor join! Try placing grips either side of the plug as you go.
By the time you've finished you'll be an expert. Never done much with an electric welder, all mine in the past done with a gas set up and on chassis, one needed to be a good Joiner and Panel Beater for the bodies. Having an English Wheel helped (and an expert friend on hand) with all the complex curves in the wings, picked up at an industrial auction for pennies, well almost pennies.
BOC gas & gear stores keep those 1mm slitting discs on the shelf. They also need less grunt so will be better for your battery grinder. Flap discs are also useful for getting rid of the surface rust.
Those 1mm discs are very common here in Australia at any big box store. Apparently they are more prone to shattering if forced, which I can now confirm is true, "ping" (yikes). I'll be taking more care and using the thicker ones for tight crevices in future...
Persevere with it , do the best work can , and those bits that will end up covered just make sure they're solid, it's making for good content this is, looking forward to seeing the car right again, your doing alright though keep up with it
It started of well but got messy. It's not an easy job welding so I really do take my hat off to you for having a go at it Matt. No doubt it would be better to pay a professional to do the job for you but paying a welder isn't cheap and you've got all the kit you need and materials and your welding skills are definitely getting better so there for you are in this case better off doing the job yourself! Just take your time and be very methodical about it and I'll bet you end up doing a really good job!!! 👍🙂👍
Can you rivet the inner-sills then weld it on take out the rivits and weld the hole's i don't know if it would work but it would make it more stable when you weld the sill on just an Idea might not work😊
Yorkshire car restoration, mind blowing skill in turning a flat sheet of steel into the most intricate repair panel which looks OEM, plus great sense of humor
Drill the holes a bit bigger and plug weld you don't meed to drill right through both surfaces but u need the holes bigger so you get a decent amount of weld,this is coming from a welder good luck mate.
The outer metal needs the hole. The under metal doesn't need one. The weld then melts onto the lower metal and out to the upper metal as you make a circle with the nozzle. A single hole through both won't allow any penetration to join the two pieces together. That is why it popped apart. Good weld through primer is expensive but it minimises the amount of non protected metal after you have done the weld. You're going to get lots of practice. By the time you get round the other side you'll be much better. For that reason it may be better to do a bit each side to spread out the good and bad welds.
Good on you Matt. I think I might have given up on that (or paid someone else) a couple of videos ago. But hey, at least now you have more experience cleaning and welding. Plus you have some good content to share with the pretenders like me. Keep going mate!
I love sarcasm Matt 😂 “ RUNES “ 😂, will Mrs Furious get extra pay now for being a walking , talking movie extra now 😉 and Bonzo dog an extra treat , share the wealth Matt before Crown Vic sucks it all up 😅. Nice metal magic bending 👌🏻 all looks great 👍🏻
Just to throw this out there something I thought of. As a way of getting the Vic through an mot how about simply having the outer sills replaced for now it would give you a little breathing space and you would be able to enjoy the car knowing that the existing corrosion is at least buttoned up into a dry stable environment. Just crossed my mind I know that quite often new sills get welded over rusted ones. It might be a little late for the right hand side but probably not for the left. I'm fussy enough repairing stuff but this would be a pretty good temporary-ish repair.
the actual repair for this is basically that, replacing the sill panels. Id not weld over existing rust as it just traps it and makes everything worse (as was done to my Alfa 145)
@@furiousdriving Yeah best to do it right once that's for sure. It must be seriously frustrating not being able to drive that beast at the moment. I've been watching episodes of Bosch and it's wall to wall Crown Vics. My favourite is the black ones with black steels and small chrome hubcaps. A very cool old motor 😎
Just adding a comment to say well done so far. I'd try to get the car higher up so crawling about is a little easier. Choppup railway sleeper would be good.😊👍
looking forward to seeing the progress you make on this. its a bugger when you find stuff like this on a car you beveled was good but it will be a better car for it in the end. Also highly recommend you do order some 1mm slitting disks (Aldi and Liddle sometimes have them in a pack of 10 for £3,99) they are a revelation for cutting sheet metal.
Bet your getting lots of god advise so maybe you read this already , but just a couple of little things on plug welding a flange , it has to be pushed / pinned together nice and flat so the heat does not warp anything , i used many mole grips along a length like that , some have two forks where you can plug weld between , you will recognise them when you see them , some are C shaped for getting around things , just to say on the plug weld you have to hold and maintain a pool that melts in to the back flange you are welding to without it melting through the back or melting away the edges of the hole you are welding through ,and then that pool fills out in to the new metal , bit more power and bit more wire till you find the sweet spot .
The Crown Vic is ace, i admire your determination but I still think you should have outsourced the work to a bodyshop. I understand that there may be cost issues, what worries me is that the left hand side is probably in the same state.
2 tips; dont plug weld, cut your piece short, then seam weld. take shroud off welding gun, then touch welded wire and tip on to grinder, gentl,y to unweld wire from tip. good luck..
Stick with it Matt. It's an awful job to do but your getting lots of good content whilst further building your character. As a younger man I kept my cars going by doing my own repairs crawling around on the drive. You have my upmost respect for taking this on!
Hey Matt, plug weld wise a few tips from my experience. Drill your hole slightly larger, I use a 6.5/6 something like that. Crank the power up, the welder sounded good but maybe a little low. I start dead center then do a quick circle outwards in the middle of the hole and that seems to work really well. Weld thru primer is also a god send as its high in zinc so you can protect the metal everywhere and just weld rather than having to clear up spots.
Finally if you do need to clear up a section of paint I just use a spot weld drill bit, the flat ones, through the panel with a hole in it and that wipes the paint away really quickly.
Hope that helps and love the channel!
Hi. Love the videos. Back in my last life I was in metal fabrication . The cutting discs you have are metal. The ultra thin discs are the best for that kind of metal gauge. They don't last as long but give a much better finish. Just be careful of the glass on the cars parked near as the sparks will stick to glass and that can't be undone and always disconnect the battery when welding, it might burn out the alternator. Have a little wire snips on hand to clean the tip of the welding gun when it gets stuck and a metal file. And keep note of position of spot welds as when you put the sill on it will be very difficult to drill through a spot weld. Jesus that was a long comment 👍
But a very useful one!
Hi Matt ,get a couple of bits of scrap metal and practice the plug welding. You can weld them then try pulling them apart .
You will get the hang of keeping the pool of weld on the edge of the hole. Very important to have the two layers very tightly clamped.
You need to make sure these welds are strong.
Sack the editor! 😂 Measure sill, have conversation about dog, measure sill again..
Keep at it Matt, as you say bodywork is so labour intensive, you can spend hours at this stage - especially in the prep, for what looks like very little progress. That little bender is a very handy tool too 👍
Stick with it Matt, its progress. For plug welding I found it better to drill a 10mm hole as then you get more area of the lower panel to get a good weld on, but also stick a vice grip either side of the hole to make sure that there is good contact between all panels otherwise you can end up just filling the hole in the top panel (which I suspect was your issue with your 1st go at it).
Truly impressed by the determination and hard working spirit you’re showing; these old cars provide loads of content for the channel which is getting better by the day and deserve to skyrocket
I'm so impressed how you do all the work on the floor in your driveway. Very nice job. My back hurts just watching. Keep it up. 👍
Having spent a decade working as a fabricator, always keep a good supply of welding shrouds/adaptors/tips in stock. In the early days when your technique isn’t the best, you at least then have a quick solution to welding your tip to the shroud! As you get better, you’ll find that this happens much less frequently.
I really admire your enthusiasm but do wonder whether this particular job is a little beyond your current capabilities. Sincerely wish you all the best with it.
I came here to say exactly this.
Nice work. Welding is one of those things that benefits from not being rushed, unfortunately. I think you’re doing a grand job!
With plug welds make a bigger hole (7 or 8mm), make sure you are welding to completely clean metal behind and make sure there is zero gap. Start right in the middle of the hole too. You want to weld the back piece to the front, not just fill the hole like your first set did. If you watch Nitro Silvia on here he explains it well.
That car is like an onion: the more layers you peel off the more you have to cry... 🙄🙄🙄
😢😢😢
😂😂😂😂😂
😄🤸😄🤸😄🤸😄
The guys who do lots of plug welding like Pete C and Yorkshire car restorations make it look so easy.
Good to see that’s in reality, it isn’t.
As I have no knowledge to offer, I’m sending a big man hug cause your a lot braver than me. As you know mr nitrosilvia could you twist his arm to give you a quick lesson?
I've watched a bit of Halfass Kustoms working on old shells putting in new metal. He gets the pieces somewhere near the shape, tacks them in, then makes slits and cuts to adjust the fit and them seam welds the slits when he gets the metal in the right place. It is a fast method and looks easier that trying to get the panel right with mole grips etc before fitting. You have to go back a couple of months on his channel as he is rebuilding after his shop burned to the ground. The 1935 Dodge he was working on had many good examples of the technique though it is now a charred wreck after the fire!
As an enthusiastic amateur, I have done many jobs like this. Checking if your welds are any good, I found a good indication is; does the weld glow red for a few seconds afterwards? If so, then it's no good. There is no heat conduction. It should stop glowing almost immediately. With plug welds, I used mole grips (where possible) to really clamp the metal together at the weld site. Keep up the good work.
I admire your determination with this car. To be fair, any dream cars we might deserves any treatment to keep it alive, no matter how hard it is.
That folding tool is so handy!
Wow, I seriously admire your dedication to repairing your P71, reminds me of when I had to weld new floors into my El Camino!
Keep going, the more you do the more your learning Matt. Your definitely a brave chap taking this on, you deserve a lot admiration for doing so.
Having not got a clue about welding i cant describe how daunting that looks! But its brilliant to see you cracking on with it and makes great viewing. I admire your determination to get this car back in shape. Good work 👏
I still think the best way to keep it from rusting again is to banish the plastic sill cover off the car as that is what causes the rusting in the first place. Those sills trap water. At the least make sure to drill several good size holes in the underside of the sill so the water drains out. Also keep watch over your B pillar (the one between the doors) American Fords like to rust at the bottom of the B Pillar. This is cause by the fact Ford added stuff in order to cut out road noise. This also traps water.
Great little Tinkering video Matt, admiring the dedication you have for getting the Crown Vic sorted and back on the road, it will be worth all the pain in the end.
Full respect for working outside on the driveway
Ah you mentioned Sarah-N-Tuned whom I follow too. She and you both inspire me with your dedication and going the extra mile.
You’re learning new skills and you’ll have the massive satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself. Stick with it, it’ll be worth it in the end.
Great work Matt. I'm glad the Clarke metal folder worked out for you - all of my tools are Clarke and they're superb
Brilliant bit of fabrication, you did the right thing drilling through the original steel your tacks will penetrate and stick. Get 1mm discs they cut through sheet metal alot easier use thick discs in awkward places because 1mm disc tend to snag n shatter but good luck with the rest of the job
PVFC!
That comment about the cutting disc made me laugh out loud Matt! 🤣 some people really think they know it all and comment without engaging their brains. You’re doing such a good job on the Vic, keep up the great work
Those people actually know what there talking about. Yes they are metal cutting discs but they are the wrong ones.
Furious Determination and True Grit! Well done on the positivism!
Please don't overstretch yourself though. That's when accidents happen!
I am starting to understand why I'm having a hard time finding a body shop that is willing to replace the sills on my Volvo Amazon. The process seems very involved and time consuming. Regardless of having the funds, the shops I have spoken with so far have rejected the job. Your dedication to getting the car repaired is inspiring. Makes me want to buy the necessary tools and start learning the process my self. Will be interesting to see how you do the ends that were completely gone.
I will do it 👍
Great video! You probably need to get a new "tip" for the welding gun. Get a pack of 10. Hate to be that guy but I thought at the time that if those were your first plug welds they wouldn't stick. Practice off the car a bit. Important that the two bits of metal are well clamped together and you have to start with the arc going right into the middle of the hole and then bring the puddle to the edges. The arc wants to jump to the sharp edge around the hole so you get a nice button but which isn't stuck to the back.
This channel needs to be renamed to FuriousWelding.. Keep going Matt, she's worth it!
Plug welds are a sod until you get the hang of them! Took me a while!
You want a nice big hole so you have space to get the penetration in the first layer without just filling the hole. I had a 10mm hole.
Once I had the penetration in the middle of the hole, I could work the weld pool to the edge of the hole.
Does that make sense?
Great work!
Hi Matt, you could always use UPOL weld through Copper primer. This would be ideal for all the sections you grind back and plug weld. Good luck !
Fair play getting ripped into it and get it done, there is always a danger of pushing this type of project into the corner.
The fact that the Ford is body on frame definitely helps things!
Oh and mind the glass on any of the other cars with those sparks….. really annoying when u notice it damaged afterwards.
Yes, of course they're cutting discs, but they're the equivilent of a meat cleaver when a carving knife is available.
A lot of people are recommending weld through primer and I would too, but it's really only weld through when being used for heavy fabrication work. For car bodywork, where a clean arc strike is essential, I use a point style wire brush through the plug weld hole to create a clean spot. I'd also use 8mm, or even 10mm holes to make things easier and you need to clamp right next to the weld to make sure the layers are touching. They even make Molegrip style welding pliers designed just for the job. Self tappers or even pop rivets can do temporary duty.
It may be all learning, but perhaps a bit more research on techniques before hand?
I'm a mechanic (now retired) not really into bodywork. But here in the U.S. we use some stuff called POR-15 to coat rusted surfaces. It's actually called a "rust converter", and is actually used by professional car restorers.
Good effort for someone who doesn’t work as a car restorer. Regarding 1mm cutting disc most places have them, even the likes of screwfix. Sometimes just called slitting disc.
It's not a problem. The enjoyment of welding the sill in, and it looks pretty after you'll be proud. You look downbeat, but you should be.......prep is the pits!❤
Matt you can get welding primer so then no need to have untreated metal to weld on.
Well done Matt. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of CAD
Cardboatd Aided Design.
Mind you i have watched all of Bad Obsession Motorsport's Project Binky!😊
Keep your chin up. You have got this. 👍👍
I've never come across any paint or chemical that will fully neutralise rust, it always eventually comes back. The only way to get rid of it for good is to chop it out completely.
I do like your determination do get this job done and now you are a fabricator welder and ameture mechanic we live and learn
Matt, I’m so happy that you also follow Sarah.
Next time I go to AZ for work, shall defo try to pop in there for some extracurricular fun over the weekend if that can be arranged. What a star.
Also, you are far braver than I. Good on you for actually taking this on yourself.
I'm not a welder, but maybe try doing the seem weld first and allowing it to cool, then do the plug welds.
I admire your determination, you'll get it back on the road and improve your welding skills along the way.
Where's the fun in getting someone else to do it?
Your a brave chap taking this on Mat! strange design concept here, build what effectively looks like a monocoque body and then mount it to a ladder frame chassis? It will make some powerful content Mat and puts a lot [most] of amateur you tubers in the shade!
Toolstation, Screwfix, even Aldi and Lidl sell 1mm cutting discs. When you get some you'll be wondering why you didn't get them sooner for the kind of cutting you're doing. That's a nightmare weld job and full respect for you cracking on with it, I hate welding but that car is so cool it has to be done. Looking forward to the next vid.
Lovin the sarcastic stuff wae the cutting disc😂. Nothing i can say is gonna make it easier. The guys at Yorkshire Car Restorations post plenty of vids on this kind of stuff. What i can say is it is soul destroying stuff and it will take a long time to do it. One option would be to sell one of the fleet and use that to fund the repair on the P71. Tough choices. Good Luck.
I call my MIG the "putting-on saw"!
I insured my escort thru Lancaster insurance last week. Because I keep seeing you advise them on your channel. Really chuffed with the price and how helpful they where. Was definitely a good shout.
Really enjoyed the video. Funny seeing the Rover reflected in the Crown Vic’s paintwork at one point.
I'd love to learn how to do a bit of welding properly - i think its a fear factor holds me back. Its really nice to see you making progress without the ideal facilities. It always seems that the people explaining how easy it is have a mega-money workshop
You go for it, buy the best mig welder you can ressonably afford. A stick welder is cheap and cheerful but too manly for thin stuff. Stick welder from Aldi/Lidl, grinder, gloves cheap vice grips and automatic face shield are the basics needed. I got the steel from an old tumble dryer and cut it up to practice on😊
Your resolve never ceases to amaze me and your work is superb, stick with it and when you have finished one side you can have TWO cups of tea AND a biscuit. 1mm cutting discs are very cheap and readily available, I have got a box of 100 in the garage, one day I will get around to using them.
Matt your correct that you can use that disk for cutting but it would be quicker to use a 1mm cut off wheel. There much faster but just remember they can't be side loaded. Enjoying the video's keep uo the good work!
That's been an interesting watch as my Rover 75 is booked in to have a new Sill welded on in a few weeks time. I'm obviously not skilled like you to tackle such a job so I've intrusted a local body shop to tackle it.Never the less it's good to see videos like this to get a rough idea of what's involved 👍👍
You doing well Matt, its hard work though. In can see a box of cavity wax spray coming in haha. Oh for the tip of the welder there is a spray that avoids that a tip cleaner.
I’m doing much the same with a couple of my projects on my channel , but unfortunately for me I don’t get the exposure on TH-cam 😫 but I’ll keep plodding away. Good work up to now 🙂👍
Keep up the good work, Matt! 👌🏻👌🏻
If James can make Rover SD1s out of Swiss cheese, I'm sure you'll be alright Matt.
Hey Matt! This has turned into Ball ache on this CV. But The failed MOT and The Great American bodge job has given us a whole mini TH-cam series,Man Alive indeed!
That's a lot to take on fella but progress is progress can see why the last owner bodged it still not the right idea ...good luck fella ,like your TH-cam channel 👍
Impressive work , patience and application, hats off to you Matt
You love that p71 crownvic too much to give up. cheers mate
Keep at it. Fantastic content.
MIG will make the welding a much easier task.
That's some awesome furious welding going on there!
I think your clamps/vice grips were too far apart when plug welding, allowing a gap between the two pieces of metal being welded together and thus a weak/poor join! Try placing grips either side of the plug as you go.
Matt give Yorkshire car restoration a look for inspiration
Keep going Matt. You're gonna love that old beast even more!
By the time you've finished you'll be an expert. Never done much with an electric welder, all mine in the past done with a gas set up and on chassis, one needed to be a good Joiner and Panel Beater for the bodies. Having an English Wheel helped (and an expert friend on hand) with all the complex curves in the wings, picked up at an industrial auction for pennies, well almost pennies.
BOC gas & gear stores keep those 1mm slitting discs on the shelf. They also need less grunt so will be better for your battery grinder. Flap discs are also useful for getting rid of the surface rust.
Those 1mm discs are very common here in Australia at any big box store. Apparently they are more prone to shattering if forced, which I can now confirm is true, "ping" (yikes). I'll be taking more care and using the thicker ones for tight crevices in future...
Persevere with it , do the best work can , and those bits that will end up covered just make sure they're solid, it's making for good content this is, looking forward to seeing the car right again, your doing alright though keep up with it
It started of well but got messy. It's not an easy job welding so I really do take my hat off to you for having a go at it Matt. No doubt it would be better to pay a professional to do the job for you but paying a welder isn't cheap and you've got all the kit you need and materials and your welding skills are definitely getting better so there for you are in this case better off doing the job yourself! Just take your time and be very methodical about it and I'll bet you end up doing a really good job!!! 👍🙂👍
Can you rivet the inner-sills then weld it on take out the rivits and weld the hole's i don't know if it would work but it would make it more stable when you weld the sill on just an Idea might not work😊
I follow Yorkshire Car Restoration who have loads of videos of them trying to fabricate weird metal 😂
Those guys are truly metal magicians 😲
@Cortina City .......Pete is the metal doctor !!!!!!
@Mad about motorsport , them bracket speacilists
Yorkshire car restoration, mind blowing skill in turning a flat sheet of steel into the most intricate repair panel which looks OEM, plus great sense of humor
Drill the holes a bit bigger and plug weld you don't meed to drill right through both surfaces but u need the holes bigger so you get a decent amount of weld,this is coming from a welder good luck mate.
The outer metal needs the hole. The under metal doesn't need one. The weld then melts onto the lower metal and out to the upper metal as you make a circle with the nozzle. A single hole through both won't allow any penetration to join the two pieces together. That is why it popped apart. Good weld through primer is expensive but it minimises the amount of non protected metal after you have done the weld. You're going to get lots of practice. By the time you get round the other side you'll be much better. For that reason it may be better to do a bit each side to spread out the good and bad welds.
Good on you Matt. I think I might have given up on that (or paid someone else) a couple of videos ago. But hey, at least now you have more experience cleaning and welding. Plus you have some good content to share with the pretenders like me. Keep going mate!
Planishing hammer and dolly might be more useful to you Matt.. Good effort with the basic tools you have 👍🙂
Sand/shot bag too is very useful. Not expensive either.
I love sarcasm Matt 😂 “ RUNES “ 😂, will Mrs Furious get extra pay now for being a walking , talking movie extra now 😉 and Bonzo dog an extra treat , share the wealth Matt before Crown Vic sucks it all up 😅. Nice metal magic bending 👌🏻 all looks great 👍🏻
As a ex-welder, well done I always hated welding on cars good luck to you Matt.
And the neighbours are fan of your antics...-:)))?
I can see why the previous repairer used expanding foam.
Considering your not a welder you doing a decent job don't get to good as ppl will be asking you to go & weld their cars its coming along nicely
Great video Matt Like the way you carry on even when the job gets extremely difficult 👍👍👍
Just to throw this out there something I thought of. As a way of getting the Vic through an mot how about simply having the outer sills replaced for now it would give you a little breathing space and you would be able to enjoy the car knowing that the existing corrosion is at least buttoned up into a dry stable environment. Just crossed my mind I know that quite often new sills get welded over rusted ones. It might be a little late for the right hand side but probably not for the left.
I'm fussy enough repairing stuff but this would be a pretty good temporary-ish repair.
the actual repair for this is basically that, replacing the sill panels.
Id not weld over existing rust as it just traps it and makes everything worse (as was done to my Alfa 145)
@@furiousdriving Yeah best to do it right once that's for sure. It must be seriously frustrating not being able to drive that beast at the moment. I've been watching episodes of Bosch and it's wall to wall Crown Vics. My favourite is the black ones with black steels and small chrome hubcaps. A very cool old motor 😎
Wouldnt it make sense to, instead of having half a dozen semi-wrecks, have one or two really nice classics?
🤔 What a radical idea!😆 The P5 is already Matt's immaculate classic anyway.
Just adding a comment to say well done so far. I'd try to get the car higher up so crawling about is a little easier. Choppup railway sleeper would be good.😊👍
Hi Matt keep with it hey and hope it all gets done swiftly
looking forward to seeing the progress you make on this. its a bugger when you find stuff like this on a car you beveled was good but it will be a better car for it in the end. Also highly recommend you do order some 1mm slitting disks (Aldi and Liddle sometimes have them in a pack of 10 for £3,99) they are a revelation for cutting sheet metal.
I admire your tenacity. I'd have been sat eating a fab lolly by now waiting for the scrap man to arrive 😂
your doing a good job there. big task. I admire your determination.
Hi Matt
I really appreciate and respect your commitment and motivation,that alone is worth watching let alone the crowd vic
Don’t get disheartened it will look great with outer sill on , your doing a good job 👍
Usually those metal benders have a protractor or gauge to tell you how much you're bending the metal by...
Bet your getting lots of god advise so maybe you read this already , but just a couple of little things on plug welding a flange , it has to be pushed / pinned together nice and flat so the heat does not warp anything , i used many mole grips along a length like that , some have two forks where you can plug weld between , you will recognise them when you see them , some are C shaped for getting around things , just to say on the plug weld you have to hold and maintain a pool that melts in to the back flange you are welding to without it melting through the back or melting away the edges of the hole you are welding through ,and then that pool fills out in to the new metal , bit more power and bit more wire till you find the sweet spot .
Credit to you Matt and your can do attitude 👍
The Crown Vic is ace, i admire your determination but I still think you should have outsourced the work to a bodyshop. I understand that there may be cost issues, what worries me is that the left hand side is probably in the same state.
Yeah amazing how tools can make the task far easier and faster at the same time.
Great video Matt. Good to see progress being made on this brilliant car. I hope you continue to share your progress however repetitive it may seem
2 tips; dont plug weld, cut your piece short, then seam weld. take shroud off welding gun, then touch welded wire and tip on to grinder, gentl,y to unweld wire from tip. good luck..