Found a TPI harness from techrods (same guys Raybob used for his LS1) on Ebay and as soon as I get some answers about possible modifications, I should be buying one and starting towards getting this car running.

Ok, I purchased a Techrods harness from ebay tonight and they are adding the vehicle speed sensor to it, deleting the AC sensor and setting it up for the correct distributor. Speaking of distributors, I sold my '87 and up MSD pro billet and coil so I could put a carb on this thing, and I just wound up buying one back. That was an expensive lesson. I also picked up a MSD 6AL box, some rev limiter chips, a blaster SS coil and an MSD mini starter. As soon as I see the harness, we'll get the engine wired up and get back to work on the cage.

My techrods wiring harness arrived this week so I figured it was time for the long overdue list of the collection of new parts. Most of this won't go in until the cage is done and the car is painted.

The collection of new MSD parts.

Jegs starter switch panel and distributor hold down.

Autometer in dash mount tach (the other gauges are in the garage, no pics yet).

(2) Painless wiring 250 amp alternator disconnect switchs and wire as well as a Painless 4 position fuse block.

Tru Cool 36 row oil cooler, Perma Cool 8" electric fan and a fan wiring kit.

MSD mini starter.

Techrods wiring harness (with 4 fuse fuseblock and fuel pump relay as well as optional speedometer wiring).

(not shown) Two push loc #6 an 90 degree fittings to plumb my new (super overkill) 13 row Earls P/S cooler.

We refitted the cage yesterday, moved the main hoop forward, reformed the rear floor plates, fitted the A pillar bars, halo bar and the brace for the halo bar. I'll try to get some pics posted in a bit.

Would "we" mean you and racerdad916?

um, ya. Made alot of progress except for the attacking roof bar........ film at eleven.

IMG 2685 is the view from the front.
2686 is the drivers side A pillar area
2687 is the roof (the center bar isn't centered and it's not tacked in either)
2688 is the main hoop on the drivers side
2689 shows the location of the floor plates
2690 shows the cage position compared to the door opening


The rest are all pretty self explanatory.

What inspired the purchase of the spool gun?

Looks like the car is coming along great. Keep the updates coming.

I wound up with a spool gun because I sucked at tig welding aluminum and (mistakenly) thought a spool gun would be an easier way (and I have an argon bottle on the tig). I REALLY suck with a spool gun, and my tigging is looking a lot better these days. But I own it now.

'Bout time you did something other than buy more shit (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif)

Looking good. I like the A-pillar fit-up.

Looks like you insulated your garage too. Nice!


Your mistake was getting the MIG first. If you got the TIG first, you'd been forced to get good at it.

I just finished aluminum welding project #2. It is fussy stuff. #3 starts soon.

Buying more crap is the easy part (finding enough change under the couch to pay for it is a bit more difficult).



Alan did a nice job on the bars. We tweaked one by parking my truck on the leg and using a floor jack to tweek the bend a bit. I'm not sure it moved much, but we got it in there.



I never meant to own a Tig, that was a "happy accident" (as Bob Ross would say). However, after finding 1/16" Ceriated tungsten, my aluminum work has improved a bunch (tungsten and practice). My work on steel is getting pretty decent and aluminum is coming along. I bought the spool gun since it seemed like a good idea.

They say pure tungsten is the best for Aluminum, tho I've used the Ceriated too, doesn't make a huge difference. Try larger dia - I use 3/32" tungsten and 1/16" 4043 rod to TIG the brake duct plenums, which are .065" and .100" 6061. Clean everything with a dedicated flapdisc just prior to welding, and make sure your purge is adequate. I have a clean scrap of Al plate that I use to ball the tip with in DC+, then to AC to weld.

Cage looks great!

This post has been edited by Blainefab: Jan 4 2010, 09:39 AM

You mean DC- ?

I'm going to have to split the welding out of here and into the tools (or my tig welder) thread...

I've been reading lots of stuff and trying different things. Some recommend pure, some ceriated and some say lanthanated for AC. Lanthanated will/should replace thoriated for DC use and no radioactive dust (so I bought some to try...it's a bit pricy though). I have seen Ceriated recommended for AC with a modified point, so I bought some, same for lanthanted (which I haven't tried yet).

I've had trouble getting the thicker tungsten "started" on some of the thin stuff I've been welding. I was (fusion) welding links of chain mail armor for a friend who does medieval battle demonstrations and I couldn't get the tungsten to start during the weld. I welded most of the links with the HF starter running. I went to 1/16 tungsten and the tungsten starts just fine. So I've been experimenting (and I'm a geek and I like to twiddle and play with things, what can I say?) and I'm not sure what I've learned, but my local welding shop takes good care of me and I have been working on welding lots of things with different types of tungsten. No matter what the reason, my welding is improving.

I'm almost sad to admit that my current tungsten collection consists of (I can't buy less than a 10 pack, though I got some with my welder and my welding shop gave me some old samples they had laying around) (prices at my local shop are listed after each one):

10 3/32 Lanthanated tungsten (haven't tried it) ($49 for 10)
14 3/32 2% Thoriated tungsten (good for steel/stainless) ($25 for 10)
11 3/32 pure tungsten (works decent for aluminum, I like ceriated better) ($25 for 10)
10 1/16 2% thoriated tungsten (same as 3/32, but better on thin stuff) ($15 for 10)
10 1/16 Ceriated tungsten (works outstanding on aluminum with a modified point) ($22 for 10)
10 1/16 pure tungsten (same as 3/32, but better on thin stuff) ($15 for 10)
10 .040 pure tungsten (haven't had a chance to try it) ($16 for 10)


And Stan, I insulated the garage so I could get this car done this winter. That was the exact reason that was done. I added some 6500k (daylight) color temp lights that will start in 0 degree weather. So we can actually see now. I put in 5 light fixtures with 2 32 watt bulbs in each. It looks like noon on a summer day in there now (just without the evil glare), you can sure see better than before.



That's what I was hoping to hear. Guess that means that I have things in the places you intended. That's why I moved the main hoop forward a bit and reformed those plates. You were concerned that it was too far back before, so I moved it.




DC+ will ball the end quickly. It puts lots of heat in the tungsten. So I think Alan meant what he said. Instead of balling the tip on AC, just flip to DCEP and "stand on it" until it balls up. That's not a bad idea, I always ball on AC at high current, but that's an elegant solution.

Wow, that’s a lot of Tungsten.

I use red (2% thoriated) for steel.
I have 2 sticks of 1/8, don't use it that much, don't need a lot
I'm on my 2nd box of 3/32
On my 3rd box of 1/16
Just bought a box of 0.040" and the collet / collet body etc. Haven't tried it yet, but it should help the the sheet metal. I think I would have been better off with this for my a-pillar gussets on the windshield frame side.

I was using the 2% thoriated just fooling around with the Aluminum. I used that until I got good enough with the technique. At that point in time I noticed the weld was a dirty darkish color and was getting a lot of erosion of the tungsten, so I bought 2 sticks of 1/8 and 2 sticks of 3/32 pure tungsten and it took care of that issue. I don't weld aluminum that much so I didn't think I needed a full box. Too bad your shop won't sell them a stick at a time. My local shop is good to me also, so I try not to even price check them and just go there. But Mcmastercar does sell this stuff also.


Yeah, I do the same thing but I thought it was DCEN (electrode negative). I should know better than doubt Alan.

Well, more tubing is in place and some welding has been done. The pics are pretty self explanatory.

Also, I purchased a Weldcraft WP17 tig torch with a 25 foot hose and was going to use it today for an aluminum project, but the adaptor I bought doesn't fit my welder (it should, but it's not quite the same as the one I have), so I need to sort out the parts for my new torch.

Anyway, here are the pics.

Definitely some progress from a couple weeks ago when I saw it. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool2.gif)

We finish welded the top of the roll cage today. Then we painted the top of the cage and the interior roof in a nice grey color (extra nice since we got a gallon of leftover paint free from some friends).

I also had 30 feet of 1.5" x .065" DOM delivered for a front bumper (when I get to it).

Not too exciting, but here's the pics.

...so when's this thing going to be done? (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/whip.gif)

At the rate we're going, I hope to drive it to my retirement party (and that's going to be 20 years from now)...

At this point, we are ready to place it on the floor plates and start on the rest of the cage. I'm still hoping to be at the F-body event.