Aircooled VW South Africa

Those should be plenty strong...and good pricing as well. Pity you are not closer as I could help with the welding. Did you manage to find a mig to use?

MrHappypants wrote: ↑Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:47 am Those should be plenty strong...and good pricing as well. Pity you are not closer as I could help with the welding. Did you manage to find a mig to use?

I can borrow my work colleague's mig welder I just need to make a plan with transport, especially with the big gas bottle.
I have been toying with the idea of buying of of those gas/no gas migs that can run flux core or normal mig wire with gas but I won't have much use for it once the baja is done, maybe I could sell it afterwards.

Edmond wrote: ↑Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:36 pm

MrHappypants wrote: ↑Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:47 am Those should be plenty strong...and good pricing as well. Pity you are not closer as I could help with the welding. Did you manage to find a mig to use?

I can borrow my work colleague's mig welder I just need to make a plan with transport, especially with the big gas bottle.
I have been toying with the idea of buying of of those gas/no gas migs that can run flux core or normal mig wire with gas but I won't have much use for it once the baja is done, maybe I could sell it afterwards.

Those bottles are heavy and awkward to transport. At least you can get your hands on one though. I have never run flux core mig so can't really comment. I started out buying a cheap chinese mig machine when I bought my first beetle/buggy - knowing nothing about welding. I got so into it and enjoyed it so much that I have since started up a small welding and fabrication workshop from home I mainly tig weld now but that chinese mig machine is still running strong.

Snap.

Did exactly the same thing bought a Mig welder on FB with flux core (Adendorf one) and have only welded flux core with it.

There is a bit of splatter but if you are like me a better grinder than a welder it works out.

Have done a couple of home projects and it is getting there.

There is a nice tradeweld Multiprocess (mig,tig and arc) one the 200M on special at takealot at the moment that retails usually for about R 7 k for R 5700 if you want to splurge.

Ordered a 1kg of flux core wire and a self darkening helmet so just waiting for these so I can start playing around with the mig welder and once got the settings dialed in I will weld in the angle iron for the door post brackets, cut out the rust, fabricate new patch panels and weld these in place. I will eventually upgrade to 0.6mm mig wire and disposable gas cylinders when the funds are available but for now flux core wire is going to have to do. Need to get this project moving again, its been dragging for far too long.

Good luck Edmond !

Goodies arrived, now to find some time to start welding.
Also discovered my mig welder can take both the 1kg and 5 kg spools of wire without an adapter

Mine can only take the 1kg spool, but I found that 1kg can go a very long way. I've only replaced the wire once since I bought the machine and have done most of the repairs I've wanted to.

Glad to hear now you can get cracking !

Managed to start cutting rust out and tried flux core arc welding with my mig welderfor the first time. I tried welding a 0.8mm patch I formed for the section below the windscreen wipers where the front bonnet sits, all I can say the welder I got does an awesome job even though I am using flux core wire, did not burn through once and got that bacon sizzling sound on my second attempt at adjusting the voltage and wire feed knobs. The flux core wire I got welds really nice with minimal spatter and smoke and the slag comes off so easy with a wire brush.
I opened up the front portion of the drivers side heater channel as most of the inside part was rusted and it really looks nasty inside there, the 2mm plates I welded on the underside of the heater channel in 2000 seems to be holding up well even though they look crusty. I need to get some 1.2mm Mild Steel Plate to form a patch for this area so I can weld it up and get the body strong again.
I have started welding in braces for the door posts as I anticipate to remove the very crusty passenger side heater channel and replace it with the 1.6mm sections I had bent a few months ago.

Well done glad to hear it is working out.

Great stuff Edmond!

A little more progress today, welded in the rest of the braces and cut out the drivers side heater channel, this one was really vrot, the rust flakes littered the floor when i pulled it out was kind of scary and the passenger one is just as bad.
I need to get some steel pieces cut and bent up so I can fabricate the front rounded part of the heater channel as there is nothing I can salvage
on the old heater channel and cant afford to buy the proper repair panel, I will make this section from 1.2mm Steel Plate.I also need to do some repairs on the front bulkhead where the two M10 Bolts fasten, need to make a nut cage and a bottom closing plate.
Ran out of cutting discs for my grinder so had to call it a day. I have a lot of work ahead of me to resurrect this body.

More progress, I cut the remainder of the drivers side heater channel out, mainly the piece under the rear quarter panel and by the front wheel well.
I also cut a piece of the rear quarter panel way as it was really rusty along with a piece of the front firewall where the two M10 bolts secure the body.
There is also some serious rust on the underside of the chassis mainly right under the main front cross member(the napoleon hat area), I will have to cut this out and weld in fresh metal or get a donor piece. I also need L and R rear quarter panel repair metal pieces as both sides are rusty, anyone know where I can get these at a good price locally.
Lastly I put the taper on the rear of the fabricated heater channel I am building and done a few trial fits, looks like it will work now just to fabricate a new front section of the heater channel the donor piece I have is a little too crusty for my comfort.

I'm thinking of getting another body for my baja, too much rust to sort out on the current one and too little time to make any progress on it.