Welding help, please

[rendo]

Right...

An s13 i have just bought has quite abit of rust. I have never touched a welder before so abit dumbfounded at the thought of everything... But the likes of a few threads on restoration is spurring me on.. But the lack of knowledge is putting the flame out so to speak...

I want to learn as im thinking of quitting my current job and going to college and learn how to mess around with car bodys/spraying etc. Normal Bodyshop work.

It is easy to do...Welding that is

Heres a picture of what lies ahead.. And thats the worst of it.... Body is in good nick.. Just sills really.. Its been sat still for 3 years so abit of work ahead.... I need to have a proper look underneath.. And this is the only pic i have

Where do i start, lol....

Im beginning to think ill be taking on abit more than i can chew..

Any advice welcome

Would appreciate all and any advice, be it safety or help.....

 

[Chickenjohn]

I'm curious- what is an S13????

I will give the advice I gave in another thread today- Get yourself a Mig welder- read all the tutorials on this site, get a decent helmet, and gloves, some 0.8mm-1mm steel off cuts and practise, practise, practise!!

For the beginner with ambition and various home projects in mind the best kit has to be a Mig welder, and one with a gas bottle and regulator.
I would say the cheapest welder you should get is something from the Clark Mig (with gas) range, such as the 150 or 160 turbo, And get a reactive helmet. I use the Parweld one which last time I checked was well under £50.

Then it is a case of getting hold of steel of the gauge you wish to weld, read the excellent tutorials on this site and practise, practise, practise!!! And post some pics on here for comment and advice.

By all means go to college. Look for a vehicle restoration night course in your area and join up.

By the way, that car looks pretty bad- the rust seems to have spread from the sills, to the inner sills, rear floor pan and into suspension mounting points. Unless an S13 is a special classic car, I would scrap it if it is that bad.

More pics of your car and the rust, please.

 

[oilcooled :)]

nissan sylvia s13?

 

[rikrobson]

I'd start bu checking what panels are available and whether they are pattern or oem. Pattern parts are significantly cheaper, but don't fit that well and need persuading with hammers and dollies. That will give you a rough cost of parts.
nesy find out how bad the rust is. you will find that the tin worm invasion is worse than appears. you will need to grind back to clean metal. From the look of that you will need inner & outer sills ans possible floor sections. chassis rail also looks a bit dubious.

Is there an MOT failure for this?

I don't want to put you off, bit it will be a massive task, especially if you can't get panels and have to make them, and there is (was) alot of strength/stiffness in the sills. you may need to brace the door spaces when doing the sills.

Good Luck.

There is alot of this stuff in the classic car press. floor pans in this months classic.

 

[outofthefire]

That is a lot of rot and its not just the outer sill, if you cut that out I bet you discover a load more not sure a Nissan Sylvia is worth the effort. I'd take the above advice and learn to weld and how to move steel.