RPM
Superior Member
well now.... I'm impressed... keep it up !
-RPM
-RPM
73' B3 340 Duster pro touring build
- Thread starter 76orangewagon
- Start date
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76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
thanks to everyones positive comments, it helps inspire the progression with the build. looking forward to the weekend to get at it so I can post more pic's.
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
the outer rocker panels are yet installed, they are currently blasted of the factory coating and hanging on the wall, once I get the car on the rotisserie and the U.S Car Tool frame connectors installed, I will be installing the rockers and posting the pic's. I will say that they look great and if they fit as well as all the other AMD panels I will be very happy.
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
Well its time for my weekly update of this past weekend's progress, I checked out the calender to see the actual days spent so far and It was currently at 25 days of work invested, there was a few 3 days weekends but there was no work weekends due to my Air Force commitments, basically my days were 10 A.M-6 P.M would work longer but I have to keep the wife happy and take her out for a nice dinner and of course this past weekend being halloween meant dressing up and giving out candy to the neighborhood kids.
So this weekend involved sand blasting and installing the taillight panel, trunk extensions, crossmember extensions and trunk reinforcement brackets the factory fitment was not so great so I was determined to improve on the fitment and panel gaps-mission accomplished. Please keep in mind there is no seam sealer or body putty installed this whole build so far is all metal to metal finishing (except for 1 tube of seam sealer for the floor pan). And of course coated with epoxy primer. Hope you enjoy.
So this weekend involved sand blasting and installing the taillight panel, trunk extensions, crossmember extensions and trunk reinforcement brackets the factory fitment was not so great so I was determined to improve on the fitment and panel gaps-mission accomplished. Please keep in mind there is no seam sealer or body putty installed this whole build so far is all metal to metal finishing (except for 1 tube of seam sealer for the floor pan). And of course coated with epoxy primer. Hope you enjoy.
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
Here's a couple more of the finished work , Oh and of course my Halloween tradition dresssing up in my work clothes, sipping some fine German Eiswine (icewine) and giving out candy to the kids
HemiMark
Well-Known Member
very sweet my friend! Keep up the good work............:read2:
Looking Good:thumblef:
dusterbd13
Well-Known Member
youre a very lucky man. when i did my 70, none of these parts were avaiolible. i had to make do with used, poor quality reproduction, or hand fabbed.
count your blessings, and keep up the good work.
also, i want to thank you for your service to our great country. if theres anything i can do to help you out, let me know.
michael
count your blessings, and keep up the good work.
also, i want to thank you for your service to our great country. if theres anything i can do to help you out, let me know.
michael
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
thanks for your kind words and support.
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
I know and will cross the tire bridge when it gets closer, I had the 325/50 15's on the duster I sold to HemiMark and loved the stance and will have something that wide, it will have to fill the well well maybe a cross between pro-touring with the suspension and pro-street with the tires.
Riddler
Project EH-Body
Great pro touring build! I'm building one very similar with my 76 Duster.
Riddler
Riddler
dusterbd13
Well-Known Member
i beg to differ. I have seen some VERY fast autocross and track cars on 15's.
the vintage trans am cars, all NASCAR's, spec miata, spec E30, etc all run 15's.
the trouble is, fonding sticky tires in teh siezes we need in 15's, as well as the fact that suspension tuning is trickier with that much sidewall. a low provile sidewall covers a lot of handling ills, and the 17's make it easier to find stciky tires.
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
Okay now I'm finally getting a car structurally sound enough to get on the rotisserie, after mounting the XV motorsport lower radiator support I got the car up and spinning,(I cant believe the amount of blasting sand that continues to come out of everywhere everytime it spins). Anyway once rolled over I couldn't wait to mount the U.S Car Tool frame connectors I researched these fairly throughly before buying and read alot about fitment issues that people were having, but I will go on record saying that they fit GREAT!!! there was minimal grinding to get a nice tight fit to the new floor but that was more of a personal preference than any issues. Now that I basically have a solid mounting platform I will remove the rusted rocker panels, looks like I might have to order at least one door jamb from AMD....thanks again for all the comments.
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
Well I one thing I've been not looking forward to up till now has been the rocker panel replacements, but it is now that time. I've been debating the best approach, at first I thought a partial with a splice about half way back so thats what I did, then at that point I changed and removed the whole thing. If theres one area thats giving me grief this is it. even though its off, I find myself wondering should I mount the doors back on to insure that its straight with the bottom of the door for gap purposes, even though the inner structure is intact and it should be as simple as aligning the two, I mean the factory meathod in 1973 wasn't Rocket science. unfortunatley the weekends over and I'm outta time again oh well at least I got the rusted stuff off . As you can see I have to fabricate a 4" x 23" patch panel before the new on goes on anyway.
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
So after cleaning up the mess that the rusty rocker made and was ready to call it a day when I stepped outside to my surprise it was about 50 degress and sunny(thats good for Northeast Ohio) I figured I had time for spray a little Epoxy primer since all the parts were already prep'd so I mixed up a cup and went at it. In my opinion the frame connectors look even better once everything is the same color. I pulled out the rocker panels and sprayed the inside of them too. enjoy
Riddler
Project EH-Body
You do some amazing work. I'm hoping mine comes out half as good as what you've done. I have the US Tool connectors and the XV brace as well.
Riddler
Riddler
racerkilla
Well-Known Member
nice install on the sub frames... i'm gonna be doing it on my 73 cuda here very soon, already have them just need to weld them in which is no big deal. Looks so good when done
demon1515
Well-Known Member
I dont know why the guys did said they had fitting problems with these awesomelly ingeneered frame connectors, i did mines without a rotiserie and they fit just perfect, i just cut away the 2 long tabs in the back of them and that was it they fit like a glove with less than a 16th of an inch in the wider gap betwine the floorboard and frame connector, they are just the best weld in connectors in the car industry period, by the way "ORANGEWAGON" why did you cut yours on the overlap litlle tab up front and on the rear frame overlaps all the way to the back, i belive you did compromise the strenght of them by doing that, but that is just my opinion, the instalation of them is one of the best i have seen so far in pictures, here is the pictures of mine installed! sorry for the crappy pictures!
76orangewagon
Well-Known Member
Demon1515,
I agree totally with the fitment, good job on your install buy the way, I decided to cut off the tabs and butt weld the front strictly due to the fitment. I wanted the connectors a little tighter to the floor and due to fact that I added so much extra strength with these I could afford to remove the overlapping tab and extra on the rear. Plus I'm not done adding structural rigidity yet. after the rockers are on I plan on reinforcing the floor/frame area by adding something along the idea of custom torque boxes. I feel at that point it should be solid enough to handle just about anything I plan on doing later down the road, I can always swap suspension and driveline components but once the chassis is painted no more add on's. thanks for your interest and concern.
I agree totally with the fitment, good job on your install buy the way, I decided to cut off the tabs and butt weld the front strictly due to the fitment. I wanted the connectors a little tighter to the floor and due to fact that I added so much extra strength with these I could afford to remove the overlapping tab and extra on the rear. Plus I'm not done adding structural rigidity yet. after the rockers are on I plan on reinforcing the floor/frame area by adding something along the idea of custom torque boxes. I feel at that point it should be solid enough to handle just about anything I plan on doing later down the road, I can always swap suspension and driveline components but once the chassis is painted no more add on's. thanks for your interest and concern.
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