Fixxor, are you fixed on weld the body to tabs on the cage or would you consider bolting them together. Properly tabbed and bolted would allow you to (more easily) remove/replace the body if you had a major event happen to the body as long as the cage and pan were not badly damaged (a bird strike maybe ). Just a thought.
Got to work on it today and made some progress. Wanted to get the other front bar done on the drivers side but called it a day. Here is what I got done.
Here is an update. Did not like the top hoop so I redid it. Everything is welded up with some saddle gussets put in also. Got the passenger side seat slider and mounting done with a spring loaded pull pin. Body is bolted down now and I made the side bar too. Tranny is being built and I picked up some used type 2 cv's.
Wow I need to subscribe to this thread, can't believe I missed out. Glad that body is getting good use it sat in my backyard for years. I kinda remember asking the guys who showed up to buy it "not getting cut up for a race car right?" and getting a kinda "wellllllll" response. There is/was a wave in the roof sheet metal above the passenger side door you can't see in pics or see in primer but run your hand over it and it's there. Other that that and the hole in the rear pillar on the pass side that body was in great shape. Gotta love the desert!
So you think your project is taking forever eh? Well you've got nothing on me.....
Oh one funny story and then I will shut up - hard for me everyone knows.
Right after I got that bug (had a drivable pan at the time but was still a shell) I sold the OG solid (no vents) 69 decklid off of it at the swap for $40. Fast forward 2 years and I bought that same decklid back at the swap - for $40. It went with the body upon sale IIRC.
So you think your project is taking forever eh? Well you've got nothing on me.....
Those gussets on the cage are less than the 3" per side requirement. I actually prefer flat plate gussets as they increase the weld area without creating a stress concentration at the edge of the gusset. The rolled gussets like these make the joint stiff, but that makes it tend to crack the tubes at the edge of the gusset.
Richard
Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
Speed Kills! but then...So does OLD AGE!!
Tech Inspection: SCCA / SCORE / HDRA / ARVRA / A.R.T.S. OffRoad Race Tech - MDR, MORE, Glen Helen BajaCup
Retired Fabricator
'58 Baja with 955K Miles and counting
Got more work done. Front cage is mostly done, I got the spare tire mount made and the steering stabilizer mount also. Need to make a front bumper support now.
Here is another update. Front end is pretty much done. Got the tire mount and strap hooks all done. Battery box came in so I located that under the spare tire. Got a mockup trans with the type 2 setup and picked up some type 2 cv's and got sway away axles, new stub axles too. So the rear end is tore down ready to be setup. After that then I will start on the rear cage and fuel cell mounting.
Sorry I havent been updating. I have been hard at work on the car and have a lot of updates now. Since the front end is pretty much done I now moved to the rear. I forgot if I mentioned this before but I will be using the new style class 11 fox shocks which have a different style of mounting then the old ones. They are much more bigger and the resi is 2.5.
Doing the rear cage also relied on the rear suspension setup so I set up the rear suspension first and then the cage got made around it pretty much.
Decided to get new rear arms so here they are being boxed up. Also got my built trans back from the builder so I could set up cv angle. More pictures of the rear end setup.
Since rear end was done I painted everything, and put it back together. Rear arms have all new bearings and seals and poly bushings. More work done on the rear cage it is close to being completed. Added the fuel cell mount box and bolt down points for it. Added the crossbar and welded in the seat belt eye bolts. This is how it sits right now.