Projects going on at Gab Fab

[danny gabbard]

My friend tony's ghia. First thing is to fix damage from getting hit and the rust from the battery acid leaking into bottom of 1/4 panel after getting hit, Kinda a bummer! Its the only rust on this original paint car that where starting with.

[danny gabbard]

Couple shots of the rust

[danny gabbard]

First I drilled out spot welds and removed tail light bracket

[danny gabbard]

After roughing out taillight hole, Now I can use the tools I made to pull and get length back in 1/4 panel. The white peice is a hunk of nylon I growned into the shape of the bottom of 1/4.

[danny gabbard]

After getting it into rough shape, I taped a taillight into place to check shape.

[Zach Gomulka]

That's awesome Danny! Would you be interested in pulling a dent from the rear fender of my GTV? It's a good fist sized dent, been there for decades. I'd really like to have it pulled without harming the original paint (as little as possible at least). I can't find anyone around here that I trust.

[danny gabbard]

Couple shots of loren's 58 convertable ghia, Poor things been hit and then a nasty clip job and then rehit and then somebody brazed and  tryied to learn how to mig weld new driver's front fender and nose skin back on. Well after helping loren to cut all the bad stuff back off, Now its time to resurrect this thing back into a car again!! First thing is to reclip and get going on the bad repairs on sheetmetal.

[danny gabbard]

Now onto the front fender, After cutting all the nice work off and starting over!!

[danny gabbard]

Now time to start filling up some of this mess!!

[danny gabbard]

Couple more shots and pictures !!

[danny gabbard]

Just a patch at a time! The tape is where I'm going to return that edge.

[danny gabbard]

Now for a couple final shots, O-YA and finish that fender!! I will straighten the fender about 90% and then do all final tuneing after rewelded back on car to get the final shape.

[TexasTom]

 

[Speed-Randy]

Hey Danny, show them the bitchen vise grips you made to do my pan halves last month, the tools you make are as cool as the finish work you do, can I borrow that nylon dolly when you're done? they started pulling the dents out of Beccas ghia today and I'm gonna need that to get that straight. 

[danny gabbard]

Thanks randy, Will send tool in mail friday.

[j-f]

Nice work Danny 
As you are speaking about metal surgery. I have a hole in a bay window roof. About 10" by 10" that was made to put a ventilation hatch.
What will be the best solution for a newby to fill it?
I fear to butt weld it and wrap the roof 

Thanks 

[danny gabbard]

Hi J-F, If you can touch both sides you can butt weld it! First make a patch with some shape into it to match curve in stock roof shape. Then clamp and scribe, then cut and file to scribe mark. Big gaps are a no-no. then weld and carefully grind just the weld to same thickness as metal. Now hammer welds and bump low spot up and repeat til the roof holds the shape. warpage is caused by the welds shrinking and to fix that you need to stretch the welds. I hope that helps. And practice your welding before you start with roof. Get your machine dialed in !!!!

[j-f]

Thanks for the advice Danny.

I handle quite well welding. But I often have problems to control warpage.
I try to leave a 1mm gap between each parts and I cool my weld with air pressure.

But well, practice is the best way to learn 

[danny gabbard]

No gaps, They tend to pull or shrink and warp. Just let cool down slow, And are you tig or mig welding ? I never use welding rod thicker than aparent metal when I tig. I get .023 steel rod when butt welding 20-18 guage. And dont start hammering till metal is ground to proper thickness after welding. I use a die grinder with a cut off wheel and just shave welds down. and lots of tack to hold patch, About 1/4 to 3/8 apart when finished tacking. And dont hammer tack welds just between them. The reason is that when you hammer the tacks they grow and you get big gaps. Take your time and fit and file patch to fit. No light between parts tacking !!!!

[bilboa2]

 dam danny , easy on the guy... maybe time for a trip to the fridge ? or ?...see you tomorrow, rear cage is off baja for powder coat trip..little prep needed around a few someone elses welds.. bill

[j-f]

I mig weld.
Thanks for all those directives. I will try it this way 

[Lee.C]

Thanks for the tips Danny - I will PM you later today 

[58vw]

u are a master

[danny gabbard]

Thanks Mr. 58.

[danny gabbard]

Building new sheetmetal for engine bay and makeing rearbody panel removable on tonys ghia.

[danny gabbard]

Started with two very nice cars to make my patterns.

[danny gabbard]

These are the prototypes and now I can tune  on the tooling to make perfect and start makeing them. They will also be a 1/4 inch wider from left to right to help out with any tight fits with stroker motors. These will be for sale in about a week.

[60deep]

Looks great Danny! I like those seams...looks factory!

[Nico86]

Nice stuff! 

[danny gabbard]

Thanks nico! Tony, we will cut the stock channel that hold engine seal and rosette weld from the backside of new sheetmetal. I hope that make's since. Will show progess pictures  of install in a few days.