Front suspension Pan

NY65912 · 03-09-2003, 10:44 AM

The last 2 days have really been nice in NYC. 50°s temp, so it is time for some exploratory surgery. I removed the gas tank in search of the condition of the suspension pan, it has the original pan and patches that were riveted by the PO before me. I suspect there to be crunchy areas underneath that have been disguised with tar. In my opinion I believe the pan and battery support (the PO put a new one in, also rivited in) should be replaced. I'm not a stranger to MIG welding and do have a machine but my question is ........is this something I should do? I'm sure I can do it but time is precious. Is this something best left to professionals? On another note this AH PO went to freakin town with a gallon of tar on my poor car! I now smell and look like I work for a road repair crew.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mike

PS For you guys in the NE...........SPRING is coming!

C. Clark · C. Clark's Garage

Do a search here and the 911 site on Pelican on front suspension pan.
Lots of good info waiting for you. Try this site also http://www.hillmanimages.com/912/index.html
Chas. 69/912

tronman · 03-10-2003, 07:17 AM

Mike,

I just did mine about 2 months ago...not really all that hard. If you have welding experience, a good wire welder, and about 4 days to devote to it, it's well worth it. You can get the parts here from Pelican for a couple hundred bucks. You'll also need a good high speed cut of tool, good angle grinder, a die grinder is also helpful, and an air nibbler makes things go a lot quicker. Just go slow with the cutting out proccess, dress the egdes good and clamp the new pan in place to weld...check the torsion bars for fit after you have good tack welds all around(the replacement parts fit like their supposed to so you shouldn't have any fitment issues at all, heck I still haven't had mine aligned since I replaced mine, it drives fine). If you do decide to do it, I'll give you any information I can on how I did mine. It beats the heck out of a couple grand to let somebody else do it...

tronman · 03-10-2003, 07:19 AM

And oh yeah...like Chas said...check out Dave Hillmans site...lots of good pictures of the proccess...

NY65912 · 03-12-2003, 01:54 PM

Thanks for the help, I have decided to take the plunge and do the pan myself........just a matter of time.

Cheers, Mike

craign · craign's Garage

Mike,

This is off topic but with you being in Brooklyn.....

I will be in NYC with my wife and daughter next month. I want to know THE best pizza joint in Brooklyn?

These 2 CA natives don't know what good pizza is and I want to show them, in Brooklyn, cause it don't get any better than that.

You can e-mail me off line if you want at p912s@pacbell.net

Craig
69-912

kenrinc · 03-13-2003, 07:17 AM

Anyone care to elaborate on the joint they used between the new pan and the old? You have to seam it near the rear of the pan. Most pics I've seen of this don't detail it enough. I've talked with someone who does this on a regular basis and he says the best and strongest way is to do a lap joint with plug welds across the top. You can use an air tool or hand tool to put a small flange across the top then lap weld to it. I've seen many others just butt weld right to the existing metal. The advantage to the butt weld is that after the welds are ground down and everything is filled it's almost undetectable. You can do the same with the lap but there is a ton more work to do in getting the lap to blend with the existing chassis. Of course this only matters to concours guys like me.

Kenr-

tronman · 03-13-2003, 08:10 AM

Ken,

I left about 1 1/2 inches of overlap between the new pan and the old metal at the rear of the pan. I then seamed both the top and bottom, I experimented with same thickness sheetmetal using this same joint and it is extremely strong(I could rip the metal before I could break the seams loose). As far as hiding the seams...I hit the tops of the welds with a sanding disk on my grinder(they aren't very tall anyway) painted them with good paint and figured thats good enough...I know someone can get under the car and see where the seam is...oh well!! My welding isn't perfect and you can tell the pan has been replaced at the seam all around for that matter...I plan on keeping the car a long time and I know its solid...

kenrinc · 08:44 AM

Kevin,

When you say "seemed" you mean you lapped it over the old?

Meaning you put a weld bead along this seam on top and bottom?

Kenr-

tronman · 03-13-2003, 09:32 AM

You are correct Ken. The old metal overlaps the top of the new metal by 1 1/2 inches, then the overlap on both top and bottom are welded up. I wish I'd had access to a digital camera while I was doing this...I'm sure someone could point out alll of the things I did wrong...heheheh. Like I said, I'm more interested in knowing the thing won't rip loose than trying to make it look factory. I've put the car into some pretty serious curves in the last couple of weeks and always crawl underneath afterwards looking for signs that I cracked a weld or stressed something...so far it all looks great. I think there is a picture on Dave Hillmans site that shows where the new pan meets the old metal...I tried to copy that pretty much.

tronman · 03-13-2003, 09:39 AM

I just went back and looked at Daves site to make sure thats where I saw that picture and I noticed that Daves new pan was not nearly as long as mine...I wonder if they cut it down or if it came that way? My new pan extended all the way almost to the back of the fuel tank...

kenrinc · 03-13-2003, 10:13 AM

Kev,

Thank you. That clears it up. Yes I know Del Sessions who is the owner of the shop that did the work for Dave Hillman. He's showed me how to do it and was also the one who recommended the overlap and not the butt weld. The pictures on Dave's site don't actually show the overlap though you can only imagine it. They are good pics but a few more were needed to "get" how the weld was done.

No issue on the seam. Some choose to smooth it out and make it dissapear others choose not to. Obviously if it's a track car it doesn't matter and the only concours class that is gonna check is full so it doesn't matter.

Thanks again

Kenr-