Big hello

[John Marchant]

Finally I am starting on a lifetime ambition to build a kit car at the tender young age of 43. No mechanical experience other than growing up with old ford cars and having to learn to tinker a bit. very limited welding experience but keen to learn (am I a bit mad, biting of more than I can chew, I hope not). I just wanted to say a big hello to other builders and thank you to HandyAndy for advice and a flat pack chassis kit to be collected at stoneleigh. Any hints tips or things to avoid would be gratefully recieved.

[HandyAndy]

Hi John,

You are about to embark on the same adventure that I,m sure all of us on here building our cars thought was "once a dream", but we,re all here building the car we,ve always wanted

With regard welding, I enrolled on a college course ( Night school ) & spent 12 weeks learning the art of welding, the course shows the basics but the more you practice the better you,ll become,
Also, there is a very good article in last months Complete Kit Car all about welding ( mainly mig as its the most used by kit car builders ), & you,ve met the writer for that article namely our very own Ash G, you saw his car at the show last weekend.

As for hints & tips, the forum is full of very helpful members, if you have a question, use the search facility on here or if you can,t find the answer post up your question.

Best of luck with your build, you know where we are if you need any info / help.

cheers
andy

[Enoch]

Hi John, you are about the same age as me and with the same sort of experience. I bought a box of off cuts to practice on before I started welding on my car. I used arc welding throughout but I am lead to believe that mig is easier and faster - you don't need to clean the slag off. I went the flat pack chassis route - glad I did as it worked out well and the support from the 2 Andy's at Saturn has been outstanding.
Best of luck with the build.
Enoch

[Bonzo]

A very warm welcome to the forum

I think most of us when first staring the build are a little aprehensive & are a little worried the our skills might not be up to the job.

Take me for instance .... Having over 40 years experience of fabrication under my belt & working on all things mechanical since before I left school .... Still had my concerns more than once

I have found this forum a life saver at times, not only for the great advice I have had but also the personal support of fellow members

One thing for sure .... You'll be off to a flying start with one of HandyAndys flat pack kits & have a solid foundation for the rest of your build

Any questions, just ask away.

[The Ssssnake]

Hi John

I,m in the same boat mate. 40 years young and just setting out on the road to a new build. Did cheat slightly and bought an abandoned chassis with wishbones and diff off ebay.

You might feel a bit daft asking some of the questions but the guys on here are spot on and ready to answer even the simplest of queries.

Good luck fella

[gingea1pom]

John,

Morning and welcome, of all the forums I have frequented over the years this one is by far the best.

I too took a welding course at night school (got an NVQ don’t you know) like Andy, and then didn’t do any welding for years until I started the roadster.

Hope to see you at Stonleigh, I am going all weekend only need to get some seats so I will have loads of time to chat.

Cheers Ginge

[John Marchant]

My elderly neighbour has informed me that my biggest problem is going to be distortion in welding the chassis. Any tips on how to prevent this would be much appreciated. Getting cold feet and haven't started yet, should I have bought a chassis etc????

[AshG]

fully weld the bottom rail before you go up and give every weld time to cool before doing the next one. always weld one side then the opposite side.

[Bonzo]

Originally Posted by AshG

fully weld the bottom rail before you go up and give every weld time to cool before doing the next one. always weld one side then the opposite side.

I'll second that one Ash

Distortion will not be a major factor if you follow a logical weld sequence such as the one outlined by Ash

The factories would have you believe that thier chassis is superior .... However, even a jig built chassis will distort if it is not welded correctly !!

Don't get cold feet John, all the help & advice you could ever need is only a question away.

[John Marchant]

Thanks to all for the advice and support. I have purchased a gas regulator an minimig extension pipe today and will try and pick up some gas tomorrow. Then i'm looking forward to a bit of practice as I have got hold of a good few lengths of 25mm square tube with a 2mm wall. Good times....