THSCC Forums

X2. The only way to get good at welding is by DOING IT. I took a class at our local CC back in 2008 and it was the best $60 I have ever spent. I guarantee you won't regret it.

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

I took welding and machining back in 2004 at the CC I worked at during the summer when I was in college. I got really good pretty quickly and the instructor let me jump ahead and play with TIG and upside down welding and vertical stuff. Then I did a good bit of welding in college for projects and helping others out who didn't know how for design projects etc. Then I didn't weld for a few years until 2009ish when I starting teaching welding at the Durham TechShop. As VK mentioned, you only get good (and stay good) if you are doing it frequently (and on fixed hardware and consumables). Granted the equipment was mediocre at TechShop (no separate grinding wheel for pure tungsten TIG electrodes, dirty tables, junk regulators) as I felt like I had to relearn welding aluminum with that setup (which I was pretty adept at back in the day).

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2011/2012 Autox VP
2013/2014.5 President
2013 Top Gun

2015 Fit

22R-EC => 4G63 => D16Y7 + D16Y8 => EJ255 + K24Z2 => K20Z3 + K24Z2 => K24Z2 + M54 => L15B

I dunno, but 1 semester of college 10 years ago wasn't. I think the placement test was actually just to enroll in Durham Tech, not specifically for the welding class. It may be different if you register for 'continuing education' rather than for credit. The placement test is really easy, it's mostly reading comprehension and basic math (Algebra I, some Geometry).

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9' 5" noserider

I enrolled via ContEd at Wake Tech when I took welding classes back in 2008-9. Minimal entry requirements, a fax and a check took care of it. Well worth the cost...too bad I ended up with neither time nor space to accommodate my Mitty-esque list of projects.

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Steve Carter
1972 Datsun 240Z-- resto pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/srcartermd
2007 GPW Honda S2000-- STR 86

I am putting an engine into my RX-8. The project has been slowly creeping along for months now, but I should have it finished by the first event of the year. Once it is running, I've got to replace the stock 160k mile suspension and bushings on it.

The donor motor is out:



And the driver is ready to get it:




Granted, getting an engine OUT is much easier than getting one back in. I might need 4 extra hands for this.

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2004 Subaru Forester XT
1992 Sunburst Mazda Miata
1990 Mazda RX-7 (work in progress)
2000 Xterra SE

I did the CE MIG class at Durham Tech. Didn't send em anything except a check. IIRC it was ~24 hours of class of which we spent 22 in the shop welding.

Tarheel Stance Car Club: http://gyazo.com/00005b977dfa459b820e35ca31dcc460.png

If you ain't layin' frame, you ain't trying....

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Carlton, great work on the results/timing software. Looking forward to what you come up with

For myself, my winter project will be my garage for which I will use to work on car projects at my new house:


Firstly it needs soffits installed to seal it up so that it no longer is an aviary (those #$^@%^-ing birds!!!) so my cars, tools, and anything else stored in the garage doesn't end up with white bird splatter on them. Next will be power washing the floor. Then comes insulation, walling, pegboard/hooks/lots of ways to mount tools on the walls, tire racks on the walls, and buying a toolbox. And as soon as I happen to fall into a few extra thousand dollars, I will install a lift.

Considering I have basically zero experience doing any of this, it will probably keep my occupied all winter. Once I'm actually ready to work on cars, I have a laundry list of small-to-medium items to get the SE30 ready to race, the biggest things being a baffled oil pan, center net, spec exhaust, and steering wheel quick release.

The S2000 will remain unchanged; don't fix it if it ain't broke! But I may think about changing the coolant, after all it has been 6+ years and at least 105k miles since it was changed (who knows, it might be the original coolant with 182k miles), so it might be time.

The 4Runner just had its timing belt changed so that's off the list, and I might change the spark plugs and that's about it.

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2015-2017 President
2014 Track VP
2013 Autox VP

2002 Subaru WRX [dd]
2002 Honda S2000 STR #3 (retired...for now)
1992 Acura Integra ChumpCar #118 (retired)
2004 Toyota 4Runner V8

http://beastmoderacing.com

Exactly. Andrew fails at "stance".

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'07, '08, '11 Autocross VP
'06, '10 Mike Dishman Cup
'21 MX5, '13 Corvette GS, '92 Corvette 383 c.i. 413whp/390wtq, '03 Expedition

That's Alec's car. My undercarriage has plenty of bare metal spots (as well as dents in the exhaust and tire marks on the tophats).

What's your winter autocross project Les? Working on your tan?

So I just wrapped up the brake upgrade on the mustang. Cheap and easy to do. Fills up the wheels nicely. The initial seat of the pants brake test is a big thumbs up. I'll bed these for a few hundred miles and then post up some 60-0 times.

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Rodney

'08 Bullitt mustang, CAM 7
Autox VP '09-'10, President '11-'12, interim President 2nd half of ‘14
proud recipient of the Bowie Grey service award '12
Now just a guy driving a mustang....

for me as many trips to MMP for seat time in the shifter kart as I can(when the arm comes out of the cast). Gutting the lemons car for cage updates and turning Johns rx8 into an "stx lite" car. Oh ya and some stuff to Kevin's rally car.

Damn thinking about it, is there really an off season!?

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[color=#FFFFFF][/color]http://www.usedmiatapartsonline.com for all your used miata parts needs
http://www.wagnersauto.com for your salvage needs
2000 miata se Estreet,going to rally
2004 mazdaspeed miata bsp #77
shifter kart also(someone buy this $1500)

My winter autocross project is to finish taking apart my autocross car, keeping the bits that will work on a NB.

From there, maybe buy a kart or something. Not exactly sure what my AX plans will be. I'll likely do some AX with the new Miata but it'll be in some horrific class.

But even though it's a track project:

- "New" 2001+ Miata (Hopefully ABS, 6-speed and LSD, or at least 2 of the 3)
- Energy suspension bushings into the control arms w/zerk fittings
- Install sway bars, shocks and springs
- Replace rubber brake lines with braided steel brake lines
- Pull the motor
- Install 949racing clutch
- Do preventative maintenance (Water pump, timing belt, front and rear seals, cam seals)
- Tap pan for turbo oil return
- Plug new hole in oil pan since I'm slow and a turbo won't fix that
- Replace 'curly-q' on the clutch hydraulics with the 949racing straight line
- Install WBO2 sensor w/narrowband output to stock ECU
- Depower steering rack (maybe, it appears that this costs points with NASA since you remove the pully for the power steering)
- Figure out if a complete NA exhaust will work
- Install Walbro fuel pump (need to double check that this is 0 points with NASA)

- DD it for a bit to make sure it's well sorted
- Strip the interior
- Fab new mountings for the seats
- Mount seats
- Send it out for a cage
- Seam weld the door openings and front of the chassis (http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/seamweld.php)
- Install track pads

How did you know? That is exactly right, weather has been kinda crappy the past couple weeks and I've been getting a little pale. Luckily the sun came out yesterday and I was able to get a little color back, though it was a little cool at 73. The rest of the week its supposed to be in the upper 70s and sunny again, so I should be looking like a proper Floridian by this time next week.

Actually, I do have automotive winter projects planned. Lately I've been working on adding lighting to my garage and fixing the exhaust leak on the Cobra. After that, I'll be pulling the tranny on the Cobra to get the output shaft bearing replaced and probably have the whole thing refreshed so that it will be ready for a couple track events next year. Also probably gonna get some wide wheels/tires and run it at some autocrosses, maybe a supercharger if funds permit...

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'07, '08, '11 Autocross VP
'06, '10 Mike Dishman Cup
'21 MX5, '13 Corvette GS, '92 Corvette 383 c.i. 413whp/390wtq, '03 Expedition