1978 e21 m20 turbo swap, AKA What did I get myself into

[RamRod E28]

I'll join u for the show with the e28 and I'll even give a helping hand!

[Rowleym]

I also have that mig welder. The Hobart handler series is a perfect little mig welder. I don't use gas with it(flux core) because I only use it for simple stuff, and tig everything else.

[bfinley]

Currently waiting for the rest of my shopmates to show up then head to Dubuque to buy a Hobart handler 140.

I had an epiphany last night as I was about to buy the outrageously expensive floor pans. I'm going to build them myself. Sheet steel and tubing is cheap. And I've got the time might as well save the money for things that are harder to do on my own.

My parents are in town today so I have to wait till Sunday to spent some time in the shop getting up the last of the black tar paper, unbolting the exhaust, making cardboard patterns of the needed steel plates...

[bfinley]

Ramze46 said:

I'll join u for the show with the e28 and I'll even give a helping hand!

I'll take you up on that!

[bfinley]

Decided to get the Handler 190 since we have 220 power in the shop.

Had to get it set up and run some beads on a piece of scrap laying around

[jc43089]

Awesome!  Key to flux core welding is the distance/stickout from the gun to the workpiece.  Too much or too little will not weld well, get it right and it works awesome.  Just experiment with different settings and stickout lengths.  If it is like mine there are some rough guidelines on the inside of the wire spool door for voltage/wire speed/stickout.

[bfinley]

John, that's good to know ! We're planning to get a gas tank on it pronto, but I also intend to use the flux core wire while I can.

Everyone at the shop is planning projects to brush up rusty welding skills before actually attacking our cars. I'll be fabbing up bases for the seats that came out of the e21 to have shop furniture.

My parents came to visit and hauled a bunch of stuff down for me including a new heat gun which made scraping the floors super easy!

I'll have to up load more pictures from my camera later.

In the mean time inspirational e21's with fender flares

[bfinley]

Well I decided to spend the weekend pulling the motor, and help do head gaskets on one car and install coilovers on another... Busy busy.

After two days of shop shenanigans and working in a shop barely above freezing All that did get accomplished, and I discovered that the previous owner welded the bumper to the fenders and the buried the joint under a quarter inch of bondo... Not amused

[jc43089]

bfinley said:

Well I decided to spend the weekend pulling the motor, and help do head gaskets on one car and install coilovers on another... Busy busy.

After two days of shop shenanigans and working in a shop barely above freezing All that did get accomplished, and I discovered that the previous owner welded the bumper to the fenders and the buried the joint under a quarter inch of bondo... Not amused

Weight savings, no bolts needed.

Looking good!  I am off tues-thurs this week so I will try to make a template of the e30 wheel arch. 

Is that Miata owned by a guy named Chris?

[B C]

I dont think so, that doesn't look like Chris' boyfriend, but you know how Miata guys get around.

[bfinley]

John at least they could have done a better job with the welds ! that template would be awesome so I can move on those kamotors flares.

Snap, truth about miata guys. This one belongs to a local tuner, Matt schreck. It's affectionately named the unicorn and is going to get giant googly eyes and rainbow decals

[RamRod E28]

bfinley said:

John at least they could have done a better job with the welds ! that template would be awesome so I can move on those kamotors flares.Snap, truth about miata guys. This one belongs to a local tuner, Matt schreck. It's affectionately named the unicorn and is going to get giant googly eyes and rainbow decals

That is hilarious!

[bfinley]

Transmission is out, driveshaft, glass, and dash are next.

Did some exploratory wire brush grinding in the trunk which revealed fiberglass covering welded patch panels... And am now covered in fiberglass slivers ...

I'm glad I don't have to do all the patches, but I'm pretty sure a blind monkey can weld better than this

[bfinley]

I forgot the pink fiberglass insulation I found wired and melted to the top of the trans. I'll find a picture of that very custom mod...

[jc43089]

Might as well use fiberglass everywhere right?

[bfinley]

[Rowleym]

Gotta love PO nightmares.

[bfinley]

Anyone know if the 4 speed linkage is drastically different than the 5 speed ?

[jc43089]

From that pic it looks like selector rod is very long.  I would think it is very similar though, what is the date on your g260?  Early ones have a steel plate carrier like the one on your 4spd, late ones have an aluminum shift carrier.  And some in the middle have provisions for both.  The date should be inside the bellhousing I think.

[bfinley]

That's why I'm thinking I could chop mine down to size but it's probably easier to pull one out of an e30 ...

I'll check for a date on the trans tonight