Gremlin
|
| posted on 2/7/02 at 08:10 AM |
|
|
Are MK Chassis the best prebuilt?
Are the MK Engineering the best prebuilt chassis or are there better places to go? Please does anyone know? Or do i attemp to build it my self what is
the cost difference? 
|
|
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 2/7/02 at 08:25 AM |
|
|
quote:
Are the MK Engineering the best prebuilt chassis or are there better places to go? Please does anyone know? Or do i attemp to build it my self
what is the cost difference?
MK are justifiably popular, due to the quality of their work and the reasonable cost. There are a few others around these days.
If you already have a MIG welder then DIY is easily the cheapest. If you have to buy a welder, and you have no other use for it, then buying a
chassis is cheaper.
Another viewpoint is whether you are interested in learning construction techniques. I wanted to learn to weld, and wanted to say that I'd built it
all myself. The down-side is the fact that it will take a lot longer.
cheers,
David
|
|
|
Gremlin
|
| posted on 2/7/02 at 08:38 AM |
|
|
I would like to build it my self but not sure i would be confident in my welding! I have done a little before and although felt it went ok not sure i
would like to put my life on the line with a high powered engine strapped to it! 
|
|
|
interestedparty
|
| posted on 2/7/02 at 10:25 AM |
|
|
My view is that if you need to ask the question then it would be much better to buy a ready-made chassis. There will be plenty of building left for
you to do
John
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list-- I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-- who never would be missed!
|
|
|
Jon Ison
|
| posted on 2/7/02 at 06:57 PM |
|
|
for an idea on cost, the steel for my chassis cost £43, enjoyed every minute of building it, it also gave me the choice to put the little touch's in
i wanted too....
but, if i paid myself a fiver an hour then it would have cost a fair bit more than a bought one.....but none of the satisfaction. 
|
|
|
Gremlin
|
| posted on 3/7/02 at 10:43 AM |
|
|
I too woulod like to build it from scratch so i have the satisfation but i have only a little welding experince. Its the welding difficult and would
an average job be good enough? Especially if i want to put it on the road does my welding get Scrutinised?
|
|
|
RoadkillUK
|
| posted on 3/7/02 at 12:49 PM |
|
|
I've never welded a thing before and my results are available to view in the photo's section, if you feel the need.
I will admit that a few of my welds do need re-doing but I'm confident that the whole thing will stay together. 
Roadkill - Lee
www.bradford7.co.uk
Latest Picture (14 Sept 2014)
|
|
|
Ian Pearson
|
| posted on 3/7/02 at 04:46 PM |
|
|
I bought my chassis as I had never welded before. I had to mod it to take the Pinto. Welding has now reached a point where I would happily construct
my own chassis. My advice would be to buy some steel and practice, practice, practice. The satisfaction you will get from the fruits of your labour
far outway anything else in my opinion.
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 4/7/02 at 07:20 AM |
|
|
I was in the same boat - I had done all sorts of soldering, brazing, etc. but no arc welding of any sort.
After getting my MIG I enrolled in a couple of 1-day courses at the local agricultural college. This was enough to get the basic techniques down -
torch angles, tracking speed, etc - then I went away and spent a week or two welding bits of scrap together until it looked right.
Once the welds looked OK I then tried breaking them with a lump hammer, or hacksawing across the joints to check weld penetration.
After finding that I could totally wreck the square tube without breaking the weld I started on the chassis!
Essential accessories for a welder are an angle grinder and a critical eye - if a weld looks remotely suspect then grind it out and start again. I did
that a few times!
cheers,
David
|
|
|
liftarn
|
 posted on 10/7/02 at 04:21 PM |
|
|
quote:
If you already have a MIG welder then DIY is easily the cheapest. If you have to buy a welder, and you have no other use for it, then buying a
chassis is cheaper.
Ok, but if you aren't living in the UK and can pick it up yourself. Would that change the cost situation? I'm considering getting a local welder to
do the chassis. If I'm lucky I might get a friend of a friend to do it for a pizza and a few beers, but I think even a commercial welder would
perhaps be cheaper.
|
|
|
Jon Ison
|
| posted on 10/7/02 at 04:26 PM |
|
|
it may not look like a lot 1" box, but its like when you start painting a gate, it takes forever....they may be short welds but there are loads o the
buggers.... i think it would be expensive to pay a welder to do the job, he as a living to make and it would take a fair bit of time.....
|
|
|
Alan B
|
| posted on 10/7/02 at 09:10 PM |
|
|
quote:
it may not look like a lot 1" box, but its like when you start painting a gate, it takes forever....they may be short welds but there are
loads o the buggers.... i think it would be expensive to pay a welder to do the job, he as a living to make and it would take a fair bit of time.....
Agreed Jon,
If you added up the actual "arc" time it may be quite low, but you won't be giving the guy a set of parts in fixture ready to weld (at least I
assume not). It's the cutting, fitting, tacking, squaring, grinding, tweaking, etc. that take the time, not really the welding as such.
IMO at least.
|
|
|
Jasper
|
| posted on 10/7/02 at 09:33 PM |
|
|
Well, I've been welding for just a few weeks now and I've nearly finished fully welding the chassis. I have absoltely no experience whatsoever, but
most of the welds are pretty neat now, and even the ugly ones seem to have good penetration. I'll just go back and grind out a few of the early
ones!
I would recommend to anyone to do it themselves, by the time I've bought the mig, rented gas, bought the steel, it's probably not a whole lot less
than buying, but as many have said the satisfaction of seeing it take shape is fantastic. And I know even if I bought a chassis there would bound to
be mods I would need to do so I would have ended up having to get a MIG anyway.
Now I've got the gear and know-how for any future projects as well. And if somebody asks me what kit is it?, I can say it's all hand-built.
|
|
|
theconrodkid
|
| posted on 10/7/02 at 10:36 PM |
|
|
when it realy hits you is when you have finnished painting the chassis,stand back and adrire your handiwork,the feeling of satisfaction is imense 
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 11/7/02 at 08:03 AM |
|
|
...and a bit later, when the car's up on its wheels and the panels are on, when the wife says "It's starting to look really good, now".
Up until then she'd only regarded it as a heap of metalwork cluttering up the garage. That cheers you up no end!
David
|
|
|
Gremlin
|
| posted on 11/7/02 at 08:34 AM |
|
|
I think I’m going to give it a go! My fathering law owns a engineering firm who do loads of milling welding etc for larger companies and although
himself is not a welder hopefully he can source material quite cheaply and if needed possibly get some pointers from his welders! Oh well what’s worse
case. Like you say even if I buy chassis I will probably need welder so that out lay is almost certain so if I cant do it and buy a chassis I have
only wasted cost of box iron! Oh well will keep me quite!
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 11/7/02 at 09:09 AM |
|
|
Sounds like you're ideally placed!
The best advice is to get a decent MIG (ask at the firm - someone may be thinking of upgrading) then ask one of the welders to help you to set the
dials.
Get an hour or so practice while he's watching, and listen to his advice.
It's worth a couple of pints!
David
|
|
|
