I doubt anyone having a "laugh at your expense" actually is watching the build because they really appreciate what you are doing. Projects like this are insanely tough to do completely by yourself. You have an awesome array of skills, don't forget that.
I think that it was a good thing that you have take a break from doing the hood vent because it was a good opportunity to get some experience to weld aluminium. The car looks amazing and I'm hyped to see the rest of it
Anyone trying to do something you do is not to laugh at, but there will always be idiots who will. Most people who watch this serie I am sure hope you’ll succeed. That you never reply is something else which I find a little questionable. I don’t know why I keep mentioning this anyway. Nevertheless an awesome project which deserves respect from any car guy ore girl I think. I would have put a high rpm Judd V8 in it to keep it a little retro but that’s another thing to. I love to see the end result!
Anyone who has a remote idea of how difficult of a task this is knows that this wasn't going to be an easy task at all. As I've said before though, I definitely appreciate the transparency you provide to show even an experienced builder like yourself runs into issues. There can't be highs without the lows, and you make sure we see both the struggle and the success. Makes it much more real for us viewers. Sometimes you just have to sit back and evaluate whether or not you'll be able to get it to the quality you're happy with, and what potential paths there are for you going forward to get it there. Also always enjoy some good machining shots, you have a great resource at your disposal there and it's fantastic that he gives you learning opportunities while over there. Quite the rollercoaster of emotions this episode. Glad to see you rolling with the punches!
My project’s stalled with a broken bolt in an inaccessible place and I’ve lost more hours than I want to admit tackling it. Your perseverance and willingness to put in the hours despite failure is the message I need today! 👍🏻 great build and content as ever
I had a stuck bolt issue and humbled down and got an engineer friend to help out he got it out and I learnt something. Sometimes you can’t do it all but friends are there and can help out.
I put my e36 up for rear wheel bearings, rtabs, and lower control arms and the whole thing was put on hold for a stuck lower control arm bolt. ...On stands for 14 months and I still need to get back under and really finish it properly.
This is by far my favorite active build on youtube and has been for some time. the hood is sick no matter what....and if you decide on the carbon idea, try reaching out to Street Bandito for help with the carbon work... they are excellent youtubers that do alot of crazy carbon work.
Dude when you consider the random angles and lengths of the handmade chassis from Ferrari you should just chill and not worry about a couple mm in the vent. You have done a solid job.
Body man here. Great work on the hood vent, it looks awesome!! The fit and finish is definitely close enough to where you can hammer and Dooley it, and instead of filler use fiberglass reinforced bondo because it’s much stronger and much more flexible. If you weren’t taking off the hood so often normal bondo would’ve been fine too, but fiberglass filler would be 100% perfectly fine with those minor discrepancies
@@stanceworks For sure! absolutely love your work man, it's of incredible quality and it shows how dedicated, passionate, and patient you are. Keep it up man, every time i see your videos it teaches me to be more patient with my own builds.
That's a monumental welding project taken on for the hood. Definitely give yourself more credit there, you knocked it out of the park IMO. Can definitely be worked/improved with some fresh eyes/fresh headspace.
Really should consider adding a lip at the leading edge of the vent which helps create a low pressure zone behind to pull out air from radiator. Also, you could consider trimming your universal vent to use it as a trim piece to get the finish you want.
Great progress! I was in the aviation industry all my life. What you you've done using aluminum is really good. Beware of bending the aluminum too much as it work hardens and will crack. You will need to aneal the aluminum... Properly done in an industrial oven, but can be done locally with an oxy-acetylene torch. Soot up the aluminum with acetylene rich torch, then burn off the soot with the torch with an adjusted flame. Let cool slowly (under a warm blanket) and the area will be back to T-0. One or two bends and it's hardens again. Good luck!
Upvoted, hope he sees this. I was also thinking that if he got the panel to shape, than heat could help settle in new shape. Also I am pretty damn impressed how that other piece he had was so unwilling to stay bent.
This is correct but a word of warning is definitely required, couple of seconds too long with the torch, and you’ll blast holes in your piece. Aluminium doesn’t give as much warning as steel with colour changes before melting.
Many many years ago I bump formed rocker arm blisters for cowling using the "soot" method. I made a bunch of them that way. I was more concerned about cracking the part due to work hardening by bumping too many times. I don't recall ever accidentally melting through.
I find that the soot method works well if you can lay it down in a thin layer, just enough that you can still see the aluminum. If it goes on too thick, I have found that the aluminum can start to sag/melt before the carbon burns away. It's strange, but the core of the aluminum will melt before the outer aluminum oxide layer, thus leaving a saggy grey area. I was taught a different method that at a Ron Covell metal shaping workshop that works just as well. Simply scribble the area you want to anneal with a black Sharpie pen. It's that easy! It goes on even and you can put it exactly where you want without the risk of putting too much soot on. Then just fire up the toech and heat the area until it fades away. It seems to burn off a little sooner than carbon soot, but more evenly. Sometimes it may leave a trace of line left, but as long as it's mostly gone, your done. Dont try and remove all traces of the pen, you'll be sorry because the aluminum will melt right before your eyes.
You did a good job. Remember that Ferrari's of this generation had imperfections as well. I would give the hood to a body guy to have him straightening the metal without body filler. That low spot you showed would use a ton of filler. I think you can get it straight enough for you to be happy.
Dude. Get down to a #5 cup instead of the Fupa(?) for ally work. Seriously daunting task you committed to there. Lots of wet cloths can be your best friend on ally panels.
Anybody who's ever gotten their hands dirty knows things don't always go to plan, and anyone who's ever done any fab has started over more than once. Keep working hard, it's really coming together!
Yeah, I know I need to do a kick up lip around the leading edge and sides. I considered 3D printing that piece and doing a wet lay of carbon on it. It could overlap the edge and “straighten things out”. It’s an option for sure!
As a Gen X that did tool room apprenticeship at my work place, the old timers are great at explaining and teaching you the trade they have done for as long or even longer I've been alive. the did not mind me asking the same question 100 times and where proud to share their knowledge and teach me as much as I could learn from them. I have moved up within the company after doing my 5 years of apprenticeship and no longer work in the shop but I still consider myself a machinist and probably always will. There is something special about making some out of raw materials and looking at the finished product in awe and telling yourself "I made that" and it looks like something you could buy but you made it yourself. I do need to freshen up on my CAD design and CNC coding as that is something that if you don't use it often you will definitely forget.
I've had people try and advise me to not detail the negatives and frustrations on my projects. I've always replied that it's inauthentic to pretend that my journey is perfect and smooth. Your humility is such a breath of fresh air, and the build is an insanely awesome thing to witness.
Great work persevering with that thin aluminium. That is a super difficult area to tackle, trying not to warp everything and get it all to a standard you will be happy with. I am sure you will get there. Looking forward to seeing this beast fire into life.
Dude. Do not fret about mistakes... you learn from them as much as the rest of us. I also appreciate the talking... it's insight into your thought process, and it allows us the audience to participate, and help you! I absolutely love this series. Keep it up brother!!
I am no welder, but i'm pretty sure this must be one of the most difficult welding to do for an experienced welder, and you did great ! Surely not perfect, but man, this is great !
You didn't get lucky, you planned and worked out the details and nailed the result! Loving the build. The people who are saying this is taking too long don't understand the vision. Keep it up and thank you for sharing your journey.
Mike, ditto all the following comments. This is BY FAR the most interesting build on RUclips because it just isn't a beautification or fixing a crunched car but BETTERING by design one of (if not the prettiest) of all Ferraris. You are turning an over-weight, under-powered Ferrari into a BETTER CAR. Keep going brother! Just wish you could do TWO videos a week.
When you first started this effort on the hood, I quiet screamed at you to find a replacement hood to work on first. You made it clear this would be a tough project for you given the lack of experience welding aluminum. At least then you could make whatever mistakes and still have a stock hood to sell for extra funds. Maybe should have found something in fiberglass to cut up. Either way, I'm hoping this works out without losing the hood. I personally think it is going to look sick AF and can't wait ti finish watching the rest of this series!
I think you did an AMAZING job considering you've never done this kind of building before. Bringing in someone with more expertise is always an option. Nobody said YOU had to do every detail by yourself. Don't be afraid of getting a little help.
Man the flange weld, literally the first thing I said "damn that's a really good weld!". Don't be too harsh on yourself aluminum is not an easy material to work with, especially when it gets that thin , the weld you made is structural and grinding always makes welds looks good,experience is the best teacher .Developing the skillset to work with panels only comes from experience.
Bro, you're making the Perfect car. Anyone who grew up in the 80's-90's dreams about this car. And you're making this better than it was created. Wayyy better than Ferrari gave attention to this. For me this is more iconic than the DeLorean so it deserves all the love you're giving it. Im anxious to see it done but when ever I see how much care you give it I appreciate the time it's taking
I owned one of these in the 90s with only 2000 miles on the clock it was a total piece of S!#t and comparison to this beautiful piece of engineering when you consider that you have done this by yourself it is amazing I wish I had your skills your imagination but one thing I do have is a great respect for what you have created thank you for sharing it with us I am jealous as hell,
I’m not a mechanic, I’m a violin maker. There is a restoration project on my bench that is a sentimental piece for a client, an old factory made violin that his dad played. It’s slowly killing me and a massive black hole of my time. Perseverance is key with projects that don’t go as planned!!! I’m slowly getting trough it. The Ferrari build is much the same, although way cooler!! My client will be overjoyed to see his fathers violin playable. I can’t wait to see the Ferrari rip around on its own power!!
Good little advice given to me that helped when i first started welding aluminum use a #5 or #6 cup with purple tip 1/8" tungsten small cup size keeps arc tight and from trying to wonder, also bring argon down to 8-10cfm. I run a Miller syncrowave 300 its simple to use but welds anything I throw at it..lol.. But I know the feeling all to well..especially the couple hot rods were in the middle of building for customers..and even though you get mad at yourself and want to quit for me at least it drives me to push through and finish whatever I'm doing that day and feel accomplished as well.
Also you can talk entire episodes you have a ton of knowledge, I personally love hearing you work out every piece and learn along the way and showing us all the mistakes it's good way to teach and to show even not knowing everything you can still build insane cars
If it was me, I would have send it to a welder. And that why Mike is the one of the best! He never quits until he tried EVERYTHING! Keep up the good work!
The English wheel is a great way to make curves with aluminum sheet. Solid core flush rivets instead of the welding, no warping. Take a page from lotus.
Really appreciate you showing the trials and tribulations of this journey. Most builds only show highlights, so it’s nice to see the real side of things!
Welding edges and getting perfect edges require you welding on a temporary brace that the exact shape you want to end up with. Weld it close to the edge and in a place that doesn’t interfere with welding but not so far away that it stops working for what you need it for. When you are finished with the brace you can use a cut off wheel and break tacks. Also adding hemmed flanges to the inside edge can also help keep its shape.
Great progress, Mike! You're always going to be your biggest critic, but don't let it discourage you from learning! One of the things you can do to practice thin aluminum welding is to try welding two aluminum coke cans to each other. It's a cheap and effective method to get better at amperage control. Keep up the good work, Mike!!
Hi Mike ! I also think that the hood and air outlet would be much better in composite. It would save a lot of weight and would look better. On top of that you could only paint the hood and clear coat the outlet so it would look like the F40LM hood. I am not sure that would be so expensive. Doing composite parts needs time but you do not need so much tools. The Easy Composite RUclips Channel (Easy Composite is an UK based composite supply shop) has a lot of very detailled and useful tutorials about composite handling. More generaly this build is insane ! And I am looking for the first rollout !! To end this message, à french custom car company is actually doing a 308 with a F355 engine and rear train... Regards
It looks great and at the end of the day, it’s a race car. I’ve gathered from watching your videos that you are a bit of a perfectionist, don’t let this slow you down. Keep up the great work and thanks for providing quality content!
I particularly enjoyed this episode. Years ago I made a similar extractor but had no welding tools so I had to rely on pop rivits and made the whole thing of galvanized steel from industrial ductwork. Allow me to say your result is miles better than what I did and I'm sure the little corrections will let you save this effort. Also I loved watching the milling of that upright. What a pleasure it is to see good tools being used well. The icing on the cake was seeing how well it all came together. Another win for the K24 GTB project!
I love the happy face you made when seeing the axle clear. Best reward for all the hard work AND explaining just everything to us. Thank you for all of that!
I enjoy you talking and explaining this whole project from the start is a big story of passion to create a one off a kind. The 308 is my favorite Ferrari, and this is the first wide bodied one I think i have ever seen.
Fair play to you for attempting to weld this panel together. Extremely difficult on new alloy, never mind old panels that have age hardened. My personal way of attacking this panel, would have been to use structural adhesive. It’s what holds aircraft and modern supercars together. Because it’s a non load bearing panel, you wouldn’t need rivets to work in conjunction with the adhesive. But you would need to flange your panels. Ideally with a bead roller, or slowly by hand. The flange joints would give you an extremely strong joint, with zero distortion. Something to look into next time perhaps? Loving this build. Going to be stunning! 😎
Love that you waited to capture your expression live when it fit (or not). Fun fact, I live in NY in the town (pretty sure) where the drive shaft shop started before several moves and eventually to CA. I've been a customer since 1986.
Very nice update. We try hard not to feed the trolls here. Your effort is not wasted. Thought the wheels would be in by now and we could see a roller but im glad to see you tackle the hood vent. Anything that thin will warp like hell when heated when using your hammer an dolly set to it lightly heat the metal with a torch that will allow it to relax a little and not stretch so much but flex back into place. Should move easier too
I’ve been watching this built series for a while now, but I haven’t signed up yet. Until now! That genuine reaction that you share with us, that struggle, anger and a full passion that is exemplary. Keep it up and never stop!
As an automotive painter myself, I feel that if you used a very light filler product like u-pol's "dolphin glaze" you could iron out some of those imperfections and not have to worry about chipping and cracking in the body work. I love the series, long time viewer, keep up the amazing work!!!
I don’t believe there is anything you can’t do that you set your mind to do! Your humility and perseverance is inspiring! Are you a friend of Bill W? For sure my favorite RUclips channel! 😎🤙🏽🙏🏽
Bonnet looks great! Don't sweat the body work. It just takes time and patience. And do not hesitate to use body filler once your panel is as strait as you can get it. Body filler is muck stronger than most people think it is. From a fonctionality standpoint, you might need an upward deflector at the front of the vent to help create a low pressure area. Keep up the good work.
You could always use it as a mold for a carbon fiber piece. You could use fiberglass and Kevlar weave too. Either way if you take a negative mold of the hood after it's finished you could make a pretty solid one out of composite to replace it. As for your friend, he's right about the body work. It'll move, you'll just have to watch that the tangential parts don't warp. If it does bulge out you can notch it and weld the notch which will pull it together when it cools. If it pulls you can notch it and fill the gap. While I may not have built many cars I've had my share of welding and metal work practice. That said, we all have our days so try not to be too hard on yourself. Then there's all that experience you got from the job. Any way you look at it the project isn't a total loss with or without the hood. Sure it's a setback, not the end of the world...
Miles of room on the rear uprights! You could even weld in bracing or sleeving internally if you wanted. I think with some time and patience you can hammer and dolly the hood back into shape enough that a little filler can finish off the top. It's a "Good enough" result to keep you moving forward, and If you're staying with a bright color like yellow, then it will hide some flaws better than something dark like black. Thanks for the great video to end the week with! Hope you have a great weekend!
No one’s laughing at you. You are doing awesome! The hardest jobs give the best rewards. Hood vent can be tweaked with hammer and dolly, body filler is incredibly strong so get it as close as poss with the hammer and don’t be afraid of a skim of filler. Another alternative would be some sort of surround or frame that could be made out of steel or carbon and riveted. Would help cover and slight imperfections if needs be. But anyway, keep going, love seeing the progress. The road isn’t always smooth but you are getting there and learning on the way. We love seeing the highs but they’re only possible after many struggles and head scratching moments. You got this! And we’re watching. You’re doing awesome 👏🏻
When welding body panels dont lay a bead, just spot welds every 1-2 inches and when you get to the end go back and do it again next to the previous spot welds, it gives it a chance to cool down to help prevent warping
Hood looks legit man. I was just typing up a comment on how I'd love to see you make this in metal as you have and use it as a plug for a composite piece, but as usual you're two steps ahead.
im no engineer, and im certainly a bad welder, and have never welded aluminum at all, but im here to comfort you with little children eyes and tell you: it looks sick AF =) love it
I think that it was a good thing that you have take a break from doing the hood vent because it was a good opportunity to get some experience to weld aluminium. The car looks amazing and I'm hyped to see the rest of it
To bend 6000 series efficiently you need to anneal it. Two methods to do this, oxy/acetylene torch or torch and sharpie. For oxy you soot up the surface with acetylene then heat it until the soot disappears. For sharpie draw random sharpie lines and heat it until the sharpie fades. Done this multiple times, definitely minimizes cracking and allows for easier bending.
I think the vent is looking good. You can never get aluminum too clean before welding. And if what you are welding together is two different thicknesses, start the weld and focus more of it on the thicker panel. When you weld metal you are going to get shrinking that happens. So you'll need to stretch the metal in the low spots. You want to use a dolly the has the same contour you are trying to accomplish in the panel. And in the low spots place the dolly on one side of the panel and hammer on the other side of the panel. You want to be lightly hammering the metal in the spot you are supporting it with the dolly. Go slowly and check the panel by running your hand over it. You can feel waviness that your eye won't pick up. And to help with shaping aluminum I would try annealing it. That softens the aluminum to make it easier to work by hand.
Honestly I would think making a fiberglass mold of the hood after perfecting the fit and finish and then modifying the hood according to requirements and then using that to make a carbon fiber hood would've actually been easier. That hood is super thin and welding it is more effort than its worth, plus you're able to keep the stock hood unmolested. It'll also give you an easier time prototyping and modifying different designs since fiberglass is much easier to work with.
As a sheetmetal worker for 20+ years with a lot of thin sheet aluminum welding experience a couple of tips. Lots of tacks. While thicker plate won't move much, thin gauge moves a ton, even when tacking. Second, keep your tungsten stickout within a 1/4". A lot of the problems you were having were from poor shielding gas coverage. I'm not sure if you had the screen in the gas lens while you were welding. That messes with the arc. I'm impressed every time I watch a video how much your skills develop. Hope these couple of tips help.
Keep it up! The projects where u wanna quit are the most rewarding. You get humbled and learn so much. I can relate to standards and If this is V1, then it's V1. Quite possibly, this could be a great template to build a composite version. Either or, it's a pleasure to watch the highs and lows and see you succeed, even if it's slow and painful. That's what makes it worth it. Don't give up!
I was about to comment that you should use it as a mold and do it in carbon and then you said it was an option. That’s what i would do in the future and make it a removable piece. This was a really good episode. Strong work!
Lots have commented on the bodywork and all I’ll say it’s bloody hard work. I work in Aviation and generally we don’t weld much at all. We buy a lot of 6000 series with no heat treatment to form parts and then do our own heat treatment to get some strength. No really possible for most car shops and not really required either. Are you going to close of the inside of the uprights? It doesn’t need to be heavy gauge but would protect it from collect debris and add some torsional rigidity. Great episode Mike. I have definitely been on the same rollercoaster of emotions. Sometimes you just need to walk away and come back with a fresh head. Thanks for being open too.
Hey man I really respect the work you do. You’re very brave taking on something like this. Just a bit of advice for welding thin aluminum. You need a small cup on aluminum. It will keep your arc more stable. Use a higher frequency it will keep the arc more stable as well. Clean the tungsten, filler rod, and panel with acetone. Set up a pulse setting on the welder. The pulse will keep you from introducing unnecessary heat into the panel. Good luck man
Also if the new material is thicker than the hood, preheat that material first with a torch so you don’t melt the hood trying to get heat into the thicker piece
Another way you could have done the hood vent. Construct the entire vent as a seperare part with a flange. do all of your adjustments to the vent. Once it matches the shape of the hood, use 3M palnnel bonding adhesive to connect the two without warping either piece. I did something similar recently. worked out nicely. Drill holes in your axle sleaves. Do plug welds along with the ends.
I think i speak for everyone you are big inspiration for all of us. I have fabricators education and eaven i couldn't do this kind of things with aluminium. But everything is learnable. I wish you best of luck with this cool build!
Don‘t worry about the uprights. These are meant to be used in a much heavier car with higher loads and bending moments. Especially used at the back they won‘t be an issue. 👌🏻
I know this ain't the topic of the video but man rotiform's ngo wheels would look super cool on the car. Btw it's great to see a build that really shows the struggles behind it. Can't wait to see it finished, it already looks super cool!
Have just had to cut apart my rear uprights and weld in extra to widen my the hole through them to clear the boots (as I checked they cleared the CV's but forgot to check with the boots fitted) I'm cheering on your behalf!
Super stoked that the axle worked out! Love this build and don't worry about to much talk...I live looking into your brain! Absolutely love this series.... Have you on rotation at my barbershop. 😎
The scoop came out great. Painted all one color, will help hide any minor imperfections left after massaging. The craftsmanship required here explains why auto makers use so much molded plastic and glue.
My friend I am very sure that NO ONE is or will have a laugh at your expense. We all want to see you succeed, please keep up the great work and I doff my cap and raise a glass to you.
I’m impressed- if for nothing else your perseverance is. I think most people who have thought about wanting to do something like this but blew holes in test pieces with the tig are also impressed. This stuff isn’t easy. What about a joint episode with Japhands to finishing shaping the hood?
22:18. “Get some custom orders axel’d” That one made me laugh a bit. Love your stuff! Keep up the good work. Channels like yours inspire me to work on parts of my car that I haven’t before.
The car looks SIIIICCCKKKK!!! 😍😍😍🔥🔥🔥 What i think might help with the hood vent situation would be annealing the aluminium so that it loses its springiness.. the tyre trick might work much better if you heat the aluminium when it is bent so that the stress in the metal is released and the sheet holds its shape.. Seeing that the sheet is already in, since it's already welded only at the edges, there might still be some stress in the metal remaining which would crack the body filler, so if you apply heat to that large curved panel, it'll help release the residual stresses in the material!! Do look into it if you find this useful ❤️❤️ And greatly loving the progress on the car so far and very excited to see how this beast turns out!!🔥🔥🔥
Just do the whole duct / hood out of carbon. The aluminium one is bound to crack on the welds eventually. Just my 5c. Excited to see the progress, been watching since day one!
I doubt anyone having a "laugh at your expense" actually is watching the build because they really appreciate what you are doing. Projects like this are insanely tough to do completely by yourself. You have an awesome array of skills, don't forget that.
💯
Well said @TxTex777
I think that it was a good thing that you have take a break from doing the hood vent because it was a good opportunity to get some experience to weld aluminium. The car looks amazing and I'm hyped to see the rest of it
Anyone trying to do something you do is not to laugh at, but there will always be idiots who will. Most people who watch this serie I am sure hope you’ll succeed. That you never reply is something else which I find a little questionable. I don’t know why I keep mentioning this anyway. Nevertheless an awesome project which deserves respect from any car guy ore girl I think. I would have put a high rpm Judd V8 in it to keep it a little retro but that’s another thing to. I love to see the end result!
I couldn't agree more TxTex777, and Mike you are a top guy, I'm in total admiration.
Anyone who has a remote idea of how difficult of a task this is knows that this wasn't going to be an easy task at all.
As I've said before though, I definitely appreciate the transparency you provide to show even an experienced builder like yourself runs into issues. There can't be highs without the lows, and you make sure we see both the struggle and the success. Makes it much more real for us viewers. Sometimes you just have to sit back and evaluate whether or not you'll be able to get it to the quality you're happy with, and what potential paths there are for you going forward to get it there.
Also always enjoy some good machining shots, you have a great resource at your disposal there and it's fantastic that he gives you learning opportunities while over there.
Quite the rollercoaster of emotions this episode. Glad to see you rolling with the punches!
My project’s stalled with a broken bolt in an inaccessible place and I’ve lost more hours than I want to admit tackling it. Your perseverance and willingness to put in the hours despite failure is the message I need today! 👍🏻 great build and content as ever
You’ll get that bolt, boss 💪
I had a stuck bolt issue and humbled down and got an engineer friend to help out he got it out and I learnt something. Sometimes you can’t do it all but friends are there and can help out.
I put my e36 up for rear wheel bearings, rtabs, and lower control arms and the whole thing was put on hold for a stuck lower control arm bolt.
...On stands for 14 months and I still need to get back under and really finish it properly.
This is by far my favorite active build on youtube and has been for some time. the hood is sick no matter what....and if you decide on the carbon idea, try reaching out to Street Bandito for help with the carbon work... they are excellent youtubers that do alot of crazy carbon work.
We love a good hood vent. One of the most underrated design aspects of a car that can completely make or break it. Obviously this one makes it
Dude when you consider the random angles and lengths of the handmade chassis from Ferrari you should just chill and not worry about a couple mm in the vent. You have done a solid job.
Body man here. Great work on the hood vent, it looks awesome!! The fit and finish is definitely close enough to where you can hammer and Dooley it, and instead of filler use fiberglass reinforced bondo because it’s much stronger and much more flexible. If you weren’t taking off the hood so often normal bondo would’ve been fine too, but fiberglass filler would be 100% perfectly fine with those minor discrepancies
Thanks for this! Stoked to hear it and I appreciate the info
@@stanceworks For sure! absolutely love your work man, it's of incredible quality and it shows how dedicated, passionate, and patient you are. Keep it up man, every time i see your videos it teaches me to be more patient with my own builds.
I did chuckle a bit at “custom orders axled” 😂 I love the vent!
That's a monumental welding project taken on for the hood. Definitely give yourself more credit there, you knocked it out of the park IMO. Can definitely be worked/improved with some fresh eyes/fresh headspace.
Really should consider adding a lip at the leading edge of the vent which helps create a low pressure zone behind to pull out air from radiator.
Also, you could consider trimming your universal vent to use it as a trim piece to get the finish you want.
Great progress! I was in the aviation industry all my life. What you you've done using aluminum is really good. Beware of bending the aluminum too much as it work hardens and will crack. You will need to aneal the aluminum... Properly done in an industrial oven, but can be done locally with an oxy-acetylene torch. Soot up the aluminum with acetylene rich torch, then burn off the soot with the torch with an adjusted flame. Let cool slowly (under a warm blanket) and the area will be back to T-0. One or two bends and it's hardens again. Good luck!
Upvoted, hope he sees this. I was also thinking that if he got the panel to shape, than heat could help settle in new shape. Also I am pretty damn impressed how that other piece he had was so unwilling to stay bent.
This is correct but a word of warning is definitely required, couple of seconds too long with the torch, and you’ll blast holes in your piece. Aluminium doesn’t give as much warning as steel with colour changes before melting.
@@Jonathan_Doe_ Those temp are documented, so I'd say he could get away with thermal camera. Biggest problem will be keeping everything consistent
Many many years ago I bump formed rocker arm blisters for cowling using the "soot" method. I made a bunch of them that way. I was more concerned about cracking the part due to work hardening by bumping too many times. I don't recall ever accidentally melting through.
I find that the soot method works well if you can lay it down in a thin layer, just enough that you can still see the aluminum. If it goes on too thick, I have found that the aluminum can start to sag/melt before the carbon burns away. It's strange, but the core of the aluminum will melt before the outer aluminum oxide layer, thus leaving a saggy grey area.
I was taught a different method that at a Ron Covell metal shaping workshop that works just as well. Simply scribble the area you want to anneal with a black Sharpie pen. It's that easy! It goes on even and you can put it exactly where you want without the risk of putting too much soot on. Then just fire up the toech and heat the area until it fades away. It seems to burn off a little sooner than carbon soot, but more evenly. Sometimes it may leave a trace of line left, but as long as it's mostly gone, your done. Dont try and remove all traces of the pen, you'll be sorry because the aluminum will melt right before your eyes.
You did a good job. Remember that Ferrari's of this generation had imperfections as well. I would give the hood to a body guy to have him straightening the metal without body filler. That low spot you showed would use a ton of filler. I think you can get it straight enough for you to be happy.
Dude. Get down to a #5 cup instead of the Fupa(?) for ally work.
Seriously daunting task you committed to there. Lots of wet cloths can be your best friend on ally panels.
Anybody who's ever gotten their hands dirty knows things don't always go to plan, and anyone who's ever done any fab has started over more than once. Keep working hard, it's really coming together!
I think the hood looks great and Ryan was the right guy to turn to for pointers! Getting pumped to see this thing moving again!
Have you considered some sort of beauty ring/bezel for the hood vent ?
Yeah, I know I need to do a kick up lip around the leading edge and sides. I considered 3D printing that piece and doing a wet lay of carbon on it. It could overlap the edge and “straighten things out”. It’s an option for sure!
@@stanceworks why not do it with a round bar or a half round. Solves your wobbly edge. Adds strength would look rad.
excellent idea, I was thinking the hood could be finished with a flat colour to help hide the waves
As a Gen X that did tool room apprenticeship at my work place, the old timers are great at explaining and teaching you the trade they have done for as long or even longer I've been alive. the did not mind me asking the same question 100 times and where proud to share their knowledge and teach me as much as I could learn from them. I have moved up within the company after doing my 5 years of apprenticeship and no longer work in the shop but I still consider myself a machinist and probably always will. There is something special about making some out of raw materials and looking at the finished product in awe and telling yourself "I made that" and it looks like something you could buy but you made it yourself. I do need to freshen up on my CAD design and CNC coding as that is something that if you don't use it often you will definitely forget.
I've had people try and advise me to not detail the negatives and frustrations on my projects. I've always replied that it's inauthentic to pretend that my journey is perfect and smooth. Your humility is such a breath of fresh air, and the build is an insanely awesome thing to witness.
Great work persevering with that thin aluminium. That is a super difficult area to tackle, trying not to warp everything and get it all to a standard you will be happy with. I am sure you will get there. Looking forward to seeing this beast fire into life.
Dude. Do not fret about mistakes... you learn from them as much as the rest of us. I also appreciate the talking... it's insight into your thought process, and it allows us the audience to participate, and help you! I absolutely love this series. Keep it up brother!!
Best build on RUclips ever its like listening to a extremely informational podcast. With the bonus of visuals.
Guys like Brett are a dying breed. I would learn everything I possibly could from him.
I am no welder, but i'm pretty sure this must be one of the most difficult welding to do for an experienced welder, and you did great ! Surely not perfect, but man, this is great !
You didn't get lucky, you planned and worked out the details and nailed the result! Loving the build. The people who are saying this is taking too long don't understand the vision. Keep it up and thank you for sharing your journey.
Mike, ditto all the following comments. This is BY FAR the most interesting build on RUclips because it just isn't a beautification or fixing a crunched car but BETTERING by design one of (if not the prettiest) of all Ferraris. You are turning an over-weight, under-powered Ferrari into a BETTER CAR. Keep going brother! Just wish you could do TWO videos a week.
When you first started this effort on the hood, I quiet screamed at you to find a replacement hood to work on first. You made it clear this would be a tough project for you given the lack of experience welding aluminum. At least then you could make whatever mistakes and still have a stock hood to sell for extra funds. Maybe should have found something in fiberglass to cut up.
Either way, I'm hoping this works out without losing the hood. I personally think it is going to look sick AF and can't wait ti finish watching the rest of this series!
I think you did an AMAZING job considering you've never done this kind of building before. Bringing in someone with more expertise is always an option. Nobody said YOU had to do every detail by yourself. Don't be afraid of getting a little help.
Man the flange weld, literally the first thing I said "damn that's a really good weld!". Don't be too harsh on yourself aluminum is not an easy material to work with, especially when it gets that thin , the weld you made is structural and grinding always makes welds looks good,experience is the best teacher .Developing the skillset to work with panels only comes from experience.
5000-series aluminium is the correct grade to use here Mike, as it can be bent without tearing and is easily weldeable. Keep up the good work!
Bro, you're making the Perfect car. Anyone who grew up in the 80's-90's dreams about this car. And you're making this better than it was created. Wayyy better than Ferrari gave attention to this. For me this is more iconic than the DeLorean so it deserves all the love you're giving it. Im anxious to see it done but when ever I see how much care you give it I appreciate the time it's taking
I owned one of these in the 90s with only 2000 miles on the clock it was a total piece of S!#t and comparison to this beautiful piece of engineering when you consider that you have done this by yourself it is amazing I wish I had your skills your imagination but one thing I do have is a great respect for what you have created thank you for sharing it with us I am jealous as hell,
I’m not a mechanic, I’m a violin maker. There is a restoration project on my bench that is a sentimental piece for a client, an old factory made violin that his dad played. It’s slowly killing me and a massive black hole of my time.
Perseverance is key with projects that don’t go as planned!!! I’m slowly getting trough it. The Ferrari build is much the same, although way cooler!! My client will be overjoyed to see his fathers violin playable. I can’t wait to see the Ferrari rip around on its own power!!
Good little advice given to me that helped when i first started welding aluminum use a #5 or #6 cup with purple tip 1/8" tungsten small cup size keeps arc tight and from trying to wonder, also bring argon down to 8-10cfm. I run a Miller syncrowave 300 its simple to use but welds anything I throw at it..lol.. But I know the feeling all to well..especially the couple hot rods were in the middle of building for customers..and even though you get mad at yourself and want to quit for me at least it drives me to push through and finish whatever I'm doing that day and feel accomplished as well.
Also you can talk entire episodes you have a ton of knowledge, I personally love hearing you work out every piece and learn along the way and showing us all the mistakes it's good way to teach and to show even not knowing everything you can still build insane cars
If it was me, I would have send it to a welder. And that why Mike is the one of the best! He never quits until he tried EVERYTHING!
Keep up the good work!
The English wheel is a great way to make curves with aluminum sheet. Solid core flush rivets instead of the welding, no warping. Take a page from lotus.
As always, the best part of this series is your attitude
Really appreciate you showing the trials and tribulations of this journey. Most builds only show highlights, so it’s nice to see the real side of things!
Mike, don't be too hard on yourself. You've got this! So happy with the progress this week!
Thanks as always for not shying away from the setbacks and hiccups, you set a great example for others 👍 Keep crushing it
Welding edges and getting perfect edges require you welding on a temporary brace that the exact shape you want to end up with. Weld it close to the edge and in a place that doesn’t interfere with welding but not so far away that it stops working for what you need it for. When you are finished with the brace you can use a cut off wheel and break tacks. Also adding hemmed flanges to the inside edge can also help keep its shape.
Great progress, Mike! You're always going to be your biggest critic, but don't let it discourage you from learning! One of the things you can do to practice thin aluminum welding is to try welding two aluminum coke cans to each other. It's a cheap and effective method to get better at amperage control. Keep up the good work, Mike!!
Low pressure doesnt suck, high pressure "pushes"...just a little nitpick
Welding thin sheet is sheeeet. Good job sticking with it 🤘
good job bro! a little more working them edges and I think it will look awesome and a hammer and dolly can straighten the edges
It is refreshing to see all the positive and encouraging comments here.
Hi Mike !
I also think that the hood and air outlet would be much better in composite. It would save a lot of weight and would look better. On top of that you could only paint the hood and clear coat the outlet so it would look like the F40LM hood. I am not sure that would be so expensive. Doing composite parts needs time but you do not need so much tools. The Easy Composite RUclips Channel (Easy Composite is an UK based composite supply shop) has a lot of very detailled and useful tutorials about composite handling.
More generaly this build is insane ! And I am looking for the first rollout !!
To end this message, à french custom car company is actually doing a 308 with a F355 engine and rear train...
Regards
It looks great and at the end of the day, it’s a race car. I’ve gathered from watching your videos that you are a bit of a perfectionist, don’t let this slow you down. Keep up the great work and thanks for providing quality content!
I particularly enjoyed this episode. Years ago I made a similar extractor but had no welding tools so I had to rely on pop rivits and made the whole thing of galvanized steel from industrial ductwork. Allow me to say your result is miles better than what I did and I'm sure the little corrections will let you save this effort.
Also I loved watching the milling of that upright. What a pleasure it is to see good tools being used well. The icing on the cake was seeing how well it all came together. Another win for the K24 GTB project!
22:17 Custom orders axeled! Heck Yeah!
Lol, glad they fit! Hood looks sick!
I love the happy face you made when seeing the axle clear. Best reward for all the hard work AND explaining just everything to us. Thank you for all of that!
I enjoy you talking and explaining this whole project from the start is a big story of passion to create a one off a kind. The 308 is my favorite Ferrari, and this is the first wide bodied one I think i have ever seen.
Fair play to you for attempting to weld this panel together. Extremely difficult on new alloy, never mind old panels that have age hardened. My personal way of attacking this panel, would have been to use structural adhesive. It’s what holds aircraft and modern supercars together. Because it’s a non load bearing panel, you wouldn’t need rivets to work in conjunction with the adhesive. But you would need to flange your panels. Ideally with a bead roller, or slowly by hand. The flange joints would give you an extremely strong joint, with zero distortion.
Something to look into next time perhaps?
Loving this build. Going to be stunning! 😎
Love that you waited to capture your expression live when it fit (or not). Fun fact, I live in NY in the town (pretty sure) where the drive shaft shop started before several moves and eventually to CA. I've been a customer since 1986.
Brent Levensted need to tune this car. The car is extremely dope! I’m a Mitsubishi guy, and have loved this entire series. Great build and commentary!
Very nice update. We try hard not to feed the trolls here. Your effort is not wasted. Thought the wheels would be in by now and we could see a roller but im glad to see you tackle the hood vent. Anything that thin will warp like hell when heated when using your hammer an dolly set to it lightly heat the metal with a torch that will allow it to relax a little and not stretch so much but flex back into place. Should move easier too
I’ve been watching this built series for a while now, but I haven’t signed up yet. Until now!
That genuine reaction that you share with us, that struggle, anger and a full passion that is exemplary.
Keep it up and never stop!
As an automotive painter myself, I feel that if you used a very light filler product like u-pol's "dolphin glaze" you could iron out some of those imperfections and not have to worry about chipping and cracking in the body work.
I love the series, long time viewer, keep up the amazing work!!!
I don’t believe there is anything you can’t do that you set your mind to do! Your humility and perseverance is inspiring! Are you a friend of Bill W? For sure my favorite RUclips channel! 😎🤙🏽🙏🏽
Bonnet looks great!
Don't sweat the body work. It just takes time and patience. And do not hesitate to use body filler once your panel is as strait as you can get it. Body filler is muck stronger than most people think it is.
From a fonctionality standpoint, you might need an upward deflector at the front of the vent to help create a low pressure area.
Keep up the good work.
You could always use it as a mold for a carbon fiber piece. You could use fiberglass and Kevlar weave too. Either way if you take a negative mold of the hood after it's finished you could make a pretty solid one out of composite to replace it. As for your friend, he's right about the body work. It'll move, you'll just have to watch that the tangential parts don't warp. If it does bulge out you can notch it and weld the notch which will pull it together when it cools. If it pulls you can notch it and fill the gap. While I may not have built many cars I've had my share of welding and metal work practice. That said, we all have our days so try not to be too hard on yourself. Then there's all that experience you got from the job. Any way you look at it the project isn't a total loss with or without the hood. Sure it's a setback, not the end of the world...
Miles of room on the rear uprights! You could even weld in bracing or sleeving internally if you wanted.
I think with some time and patience you can hammer and dolly the hood back into shape enough that a little filler can finish off the top. It's a "Good enough" result to keep you moving forward, and If you're staying with a bright color like yellow, then it will hide some flaws better than something dark like black.
Thanks for the great video to end the week with! Hope you have a great weekend!
This car and the Formula Supra are best builds in the last year!!!! 👌🏽
No laughing over here. Love your honesty and the fact that you are pushing yourself.
No one’s laughing at you. You are doing awesome! The hardest jobs give the best rewards. Hood vent can be tweaked with hammer and dolly, body filler is incredibly strong so get it as close as poss with the hammer and don’t be afraid of a skim of filler. Another alternative would be some sort of surround or frame that could be made out of steel or carbon and riveted. Would help cover and slight imperfections if needs be. But anyway, keep going, love seeing the progress. The road isn’t always smooth but you are getting there and learning on the way. We love seeing the highs but they’re only possible after many struggles and head scratching moments.
You got this! And we’re watching. You’re doing awesome 👏🏻
THANK YOU MIKE! I’ve been waiting for this piece of the puzzle for a long time!
I’m loving the way this looks. It has a GT40 vibe!
I like how you kept on going. Warts and all, you are just doing it. Congratulations mate.
When welding body panels dont lay a bead, just spot welds every 1-2 inches and when you get to the end go back and do it again next to the previous spot welds, it gives it a chance to cool down to help prevent warping
Hood looks legit man. I was just typing up a comment on how I'd love to see you make this in metal as you have and use it as a plug for a composite piece, but as usual you're two steps ahead.
Thin aluminum work is sooooo hard man, you did great, the hammer and Dolley will help a lot, congrats on the axel shafts
im no engineer, and im certainly a bad welder, and have never welded aluminum at all, but im here to comfort you with little children eyes and tell you: it looks sick AF =) love it
I think that it was a good thing that you have take a break from doing the hood vent because it was a good opportunity to get some experience to weld aluminium. The car looks amazing and I'm hyped to see the rest of it
To bend 6000 series efficiently you need to anneal it. Two methods to do this, oxy/acetylene torch or torch and sharpie. For oxy you soot up the surface with acetylene then heat it until the soot disappears. For sharpie draw random sharpie lines and heat it until the sharpie fades. Done this multiple times, definitely minimizes cracking and allows for easier bending.
This is the best built serie on here right now
I like it, that's what matters..I think the best part is you have done it all,worts and all.So cool to share it all with us.Thank you
I think the vent is looking good.
You can never get aluminum too clean before welding. And if what you are welding together is two different thicknesses, start the weld and focus more of it on the thicker panel.
When you weld metal you are going to get shrinking that happens. So you'll need to stretch the metal in the low spots. You want to use a dolly the has the same contour you are trying to accomplish in the panel. And in the low spots place the dolly on one side of the panel and hammer on the other side of the panel. You want to be lightly hammering the metal in the spot you are supporting it with the dolly. Go slowly and check the panel by running your hand over it. You can feel waviness that your eye won't pick up.
And to help with shaping aluminum I would try annealing it. That softens the aluminum to make it easier to work by hand.
Honestly I would think making a fiberglass mold of the hood after perfecting the fit and finish and then modifying the hood according to requirements and then using that to make a carbon fiber hood would've actually been easier. That hood is super thin and welding it is more effort than its worth, plus you're able to keep the stock hood unmolested. It'll also give you an easier time prototyping and modifying different designs since fiberglass is much easier to work with.
As a sheetmetal worker for 20+ years with a lot of thin sheet aluminum welding experience a couple of tips. Lots of tacks. While thicker plate won't move much, thin gauge moves a ton, even when tacking. Second, keep your tungsten stickout within a 1/4". A lot of the problems you were having were from poor shielding gas coverage. I'm not sure if you had the screen in the gas lens while you were welding. That messes with the arc. I'm impressed every time I watch a video how much your skills develop. Hope these couple of tips help.
Keep it up! The projects where u wanna quit are the most rewarding. You get humbled and learn so much. I can relate to standards and If this is V1, then it's V1. Quite possibly, this could be a great template to build a composite version. Either or, it's a pleasure to watch the highs and lows and see you succeed, even if it's slow and painful. That's what makes it worth it. Don't give up!
I was about to comment that you should use it as a mold and do it in carbon and then you said it was an option. That’s what i would do in the future and make it a removable piece. This was a really good episode. Strong work!
Lots have commented on the bodywork and all I’ll say it’s bloody hard work. I work in Aviation and generally we don’t weld much at all. We buy a lot of 6000 series with no heat treatment to form parts and then do our own heat treatment to get some strength. No really possible for most car shops and not really required either.
Are you going to close of the inside of the uprights? It doesn’t need to be heavy gauge but would protect it from collect debris and add some torsional rigidity.
Great episode Mike. I have definitely been on the same rollercoaster of emotions. Sometimes you just need to walk away and come back with a fresh head. Thanks for being open too.
Admire your persistence Mike. Took a break from your build but I've got to see the finished product. Keep going brother.
Hey man I really respect the work you do. You’re very brave taking on something like this. Just a bit of advice for welding thin aluminum. You need a small cup on aluminum. It will keep your arc more stable. Use a higher frequency it will keep the arc more stable as well. Clean the tungsten, filler rod, and panel with acetone. Set up a pulse setting on the welder. The pulse will keep you from introducing unnecessary heat into the panel. Good luck man
Also if the new material is thicker than the hood, preheat that material first with a torch so you don’t melt the hood trying to get heat into the thicker piece
Appreciated. I always forget to drop to a smaller cup with aluminum.
Another way you could have done the hood vent.
Construct the entire vent as a seperare part with a flange. do all of your adjustments to the vent. Once it matches the shape of the hood, use 3M palnnel bonding adhesive to connect the two without warping either piece. I did something similar recently. worked out nicely.
Drill holes in your axle sleaves. Do plug welds along with the ends.
Welding is hard, Alu welding is on a whole other level.
Props to you for having the tenacity to keep on grinding on this build.👍
I think i speak for everyone you are big inspiration for all of us. I have fabricators education and eaven i couldn't do this kind of things with aluminium. But everything is learnable. I wish you best of luck with this cool build!
Don‘t worry about the uprights. These are meant to be used in a much heavier car with higher loads and bending moments. Especially used at the back they won‘t be an issue. 👌🏻
You clean the backside of the metal?
Also I think a middle fin may look good in the vent.
Did you consider welding the vent up so it could be glued and riveted to the hood? What was the main motivation to weld it to the hood?
I know this ain't the topic of the video but man rotiform's ngo wheels would look super cool on the car. Btw it's great to see a build that really shows the struggles behind it. Can't wait to see it finished, it already looks super cool!
Have just had to cut apart my rear uprights and weld in extra to widen my the hole through them to clear the boots (as I checked they cleared the CV's but forgot to check with the boots fitted) I'm cheering on your behalf!
Super stoked that the axle worked out! Love this build and don't worry about to much talk...I live looking into your brain! Absolutely love this series.... Have you on rotation at my barbershop. 😎
Thanks for being real! Too many people only showing the positives. Mad respect!
The scoop came out great. Painted all one color, will help hide any minor imperfections left after massaging. The craftsmanship required here explains why auto makers use so much molded plastic and glue.
My friend I am very sure that NO ONE is or will have a laugh at your expense. We all want to see you succeed, please keep up the great work and I doff my cap and raise a glass to you.
I’m impressed- if for nothing else your perseverance is. I think most people who have thought about wanting to do something like this but blew holes in test pieces with the tig are also impressed. This stuff isn’t easy. What about a joint episode with Japhands to finishing shaping the hood?
Great to see Brett’s rotary table again. That is a quality tool.
22:18. “Get some custom orders axel’d”
That one made me laugh a bit. Love your stuff! Keep up the good work. Channels like yours inspire me to work on parts of my car that I haven’t before.
Great video series, sharing the highs and lows is rather refreshing. Not everything goes perfect but kudos to you for forging ahead!
The car looks SIIIICCCKKKK!!! 😍😍😍🔥🔥🔥
What i think might help with the hood vent situation would be annealing the aluminium so that it loses its springiness.. the tyre trick might work much better if you heat the aluminium when it is bent so that the stress in the metal is released and the sheet holds its shape..
Seeing that the sheet is already in, since it's already welded only at the edges, there might still be some stress in the metal remaining which would crack the body filler, so if you apply heat to that large curved panel, it'll help release the residual stresses in the material!!
Do look into it if you find this useful ❤️❤️
And greatly loving the progress on the car so far and very excited to see how this beast turns out!!🔥🔥🔥
Just do the whole duct / hood out of carbon. The aluminium one is bound to crack on the welds eventually. Just my 5c. Excited to see the progress, been watching since day one!