PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

Not 100% sure but it seems to me like you are getting a fair amount of splatter on the welds. I would assume you have checked the most basic stuff such as tip condition and your gas nozzle being clean, but i would guess that you aren't getting good gas coverage. Also watch your torch distance and angle. Average is about a 1/4 inch wire protrusion past the nozzle and no more than 10* of torch angle. Just make sure your basics are there and you should get some nicer welds. What do you have the heat set at?

I have checked over quite a bit of the welder, Currently it is set to setting B. But I have noticed while using it that the wire feed is a bit sticky which I believe is due to the decade long slumber it had before I bought it earlier this year. Then I have a feeling that me being slightly out of practice isn't helping. Before today, I last used a welder in my senior welding class which was over 4 yrs ago. But I appreciate the advice and see how it works tomorrow.

Recently, my plans to rebuild my car have been slightly derailed in a way that could be very interesting in the future. The project will get its own build thread for when it happens but since it does have some bearing on the future direction of the LeSabre project, it has a place here too.

A few months back, I helped get a good friend of mine into a 1999 Dark Bronzemist Metallic Bonneville SE. As he drove it more, he started to like it more and more. But less than 3 months went by before the unthinkable occurred, a girl on her phone hit it at a stop light causing quite a bit of damage..



Until recently, we really had no ideas on how we were going to deal with the car because it was a pretty nice example of the breed. But while trolling CL, an ad caught our attention. It ended up being a 99 SLE, with a vented block due to dexkill. So far the plans are to cradle swap the SLE and get it back on the road with a lot of cleaning. Then the known good F41 bits off the SE, would also be put on the car. The suspension bits off the SLE would go on his girlfriend's car which is a 1996 Olds 88 with massive suspension issues. Then my car would also get some of the extra parts in the process. Also it looks like the Phase 2 of my project could be an S2 swap!

But for now, I will leave these here even though they don't portray how rough the new car actually is.

Oops, double post..

I see a bit of rust on the sle, hows the underside?

The underside has quite a bit of surface rust, it sat in a barn for a year after the engine went. Also it having 217k doesn't help.

Just over a week ago, I started the process of de-rusting the passenger side rear wheel well. I made a little more progress on it today, but there is still a bit more work needed to finesse it into place before being permanently joined to the car.



But thanks to a friend, I also got something that should make the car handle a bit better, a Rear F41 Sway Bar!



To illustrate the size difference between the stock FE1 sway and the FE3/F41 Sway.



To be continued...

Are those magnets that are holding that panel in place, if so those will also effect the quality of the weld. Especially when trying to get a good spot weld started. Otherwise nice progress so far!

They are butt welding clamps.. the piece doesn't want to bend how I want it to. So I don't think my magnets would help any with these repairs.

Oh i see, they look almost exactly like these welding magnets we have at work, which suck btw. Honestly just beat the crap out of it with a hammer, no one will ever see it anyway and undercoat will cover it well.

Seeing as though my hopes of getting the specific bracket that I need has been dashed by a generation difference in the platform. I was wondering if any one with an 86-91 car could get a picture and maybe even measurements of the bracket under the driver side rear door. Mine fell apart during the deconstruction phase and it is one of the pieces needed so I can redo the lines.

This is what mine currently looks like.

I would just use rubber insulated clamps with self-tapping sheet metal screws.

^x2

I used cushion clamps for my fuel and brake lines.

MattStrike and 95naSTA; Thank you both for the suggestion, I will look into it.

Long overdue update time...... My friend's 99 has taken a bit longer than expected. The car that we thought would be the answer to our problem, ended up causing more issues. So we have switched gears and are repairing the original car which has been fun in itself.

Much to my annoyance though, my project is on temporary hiatus. I am currently in the process of packing, but the place where I am moving has a garage that I can use! I will try to keep updates coming, but it might be a bit until i can get setup in the new work space.

Since I know better than to post updates without pictures, here are some pictures of the nightmare I have had on my hands. The other car won't be getting a build thread due to its condition.

The donor.... from a good angle


Oh Crap...









Ewwww.....


Almost there.. (One of the other cars mentioned is in background)

Nice looking white 88.

And the Brown/Tan/Whatever Bonneville doesn't look bad!

Too bad the picture doesn't show the ghost flame decals on the white 88. But the Bonneville is a good 10 - 15 footer from that angle... The passenger side rear was bad enough that my Escape's trailer hitch was used to try and pull some of the quarter panel out, which allowed us to properly shut the rear door, trunk and replace the tail light.

The worst part was that save for 2 small visible rust spots, the Bonneville was in very good shape when my friend bought it.

Hopefully I will soon be able to quit derailing my own thread

Warning: Bonneville Destruction Ahead!

Update Time!

Since my car still hasn't been moved over to the garage yet, I have been trying to deal with the two Bonnevilles which derailed things. This hasn't been a bad thing because I am still collecting parts from the silver car. But my buddy's car hasn't been put back on the road yet. It was almost done until we moved it a couple of days ago, and the brakes failed! Luckily no one was hurt but it made for an exciting day. Since the snow has started to set in, we have been trying to finish tearing the parts car apart..

But enough rambling, picture time!

The reason why we got the car


Yay, Hidden Rust!




Then how the car sits now.

As usual... Long Over Due Update Time!

Since the last update, quite a bit has changed. The parts bonneville is finally going away and my attention can again be focused on my old girl. Today she was pushed out of her spot and with the help of a couple of friends, a tow strap, and a come-along, we got the car moved so the project will soon be coming out of its long term hiatus. The old girl showed her age in the process of moving though.... she left behind quite a pile of rust flakes and a subframe washer.

Freedom at last!


In progress


Tied down and ready to go


Within sight of her future.. and shelter after 4 years.


Dreaming of better days to come...


I still have a few things left to do with my move, but there should be more updates coming soon!

WOW! Is that a garage I see you will be using to work in? That would be great! Only other option is to move to the Texas gulf coast where it's not quite so cold. It's been quite a while since we've had any herricanes or himmacanes too, and hopefully a more while longer. - BC.