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Well, I was reluctant to start this job, the idea of cutting my floors had me nervous, still does... but I sucked it up and got started. I will say this, there’s no instructions that come with these which would’ve been nice, I know that every car is different And they probably wouldn’t have been able to nail down instructions to an exact science but anything at all would’ve been nice to kinda have helped get you started. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have been a huge undertaking for the company to have given us some starting point measurements to get us going in the right direction.
Another thing worth mentioning is the angles cut into the connectors themselves, pretty **** poor IMO for how they are supposed to mate up to their mounting points. What I found is you just kinda have to position the connectors in a position that gives you the most meat to weld to and expect there to be gaps you’re simply going to have to fill. I’m just trying to work my way through this install the very best that I can and imho they’re probably something best suited to a fab shop as there are plenty of modifications to make and they’d be a great addition to have put in during a cage install. Do I think they’re going to be strong, yes and I think they’ll be great as a base for the cage to be welded to but would I really recommend them to anyone... absolutely not.
I personally bought them a very long time ago and had them around and with my money going so many places I figured I’d just overcome my fears and install these. In retrospect if I’d had the extra money to spend I’d have bought the SFC’s from MWC and saved myself so much time and trouble. Having said that, if MWC ever decides to build a set of through the floor SFC’s they’d probably be the **** because their stuff actually fits these cars. The Wolfe connectors are a far cry from masterpieces. 5 star rating, hell no!! 1.5 maybe. Here’s a few pics so far and there’s a ton of welding and filling to do.
Not much to show so far, basically I kinda set them in place as best I could and drilled some reference holes in the floor And then marked it out with a straight edge. I made my cuts with a body saw and started the cuts with my angle grinder. I’ll add as I go, I ran out of welding wire and wasn’t happy at all with how the wire was doing so I got some new stuff coming. Filling the gaps are going to be a nightmare, the sheetmetal floor is so thin and the SFC’s are heavy so popping through is hard not to do. More to come guys, wish me luck.
Also, now's a good time to ask this... When trying to fill the gaps between the floor pan and the connector is there any special technique I should try to fill those areas? The best way is to not have much of a gap to begin with I know, unfortunately it's kinda inevitable...
If you have a monster gap making a small filler piece will help. Take your time doing small welds in various spots and letting the metal cool. Weld to the thicker material and bring your weld over to the thin sheet metal, and keep it all clean. Also kind of mute point now but if you're planing on doing a cage the cage with the floor plates would stiffen up the car just as much without the added wight of the SFC's on top of the cage. I've seen guys on here get under the cars and stitch weld every inch or so wherever joints are in the body and that seems to stiffen things up quite a bit.
If you have a monster gap making a small filler piece will help. Take your time doing small welds in various spots and letting the metal cool. Weld to the thicker material and bring your weld over to the thin sheet metal, and keep it all clean. Also kind of mute point now but if you're planing on doing a cage the cage with the floor plates would stiffen up the car just as much without the added wight of the SFC's on top of the cage. I've seen guys on here get under the cars and stitch weld every inch or so wherever joints are in the body and that seems to stiffen things up quite a bit.
Thanks so much man, yeah This setup definitely isn't ideal that's for sure. Yessir indeed these are heavy and I'd rather have avoided that but when this is done it'll still be good. I think the Grubbworm has this same setup, it's just had Rock Solid doing the work instead of me lol! Thanks for the tips man, I also read that using some Tig filler wire could help filling gaps as well. I might try that too.
Why not traditional SFC's? They tend to be pretty strong and if you need to go beyond that, it's time for at least a partial cage. This seems to be too much of a pain in the *** that just wouldn't be worth the headache.
They'll stiffen things up regardless and once it's done, it's done and you'll be the one who did it. Tig rod will act as a filler and able to form it around pretty easily. I'm patching up a floor in my 71 c-10 project and somehow fucked up my cuts and had a bigger gap in spots than would easily be fill able, literally took the coil from running an electric sheer on sheet metal, flattened it out and shaped it with a grinder to fit and worked like a champ to fill my gaps and get a solid weld. Once you get em tacked you can also make some relief cuts in the floor and try to hammer the floor onto the SFC up towards the front of your pic.
Why not traditional SFC's? They tend to be pretty strong and if you need to go beyond that, it's time for at least a partial cage. This seems to be too much of a pain in the *** that just wouldn't be worth the headache.
Well for one, I already had these laying around. 2) I have a ton of money going other places in the car so saving money towards not just buying another set of sfc's was another reason. 3) I'd never be able to sell these things. I've got other stuff in the marketplace right now that's been there for months and I'm actually offering really good prices on those things but people damn near want you to give away your parts to get rid of them so chances of actually selling something that's this much trouble to install is pretty much never going to happen. Last, once these are actually done I'll have about the strongest setup you can put on one of these cars and it's one helluva foundation to weld a cage to. That's where I am with these and that's why I chose to proceed forward with them.
They'll stiffen things up regardless and once it's done, it's done and you'll be the one who did it. Tig rod will act as a filler and able to form it around pretty easily. I'm patching up a floor in my 71 c-10 project and somehow fucked up my cuts and had a bigger gap in spots than would easily be fill able, literally took the coil from running an electric sheer on sheet metal, flattened it out and shaped it with a grinder to fit and worked like a champ to fill my gaps and get a solid weld. Once you get em tacked you can also make some relief cuts in the floor and try to hammer the floor onto the SFC up towards the front of your pic.
Thanks brotha, that's what I'll do.... And yes, you're exactly right, it's one more thing I've done to the car myself.
Well for one, I already had these laying around. 2) I have a ton of money going other places in the car so saving money towards not just buying another set of sfc's was another reason. 3) I'd never be able to sell these things. I've got other stuff in the marketplace right now that's been there for months and I'm actually offering really good prices on those things but people damn near want you to give away your parts to get rid of them so chances of actually selling something that's this much trouble to install is pretty much never going to happen. Last, once these are actually done I'll have about the strongest setup you can put on one of these cars and it's one helluva foundation to weld a cage to. That's where I am with these and that's why I chose to proceed forward with them.
I get why you are using them now. I think you were clear enough on that. What I am asking is: "Why did you choose these in the first place?"
I get why you are using them now. I think you were clear enough on that. What I am asking is: "Why did you choose these in the first place?"
Oh that was a long long time ago man. I bought these things probably 12 or 13 years ago back when I was younger and companies like MWC weren't as well known here on the board for things like this. I was way more ambitious and less patient back then as well so maybe it's best that they are going in the car now rather than back then.. To add to that, back when I bought these I had no children and I was playing with the car alot but after my first kid was born the car took a back burner, then the second kid, then another house etc. Finally I'm getting back to the car again at 39 years old lol. Also back then I was really good friends with a very very good body man and the plan at the time was to get him to help me with the install and have him do all the welding in the body shop on a frame machine.
I've done everything to my car, and man stripping out 95% of the interior to fit and weld in a cage myself and then go back in with a Firebird dash, that was daunting as hell. Little steps, mine survived a whole season finally so now this "off season" I can piddle with small things I want to change and not a complete rebuild in 6 weeks like last year.
They'll stiffen things up regardless and once it's done, it's done and you'll be the one who did it. Tig rod will act as a filler and able to form it around pretty easily. I'm patching up a floor in my 71 c-10 project and somehow fucked up my cuts and had a bigger gap in spots than would easily be fill able, literally took the coil from running an electric sheer on sheet metal, flattened it out and shaped it with a grinder to fit and worked like a champ to fill my gaps and get a solid weld. Once you get em tacked you can also make some relief cuts in the floor and try to hammer the floor onto the SFC up towards the front of your pic.
Hey brotha, what Tig filler would be best and whatcha think would be a good size? I'm kinda curious because I had found something online the other night on this subject and the fella found that using stainless filler wire worked good for him. I just didn't quite know what to think of that.
I've done everything to my car, and man stripping out 95% of the interior to fit and weld in a cage myself and then go back in with a Firebird dash, that was daunting as hell. Little steps, mine survived a whole season finally so now this "off season" I can piddle with small things I want to change and not a complete rebuild in 6 weeks like last year.
I would really like to install my own cage as well. I need to get a good Tig welder for that though and I really like the ESAB Rebel. It's a nice machine but a bit pricey. The cage install would definitely get interesting for me as well man. I've thing I've always wondered if how guys get the dash to fit so neatly around the bars on the cage. I'm picky about his things look so I'd really want something that's exposed like that to look nice.
As far as what TIG rod to use, I can't really help there I'm not huge into TIG, at least yet. I wold think any mild steel rod would work just fine, maybe swing by the local welding supply house and ask them. If you could find some small scrap metal it would probably be cheaper to cut up what you need vs burning through a bunch of filler rod. That ESAB machine is nice, I've played with it at SEMA a few times and it sure is sweet kinda eyeing it for the company when we get our bigger shop in few years. I got a 6pt pre bent and pre notched kit from Wild Rides Chassis up in Jersey. I'm plenty happy with how it fit, and for the price, having it pre notched and pre fit into their test car was nice, plus I got to pick it up myself vs paying a few hundred to ship. I could of made it fit even better but I was on tight deadline last year but it's in, and I fit in it and around it and can get my seat all the way back, I got a mild steel one so I was able to MIG it in. As far as fitting it around the dash it just takes time and cutting a little at a time. Suggest stripping the dash carrier down to nothing so it's easier to place in and take out a handful of times.
As far as what TIG rod to use, I can't really help there I'm not huge into TIG, at least yet. I wold think any mild steel rod would work just fine, maybe swing by the local welding supply house and ask them. If you could find some small scrap metal it would probably be cheaper to cut up what you need vs burning through a bunch of filler rod. That ESAB machine is nice, I've played with it at SEMA a few times and it sure is sweet kinda eyeing it for the company when we get our bigger shop in few years. I got a 6pt pre bent and pre notched kit from Wild Rides Chassis up in Jersey. I'm plenty happy with how it fit, and for the price, having it pre notched and pre fit into their test car was nice, plus I got to pick it up myself vs paying a few hundred to ship. I could of made it fit even better but I was on tight deadline last year but it's in, and I fit in it and around it and can get my seat all the way back, I got a mild steel one so I was able to MIG it in. As far as fitting it around the dash it just takes time and cutting a little at a time. Suggest stripping the dash carrier down to nothing so it's easier to place in and take out a handful of times.
I've been eyeballing the MWC cage in CM. By the time I have it pre-notched add on all the nice options and whatnot it comes in just shy of $2000. Dave Hunt race cars quoted me $3800-4000 to do the job complete and certified. I'd like to do it myself and have the welder for nearly the same price. Idk, we'll see what happens I guess.
Shooo, that's a chunk of change. I was right around 4-450 for a pre notched 6/8 point bar set up from Wild Rides, picked up a Kirkey and hit Atlantic City and had a good little random weekend trip last March. There's no denying MWC has it figured out on these cars and the pre notched and fitted will save sooo much time and aggravation. How big of a gap are you trying to fill in around you SFC's?? Here's a pic after we painted it from the back, I left the kicker bars that go down to the tunnel off for now as it was just added weight, and would of made getting the carpet around it that much more difficult.
Heck yeah man, that's nice! The base cage from MWC isn't that bad really. The CM version pre-notched isn't that much more money than what you're talking there, it's like $700ish for the cage and you tack on a bit to have it notched. It's when you start adding options to it that it gets pricey. Swing outs on both sides because it'll still be street driven and I'm taking wifey with me sometimes. Add the billet pieces to that. Rocker bars on both sides, X bar behind the seats, dash bar, window net stuff etc and it adds up quick.
As far as the gaps on the sfc's it varies. I have some spots that are tight against the sfc's and a few places that the Gap is close to 1/4" because I had to trim more than anticipated to actually get them up through the floor. They needed Wiggle room for lack of a better way to put it. Some small solid round stock that people use to make beads with would work perfectly in some places. The main thing is once it's all burned in no one will ever notice it and I can always face it up with a grinder some as well. Add seam sealer on top of all that and it'll hardly be visible.
02-01-2020, 07:47 PM
Wolfe Racecraft SFC’s 
