I have to laugh at how critcal people are on here sometimes.
So youre saying i could go get a job at longhorn welding cars together on a daily basis, even though i dont know jack sh!t about welding and you would buy it? Cuz we know what that would look like after its done.
There are cars built by people who don't weld all that well. You don't have to be a certified welder. Just build a car and sell it. Or weld good enough for a builder to hire you. In that case, the company is the quality control.
And again, never seen actual proof of that, rumors yes, but no proof. You get Mark or Kevin on record saying it, fine. And if true, no different than what Longhorn did. Actually not as bad, Longhorns were awful till Kevin, when the XR1 came out, the older Rockets were just a tick off.
There are cars built by people who don't weld all that well. You don't have to be a certified welder. Just build a car and sell it. Or weld good enough for a builder to hire you. In that case, the company is the quality control.
And that’s scary, because you can make a weld look good, but if you haven’t actually penetrated and made a strong weld, it’s death. And can all be covered up with powder coating.
And again, never seen actual proof of that, rumors yes, but no proof. You get Mark or Kevin on record saying it, fine. And if true, no different than what Longhorn did. Actually not as bad, Longhorns were awful till Kevin, when the XR1 came out, the older Rockets were just a tick off.
Longhorn copied their own chassis.......FYI
It's way different what they did......of course they were racing a dump truck chassis.
Well they hired Kevin to fix their Mack, and supposedly Mark had Kevin help with the design of the XR1.
Guess we will agree to disagree on the difference.
Yes and yes......we don't disagree at all.
I think the longhorn program was almost a complete redesign......the help at rocket was for a substantially more advanced program......doubtful Kevin started from scratch there.
Didn't start from scratch at longhorn either, but close.
zyoung25... I never said that. I'm sure if you walked into any race car shop that was looking for help and layed down a couple beads, bent and fitted a few bars you'd have a job. With the 'electric caulking guns' in use today (MIG) it's just not that difficult to learn. The old style stick welding was a lot harder to master.
Now TIG is a little different... it takes some practice to lay down a 'roll of dimes' as they say.
But to say that you need to be certified to be a good race car fabricator is just wrong. Experience is your certification...
Drop by my shop here in Wisconsin... I have two MIG machines here that I'd be willing to let you learn on.
Last edited by Krooser; 10-29-2017 at 02:27 PM.
Member of the Luxemburg Speedway Hall of Fame
Class of 2019
zyoung25... I never said that. I'm sure if you walked into any race car shop that was looking for help and layed down a couple beads, bent and fitted a few bars you'd have a job. With the 'electric caulking guns' in use today (MIG) it's just not that difficult to learn. The old style stick welding was a lot harder to master.
Now TIG is a little different... it takes some practice to lay down a 'roll of dimes' as they say.
But to say that you need to be certified to be a good race car fabricator is just wrong. Experience is your certification...
Drop by my shop here in Wisconsin... I have two MIG machines here that I'd be willing to let you learn on.
I,m still using my dads old miller matic 200 to this day , we have a newer one but it just dont weld as good to me , probably just me though.....
I've owned three Millermatic 35's over the last 35 years... Two new one used. I always thought they were the best until I used a newer machine with inverter technology...what a difference! I'm a guy who doesn't embrace new tech without proving it's better than what I have... it's better.
Now I have sold my big welders and use a Hobart 180 and a Lincoln 175... I just don't do much heavy fabrication anymore.
Member of the Luxemburg Speedway Hall of Fame
Class of 2019
You guys think these welders don't have to prove themselves you just mite be touching yourself. Any word would get out about bad welds it would spread like a wildfire. I'm sure somebody is checking every weld. Welding tubing is a lot different than plate. My background is welding chrome moly on sprint cars. Tig is a pain in the arsh. If your in a rush Tig is not for ahybody. Welding is all about penitration. I've seen welds that look good to the eye but we're garbage.
You guys think these welders don't have to prove themselves you just mite be touching yourself. Any word would get out about bad welds it would spread like a wildfire. I'm sure somebody is checking every weld. Welding tubing is a lot different than plate. My background is welding chrome moly on sprint cars. Tig is a pain in the arsh. If your in a rush Tig is not for ahybody. Welding is all about penitration. I've seen welds that look good to the eye but we're garbage.
I’d mentioned that in another post, I think this thread. There are welds that look like works of art, but if isn’t penetrating the metal, it’s worthless and dangerous.
Being a good welder is all about heat control, not penetration. Yes you need penetration, but a weld layed down too hot is sometimes worse than one that s just a little short on penetration. You lose the temper in the metal your welding and it cracks next to the weld. For someone that has been around welding, all you have to do to know a good weld is listen. A good weld has a distinct sound to the crackle.
When you buy a chassis, the only quality control you have is trust in your builder.
Originally Posted by zyoung25
Senior Member
Modern Day Wedge Racing
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