Happy Fiddy'th Deano 😎
Noticed your using gasless wire😞, it's something i avoid so can't give any pointers to get better welds . If you get a renting bottle of Argo shield (about $20 p/month), move down to 0.6mm wire, it's more suited for the thin stuff. Nibblers are way better than grinder when it can be used , next you'll want a plasma cutter !!
Keep the updates coming👍

Ha thanks, I need to act my age now apparently.
 
looks like a pinto and gearbox just turned up on gumtree:
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/avonsleigh/engine-engine-parts-transmission/pinto-2lt-and-celica-5-speed/1265847942  I should get it, and will probably kid myself once its sold.....
Engine,gearbox,exhaust and tailshaft sorted in one swoop.?
 
Marty I found an old thread on Celica boxes that showed how you fitted a 5 speed to the blue van.
This one looks like the iron case version, I'm not sure how wide my tunnel is (manual 77) in comparison?
So $2500 for pinto and 5 speed, or is it too old now and go towards a duratec conversion..?
 
New floor pans,sills and a few bits are on order now from SMCKA, just waiting.
 
It was too hot the other night, so I snuck out and did some sanding on one of the back doors. They weight next to nothing.I was expecting to find hidded bonuses below the undercoat, but there were few suprises.
The inside needed stripper, every man and his do had an idea on color.
Cleaned the gearbox up a little also.
 

Hi Deano.
Yes mate happy 50th and many more (not 50th's) to come.
 
Looking at the tacks I would say your settings are not too bad, try moving the gun away from the job slightly.
 
As Marty said above, go gas, you will never look back. The shielding of the argon mix allows more stability/flexibility in the weld technique.
 
I used to rent but now find that outright ownership of bottles suits my sometimes infrequent use. I use .8mm wire (wider range of applications) and adjust settings accordingly. But either way you are walking (should say 'welding') a fine line on 20 gauge panels.
I use magnetic clamps on my welders, they work a treat, but keep an old time clamp handy for jobs like the 316 I did last week, damn stainless.
 
Mark

Fitting the Celica box in my mk1 van was a while ago, glad I posted some pics on this forum for the future. My tunnel was/is a manual tunnel also, when I installed the floors I widened the tunnel just slightly by an inch or so each side(very easy with new floors) I then installed the motor and box to see where the box still hits and simply cut the side away and bent up a new piece to be welded in. The gear stick hole was raised 25-30mm as the Zetec needs to be level , not sure if running pinto this will be the same . With the unknown mods, do a dry run to see how things need to be adapted .
$ 2500 for pinto n Celica.... Almost cheaper to Duratec n Miata box it or Zetec n RX8 (or Miata) it . ... Or go way left field and get a 2.5Lt turbo diesel from a Ford Courier/ranger 2wd with the 5sp box as well but you'll need a Dana 60 diff to cope with all that torque !!

lousy weather meant 2 days in the garage, improving my welding skills.
I checked the welder more, it has a 'synergy' function, and you can select the gauge of wire. After selecting both, it puts you into the right ballpark , and the current can be adjusted from there, with the wirefeed changed automatically to match. After 500 more welds, things were improving enough to pass if you squint.
Delivery of sills, floor pans and heater bubble arrived today.
 
I found  some bubble arches also locally, which should be in this week. 
Just on fitting the rears, Ive got my head around cutting and fitting the bubble itself, but where or how do you fit the wheel tub extension infill where it mounts to the bubble underneath?
Do you just fold up tabs and spotweld them to the inside of the arch and attach to this?
 
I saw one youtube of a guy who fitted them to a mk1, cut the car, drilled and then clecoed it on, then spotwelded through. All ok and I thought he did a  neat job, but found in the comments afterwards  it all had to be taken off again to sort out the wheel tub extension. I dont want to fall into that trap.
 

Deano 
Depends on what size diff and tyres you intend to run . 
You can cut out the back inner wheel arches completely and put tubs in or what i do is put in infill panels leaving the existing inner arches in place just cutting off around the join . 
You can buy the infill panels pre shaped : 
 https://www.gartrac.com/collections/escort-mk1-works-fabrication-parts/products/escort-mk1-rear-steel-inner-arch-extension-pair
But its not that difficult to make a cardboard template to do them yourself. 
I make them and butt them upto the bubble the tack them on the top and the bottom to the bubble every 10mm 
Just make sure when you fit the bubbles there identical on both sides as its prominent once painted that one is 10mm higher on one side than the other when looking from the rear . 

thanks Bonus, that's exactly what I needed to know.
My goal is to pretty much replicate the white van at the start of this thread, down to the wheels which I think are 15" Compomotive ML's.
I'd planned to fit the arches, then measure from there back to the current hubs to see what size is possible.
I'm not certain what the diff is that's in it at the moment, haven't got that far.
I don't think it is anything special, the previous owner suggested  it might be a 2L Mk2 diff, as it has mounts for a sway bar. Looking at it though I thought it was less beefy than what is in my 4 door.
Will suss that out further.
 
I'll cut the wheel tub as suggested at the join, and pattern up an infill.
 
I recieved my panel delivery came yesterday, sills,floorpan and heater bubble. I expected they would need some tweking to fit, but did not expect they would be so rough. The floor pan had ripples in it where the stamping should have been flat, it looked like I made it. The heater bubble had been manually panel beated to get some dents out, and still needs work. And they were not painted like you see online, just left bare metal. 
Overall, if thats the quality of M*gnum Panels, im not too excited.
 

Deano 
did the panels have magnum labels on them ? 
Ive never had an issue with magnum , there floor panels and in fact all there panels fit really good and present as a genuine panel . 
I have magnum sills , heater bubbles and floors in my shed and are all identical , painted matt black and have not been re-worked 
Ive bought a few cheaper variants in the past that are poor and look like they have been stamped by a child so maybe you have ended up with these ...i know some are now getting made in the land that doesn't like Australian imports and are being sold as Magnum ..

I dont know what happened to the last post anyhow, I'll retype.
yes they have Magnum stickers, but I have a Zebra thermal printer at work, and could bang those out in a few minutes.
Anyhow, see what you think. To me, just a bit dissapointing thats all.
 
 

this weeks progress was alittle slow.
 I squewered my ankle on a 6" nail and tore it open a bit. Well abit more than a bit.
It probably needed stitches. Question if you injure yourself and need stitches but the wife doesnt know, do you really need stitches?...
 
Anyhow, I persisted with the welding (without gas) despite all of the good suggestions to the contrary, and ended up happy with the result.
2 skims of filler, and she's ready for some etch primer now. 
Got the passenger door off to investigate the sill further, and also removed the front guard, so a couple of Escort apprenticeships done I feel there.The hinge pins were a bit of fun, bottom one knocks up, and topn one knocks down. A Milwalkee drill driver extension bar is the perfect size substitute for a pin tool.
 
The inner bulkhead does not look too exciting in places. 
Would this be ok to repair with 1mm (the capacity of my folder) or should it be thicker than std panel steel?