US car tool mini tub kit.

[69 GTX]

I'm getting ready to instal the US Car tool mini tub kit in my 69 GTX. It will be a street/strip car. I will try to post pictures as I go. I'm currently putting all new metal on back half so it will be a little easier than a running car but should be basically the same. Hope to post progress pictures tonight.:hello2: Anyone with helpful hints welcome. I was thinking of adding some inside frame strips for reinforcement where the lip will be cut off the frame rail. Your thoughts?

 

[aldal]

69 GTX, just wanted your opinion - what do you think of the Mini Tub Kit you bought from US Car Tool as I am looking for a kit myself and had good luck with US Car Tool in the past.

 

[snakeoil24]

Why not just cut two lenghts of sheet stock and shortne the brackets on stock tubs. Then your into it for 40.00, a few saber saw blades and mig gas and wire.

 

[69 GTX]

View attachment 186148 I traced around the stock AMD inner fender well for referance.
Then compared the US Car tool piece pretty close I can make it work. I'll roll a step in it so after it's welded up you wont be able to tell it from stock.

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View attachment 186149

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I plan on putting in some extra gussets inside the frame rails for more strength.
View attachment 186150
This quick aluminum pattern for size.

 

[snakeoil24]

The gussets help alot. Treat the inside of frame rails with Silver bridge paint your way ahead of game.

 

[69 GTX]

I'll put them in at all places marked with X's
View attachment 186151
I'm also going to make my own trunk brace as theirs doesn't look like the original.

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View attachment 186152

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View attachment 186153

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View attachment 186154
Are these the brackets for the seat belts, if so it should be an easy relocate.

 

[wedge69]

I have been ther on this ! I made my own as I made the outer tube Flat to take the tire in. I didn't know thay made a kit at the time. As thay may not have ?
Here is a pic or two.
Not the Prittyest but you can't see them when the quarters are on and thay do the job !

 

[69 GTX]

US Car tool just released these last week.

 

[wedge69]

Thats a good reason i never saw them. But I would have probly still did my own . LOL!! Good luck with it as I have been there as you saw ! Sure put a smile on your face when the skins go on !!

 

[19polara64]

I'll be checking those out! Looks like you have your car on a rotisserie, If so it really should be supported in a couple of places in the middle, also some braces across the door openings. With that much sheet metal gone it WILL sag in the middle. Cool project, I'm following along!

Damn, just checked them out, 66-70, mines a 64

 

[69 GTX]

It is off the rotisserie and on a stand I built ( you can see it in the frame rail shot) I have the chassis dimensions from thwe manual and will be checking them before welding anything. I plan on tacking/screwing everything together once to check for fit, then take it apart and start welding back together.

 

[69 GTX]

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So I got my frame rail gussets made & ready to instal.

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This is what they look like in place.

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Heres the stock wheelwell trunk brace. I reworked it by heating, straightening, & tweaking with a couple bends.

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View attachment 186527I think this will look much better than the US Car tool brackets.

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Tomorrow I'll finish up cutting out both sides and maybe start on the inner tub split. I also need to square and level the chassis on the cart before placing and parts in.

 

[69 GTX]

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I put the 2 halves of the wheel tub together to check fitment. Had to to some tweaking as AMD makes some pretty sloppy stuff. To much in some spots, not enough in others. White line represents places where metal needs removed to fit correctly.

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You'd think they'd now the 3 big holes were used for alignment for spot welding the 2 halves together. So after some trimming I got them to fit pretty well.

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I put the splice piece on top to make sure the profile was right, had to make some cuts in the flange to get it right. Nothing drastic but will make it fit better down the road.

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I rolled a lip on the slice and screwed it together to mock it up.

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[Budnicks]

looks great, keep us updated

 

[69 GTX]

Well after wrestling with the outer tub trying to get a good fit I have come to the conclusion that I will final fit the inner tub after I get the 1/4, trunk ext., & rest of the sheet metal in place. I think I will save myself some grief this way as the spacer piece and inner tub can easily be adjusted to fit the outer tub/trunk floor. I'll post more when I get to that point. My opinion so far is the Car tool kit is a winner. I tend to be a bit on the fussy side on fit up and apperance.

 

[Moparmatt72]

Looks sweet, nice work

 

[69 GTX]

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OK so got back to the tubs, I cut clear to the frame rail, removing the lip, then welding it up.

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I sheetmetal screwed the 2 pieces together before welding and tried a trial fit and used a few screws for referance holes on the final fit up to the other half. The step I rolled in the extention was .6 for you guys wondering. I then stitch welded the extention in skipping and quenching often. I then placed the half in and spot welded the 2 halves together and then welded all the way around the bottom.

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So this will give you a idea of the width. I had flattened out the lower trunk lid bracket to weld back in place, but I could see my brackets were to close together. 39 7/8 as opposed to the 40 3/4 it was originally. So I trimmed the recess in the middle out allowing me to push the brackets out to where they were supposed to be. And it looks pretty good also I think.

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So all in all a good kit. instal was pretty straight forward just take your time and cut a little at a time till you get it where you want in. A little tricky getting the spot welds behind the trunk hinge bracket. Just be patient and take your time.

 

[Budnicks]

looking good... thanks for the updates

 

[zyzzyx]

Very neat looking way to get the bigger Meats stuffed in there! U.S. CarTool is making some good stuff. If you're interested, I have an old old N.O.S. Mopar

spring re-location kit sitting around. . . . Just Sayin'

 

[conv67bdere]

Hey 69 GTX - I'm in the process of doing the same thing, but since I've got a convertible, the US Car Tools mini tub kit was not an option. I too welded the frame back together after cutting off the extra tabs, then welded the inner well to the frame ( it hung down about an inch ), then welded the top of the frame ( and floor ) to the inner well from the inside of the car. Plenty of additional weldment to hold the frame and support the car.

One additional thing I did ( one post also mentioned it ) on the outer well, there is a hump at the top that will limit wheel fitting, so I cut it out and welded a flat piece of metal in its place - the end result is that I'll be able to fit a very nice sized wheel in the well and it's not going to hit on the outer fender hump !

Your results on your mini-tubs looks great ! ! Keep us posted . . . Oh, my spring relocation is already added - I worked with Chris at US Car Tools and we had an idea, and he made up a prototype that I installed in my car. Check out my build thread for the details. The results were GREAT - had to do a little modifications to the prototype, but the results are what I wanted to get when I was finished. Chris is a great guy and he was very easy to work with. I sent him a copy of the modified metal blanks for him to consider for his next set of relocation kits. I've got all the details for the relocation kit install documented on my build thread too.