www.chirpthird.com: Installing KB DD SFC ???

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Posted by BPS (Member # 1260) on :

I finally found a shop in town that will install by SFC's - they haven't seen them yet as my appointment is for next week. They are a very reputable front end and alignment shop.

They made reference to removing carpeting - is this really required?

From my review of the direction - it looks like a bolt in the middle - attachment to the LCA bolts and welds in 6 or so spots per side onto the frame.

Looks like a 2-3 hr job to me - but they want the car for a few days!!

This may change when they actually see the task but I just wanted to be forearmed with other peoples experience.

Thanks

Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :

Maybe they want to remove the carpet to avoid igniting it when welding?

Make sure they're careful around your rocker molding. You don't want that to melt!

Posted by BPS (Member # 1260) on :

quote:
Originally posted by HTWLSS:
Maybe they want to remove the carpet to avoid igniting it when welding?

That's what they said - I just want to know if this is normally part of installing these SFC's, and if so do we have to remove the seats as well???

Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :

The carpet can't come out unless the seats are unbolted and removed.

Posted by BPS (Member # 1260) on :

quote:
Originally posted by HTWLSS:
The carpet can't come out unless the seats are unbolted and removed.

Thanks for sharing that. I sort of thought that if the issue was the heat from welding to the frame under the doors sill then one could pull back carpeting to the seat runners, however, if the issue was welding to the floor then the seats would have to come out in order to remove the carpet.

But all I'm wondering is what is required in order to install the DD SFC.

Maybe I should rephrase - How many of you have had to remove seats and carpeting in order to have their DD installed?

Posted by Dan00Hawk (Member # 1190) on :

A buddy of mine put them on my car in less than 2 hours at his body shop. I paid him $60... No need to remove carpeting or seats, just don't concentrate the welds in one area for very long. In other words, let it cool a bit and you won't get anything on fire. I watched him do it, and it seemed very easy. Put some coating over the welds to keep them from rusting, btw.

Posted by Rickerbucks (Member # 1208) on :

Be careful. I have a friend that welded his SFC'c KNOWING that he SHOULD have removed the carpet. The car was on a rack at the shop he worked at in the evening.

The carpet caught fire. He grabbed a step ladder and a hose. He ran up the ladder and the hose became stuck. The fire was spreading quite seriously.

In his panic, he reefed on the hose to free it. The hose was tangeled around the ladder and it caused it to fall. He fell off and broke his leg.

Fortunately his girlfriend was with him so the whole place did not burn down but his interior was gutted.

If it were me, I would would roll back the carpet. :-)

PS. Actually BPS you know the person in question. He is in Seattle

Posted by XBCHBUM (Member # 734) on :

Ditto what Dan00Hawk said. The same procedure was followed while installiing mine. That was Apr 2001. No probs to date. BTW they do recommend the car be on a drive on lift so the chassis is loaded.

Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :

It's definitely worth the extra time it takes (maybe an hour or so) to remove the seats and at least peel back the carpet where the heat will be concentrated. You can do it yourself.

Our SS was home for no more than a week before Steve da Wrench had the whole interior apart so he could see how it was built, how the wiring was run, etc. It didn't take him long at all to put it all back together, but he's also done this a few times before.

Also, I don't know why the shop you're looking at would want your car for so long. Steve da Wrench and OBSSD installed a bolt-in set in very quickly....they can elaborate on how long it actually took them, and maybe give an estimate on how much longer the welds would take.

Best of luck on your SFC's. It's a mod you won't be disappointed with.

-Teri

Posted by Dave99SSC221 (Member # 224) on :

Why can't they be drilled and bolted on,with the quality of bolts and locktite today this should work and it makes removal easy if they need to be removed for any reason?

Posted by XBCHBUM (Member # 734) on :

Take a look at them installed on my car. http://community.webshots.com/photo/15447625/15448082bGViOBjrhd

I was sweating cannon balls when I had this done. I read many posts on ls1.com, etc. where they had no prob with the carpet. I had no problem with the carpet. In fact the floorboard didn't even get hot. Removing all that is just a waste of time and money unless you want to dynomat the floorboard. As long as the welder doesn't spend alot of time in one area there will be no problem. You do want to disconnect the battery per the instructions. After the welds have cooled put some POR-15 or Extend on them to protect from rusting.

Posted by BPS (Member # 1260) on :

Thanks for the input

I'll likely pull back a little carpet as I installed an aftermarket stero and have a lot of new speaker and power wire running under the carpet by the door, that I would not want to have damaged but I'll keep the seats in place

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