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View Full Version : How many hours to do a minitub?



chevynut
12-30-2016, 08:53 AM
For those of you who have done a minitub on a HT or sedan, can you give me an estimate of the number of hours to complete the job? Assume the wheels are off and the gas tank and rear seat are already removed. Include time for layout, cutting the tub out, trimming, filling the gap, and welding/grinding. If two guys are required for part of it add that time.

NickP
12-30-2016, 09:39 AM
For those of you who have done a minitub on a HT or sedan, can you give me an estimate of the number of hours to complete the job? Assume the wheels are off and the gas tank and rear seat are already removed. Include time for layout, cutting the tub out, trimming, filling the gap, and welding/grinding. If two guys are required for part of it add that time.

JT56 is in the process presently, maybe he will chime in soon. I have done the tubs in three different varieties, a hotrod version on a 69 El Camino, adding the strip on several tri-5's and the new floor/trunk floor/wider stock units. Which way are you interested in? My assumption would be the cut and strip (2-5/8") which I find very tedious and time consuming relative to finish/appearance.

chevynut
12-30-2016, 11:10 AM
Nick, I'd like to know the hours for both methods if you can estimate them. The tradeoff obviously is the cost of the new wider tub if the originals are good versus the added welding. This would assume the existing floors are used.

Rick_L
12-30-2016, 03:04 PM
The big variable here is with the "cut and add the strip" method is whether the welds are to be ground flush for a nicer look. For a commercial job, I don't see where anyone comes out with that method. On the other hand, for a DIY'er on a budget, it makes some sense.

The "cut and add the strip" method requires making 4 each 8' long welds to do the strips on both sides, plus 2 more welds on the trunk floor. That alone is some serious time. Plus grinding if you do that. The repro wide tubs require about half the welding. The trunk floor welds would be the same.

I did this to my 55 a long time ago. It wasn't all that difficult but it did take a lot of time, and I made no attempt to keep track of it. Came out nice. This was before the repro wide tubs were available, though I still could have used "normal" repro tubs (but didn't).

NickP
12-30-2016, 03:25 PM
Nick, I'd like to know the hours for both methods if you can estimate them. The tradeoff obviously is the cost of the new wider tub if the originals are good versus the added welding. This would assume the existing floors are used.
Looking through my records it's about 35 hours to cut and paste and thirty using the new wide tubs.

markm
12-30-2016, 03:25 PM
About the sane to report as Rick, plus it took a couple evenings to cut and weld the back seat.

chevynut
12-30-2016, 04:08 PM
I did this to my 55 a long time ago. It wasn't all that difficult but it did take a lot of time, and I made no attempt to keep track of it.

Can you estimate the time?

Nick, you only saved 5 hours with the new wide tubs? Seems like they decrease the welds by around 1/3 or 10 hours. Anyhow, that give me an idea of the time involved. I thought it was pretty significant since I did the "fill the gap" on the front half of my tubs.

Rick_L
12-30-2016, 04:15 PM
I won't venture a guess, except that I can't disagree a whole lot with Nick's numbers. Also that was one of my first projects with a mig welder and sheet metal, so add rookie time.

NickP
12-31-2016, 07:18 AM
Also that was one of my first projects with a mig welder and sheet metal, so add rookie time.

There in, lies the issue with anyone's numbers. Effort to Complete is proportional to the need for completion. Doing it as a DIY to gain personal satisfaction versus paying to have it done and completing it to another's satisfaction can be a wide channel in the river and varies by how much it just rained.

My first tub job was in 1975 on my 1968 Camaro (cut and paste for 12" tires) - the number of completions since then and today, I have no idea.

markm
12-31-2016, 05:30 PM
I can tell you this the right side took half the time as left, however, If I had done it first the time would have been reversed.

Rick_L
12-31-2016, 05:45 PM
So Nick do you have a photo of the 68 Camaro tubs and were you satisfied with the job? If not, how many more till you got it right?

Chevynut asked a direct question to me, I answered it. I figured if I put hours in it you or he would have argued with me. You made a BS comment without me posting any hours. WTF? Toxic reply that you accuse me of? Not the Christian thing to do.

chevynut
12-31-2016, 05:52 PM
I don't think Nick meant anything by what he said.....he just said the time could vary a lot. I didn't see anything "toxic" in it. I can see how this would vary a lot with experience, quality of the job, whether ground smooth or not, and a lot of other things.

Rick_L
12-31-2016, 06:03 PM
Nick meant it as a jab. I jabbed back.

But your right, that stuff varies, and that was my original point.

NickP
12-31-2016, 06:44 PM
Nick meant it as a jab. I jabbed back.

But your right, that stuff varies, and that was my original point.

Rick, you have a Blessed 2017. I pray that what ever but is under you saddle goes away at the stroke of midnight. I meant nothing by my reply but for what ever reason, you continue to find some excuse to jab away. You, are a little man and I pray you will grow up some day. I'm done with this site. Happy New Year - signing off for good.

Rick_L
12-31-2016, 07:43 PM
Nick you are the burr under my saddle.

Even chevynut has been civil lately.

I am just trying to contribute and be honest about it, and you make it hard.

Done with this site? Again? Till next year maybe. That's only a couple of hours.

567chevys
01-05-2017, 07:11 PM
Rick, you have a Blessed 2017. I pray that what ever but is under you saddle goes away at the stroke of midnight. I meant nothing by my reply but for what ever reason, you continue to find some excuse to jab away. You, are a little man and I pray you will grow up some day. I'm done with this site. Happy New Year - signing off for good.


Really Sad to see Nick Leave the site ,

I do not want to stir stuff up but this is my happy New year PM From Nick

I'm outta here


Sid,

It is with the deepest regret that I resign my duties as a member and as a moderator. Please remove me from your membership roll. Don't forget the NCW log on too. I will not delete any of my posts pics or other data that I have shared in the past.

You have certain individuals that have life issues and until they are gone, your site will never progress much beyond what it is today.

I wish you nothing but the very best of luck, you will need it.

Nick

chevynut
01-05-2017, 08:34 PM
I personally didn't see anything at all in Nick's post that should have pissed anyone off. :cry:

How could anyone see this as some sort of slam?

"There in, lies the issue with anyone's numbers. Effort to Complete is proportional to the need for completion. Doing it as a DIY to gain personal satisfaction versus paying to have it done and completing it to another's satisfaction can be a wide channel in the river and varies by how much it just rained.

My first tub job was in 1975 on my 1968 Camaro (cut and paste for 12" tires) - the number of completions since then and today, I have no idea."

JT56
01-06-2017, 07:40 AM
I just installed the Real Deal Steel tubs on mine. I only did one side at a time, not sure if that mattered, but that is the way I did it. I have between 35 to 40 hours in it. Since this was my first time in doing it...I did take extra time. I will say one of the biggest time savers if I had to do it again would be using a fast sand body filler instead of the regular. Evercoat makes both. A lot of time sanding using the regular.

WagonWonder
01-06-2017, 07:54 AM
I just installed the Real Deal Steel tubs on mine. I only did one side at a time, not sure if that mattered, but that is the way I did it. I have between 35 to 40 hours in it. Since this was my first time in doing it...I did take extra time. I will say one of the biggest time savers if I had to do it again would be using a fast sand body filler instead of the regular. Evercoat makes both. A lot of time sanding using the regular.

Good morning all, is this 35 to 40 hours close for a wagon. Any pictures of a wagon?

markm
01-06-2017, 07:59 AM
Just thinking out loud, but like JT56 stated finishing the tubs was time consuming are wagon tubs more accessible then sedan or HT.

BamaNomad
01-06-2017, 08:16 AM
I've never tubbed a car, but it would certainly seem that *access* to the interior side of the tubs would be much easier with a wagon...??

JT56
01-06-2017, 10:09 AM
Yes trying to finish the tubs takes the longest. Since I have a finished car I used two different types of cordless sawzall's. I used a very long blade on the cut from the inside. Was easy to just let in cut through that area where you have multiply layers of metal(under the package tray).

Joey

markm
01-07-2017, 08:48 AM
My 55 was gutted so I was able to use my Plasma cutter. More than one way and differences in tools, experience and condition of car, make no two the same.

chevynut
01-07-2017, 12:56 PM
Tubbing a wagon is harder than tubbing a non-wagon, IMO. It depends on how you do it, but there are no tubs made for wagons except the stock sized ones, which are relatively new (they weren't available when I did mine).

I don't know how many hours I have in mine but it was a ton of work. I wanted then to NOT looks like tubs when finished, so I blended them back into the stock location at the tailgate. I actually built the cargo floor first, then made the tubs to fit. I used the front half of a 4-door sedan tub and hand fabricated the rest. Please ignore the dates on the pics...the camera settings must have been screwed up/ LOL! :p :D

6757

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chevynut
01-07-2017, 01:03 PM
The other thing you have to do when you tub a wagon like I did is widen the wheelhouse pieces at the rear. This is how I did it.

6763

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WagonWonder
01-07-2017, 01:38 PM
WOW!