fabricator needed

[Early90z]

Hi everyone. I'm getting ready to start my 2013 hb build and I am looking for a fabricator to run some exterior parts out for my. This would entail some welding based on some references based on parts for different models and makes to get my sonic where I want it. If you know of anyone or are willing to help out please let me know.
thank you

 

[rdss]

Your location might help a local fabricator decide if he wants to help....

 

[Blue hedgehog]

Also what type of fabricating you need. Exhaust, body work, roll cage etc.

 

[rdss]

He's vague but I think he wants his body welded up. Talking about exterior parts and welding.

 

[Early90z]

sorry haha I'm in north east ohio. I'm actually looking for a grille guard for my sonic. something like this

 

[rdss]

That would be interesting.

 

[Early90z]

That would be interesting.

there are a lot of deer up near I live and it would make me feel a lot better knowing my investment would be better protected. I hit a raccoon a couple months back and cracked the cover. I can only imagine what a deer would do.

 

[rdss]

I completely understand the need for protection, that's a genuine interest in seeing a deer guard installed on a sonic. While I was stationed in Maine I always worried about moose and were they would land if I unfortunately came upon one and clipped their legs at speed in my JK Jeep. All I'll find in Fl is something that will blow up my bumper cover and head lights.

If you find your builder and want a serious grill guard I would pull the bumper and pull the bumper bar off and build something off of the mounts. Maybe something detachable from outside of the bumper only leaving the mounts exposed if need be.

 

[Early90z]

well I found a company that makes tow bars for the fronts of the sonic and I thought that might work but those run about 400 a piece.... that really won't leave me much of a budget for my guard. i guess what I'm saying is I'm trying to get the word out that i am looking for someone reasonable and good.

 

[mitdr774]

Whatever you have made will need to be far more substantial than the typical brush guard I see on trucks. You would almost need something like what semis use.

This will fold like a tin can upon impact with a deer sized soft object. I have come across far more that have folded than have kinda held up.

This will make hamburger and absorb most of the impact.

That being said, I suspect that the structure of a Sonic would fold upon impact even if a guard held up.

 

[rdss]

He could tie a mad max exo cage around his car to build a guard off of, that would leave the car in a state that wont flex.

 

[River_Rat]

This will fold like a tin can upon impact with a deer sized soft object. I have come across far more that have folded than have kinda held up.

You mean like this?

 

[rdss]

You mean like this?

A deer did that?! Maybe a dairy cow or mule deer.

 

[Blue hedgehog]

A deer did that?! Maybe a dairy cow or mule deer.

That was probably a small deer at highway speeds. A cow would have put the front wheels in the back seat.

 

[$ub$onic]

I was on a motorcycle behind a coal truck when he hit a deer going like 65. It was raining blood! It was nasty

 

[Early90z]

I'm not saying that I'm gonna be running down deer and mowing them over. its just more of a self assurance type thing and if I can't get completely stopped and clip one at like 20 or 15 I'm not gonna end up with a 1.8L in my lap is all

 

[Blue hedgehog]

Look up chevy sonic crash test on YouTube. I think you have to worry more about a deer comming through the windshield than the engine on your lap.

 

[Scot]

I'm not saying that I'm gonna be running down deer and mowing them over. its just more of a self assurance type thing and if I can't get completely stopped and clip one at like 20 or 15 I'm not gonna end up with a 1.8L in my lap is all

Biggest problem is that there's not much structure to mount a decent guard to. There would be several tiebacks into the unibody, and then plating added so it wouldn't rip out. I imagine I could build close to what you want, but it'll add maybe 150 pounds, so you would also have to address ride height issues.

Blue's right - if anything, you'll clip the legs out from beneath the deer and take it in your windshield.

 

[mitdr774]

Also chances are that if you actually had something made that tied back into designed to not fold under in an impact, as soon as your insurance company found out they would drop you. Just using the bumper bar will result in the frame rail collapsing in an impact as if the guard was not there. Might even do more damage than if it wasnt there. The only way to make it function on a car like ours would be to tie it into the unibody occupant compartment so that it wouldnt just fold in an impact.

If you end up with an engine in your lap from hitting a deer then you were going way faster than 15-20. A deer will ride up and over the front end in square on impact.

 

[redloki55]

well I found a company that makes tow bars for the fronts of the sonic and I thought that might work but those run about 400 a piece.... that really won't leave me much of a budget for my guard. i guess what I'm saying is I'm trying to get the word out that i am looking for someone reasonable and good.

Is this a local group, I'd be interested on what you have on the tow bars. I was hoping to eventually add some sort of probably mostly superficial brill guard to my sonic as I live in WI and the deer here would mostly just annihilate anything anyway on impact.