dragginmazda86 (dave)
+1y
loud&low, first off dont think that I'm flaming you. I' learned to weld on my own by practicing on a mig years ago, I'd practice on random scraps of metal. This was before the days of the internet so I went to the library and got a welding techniques book and read it (which helped alot). Now days you can just google it. From what I can see in the pics of the notch, the metal could have been cleaned up a bit more, also for metal that thick its good to bevel the edges. Your welds have almost no penetration, yes they hold but It going to be an awful lot of extra work for your buddy thats going to finish welding them. You might think about a backhalf. I have no experince at all with a stick welder myself but it could also be the rods you are using also. As for the sheet metal you have to take it really slow doing a tack at a time so you dont warp the metal (especially mazda sheet metal the stuff is real thin). If you warp it you have a bunch of headaches once you get to doing body work. I've screwed a couple doors shaving them years back.
This is the greatest forum I've ever been on, kind and helpful people here. Honestly if you would have posted those pics on SSM or S10forum you would have been flamed up with no one trying to help you go in the right dirrection.
Also what thickness is that metal you cut for your front bag brackets? It looks way to thin from the pic. I would use at least 3/16 but I've always used 1/4 (cause thats what the pre cut ones are)