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Posted by: Highland Jul 25 2017, 10:53 AM

My '73 has what I'm guessing was a dealer installed air conditioning. I removed all the hoses and condenser and plan to purchase the replacement pan from Restoration Design. (Tried looking for an RD video on this, but couldn't find one.)

It would be great to see some pictures of what is considered a proper repair. I'm not a welder and will probably have someone weld it in for me, but still want to be educated on how it should be done and what it should look like when complete.

Also, are these parts worth anything or should I toss them? I don't have the compressor, but do have the vent/evaporator.

Posted by: McMark Jul 25 2017, 12:05 PM

It should look like nothing happened. If you're not sure what an uncut front trunk looks like, I'm sure you can find a picture on here somewhere if you look.

Posted by: 914GT Jul 25 2017, 02:16 PM

Here are a few photos of the 73 I did a few years ago. This was Restoration Design sheetmetal. I also closed all the holes for the hoses and other areas that were hacked up for the A/C.

Posted by: Highland Jul 25 2017, 02:28 PM

Excuse my ignorance, but is that piece butt welded all around?

Did you have to cut more of the trunk out to fit the RD piece or only trim the RD piece to fit what was cut out?

Posted by: The Cabinetmaker Jul 25 2017, 04:22 PM

I butt welded mine all the way around with a donor piece. Lap joints retain moisture which = rust!

Posted by: 914GT Jul 25 2017, 04:27 PM

Yes, the piece is butt welded then ground flat, and the welds skim coated with metal-2-metal filler. I cut back the opening to use most of the repair pan since there was a lot of surface rust around the opening. I wanted to make sure I was into good metal before welding it in. You may not need to cut out as much metal as I did if the metal is in good condition.

Posted by: cn2800 Jul 25 2017, 11:29 PM

I don't know if it is the case for all A/C installations, but the one my car came with included a cut-out in the passenger's side engine shelf to make room for the compressor. Here is the new Restoration Design piece installed in place of the cut-up, rusty original:

Posted by: Chris914n6 Jul 26 2017, 01:06 AM

That has some differences from the DPD and VPC I have.

Posted by: McMark Jul 26 2017, 10:26 AM

We all start learning somewhere. Butt welding is the proper process. Overlapping metal (or Lap Welding) leaves a gap that can hold and trap water. Trapped water is really where rust comes from. Make sure you work with someone that will butt weld and that is their normal process (which means they're practiced at it and have some assumed skill).

Also, don't get too hooked into the size/shape of the replacement panel. Where to cut is dependent on the repair and is relatively different each time. Don't be afraid to cut the replacement panel if that's what looks like the right way to do it. The replacement pieces are not meant to be used whole. They're just big enough to cover a wide range of possible repair scenarios. Do whatever seems right.