Thank you Sir

Classic

True 914'ners moment


And, Yes, Alien exist!

Back to our regularly shceduled deconstruction. This section is extremely diffecult to split. Still have the other side to go and then some trimming at the spot welds along the gas tank bulkhead. Anyone have any idea how much time it takes to slpit all these panels apart?

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What are you using to remove spot welds? I’ve yet to find anything that doesn’t challenge my patience.

I use a multitude of methods. The strut tower tops I used an 1/8 drill bit and they drilled the spot welds. Then used a ball shaped grinder on the underside ( the part that is going to be trashed) this thins the part so the weld will snaps when I work it

I use a multitude of methods. The strut tower tops I used an 1/8 drill bit and drilled the spot welds. Then used a ball shaped grinder on the underside ( the part that is going to be trashed) this thins the part so the weld snaps when I work it. I will post more later with better photos.

I wanted to expand a little on the process of extrating parts in the most usable state. Deconstructing a spotwelded car is a challange. Let's face it. The car you are working to collect parts from you are really destroying. You really have to to get the part you need in the most unmolested state.

I dont often drill out welds but this section and example where I thought it was the best choice. I moved away from Blair spot Weld Drills as they are hard to center and gauge the depth you are drilling. If you over do it you are thinning the part you are attmpting to repair.

I need the bulkhead panel as the one in Rocky's car was bowed at the top when the strut towers pulled inward. The vertcal panel was kinked and dented from maybe a spare tire?

Anyway there are alot of spotwelds securing the bracing to the wheelhouse. The outer spotwelds are small. I was able to clear most of them with an 1/8 drill bit. When the section is reinstalled I will tig the donor part in place and most likely the welds will appear to be spotwelds again. The inner welds holding the parts together are a bit larger. And the strut tower top on the wheel house side it heavier gauge. I used a step drill to increase the 1/8" holes to clear the spotweld.

The second step I used was to go to the back side and use my ball grinder the thin the metal making the part I am not saving thin and weak. I have a couple screwdrivers I ground into a chisels to split the two parts.

The outer section of spot welds on the brace were still held but easy to split. I also cut around the "Cap" on the wheelhouse side to separate the outer wheelhouse side from the Cap.

The Cap part or strut mount I also used my ball grinder on. Once I felt I have the mount weaked enough. I used my screwdriver chisel from the top opening and struck the cap lip around the opening. There were a few spots hold but after a couple hits the part popped out.

Again I will Tig these holes when reinstalling.


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The brace removal from Rocky's car will be just the ball grinder on the part I am removing. No Holes.

More on the way i remove spot welds. This is just what I do. You may have a different method.

I use my ball grinder on the spot welds.

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[quote]Then I use my screwdriver to pop them

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All Cleaned up

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Worked on the left side for while tonight. Let's revisit to extent of the damage.

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After the rough pulls I started the bumping.

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Starting to take shape but lots of work to go yet.

Always love seeing your work, makes me feel like they all can be saved…. Just.not by me….
Your metal working skills are very impressive….

I personally find lot of the workyou guys and gals do on the world very inspiring!

Thanks for sharing your methods and those really interesting pictures !

Antoine

It's amazing to see the magic that you work!

It has been a few minutes since I updated this repair. I have an NOS right fender but decided to see if I could save the factory part. As I dug into it I discovered it had been hit, drilled full of holes and bondo'd. Besides be crushed for the last accident there was alot of prior damage. I spent a few hours on it and it is strting to come around. I think I will just keep at it as I work out the inner panels and see where it leads.

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I also discovered this front suspension mount. This was the left side forward of the rack.

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Seems like keeping as much of the original metal as possible lends to the value of the finished product.

Looking good, it's come a long way!

started trimming the clip to line up with the fixtures.

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I made this circle fixture for Juergen's car when I sectioned on the right side floor pan.

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I stripped the floor pan section I am saving and trimmed a mount as an alignment point so i know when I set the floor pan back the mount will line up with the fixture.

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I finished up the left wheelhouse with the planisher and knocked the horizontal crease back in the panel.

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Amazing work as always Rick. The first time that I noticed that crease I thought it was from a collision.

Super stuff Rick. The dr side hole/mount for the anti-sway bar picture pretty much settles that debate.

Nicely done and you are very brave!

Charlie

Happy New Year!

I purchased a floor pan from Restoration Design. I am not going to end up using it but thought as long as I have it in the shop I would see how the inner panels are linning up.

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Slow Progress but the inner wheelhouses are lining up with the floor pan. That is an important step. The fenders are starting to come back in line. This may not look like much but from where these were to where they are is a considerable correction.

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I remember seeing that. I formidable project, but sure you can handle it.

Progress The donor part is trimmed

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The car is trimmed

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And this is the first test fit


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Still some final fitting to do. Then sandblast and epoxy before welding it up. once the platform is stable I can complete the metal finishing on the upper body.

Wow, that is staring to look like you’re in the home stretch… doesn't look like any damage telegraphed to the mid/rear of the chassis. Fascinated with your progress!!!

Starting to fit. I plan to tig weld the butts. Here is are some photos of the seams starting to line up tight. It is hard to see but there is a seam just behind the bulkhead.

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I split the hole and made a fixture to align it when the section comes back together.

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Left side hood gap is starting to line up.

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Amazing work…….and a lesson in patience!

exciting transformation!
was it easier to just use that whole front clip rather than the Restoration Design part for the front frunk floor etc?

Phil

The damage was too far into the car. The floor section wasn't long enough. I have been using it just to check the wheelhouse fit along the frunk floor though.

The damage was too far into the car. The floor section wasn't long enough. I have been using it just to check the wheelhouse fit along the frunk floor though.

Pure art!

I sand blasted the replacement section and started the welding process.

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Very impressive! Looking good!

wow , huge project, cars like that were crushed not many years ago,
nice that they have become worth enough to put the time and effort into saving.

Just so pleasing to see a badly damaged car come back from that and look like it did when it was assembled at the factory.

Well done Rick!

Wow, just wow!

That is such a milestone, love to see those seams so tight and the welds started. You have got to be excited to see this coming back together.

it's ART, as you majestically craft the pieces together.

You have secret help?

Looking fantastic!

Antoine

Hey Kevin! Wish i had an Alien helping me. When you tack the seam it pulls tight. You need to be able to hold a dolly on the back of the weld and strike the tack. This spreads the seam out again. Otherwise by the time you get 6" the metal is overlapping. I really needed a second set of hands but I figured it out..

Second day welding.

Not the prettiest welding I ever did but tig welding at the bottom of the gas tank well to me is like trying to build a ship in a bottle. I think my auto darkening hood was not working tonight. I had a low battery light on. Once I am finished I will flush off the weld.

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Note the fixture I made to align hole in the panel.

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I haven't posted any progress in a while. This type of repair is victory by millimeters.At this point I have the Frunk Floor welded to the inner wheelhouses. I have the bulkhead and cross support for the strut towers welded. I have the front panel lower supports for the front panel to floor to wheelhouse welded. I used my Lenco Panel spotter so it looks factory.

Here is the bulkhead fit prior to spot welding. Consiering this panel was buckled in half and rwisted this is a remarkable fit.
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Here it is after spot welding
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Right Brace
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Left Brace
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The best part of the progress is this right and left fender fit. There is literally dozens of hours in moving the upper body back into alignment. The right fender being the most challenging. As a reminder here is where I started.


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The first photo was over a month ago. The second photo was today.
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There are about 8 hours of welding left. Granted I only get to work on the car a couple hours an evening if I am lucky. But I am getting close. Even when the welding is finished I will have several hours on correcting work on the right fender that was done prior to this crash.

Victory by Millimeters

Great work, Rick!

I'm always amazed by the work that you do.

Man, that fender/hood gap....

That quarter gap is amazing!!! I’d be interested to see how you did that.

So much more to do before I can say I am happy keeping the right fender. There was a prior repair involving drilling holes and lots of body filler I don't like using. I will expand on the process later tonight.

Continued working on the right fender. There was a crack in the fender by the Headlight bucket and a kink in the vertical wheelhouse extension where the headlight pivot bolts. The metal eas overlapping at the crack.

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After about 3 hours the crack is repaired.
The hood is not bolted. I just wet it on and pushed it up against the cowl panel

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Still working on the end of the fender around the running light. There are a few other rips that need attension. I could replace this frnder but I would rather repair the original if it works out.


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Finally brought the engine home. Kind of a special engine. I got this from Slits. It's a 73 2.7S

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Little more progress on the right fender. This is one of the tools I made to planish out damage. As I started to strip this fender I discovered old damage that was pummeled with pick hammer marks and ground thin and stretched.

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I held a slightly curved dolly on the back of the panel and planished out the pick marks we well as I was able. Then I spent about 2 hours with a shrinking disc and various body hammers and dollies working out the stretch.

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I have the running/signal light fitting nicely now.

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Lots of work to do yet but I am getting closer to saying the original fender will remain with the car.

You have the patience of Jobe, Rick.

When the metal has been ground thin, how thin can it be and still be usable?