I've been focusing on prepping the front trunk and fuel tank area. I want to get them in at least 2k primer. The original plan was to reinstall the front suspension and tank and such before moving further back, to go start to finish on each section of the car so it doesn't end up like my other car. I'm wavering on that plan, thinking about rotisseries.
For now just trying to focus on an area at a time and thought addressing the channels in the front trunk would be a next step.
It turned into a pretty epic project, stretching the limits of how big 1 post can be on 914world
Passenger side above the headlight bucket didn't look too terrible.
Click to view attachment Driver side seemed worse
Click to view attachmentBut a bit of glass bead revealed that seam sealer had been used as a coverup. The passenger side was indeed more terrible than the driver.
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentI'd removed the front lid adjustment brackets and the forward lips at this point. A few layers to be addressed and those are the first that needed to come off.
I decided to do both sides at the same time in steps. Before I cut I made paper templates in order to make patch pieces from. Removed the top layer.
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentThe second layer, didn't take a pic of the passenger side at these steps.
Click to view attachmentAnd the final step of the deconstruction
Click to view attachmentI'd made the pieces to fit as I was taking them off. I don't have a break, and I just used clamped plate steel and a body hammer to do the bends. I ground a few radiuses on the plates to get the radiuses to match. I had a hard time getting 2 and even more so 3 bends aligned. The templates were made of the top, to fit inside, and it was tricky to fudge the modulus of elasticity and take into account the panel thickness to get the bend in the right spot. For the 3-bend topmost piece on the passenger side which has a radius to follow the hood line, I formed it with the first bend by itself and then welded it to the 2 bend channel part. The joggles in the 3rd layer I welded 1 of the seams
Click to view attachment2-part piece assembled. The radius I did by notching it into 3 individually bent sections, welded the notches and smoothed the curve on a dolly.
Click to view attachmentPrepped the back of both sides from beneath
Click to view attachmentAnd putting it all back together
Gap was a bit wide here, but manageable.
Click to view attachment I tried using SEM Copperweld at first but I found 3M Rust Thru primer to not start on fire for the spot welds and did most with that.
Click to view attachment2nd Piece felt good filling the gaping hole. Did both sides, only got pics of the 1.
Click to view attachmentI spot welded where I could, the inner seal channel, the special tongs installed.
Click to view attachmentAnd the final piece
Click to view attachmentWorking on the driver side revealed some damage that had been done previously. The welds started melting the nearby bondo and uncovered some tortured metal looks like it was ground with 24 grit. I sprayed rattle can black and sanded to reveal low spots and worked out what I could with a dolly. It will need some filler still.
Click to view attachmentThe gray blotchy metal is the Ospho. As I'm doing this outside I spray it to keep the rust from forming on the bare pieces.
Not perfect, but it's solid. I've been watching Wray Schelin Proshaper videos and I'm sure he'd have done it differently, flanging the joggles and such. I haven't seen him work any parts so small and finicky to see how he would do it. I wish there was a class like his workshop out here. Anyway, building the skill set. I don't think I botched anything that was salvageable, I cut out only the bad and one could always cut out what I did and do over if the work isn't satisfactory.
I've still got the hood adjustment brackets to get back in. The lower lips as well but I may want to address the front cross panel before I do that.