4 Attachment(s)
Alu License Panel Reinforcement
Quote:
Originally Posted by
70SATMan
. . . I've seen other original panels that do have the reinforcement plates. Looking at the pictures I see a hint of edges under all the grime/possible undercoating. I think you'll find them after stripping the panel down . . .
Well, something was there, at one point --- not welded. Glued maybe? All that's left is this residue.
What do the steel panels have here?
10 Attachment(s)
More Fun with Fenders . . .
After I brought the car back to California, I called John, filled him in on the work had been done on the car, what my concerns were, and what kind of work I was looking to get done. I brought the car to his shop a few days later, walked and talked some more, then left the car, so John could look everything over at his own pace, pull a few pieces off, get a feel for what was going on with the car, come up with some numbers . . . and make sure that 1059 was something he wanted to do.
After a few days, we talked again. John had a better idea of what was needed, could do the work, and liked the car, so I was relieved. We started with an estimate of $13.6k, discussed payment terms, then . . . I wrote a check and we shook hands.
John didn’t waste any time. 1059 came apart pretty quickly ---- and right away, stuff started turning up. Lots of funky fastener stuff --- like, sheet metal screws where there should be machine screws (ouch!), not all the fasteners were there (like on the front bumper) . . . . and some were missing entirely (like on one of the tail light housings). Rockers had been improperly installed --- seems some tabs had been cut-off; one was still attached to the original rocker that I'd saved. Wiring harness had been cut --- only inches away from where it could have been easily dis-connected.
But a lot of the car was solid and original and John seemed pleased with it. Front and rear bumpers were perfect, never hit, no rust in the doors (although the glass and motor in the pass side had been replaced), and no other surprises. I still expected some other issues to turn up as the car came apart, but its still a relief to hear the Body Guy sound positive.
First up was the right front fender, the one with the metal-finished rust repair. That fender wasn’t fitting. Turns out that the replacement metal piece had been lap-welded in. Not good. Especially on an exterior body panel. Lap-welding leaves a small space between the pieces for moisture to get in, which leads to corrosion that will eventually fail the joint and the panel. John repaired the panel by removing the previous repair, then butt-welding in a replacement section. Once that was done . . . John said the panel went right on, fit perfectly.
1) and 2) Right front quarter with Repair One; notice corrosion starting already, in the lower corner
3) and 4) Repair One exposed; notice the irregular edge at the joint, and the small amount of what looks like filler --- that’s a lap-weld --- and that little bit of extra material is why the fender didn’t fit
5) Filler removed from Repair One