Fred,
Take a look at Eastwood Tools. They have a nice "spot weld drill"
Sort of a small hole saw. Idea is to cut out the spot weld. This lets
you remove the old panel, leaving the original flange to accept the
new panel. Also, panels that I considered to be "trash" were most
welcome by someone else who lived up in the Salt Country.
One thing to look at closely is the amount of LEAD used on the seams.
More than you can imagine, and all the lead has to come out when you
sand. That is one reason I don't like doing body work in an attached
garage. Face mask, and precautions like washing your hands before
eating, are good to keep in mind.
I parted out a "donor 510" for my 510 project (donor looked good...
fresh paint over bondo, hiding lots of rust! Horrible body work)
I kept some of the sheet metal to use on my project 510. You're
welcome to some of it, good practice for getting the feel on spot
welding. Roadsters are a bit thicker, but both use the same grade
of steel.
Oh my welding is the pits. I am OK with oxy/actelyne but decided to
"buzz" something together with an arc welder. I made lots of sparks,
UV burned my legs (darn shorts!), sweat up a storm. When I was done
with my "practice" I pounded the welds with a slag hammer... and busted
nearly every weld! YECH! I had a blast, as I enjoy new challenges!
I figure it another 10 years I'll be able to run a decent bead Like
my Saxophone instructor said: Practice, Practice, Practice...
Cheers,
Tom Walter
Austin, TX.
Fred Schroeder wrote:
> Howdy All!
>
> Several years ago I came across a quarter panel at a dealership. For
> $150 I nearly broke my arm getting my billfold out! Now I'm looking to
> utilize this little gold mine. (I'm convinced that "Datsun" is Japanese
> for rust.) Nothing mechanical worries me, but body work is FAR from my
> strong suit! And, considering what they cost today, I certainly don't
> want to ruin it.
>
> I was told by a reputable source that they are easy to replace and I
> shouldn't be afraid to tackle the project. I own a oxy-acetylene rig
> and a spot welder and am well capable of using both. Considering the
> above, I would like to have some other opinions as to the pitfalls I am
> likely to encounter. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Fred Schroeder
> Denison, TX
> '70 SRL311-13359
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