Warning--This is a little long.
Well I have finally gotten around to working on (replacing) the left
rear fender of my '73 MGB-GT. I got the car, with damage, last
January and I got a used fender (more like 1/4 of the car) last
summer. Since I was celebrating 1 year of having the car, I thought I
would get started on the work.
First, someone asked me to let them know how well the Eastwood
Spotweld Cutter works. I can now say that it seems to work pretty
well. They say you can just center punch the weld, but I have had
better results with drilling the pilot point a little deeper. I am
left with a small "button" of metal where the weld was. Going is a
little slow, but the result is worth it when one of the pieces is to
be saved.
Second, I am, as I said, trying to clean up the a used fender to put
on in place of the existing (crunched) one. The problem I am having
is getting it off the internal structure that came with it without
wrecking what I want. I don't think I will have this problem when
taking off the old panel because I can take it off in pieces, but I
really have to take the replacement off in one piece.
Breaking some of the welds has been easy, but others are difficult
because I can't get to them cleanly. Such trouble spots are in the
wheel well (I would like to get at it from behind, but the well walls
are in the way). I tried to cut the well in half with a sawzall, but
the end of the sill is still there and in the way. I am afraid that
this is a little more than my reciprocating saw can handle. Also, the
metal cutting blades that I can get are too short to go all the way
through, and I have bent the blade in half a couple of time going
partway through.
How should I proceed? My options, as I see them, are:
1. Keep streightening out the sawzall blades. When I get an open
section, it cuts like butter and leaves no distortion.
2. Try the circular saw with a metal cutting blade. Not sure I like
this idea because I have had that hop back on me once on a piece of
good, hard oak. I think metal might be worse.
3. Grinder. I have a little one that might be able to cut this, but
I am really not equiped to handle heavier duty stuff.
4. Chisle and 3 lb. hammer. I have tried it but it seems to do a
number on the other parts too. Also, it is hard to hold the piece
from walking away from the chisle. I think this technique will work
better on a piece attached to the car.
5. Local body shops. I could bring it to one and ask them to clean
it up for me. This might be my best option because I am going to need
some help with some of the welding when I put it back on anyway (I can
handle a rented spot welder, but my arc welding leaves something to be
desired).
6. Buy a new piece. I had a line on a brand new one last year, but I
was too cheap to buy it. The used one was worth it for the lights I
got with it alone, so I am not really out anything, but I hate to just
give up on it.
Those are the options as I see it. I know a body man who works cheap,
so I might give him a call. Any suggestions??
Thanks,
Jeff Griglack
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|Jeff Griglack | Well, you've heard of the |
|New address: jeff@wahoo.jjm.com | information superhighway? This is|
| | the information backroad. -- Me |
|jjg@world.std.com | |
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