Gerahead's 71 Dart

The good news is that the passenger's side quarter is tacked on :blob: It actually went pretty smoothly. After I had everything fitted pretty well, I hung it for the last time and ran some self tapping sheet metal screws through the new skin in into the underlapping original quarter, just above where I am going to make the splice (1st pic). The top edge of the tape line is where I intended to make the splice. What I did then was cut through both panels using the tape edge as a guide with an offset grinder and a 0.040" cutting wheel for about a foot. It took several passes to get through both panels and I cooled it with compressed air after each pass to help keep the risk of warping down. Then I removed the first screw and peeled back the overlapping new steel and tacked the two pieces together on the cut edge using compressed air to cool each tack as I went. When I got near the end of the cut, just repeated the process until I had worked my way all the way around the cut edge. You can see the process in the second picture probably better than I can describe it.

Anyone see in the first pic what I could have done to make my job easier???? I need to make the final trim of the new skin below the top body line. That crease made it impossible to peel back the cut portion of the top layer without either cutting the steel below it or running the risk of deforming the cut edge trying to roll it over. Not bad for an engineer huh? :oops:

I thought that I would have trouble with the tack welds, but that went pretty smoothly. I have been fighing the plug welds along the lower lips. I tried some test coupons using scraps from what I cut off and it seemed to work pretty well. What I didn't have figured into the mix was the weld thru primer. That really makes the welder spatter!! Burnt the piss out of my arm on the first one I tried. I have done this before and for some reason it just isn't workin'. Time to walk away. I built up some more pieces to use for tuninhg the welder, this time with the primer applied as well. This really shouldn't be this tough. :banghead::banghead::banghead:

Once again, I have GROSSLY underestimated the time it would take to complete this job. Live and learn. L8r

Jim