67 cuda project a little progress

-
67cudafb said:
View attachment 1714794229

View attachment 1714794230

View attachment 1714794231

I am not a welder:banghead:

I have a question about the trunk extension. Should it be spot welded to the fender or attached with panel glue like 3M?
Click to expand...

Spot weld at the bottom pinch point.
By the way, are you planning on replacing your glass?
I see that your 1/4 glass is still installed. I would protect it real good if your keeping them. Grinding and welding will burn spots into it. You most likely already are aware of it.
Also, you say your not a welder, looks like your learning pretty good. It takes years of continual practice. I had nothing to weld for about six months and I swear I had to relearn again. Keep up the good work! I'm lovin it....
:happy1::happy1::coffee2::coffee2::happy1::happy1:
 
Well things were going good but got a little aggressive with the welder. Buckled the crap out of the quarter panel. Tried to straighten it but no way. I would have to put at least a 1/2" of filler and that won't do. So I ordered a new skin from CARiD. So ordered on the 23 and just got a email that it was shipped today. So I have a large piece of scrap once I cut it off the Cuda. I plan to practice my welding on the scrap and get a better idea of the the heat I can get away with before I try again. $250 learning experience :banghead:. Oh well #-o#-o
 
I need a little guidance as best way to fit panel. I put new panel up to side of car with my wife's help and drilled holes about 1 1/2" above where I planned to cut both panels at the same time. Held it in place with clecos and clamps. First started with 4" cut off wheel cutting both panels at same time. This seemed to leave to much of a gap. I changed to an air saw and cut very nice 1/16" gap. I would cut about a foot and peel the cut stuff from the inside and outside and tack weld as I went along. Seemed to work well until I got a little carried away and got to much heat or the gap was too tight not sure which. So tell me how you guys fit panels and what the gap should be. I am giving some thought to flanging the new panel and use 3m panel glue and skip the welding. I sure don't want to buy another panel. Need ideas!
 
Dang! Crap happens. Sounds like a good decision to swap out that quarter again. No sense in regretting a final result you're not satisfied with. - And $250 isn't the worst setback.
 
A lot of guys will disagree with me but I'm a firm believer in using the panel bond adhesives. I still weld the areas that aren't in places that would cause panel warpage. I used to be skeptical but I know a few body men that swear by it and have used it for years. I've even seen a couple of cars that were involved in serious collisions after panel replacement and none of the bonded seams gave way. It's being used on a lot of new cars from the factory for years. You avoid warping metal, heat tends to oxidize the metal when you weld so you avoid that, When applied correctly there is a solid seal that won't rust between your laps, etc, etc...
 
This is the first time that I've seen this thread and I noticed your scoop issue. I once worked with a guy who had that scoop on a 68 Barracuda with a steel hood. What he in fact used, was the complete hood and scoop from 73 Dart Sport. The hood on the Dart Sport is exactly the same as a 67-69 Barracuda so you can use an original steel one or a fiberglass one if you want.
 
lrazor said:
This is the first time that I've seen this thread and I noticed your scoop issue. I once worked with a guy who had that scoop on a 68 Barracuda with a steel hood. What he in fact used, was the complete hood and scoop from 73 Dart Sport. The hood on the Dart Sport is exactly the same as a 67-69 Barracuda so you can use an original steel one or a fiberglass one if you want.
Click to expand...


Hey thanks for info and you are part right. The 73 sport and 69 cuda are the same. The 67 and 68 are different then the 69 they don't have the peak in the middle. I am more than likely to use a fiberglass hood with a scoop. Thanks
 
If you are warping the metal, YOU ARE WELDING TOO FAST! Slow down. It will work. Takes patience. Ask me how many panels I messed up over time. Take your time. It will turn out awesome. Don't forget, grinding too hard or much will warp metal also.:glasses7:
 
try spot welding at least six inches apart and after spotting six welds switch to the other end of the panel. at each spot weld, take your dollie at inside of the panel and tap medium heavy taps with your very smooth body hammer to the weld. this will stretch the metal back to it's original position. Welding will make the two panels move closer together every time you weld a spot. Your body hammer MUST not have any scratches in the striking head or the marks WILL transfer to the sheet metal. Good lick, you can do it. Go slow. Your panel should take you one entire day to get about 75% welded up. Atleast thats how long it would take me using a MIG welder. I use a TIG now for sheet metal. Still the same process though only the heat is easier to manage but the learning process is longer. L.O.L!!!!!
 
ariffle said:
try spot welding at least six inches apart and after spotting six welds switch to the other end of the panel. at each spot weld, take your dollie at inside of the panel and tap medium heavy taps with your very smooth body hammer to the weld. this will stretch the metal back to it's original position. Welding will make the two panels move closer together every time you weld a spot. Your body hammer MUST not have any scratches in the striking head or the marks WILL transfer to the sheet metal. Good lick, you can do it. Go slow. Your panel should take you one entire day to get about 75% welded up. Atleast thats how long it would take me using a MIG welder. I use a TIG now for sheet metal. Still the same process though only the heat is easier to manage but the learning process is longer. L.O.L!!!!!
Click to expand...

Good advice. Still have to take your time and hammer & dollie tho. I use the air gun to help with heat control also. Weld spot, move down the panel every 4-6 inches, to the end of panel, blow air over panel to bring heat down, repeat. Takes a long time but much better results.
 
SNKEBIT said:
Good advice. Still have to take your time and hammer & dollie tho. I use the air gun to help with heat control also. Weld spot, move down the panel every 4-6 inches, to the end of panel, blow air over panel to bring heat down, repeat. Takes a long time but much better results.
Click to expand...

Dead on info, Great advise.
 
Hey guys well freight company called yesterday and they are delivering new skin Tuesday. I now have a question. My buddy and I went down to Ocala speedway last night to watch the 360 sprints and mini sprints. While at the races we met a guy from Georgia that came down for a car show with a 40 Ford that he had chopped and done extensive body work. So started talking about my crash and burn with the quarter panel. Just like you guys said I should work from both ends of panel and cool with air as I go. He then told me I should flange the new panel and slip it under the remaining panel on the car and run sheet metal screws thru both panels. The weld the panels at the lip of panels. He says it will be stronger and less prone to warp then butt welding is. I know this will will leave a lip inside but he said undercoating would cover this up. So the question is for the experienced people here. I know his way would be easier to weld and finish the install but I worry about leaving a place to rust. I guess if I glued them it would solve any rust problem. SO? :???:
 
You'll get differing opinions on method. Some guys will swear by one way and others will swear by another. I've never flanged a seam before but it sounds like a good idea from what I've read. I definitely would avoid any method that would allow a potential gap between overlapped panels and be a future invite for rust. Once again, that's why I started using the 3M Panel Bond adhesive. - And as the guy with the '40 Ford said, an undercoated inner surface should mask the thickness of the overlapped panel.

It does seem as though some of the high end shops tend to butt weld (like on Overhaulin). I'm sure that one of their main concerns is to have the inside look as smooth as the outside, so they must be doubling their surface finishing work.
 
Hey 1967 cuda thanks for your thought on this. You are right on everyone has an opinion on how to hang the panel. From what I have read and seen on the boob butt welding is the prefer method. I think if I flange it then the adhesive is the way to go. This would seal the joint and prevent any future rust. I still have to do a couple of much smaller patch panels on the driver side. I am going to work on that side and see how that goes. I figure I can cut the warped panel and practice my technique on that to get a better feel for welding sheet metal. One thing I have is time to learn and if I drop dead tomorrow there is enough insurance money to have Peter Klutz from Dream Car Garage or Chip Foose to finish it. LOL
 
Great job so far. Always some kind of ups and downs waiting for you. But the harder the work the more you apreciate the final product. Welding sheet metal takes patience and lots of time. If you do end up with a lap joint make sure to use a weld thru coating. I get mine from orieleys. Pretty reasonable. Im waiting for my quarters to get here on monday then doing my own method for welding them on. As soon as I figure out my new camera to take brighter pics Ill post them on my thread. GOOD LUCK!
 
The body man that first recommended to me that I use the adhesive did his best to demonstrate how well the adhesive works. He had just finished hanging a pair of quarters on a car and had left over adhesive in the tubes. - So he takes a number of scrap steel panels and glues them together and let them cure out. Later he had me come back and try to break them apart. I hammered on them. I put them in vices. I twisted them with vice grips. I tore the metal but could not break the bond from the adhesive.

Then he had me try to do the same with some other scraps he'd welded together. Usually the metal would start to tear next to the welds when I tried to exert stresses similar to what I had on the glued pieces. He was firmly convinced that the adhesive was a stronger method of attaching panels. After he had me test those scraps of metal I became sold on the idea myself.

He is recently retired but had been a body man for over 40 years. He touted the advantage of not having to worry about panel distortion and said he'd never go back to welding panels on again. (He did still weld the areas where distortion wasn't an issue and anything that was structural in nature)
 
1967 'cuda said:
The body man that first recommended to me that I use the adhesive did his best to demonstrate how well the adhesive works. He had just finished hanging a pair of quarters on a car and had left over adhesive in the tubes. - So he takes a number of scrap steel panels and glues them together and let them cure out. Later he had me come back and try to break them apart. I hammered on them. I put them in vices. I twisted them with vice grips. I tore the metal but could not break the bond from the adhesive.

Then he had me try to do the same with some other scraps he'd welded together. Usually the metal would start to tear next to the welds when I tried to exert stresses similar to what I had on the glued pieces. He was firmly convinced that the adhesive was a stronger method of attaching panels. After he had me test those scraps of metal I became sold on the idea myself.

He is recently retired but had been a body man for over 40 years. He touted the advantage of not having to worry about panel distortion and said he'd never go back to welding panels on again. (He did still weld the areas where distortion wasn't an issue and anything that was structural in nature)
Click to expand...

I have used the glue method but for a unseamed appearance I always but welt with a tig welder. Mig for small patch stuff for a quick fix. I might try the joint type weld if I someday get a tool to make the flanges. My worry would be that you may warp the panel just by putting the flange in it. I'm no expert by any means but my experience tells me that if it works and your happy with it, then who cares how you do it as long as it holds strong. Besides, were in this hobbie to enjoy it and learn new things as well as meet new like minded people.
 
ariffle said:
I have used the glue method but for a unseamed appearance I always but welt with a tig welder. Mig for small patch stuff for a quick fix. I might try the joint type weld if I someday get a tool to make the flanges. My worry would be that you may warp the panel just by putting the flange in it. I'm no expert by any means but my experience tells me that if it works and your happy with it, then who cares how you do it as long as it holds strong. Besides, were in this hobbie to enjoy it and learn new things as well as meet new like minded people.
Click to expand...

I have always wondered if the flanging tool would cause a stretch that would negatively affect the panel contour too.
 
For your own car, this would be a real good alternative. But for a car that might get sold or you are trying to get good money for, the flange is not an option. It is not a good selling point. A buyer will see the flange joint and it doesnt look factory. Thats why you always see the tv shows doing butt welding. Looks factory, and if done right, undetectable. You still tell the buyer to be honest but the buyer sees that it was done right and cares less.

Being in this business taught me that many years ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top