COWL REPLACEMENT QUESTION...

[Troub]

hello all..... Finished some underlying metal work and then mock fit the new upper cowl on the 67 Dart. AMD cowl...
Fits really well except for the upper edges that flow into the A-pillars. Those edges sit pretty high even after clamping the surrounding area. Were there lead seams on these ends originally from factory? Pics of the mock up and ends in question....
To spot weld those edges I would really need to bend the metal down pretty drastically and that just doesn’t seem right. The rest of the cowl sits pretty flush even without clamping, line up holes along the window ledge match up perfectly. It’s just those darn edges. Any ideas or thoughts?

 

[George Jets]

OK @Troub from what I am seeing on the top picture of you fitting the cowl everything looks good except where the cowl meets up with the A Pillar like you are saying. I had 12 years in the autobody trade as a young man.

From what I am seeing here and understanding how these cars were probably assembled going down the assembly line. I would say that the cowl panel was installed and spot welded in first, then as they went down the assembly line the outer skin of the windshield A Pillar was installed on top of the cowl over lapping on top of the cowl.

You see that step down edge on the end of the cowl, that is the area that the next panel the windshield pillar outer skin drops on top and lays in that drop down lip. Then after the final touch up grinding you just lay some filler in there to bridge the 2 parts level and even. So yeah I would say you need to slip the cowl under the windshield pillar skins.

Here are a couple of pictures of a 1967 Dart 2 Door Post car at the cowl to the windshield post area. Hope this helps . . .

Not sure what your 2nd photo is showing, unless it is from underneath looking up ??

 

[Troub]

OK @Troub from what I am seeing on the top picture of you fitting the cowl everything looks good except where the cowl meets up with the A Pillar like you are saying. I had 12 years in the autobody trade as a young man.

From what I am seeing here and understanding how these cars were probably assembled going down the assembly line. I would say that the cowl panel was installed and spot welded in first, then as they went down the assembly line the outer skin of the windshield A Pillar was installed on top of the cowl over lapping on top of the cowl.

You see that step down edge on the end of the cowl, that is the area that the next panel the windshield pillar outer skin drops on top and lays in that drop down lip. Then after the final touch up grinding you just lay some filler in there to bridge the 2 parts level and even. So yeah I would say you need to slip the cowl under the windshield pillar skins.

Here are a couple of pictures of a 1967 Dart 2 Door Post car at the cowl to the windshield post area. Hope this helps . . .

Not sure what your 2nd photo is showing, unless it is from underneath looking up ??

View attachment 1715479897

View attachment 1715479898

Hey George, thanks for the reply.
I was wondering if I was the only one who ever replaced a cowl! I see what your saying but when I pulled the old cowl off it definitely didn’t seem to be slipped under the A pillar segment.

 

[George Jets]

Hey George, thanks for the reply.
I was wondering if I was the only one who ever replaced a cowl! I see what your saying but when I pulled the old cowl off it definitely didn’t seem to be slipped under the A pillar segment.

OK
When we are doing panel replacement whether it be quarter panels trying to splice them up into the Sail area by the back window or cutting them short and splicing them with an overlap at the dished area next to the upper peak on the top of the quarters. We have to do things in a manner that works for us as the assembler, as the car is already put together and we have to open it up and put our parts in.

So it looks like it is going to take a little modification in the area where the windshield pillar meets the cowl. I would say that the windshield A pillar is already down and welded in . . so no slipping the cowl under it now. I would say that Drop Down lip on the end of the cowl needs to come off, then you fit the cowl to the windshield pillar and Butt Weld them together in that area instead of trying to slip the cowl under the windshield pillar like the factory did.

So the tricky part is trimming back the end of the cowl drop down with an aviation snips 1/8" at a time then check the fit. Keep trimming it back 1/8" at a time and fitting it until it drops in and starts fitting right. Can probably do one side at a time and get things close. Then do both sides at the same time at the end to get a good final fit.

It is real easy to get it too short as things start dropping down into place so take your time. Worst case senario if you end up with a 3/8" gap there at the end, you will have to cut a little filler strip of body steel and wire feed weld it in . . then do your filler work over the top.

 

[MoparMike1974]

I recently parted a 71 swinger and it was leaded in that area. I think my 73 was as well.

 

[66Dvert]

hello all..... Finished some underlying metal work and then mock fit the new upper cowl on the 67 Dart. AMD cowl...
Fits really well except for the upper edges that flow into the A-pillars. Those edges sit pretty high even after clamping the surrounding area. Were there lead seams on these ends originally from factory? Pics of the mock up and ends in question....
To spot weld those edges I would really need to bend the metal down pretty drastically and that just doesn’t seem right. The rest of the cowl sits pretty flush even without clamping, line up holes along the window ledge match up perfectly. It’s just those darn edges. Any ideas or thoughts?

View attachment 1715479791

View attachment 1715479792

they were on the 66 convertible dart I just did. I actually had to remove the A pillars first then the upper cowl and the the lower one on mine. And yep they had a bunch of lead in that area.

 

[Demonic]

Don't forget to test fit your lower windshield trim before it's welded completely.

 

[Troub]

OK
When we are doing panel replacement whether it be quarter panels trying to splice them up into the Sail area by the back window or cutting them short and splicing them with an overlap at the dished area next to the upper peak on the top of the quarters. We have to do things in a manner that works for us as the assembler, as the car is already put together and we have to open it up and put our parts in.

So it looks like it is going to take a little modification in the area where the windshield pillar meets the cowl. I would say that the windshield A pillar is already down and welded in . . so no slipping the cowl under it now. I would say that Drop Down lip on the end of the cowl needs to come off, then you fit the cowl to the windshield pillar and Butt Weld them together in that area instead of trying to slip the cowl under the windshield pillar like the factory did.

So the tricky part is trimming back the end of the cowl drop down with an aviation snips 1/8" at a time then check the fit. Keep trimming it back 1/8" at a time and fitting it until it drops in and starts fitting right. Can probably do one side at a time and get things close. Then do both sides at the same time at the end to get a good final fit.

It is real easy to get it too short as things start dropping down into place so take your time. Worst case senario if you end up with a 3/8" gap there at the end, you will have to cut a little filler strip of body steel and wire feed weld it in . . then do your filler work over the top.

Thanks for the reply George. I’m not understanding how Trimming the cowl drop down ends are going to solve the problem of those ends currently sitting up to high? Every other area of the cowl fit great doing the mock up. I was pretty shocked at how well it fit along windshield and along the firewall edge....it’s just those high ends...????

 

[Troub]

they were on the 66 convertible dart I just did. I actually had to remove the A pillars first then the upper cowl and the the lower one on mine. And yep they had a bunch of lead in that area.

The upper cowl came off without messing with the A pillars at all on this 67.

 

[George Jets]

Thanks for the reply George. I’m not understanding how Trimming the cowl drop down ends are going to solve the problem of those ends currently sitting up to high? Every other area of the cowl fit great doing the mock up. I was pretty shocked at how well it fit along windshield and along the firewall edge....it’s just those high ends...????

Take some more pictures from some new different angles so we can see better what you are talking about with the high ends of the cowl. And post them up again.

Having a hard time seeing what the real deal is there right now with the first pictures you put up.

 

[Dana67Dart]

I would call AMD and ask to talk to a tech.

 

[Troub]

Take some more pictures from some new different angles so we can see better what you are talking about with the high ends of the cowl. And post them up again.

Having a hard time seeing what the real deal is there right now with the first pictures you put up.

I will.

 

[Troub]

I would call AMD and ask to talk to a tech.

Ok after some light fiddling around and clamping today I think the cowl ends are going to be draw down ok. I’m pretty impressed with this AMD panel. Look at how it follows the curve of the windshield in the up close pic above the white area.

 

[George Jets]

Ok after some light fiddling around and clamping today I think the cowl ends are going to be draw down ok. I’m pretty impressed with this AMD panel. Look at how it follows the curve of the windshield in the up close pic above the white area.

View attachment 1715483387

View attachment 1715483388

OK Yeah that is looking nice now. Glad you are getting it to lay in there.