if cutting them apart and looking for a project that doesn't take all day, old leaf sections can be made into autobody slappers pretty easily. cut a handle profile, leave a longer section between the actual slapper portion and the handle, then cut that out. next heat up the middle part of the handle section, like close to the slapper part, and bend it so when you are using the slapper your knuckles don't hit the surface of the body panel. the wider slapper part is easily polished up and smoothed to work well especially if you have a belt sander. try to balance the tool so you work less to control the tool. don't make the slapper too big. I made one and it works awesome but I made it too big so it isn't balanced well. still use it all the time.
looks like this
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/m...iABEgK6VfD_BwE
those springs don't have much arc to them, possibly why they weren't re-used.