Learning curve. My 72 Firebird adventure.

[HO455]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the encouraging words. It's been a lot of years since I last put patch panels in my sister's 51 and I'm a little rusty.

The press is part of the collection we've got going here at the Pontiac Motorsports Patio.

[HO455]

Not enough time for me to go out to the Pontiac Motorsports Patio today. I did however have time to remove the trunk skin from the inter framework. It has rust that needs to be addressed and I broke three of the mounting bolts off when I removed it from the car.

I have to give thanks to member MP&C for his information on how to make the tool I used to unfold the factory seam. See post 1317. My crude replica is in photo #1.

The tool I made worked pretty well and I had the skin removed in about 30 minutes. I can see room for improvement in the one I made. I didn't get the grooves in lower jaw in the right place. I will make another one before I attempt to rebuild the hatch for my Burban.


https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...564201&page=53

I ground the broken end of the snapped bolts flush then heated them with a torch. With a pair of vice grips I was able to get the bolts to turn and out of the capture nuts without damaging the nuts.

[raggedjim]

Do you feel repairing the original trunk lid to be a better solution than buying a repop? I have a few trunk lids that are all in about the same shape as yours but the repos are about $200 so I've never repaired one.

I hate to scrap them but I have so much crap I'm going to have to do something!

[HO455]

The idea is to use this trunk lid to get my skills and tooling dialed in so when it's time to rebuild the rear hatch on my Burban I won't ruin it. There's no reproductions for 67-72 Burban hatch and halfway decent ones start at $800 if you can find one.

I also have a second Firebird trunk lid I can rehab if I mess this one up. It has a fair of surface rust around the spoiler area. And if all that fails I can get a reproduction lid. Fingers crossed I won't have to go there.

[raggedjim]

Originally Posted by HO455

The idea is to use this trunk lid to get my skills and tooling dialed in so when it's time to rebuild the rear hatch on my Burban I won't ruin it. There's no reproductions for 67-72 Burban hatch and halfway decent ones start at $800 if you can find one.

I also have a second Firebird trunk lid I can rehab if I mess this one up. It has a fair of surface rust around the spoiler area. And if all that fails I can get a reproduction lid. Fingers crossed I won't have to go there.

I understand completely, I rebuild stuff most people will throw away!

[HO455]

Another day of cutting and fitting. It was for the long piece that goes across the bottom of the rear window. This one needed to be in the correct position so the rear glass will seal properly when reinstalled. So after getting the ends trimmed close I used screws to locate the piece in the same place after the each of the hundred or so times I removed it. (Photos #1&2)

First thing right off the bat I mis-cut the new piece (photo #3) and had to patch in a small piece to fix that.

After test fitting the window glass and pre-drilling the holes for plug welds to replace the factory tack welds it got cleaned up and primed. I didn't go overboard with the plug welds like the factory did with the spot welds. I only put 2 on each side where the factory had 2 on the driver's side and 5 on the passenger side. (Last photo)

The area underneath the new panel I treated with Ospho a couple of days ago and then retreated and neutralized. It also got a good coat of primer.

The replacement panel primed and ready for welding in. (Photo #4)

I will leave the welding until tomorrow after I can look at it in daylight with fresh eyeballs. And probably check it against the glass once more. Just to be sure I've got it right.

[HO455]

Once satisfied with the fit up I started welding it in place. Which is when l learned the pressure guage on the new to me bottle doesn't work. Curses, I'm out of gas! That meant I was done until Monday, other than some general cleanup. There's no welding shops open around here on Saturday afternoons.

I have been watching Craigslist for a 60 or 80 cf bottle for a spare. I've never used 20 cf bottle before but I knew they're limited. Just didn’t know how limited. Fortunately I have a spare regulator and guages to replace the broken one.

On the upside I found a 80 cf bottle but, it needs to be refilled too.

I had hoped to have this part done and in primer by Monday. Best laid plans...

[LS short box]

Just fyi. I run a large gas bottle on my welding cart. But since I always run out on a weekend like you I have a small gas bottle standing by just in case. If you get a spare gas bottle make sure you get it from your big gas bottle supplier. Around here the gas bottle suppliers will only fill their supplied gas bottles.

[HO455]

Thanks for the information. I'll know l later today if the 80cf bottle I got can be refilled.

[LS short box]

Another note on gas bottles. If you get a bottle from whatever store like a welding shop they tend to "rent" the bottle a for small fee per year.
Make sure that the bottle you bought the bottle is owned out right from the seller. Each bottle has a serial number/name that can be tracked by the supplier.
Many years ago I bought my bottles out right so no yearly fee.

[HO455]

Good day yesterday! Not only did I get some significant honey do projects knocked out but, my visit to get the gas bottles filled was quite successful too.

The welding shop did not have any 20cf bottles to trade out so they gave me a 55cf bottle for the 20 cf price. Which not only got me 35cf of free gas but, I now own a 55cf bottle to boot! Woo Hoo! I will lose some of the portability of the 20 cf but I don't plan on dragging the welder up in the attic at this point in my life. It certainly looks like regularly supporting my local business has paid a dividend this time. Plus they love my Burban down there.

I'm ready to jump back in come Saturday and finish tacking parts in. At this point it looks like the weather may be nice enough to get some paint applied. Fingers crossed!

I do own all my bottles. O2/Acetylene and the 240 cf that goes with the Miller 200. Plus these 2 new ones for the portable Miller 135.

And thanks to LS short box for the information.

[HO455]

Finished tacking in the lower window frame. Then a small patch in trunk seal channel needed to be fit up and welded. For small pieces I like to leave a tab to hold on to while I make the first couple tack welds. I find it easier than magnets or tape. Then it's simple to cut it off and tap the metal into the need shape.

Then I moved on to the upper part of the window frame to make some more patches.

[HO455]

More patches.

[Tempest67]

Looks good,

keep the progress going (I have to get back at it, the heat was too much lately)

[HO455]

Thanks! I've been hoping the good weather here holds for another couple weeks so can get the rear end wrapped up. As it is, I think my window to lay down some epoxy primer has past. I'll be having to rely on self-etching primer to keep things from rusting.

[HO455]

I finished another couple hundred tack welds on the window ledge and moved to applying short strand fiberglass filler on the ledge to give the glass seal a good flat surface to seal to. Fiberglass filler is much more resistant to moisture than regular filler but it doesn't spread as easily and is harder to sand. Which my fingers are very aware of at this point. It's hard for me to get a good surface on the ledge with a powered sander so it's been lots of sanding with a paint stick.

[Tempest67]

Try adding some Fiberglass Resin to your filler to make it smoother and easier to spread. (just a little)


You are making progress and it's looking good

[HO455]

Thanks for the tip and all the encouraging words. I will have to stop in and get some resin before the next go around next week.

[Tempest67]

I add it to regular filler too when I use it in place that is not a body panel. underside of floor on weld seams, wheel wells, filling pits in frame...etc, anywhere I think a harder filler would be better.

You are making some good progress, keep it going

[HO455]

Like a trunk floor! Thanks!

[Tempest67]

exactly.

Then sand it smooth

[HO455]

Made some more progress this week. The gas tank mounts are finished. I've got to do some painting in the front of the truck then it's time to fit the floor in.

My first use of the strecher/shrinker was pretty successful. But I found that the "S" bends required to match the tank mounts were more than the tool (or me) were capable of making. It just meant I had to cut the piece in two and pie slice it to make it work. All in all it went well.

[raggedjim]

Nice work, it'll pay off in the end! Rg

[Tempest67]

nice job, you are really making progress

[HO455]

Thanks guys! It's been quite a few years since I replaced the cab corners on my sister's 51 GMC and my sheet metal skill set is a bit rusty. (Kind of like the car ) I have done tons of stick rod steel fabrication over the years in-between but I think that only helps when it comes to measuring and cutting things, not when making a thousand spot welds.