Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

I had to do a lot of cutting out rust and making, fitting, and welding in pieces. I also had eleven different places where someone had ground right through the body skin, I assume while removing paint. There was also poorly repaired collision damage to the LF fender and LR corner. I butt welded everything together except the floor pans. You need to have some reliable points to work between. Since when you get it done it would be nice if it will attach to the frame, I think that it might be a good idea to attach it to the frame again, so that you can be sure of those two rear-most floor points, and that those will line up with the mounts that are just ahead of the wheel wells. It may be a good idea to install a pair of temporary supports from the frame to the trunk floor and from the floor up to the two rear trunk corners. Then if you can get the rear surface nice and flat and true and curve free you will be able to use a straight edge across the rear to scribe a cut line onto the back end of the rear quarter. I would butt weld the corner. I would be concerned with generating way too much heat while welding in transition pieces. You will be covering a large enough area that you can hop from one area to another giving heat a chance to dissipate. Keep in mind that you need to avoid welding corners on one plane. Heat gets too localized in a corner, and will generate a small hump. Don't worry about the strength of the welded corner. it will be one of the stronger points in the car. I see that there is some penetrating rust above the fender panel joint. At what point do you plan to repair that?


Colin

Good suggestion about seeing if it lines up with the frame mounts since I installed the replacement trunk floor. That whole area was open and it would be a miracle if it is all in the right place. I am not thinking ahead enough. I have never seen this body on its frame - I acquired it in pieces, so maybe a trial fit might be in order. As for the pin holes in the top of the quarter above the seam - the metal is pretty sound except for the pin holes and I was hoping to get by with using metal to metal as a base filler there, after welding May be a really bad idea, and I am game to hear opinions. While it is apart would be a fine time for some more cutting and fitting, but I guess you gotta stop somewhere, right?

While trolling the Youtube for videos and information regarding panel repairs and welding, I found "Trev's Blog" _ real craftsmen "Panel Beater" .

He has great educational, hands on videos of all aspects of repairs.

I suggest getting the bottom attached to the top to help with stability. Cut out a couple of the worst areas and butt weld in new. Cut half circle pieces so that you don't have corners. You will be plug welding the bottom to the top. The two panels need to be TIGHT together in order to plug weld. To facilitate butt welding get the handy little clamps that they have at harbor freight. Once you get it on the frame and everything located and tacked every foot or so and start welding you will be working over a number of feet of area so you can keep moving so that you don't get it hot. a couple dabs, and move four inches and so on. around and around.

Colin,
I've heard that the corners of patch panels should have a slight rounding to prevent the buckling when getting welded in position.
- Cam

RustyBucket wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 3:52 pm Colin,
I've heard that the corners of patch panels should have a slight rounding to prevent the buckling when getting welded in position.
- Cam

Yes, absolutely! That is what I was getting at with the part about replacing some thin holed areas in the bottom edge of the upper fender with some half circle pieces. I learned that a one inch radius is usually good.

You got a recommended welder for TIG or MIG? My cheapie welder blows holes in 18 gauge scrap sheet metal despite how low I make the settings

My 2 cents

Go to a good welder supply store and get a good machine and torch/gun and have them give you some instructions on how to use it. Youtube has killed more good cars than the local crusher. I've had my Lincoln Mig welder since 1985 and it still purrs like a kitten. For Tig, I have a Miller Diversion 180. Both work great. You can probably do everything you ever need to do with a good MIg.

The area you are trying to fix is one of the hardest areas on the car to repair. It has angles and compound curves. Not many people have the skills to work that metal correctly. I could make that section using my hammer and lead shot bag, metal brake, and my english wheel. I had the same issues. I chose to find a good donor panel and weld that in, if that tells you anything.

Getting experience and working on your own car is great and I love that you are trying it, but the area you are working on is not easy or easy to learn on.

The other thing I would suggest is a set of Cleco fasteners to test fit the panels you are making/buying. They would come in handy.

All good advice well received. I have stood back for a few days and ordered some additional body tools. I have some Clecos but used self tapping screws here to more aggressively pull the panel parts together. Just thought the Clecos were not as secure, but I might be wrong. Certainly would be easier to fit and re-fit that way though. In the mean time I am beating on and patching easier panels (hood & trunk lids) to stay on track. I will get through this but may wish in the end that I had hired it out. Bottom line is I will know what NOT to do next time. Thanks for all comments, and suggestions.

Mike, while it may not be perfect when you are done you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself. That alone makes up for some imperfections. The money you saved and invested elsewhere doesn’t hurt either. Besides that, after the first scratch or door ding it’s no longer perfect. As long as you are satisfied with the result nothing else matters. Enjoy the learning adventure!

I think that you will do fine. If it gets overwhelming walk away for a couple days. Come back in attack mode.
Always works for me.

I believe these are the clips referred to above-not clecos.
https://d3d71ba2asa5oz.cloudfront.net/1 ... 537__1.jpg
These are made for butt welding. I think clecos are for laps.

Regarding welders, Eastwood has a good 110v welder for around $330 shipped (when I bought mine) especially for thinner metals. It will weld as thick as 3/16" but most things on a car are significantly thinner than that. I've gotten a ton of use out of it. It does both flux core and gas shield welding (though you'll need to buy a used tank and keep refilling the shielding gas). In my experience, the thinner the wire, the lower the heat you can introduce. Flux core only gets down to about .035", whereas you can get solid core wire (to be used with shielding gas) at .023", which is what I have been using. There may be even thinner wire than that. Shielding gas and solid core also generates less splatter and gives you a cleaner weld than flux core. But outside in the wind, the shielding gas is not as effective, so you just need to know your conditions.

We have a new EASTWOOD shop that opened just before COVID. and a Horrible Fright just 10 miles away (where I got the cheap FLUX core- you get what you pay for, for SURE)

Those little clips work great if you can get behind the panel to put the little square "pin" in the slot. I use the cleco fasteners for butt welding also. Take a 2" x 1" strip of metal and poke a couple 1/8" holes in it 1/2" from the ends. Put that up against the t panels that you want to butt weld(leave a gap) and then drill through the holes into the panels. Put the cleco through both. Works great and keeps the top surface of the pieces flat to each other.