Finish welding the nose

Today I finished welding the nose. By nose I mean just the top edge, there is more to be done lower down.

Last week I started working on a little patch to finish the center section. Today started with refining its fit and welding it in place. Tricky because it has so many twists and bends.

After lunch I whipped out the last patch, on the RH side. This one was relatively easy, just a little curve to match the original. Had enough room to slip in from underneath due to the doubler having rusted away there. I wanted a flange along the front but I had to scale it back due to the extra layers of sheet metal already there.

If finish up with some photos of the front as it looks now. To me it looks a lot better, but the condition compares well to that of an accident victim right after surgery. Next week I should be able to start filling these areas, and then it will begin to look like its old self. At the same time I can get started repairing some rust damage lower down, especially along the lower LH grill opening.

Just for fun, compare that last photo of the center grill and roundel section with these:

Roundel mount patch #2

After a bit more head scratching I decided to slide the patch towards the LH side of the car (to the right as viewed). Trimmed the patch and the opening to make it happen.

After lunch I went outside to take a picture of the day (summer is finally here) and happened across these two sorrowful members of our junk yard. A Rolls? Really?

At last it was time to weld. Painted the back side of the patch with 3M Weld-Thru primer but this time I left the mating surfaces clean. Drilled holes to weld through. Wire brushed all weld areas.

Ginned up a way to hold patch in place using a punch, a screw driver and vise grips.

Welding was my best ever. The trick is to focus the heat on the thicker patch material then let it ooze over into the adjoining body panel.

I had enough time to get started on the next patch. This one will close the hole below the RH side of the new patch and stabilize that side.

Patch for nose center top, #3

Continued working on the LH side of the patch to lower it. Drilled holes to weld through. Wire brushed inside surfaces to remove paint. Painted patch and inside surfaces with Weld-Thru primer. Welded on patch. Ground welds. Applied light coat of acid-etch primer.

While was waiting for paint to dry I removed the LH front fender vent ornament. All four holes were cracked. Maybe by design?

Next Sunday is All British Car Day so I will be showing the Lotus at Kapiolani Park. I might drop by the shop in the afternoon.

Installed patch at LH nose

My goal was to end up neatly today because next week my wife and I will do the Haleiwa Century Ride. I doubt I'll make it to the shop even though the ride begins at sunrise.

As usual there were a few details to attend to before welding. I drilled a bunch of 1/8 in. holes to weld through, then fiddled with the grinder, hammer and pliers to get a good fit on all tabs. I also cleaned up the tabs and the border of the hole where welding would take place, to get a good weld.

When everything was ready I painted both sides of the patch with Weld-Thru primer and worked out how to hold the patch in place by wedging tapered punches in from underneath. The welding went well, although burning through the thin original metal was a problem. I lowered the current to just over 3.

After some initial grinding I identified several places that would benefit from a second round of welding. After more grinding I filled everything with POR-15 Epoxy Filler. Since I had a little time left I went ahead and covered the small holes with two layers of fiberglass set with POR Patch.

Out of gas

Last night's performance was a big success. It was also a marathon. The day began with a reception at Pak Susilo's house for brunch, followed by moving the gamelan, followed by a 4:30 call. The performance began promptly at 7:30 and went non-stop until eleven. In Indonesia a wayang kulit performance lasts eight to night hours ... all night. So we had to cut a lot. Even so it is demanding. After the show we had to move everything back, so we finally got home at 1:00AM. Fourteen hours is a long day for me!

As you can imagine, I was not up for a full-on attack on the E9 today. I did make it to the shop after a leisurely breakfast with my wife and her sister (who were off to Costco to shop the Christmas coupon specials), and I set myself the goal for welding in the patch I began last time. I almost made it. I would have, except my welder was out of gas.

I actually spent quite a bit of time tweaking the patch. It needed to be ground to fit and it required both a twist and some curve. That is why I cut the pattern from thin cardboard. I got it to where it fit without springing or flexing, so that I could just weld it on. I guess that is where I'll begin next time.

Back to the E9 at last

One of the labels I created for these posts is "distractions." I never thought that working on cars would be much of a distraction, but in getting ready for today's session I realized that I have not touched the E9 since May and the major distraction has been cars. The same exercise reminded be of the value of this blog; I was able to go back and review the last work done so I could pick up where I left off.

After a bit of head scratching I decided the best way to finish closing the hole above the RH rear tail light would be to make a one-piece patch with a fold to match the shape of the trunk sill. I began by using a die grinder to clean up the shape of the opening and to cut back any thin metal around the edge. I already had a scrap piece which eliminated the cutting out step. I did the fold in the vise, whacking the piece with a hammer, simple but effective.

It just so happened that the rear edge ran along the downward break for the rear panel, so that while the patch sits inside the front, LH and RH sides, it sits on top of the rear edge. I actually had to lower the rear edge a bit. This made positioning the patch much easier, but it was still a problem. I ended up making a brace out of scrap that created a shelf for the patch to sit on, which pulled out after the patch was tacked in.

My welding has not improved, but I did manage to get the patch secured without burning too many holes. After grinding away most of the rubble I applied some POR-15 Epoxy Putty to blend in the seams. Next time I will begin with grinding.