• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

Welding Patch Panels

2manyturbos said:
I don't leave the sheet metal screws. I realize I should have spelled out the whole process. Once the panel is welded in place, I remove the screws and fill off those holes as well with the MIG. Usually, I will take a panel completely off all the way back to the original spot welds/seams. When that can't be done, or, it is much quicker to just section the panel I go the route I explained.
Click to expand...

I have to double check, but the guy I bought the quarter from kind of chopped around everything. I'm not sure if all the spot welded areas were cut with it. If they were, I'll split from the factory seams and reweld there.

If not, I'll purchase a flanger tool.

What is the best way to identify spot welds? When replacing the battery tray on my Camaro, it was really difficult to find them. I believe it was rusty, and that didn't help anything, so I ended up kind of chiseling/drilling out. I'd like to be a tad more surgical on something like the quarter panel
 
Use a clean and strip wheel along where the spots welds are and you will clearly see the depression in the steel where the spot weld is located. Get a spot weld cutter. Don't try to split the seams. You will have nothing but a mess on your hands.
 
If you have the entire quarter panel, it makes more sense to go all the way out to the spot weld seams. Even if it's more labor on the panel replacement up front, much easier to weld & less distortion than the idea of doing a vertical weld mid-panel. You'll be doing a **** load of prep/filler work on that to get the proper (un wavy) contour back, I'd bet.

In some ways the small sheet metal (self tapping) screws are easier to deal with than Cleacos, in my experience - also smaller holes to then fill after the fact.
 
I've had a better look at the panel. The only part that I may have to butt weld is the C panel. But I'm not 100% sure. Looks like his blade started to misbehave around that area. Not a huge deal. But all the other seams are all present and in good shape. There is some rust in the lower areas, but not bad. I'll treat the rust and undercoat that portion. It has a very small dent on it, but that will be easy to flatten out before it goes on the car.

I'll have to get some of the spot weld cutters for sure.
 
You should post pics of your issues. Might help with narrowing down which technique would be best.
 
I noticed there are drill bit type cutters and circular style that have a centering pin. Which style works best? Which brand is the best for these sorts of tools?
 
The type that has a drill as the centering pin is the one that works the best. It still has a cutter that screws down onto the arbor. The type with the spring loaded centering pin tries to walk all over the sheet metal. In order to keep it in place you actually have to use a small number drill and start a pilot hole. That’s not how that was intended to be used but they don’t work like they’re supposed to.
 
Bringing this back up...

I did more work on my 242s quarter, and I've stopped, as I found pretty major rust damage to parts of the replacement quarter.

https://imgur.com/a/v6EamEr

Basically just the rear portion of the wheel arch and near the rear of the window. Not sure how to proceed.

I'm not a huge fan of bodywork, and with expenses piling up between school and life, I'm losing motivation quickly.

Edit: I can probably repair the rust between the seams of the bit I've already removed the spot welds from, and then reweld it back up. Then I can make a patch panel to repair only the damaged part of my car as opposed to replacing the entire thing.
 
Last edited:
Okay, so what I may do is just re weld the spots I've drilled out so far. Then, I'll cut away the minimum amount, so maybe 1" around the dented and rusted area on my car. Then, I'll cut the same from the replacement panel, and use a flange/punch tool to make a solid repair.

I don't see the point of removing the remaining spot welds just to slap a panel on that is damaged in a different spot.
 
If you are going to flange weld the repair, you should get either weld-thru seam sealer or a bonding sealer. The flange area will be prone to collecting moisture no matter what you do, unless it's sealed.

I use Lord Fusor (208b) in my case, for the roof sectioning with flange joint.

flanged side

PXL_20220225_201542069.jpg


I restistance-welded where I could, then MIG on the outer edge. Anywhere you are welding to a existing pinch weld, you could prolly use the spot welder. Less distortion.

PXL_20220227_210933599-2.jpg


If the Eastwood MIG is new, hopefully it has the tack feature (my 180 I just bought has it) - makes setting up the panels a breeze, and great for butt welds to avoid blowout
 
lookforjoe said:
If you are going to flange weld the repair, you should get either weld-thru seam sealer or a bonding sealer. The flange area will be prone to collecting moisture no matter what you do, unless it's sealed.

I use Lord Fusor (208b) in my case, for the roof sectioning with flange joint.

flanged side

PXL_20220225_201542069.jpg


I restistance-welded where I could, then MIG on the outer edge. Anywhere you are welding to a existing pinch weld, you could prolly use the spot welder. Less distortion.

PXL_20220227_210933599-2.jpg


If the Eastwood MIG is new, hopefully it has the tack feature (my 180 I just bought has it) - makes setting up the panels a breeze, and great for butt welds to avoid blowout
Click to expand...

That makes alot of sense. The spot welded seams I've seperated so far are evidence of exactly the moisture issues you speak of.

I'll look into weld through sealers. Unfortunately, I do not own a spot welder, and I think I would only be able to hit a few spots with it, anyway. I think I'm going to have to rely on using the MIG welder.

I can probably proceed with removal of the entire panel, and maybe treat the rusted portions of the replacement panel. I believe the only rusted through bit is the trunk lip, and I can fix that by chopping a small piece from the other panel and transferring it over.

I'm definitely not great at body work, and so I'm thinking that going with the original plan of replacing the entire panel might be better than trying to patch it.
 
OldCarNewTricks said:
Can I plug weld the holes after applying the seam sealer as an alternative to using a spot welder?
Click to expand...

You can, just have to remove the squeeze out from the weld holes before you MIG them. I would do a series of quick tacks rather than a continuous fill, or you will likely blowout much of the sealer surrounding the plug weld from the extended heat.

The spot welders are actually only a couple hundred, however if you don't have other projects you might use it for, it's not worth buying one.

This the one I bought

PXL-20220227-211917790.jpg


You can apply additional conventional bodysealer/caulk to any edges not visible (non exterior panel) anyway.
 
When you use a flange tool to step the panel you end up welding an edge to a flat panel. They expand and contract at different rates, you get more warpage and it is harder to straighten after. When you butt weld the panels they are the same thickness but it takes more care to fit them, and weld them without burning through. I did restoration/sheet metal, body restoration etc, for over 45 + years.
 
283SD said:
When you use a flange tool to step the panel you end up welding an edge to a flat panel. They expand and contract at different rates, you get more warpage and it is harder to straighten after. When you butt weld the panels they are the same thickness but it takes more care to fit them, and weld them without burning through. I did restoration/sheet metal, body restoration etc, for over 45 + years.
Click to expand...

That is understandable if you are seam welding the overlap, but not if you are spot welding, or plug welding, surely. I flanged & spot welded my roof section (pics above), and if there is any distortion it is minimal.

example of plug welding I pulled from a A-Traktor video - I haven't tried flange/plug weld personally though.

Screen-Shot-2021-12-29-at-9-57-00-AM.png
 
If you spot/plug weld you will still have a gap that moisture/water can get into and blow out in as little as 6 months.
 
Is my flux core at a low temp OK for doing plug welds? Haven't set up my new MIG yet - shielding gas bottle is spensive
 
283SD said:
If you spot/plug weld you will still have a gap that moisture/water can get into and blow out in as little as 6 months.
Click to expand...

Needs clarification. If you use a seam sealer (or a panel bond as I did), how do you reckon there is a gap? I know from my experience that after spot welding, the panel bond could be tooled to a mostly smooth layer. If it had blown out, it would have to be overcooked. I know what that looks like. If you mean doing a flange repair with NO sealer, I can see your point.
 
Got the old panel off, and the replacement panel is now free of all spot welds, as well.

There is rust damage to the portion of the panel that ties the trunk into the that under window area. I plan to make a cardboard template and cut the shape that I left on ths car over to the other panel. Then I'll very carefully butt weld that bit.
r0jL6Z4l.jpeg

C64tQgFl.jpeg


I should be able to plug weld everything else, and replicate factory spot welds.

Next there is rust damage that is pretty extensive on this little bit next to the butt cheek of the car. Not sure how to repair that. Might get the plug welds done and then just skim it with steel weld epoxy.
Cc4afS4l.jpeg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top