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Another Great Tool!
I found these Vise
Grip pliers at a local surplus store. They were dirt cheap ($7.00)
and they work great. The calipers open up to 8" and it is
10" deep, an absolutely awesome tool for holding metal when
welding.
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The Finished Product
Well, almost finished.
It isn't pretty, but it is very solid and that's what counts.
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Doing Some Homework
Autobahn Motors (around
the corner from me) has a MINT 1966 Beetle permanently in their
showroom. They've been kind enough to allow me to inspect the
car whenever I need to. I was happy to see that all that ugly
welding will be well out of sight
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Front
Panel
The Driver's side
front panel was an easy replacement. The surrounding metal is
strong enough to weld to and the new piece fits nicely.
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Welded In.
The new panel fit
perfectly and was welded in to position in no time. The seam
running up the side, in front of the door appears to line up
properly. The welding looks a bit better, but still needs some
improvement.
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Front Panel
At first glance the
nose of the car looks to be okay, but a bit of poking around
uncovered the previous patchwork. I'm not looking forward to
replacing this piece.
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Just Cut It Off...
I strategically examined
the piece for the best places to make the cut. I want to make
welding in the new part as easy as possible. An improper fitting
would leave obvious gaps when fitting the hood and fenders.
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Welded On
The nose reattachment
went very smoothly. Most of the welding will be hidden under
the fender and I was able to join the new piece in at a once-factory
joint. Everything lines up nicely and I am relieved all went
well.
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Fran's Car
My wife bought herself
a used Jetta to replace her aging Honda. This car is in exceptional
shape, has low miles and I suspect it was never driven in the
winter. It's a hell of a lot easier to get into than that silly
Honda.
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