Welding up swiss cheese metal

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Sedanman

Sedanman

67-9 Valiant specialist
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Do you have a method? I couldn't locate 67 Valiant fenders so i had to make some out of 72-up fenders and weld in the 67-71 buckets but some have swiss cheese holes after having them blasted. I'll post a pic shortly.
 
I set the MIG really low and use a piece of copper behind the metal I'm welding. Do small blips of spot welds/tacks, take your time, and let it cool.
 
70DartMike said:
I set the MIG really low and use a piece of copper behind the metal I'm welding. Do small blips of spot welds/tacks, take your time, and let it cool.
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these are all good tips ...I do the same...another thing I might ad, is if the hole is big enough and you have metal around it that is good, instead of trying to just fill it with wire, use a nail and hold the nail with a pair of pliers and mig in the nail head flush with the panel....Then after you mig it in just grind off the stem flush
 
70DartMike said:
I set the MIG really low and use a piece of copper behind the metal I'm welding. Do small blips of spot welds/tacks, take your time, and let it cool.
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This or if its real sever, cut it out and make a patch panel.
 
I have some shipable headlight buckets that need some swiss cheese welding if someone is interested in the work. I need them welded up before I can weld them into the fenders.
 
Without actually seeing the part you want repaired, I wouldn't even want to take a stab at it...

People don't like to hear it but sometimes you're better off just scrapping the part and getting a whole new one.
 
They don't sell 67 Valiant fenders only Duster. I'll post a pic. It's probably more tedious than anything
 
Here is what I'm working with. I have both left and right for 67-71 (which I need). The brown primer one can be cut for a patch panel if you have the fabing skills and a welder (which I don't)
 

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The first 2 pics are of the front of it,the 2nd 2 are of the back,pic 4 is of the other bucket with 1 bad spot, pic 5 is a 73 and up bucket with a good patch area if you have the skills to do it. The fenders are the only thing holding me up to send it to get the body work done.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9PLkNA5gWw"]VID 20151206 150808 - YouTube[/ame]
 
I'm just a bit more than an hour south of Chicago if you can't find someone closer.
PM me for a phone# if you'd like.
 
I have half of a 67 2dr post sedan. LOL. It is now donor metal for a barracuda.
 
Sedanman said:
You cut up that white car?
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Yes if we are talking about the same car. Bob had it sitting outside south of Valparaiso with the paint ground off one side. Had a Pontiac off center hood scoop grafted into the hood.
I gave away what was good of the unboltables. Kept the frame.
You may have known Bob the guy I got it from. Unless we have met and you seen it here?
 
Yeah,he bought the back 1/2 of a 67 I cut up for the trunk drain area to use on that car.
 
It had some rust thru issues from sitting out for so long like it did.
I picked it up from Bob for the front unibody structure to repair a rusted barracuda.
 
With pics 1-4, the sheetmetal looks too thin to even think of filling the holes with a mig. IF I were going to try to repair them, I'd section out the corroded areas and just fab up new sheetmetal. With pic 5, you could just cut out around the corrosion hole and section in a small patch or if you don't give a ****, just leave it and tac on a plate to cover the hole. Go slow and let the metal cool. Tac, Tac, Tac, do NOT move the gun while the trigger is depressed. Also, do your tacs non-contiguous so as to reduce heat and warping issues. And wait a few seconds between each tac, if you can, clamp a large piece of copper to the other side of the metal you are welding to soak up some of the heat. Keep that **** cool and it shouldn't be too bad.
 
If you was to see my shop you would know I don't like to throw parts away.
It seemed to take forever to find a guy to come get the parts. He had a tubbed
sedan with a big block if I remember correct. Never saw his car.
Drove over from Illinois. Nice guy brought a few parts that he gave me for the stuff.
 
Bob was supposed to give me back the taillight sections off the piece he got from me to keep as spares.
 
Its been a few years but he may still have them. I don't really see Bob very often.
The car was taken apart and stuffed with loose parts when I got it.
Not even enough to put it together. Parts had been lost and weren't
with the car. Many parts were ruined from being left in the rain for so long.
It looked like it was a solid car till disassembled and left outside.
 
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