Removal & Installation of the Cowl...

[Frodee]

It’s just practice, like anything else. Once you get the drill speed down they’ll last a long time if you don’t side load them a ton, you get a feel for when you’re doing something that’ll break ‘em. And you can use them missing a tooth or two if you’re careful.

Might have been necessity for me though, no way I can be precise enough with a grinder to do that stuff. I’d have a whole lot of welding to do.

never gone to far through on the grinding and used a spot wed cutter with one tooth lots of times. I am not the best body man out there and not trying to be, but me and spot weld cutters don't get along real well

 

[GeorgeH]

Maybe I'm confused? What I refer to as each 1. blair cutter 2. spot drill 3. Another blair cutter also called rotobroach

The kit is handy

 

[72bluNblu]

Maybe I'm confused? What I refer to as each 1. blair cutter 2. spot drill 3. Another blair cutter also called rotobroach View attachment 1715140042 View attachment 1715140041

View attachment 1715140043

I’m talking about the Blair cutters.

 

[GeorgeH]

gotcha

I’m talking about the Blair cutters.[/

 

[GeorgeH]

George I was looking through some post and saw that you restore cars at your shop for 35 an hour At first I thought that was way to cheep our labor rate is 60 an hour and in the oil field it's 70. when I really look at the way you do It I'd rather do what you are doing than deal with the insurance co. they are getting more and more harder to deal with and I'm tired of there bull

The business has evolved. The Ins co's want to see a well equipped shop. The Ins Co's don't want to authorize anything without seeing proof so it almost mandatory to have the high tech measuring equipment where you can measure suspension components etc and show proof via printouts etc. of the damage. It saves time on the frame machine and guarantees accuracy of the repairs as well. Things like the sanding belts and a Pro-Spot welder are real time savers. Badass machine when you can weld a quarter on in 15 with minutes with no cleanup except for where you have to mig the seams. Nowadays it's all about putting the car back to pre-accident condition so any more then 8-10 hours repair time they would rather see the panel replaced so the nice repair jobs are pretty much gone.

 

[Frodee]

The business has evolved. The Ins co's want to see a well equipped shop. The Ins Co's don't want to authorize anything without seeing proof so it almost mandatory to have the high tech measuring equipment where you can measure suspension components etc and show proof via printouts etc. of the damage. It saves time on the frame machine and guarantees accuracy of the repairs as well. Things like the sanding belts and a Pro-Spot welder are real time savers. Badass machine when you can weld a quarter on in 15 with minutes with no cleanup except for where you have to mig the seams. Nowadays it's all about putting the car back to pre-accident condition so any more then 8-10 hours repair time they would rather see the panel replaced so the nice repair jobs are pretty much gone.

well I'm retiring this year and shutting down the body shop so I'm not buying new tools. George your right about how the Ins. co. is wanting better work done and I agree. the point is they keep trying to cut the labor rate and want us to use aftermarket parts

 

[ChrisRomello]

I did mine on my duster. Not that bad if the car is stripped. I melted the lead seam with a propane torch, lots of spot welds to drill. I removed my new cowl from a doner car before they was repoping them. I welded all my holes shut and ground them down. Dura glassed the lead seem after spraying epoxy.

I’m doing the cowl on mine this weekend. I am ready to reinstall it. How long ago did you do the duraglass in the lead seams? I can see how the duraglass would bond to the epoxy better than bare metal.

 

[PSegarra]

Chris.... Take your time have patience and do not rush anything. It took me a while to do mine but the results are good. Good luck.

 

[abodyjim]

I’m doing the cowl on mine this weekend. I am ready to reinstall it. How long ago did you do the duraglass in the lead seams? I can see how the duraglass would bond to the epoxy better than bare metal.

I’m doing the cowl on mine this weekend. I am ready to reinstall it. How long ago did you do the duraglass in the lead seams? I can see how the duraglass would bond to the epoxy better than bare metal.

I did it the at the end of 2016. The epoxy should help with bonding and moisture control

 

[dibbons]

I can see how the duraglass would bond to the epoxy better than bare metal.

Don't know about that, the duraglass products recommend application over bare metal, but I haven't experimented with it yet.