1200 autocross project Texas

[KiloTango1200]

Thanks Rhapakatui, for suggesting heat for getting the brazing apart. Thanks Ranman72 for suggesting Map Gas to melt the brazing. Map Gas kicks Brass's Ass in a big way.The outer panel turned bright red in less than 5 seconds. The bond was broken a few seconds later with a big screwdriver prying the 2 sections apart.

 

 

The brazing came loose cleanly with the application of a lot of heat.

 

[KiloTango1200]

The rear windscreen valance came out with no damage that you can see when the trunk is closed. I can repair the 8 holes that can be seen when the trunk is open.

 

 

The rear clip is pretty much gutted now.

 

 

Left rear windscreen valance brazing broken.

 

 

Right rear window valance brazing broken  and the part is out.

 

 

 

The replacement rear windscreen valance compared to the rusty one in my Sedan.

 

 

Lower rear seat support bracket. 26 spot welds.

 

[KiloTango1200]

Starting to cut out the rear valance.

 

[KiloTango1200]

The left rear bumper bracket.

 

I got carried away on the upper spot weld and punched all the way through. It still won't come loose because there is a spot weld between the 2 other welds. I couldn't see it until I tried to break the bracket loose. I marked it with a center punch before I drilled a pilot hole.

 

 

 

4 spot welds holding the bracket. The only spot weld attaching the top of the bracket to the rear valance popped loose before I finished cutting it.

 

 

 

Another step closer.

 

[KiloTango1200]

More brazing at the seam connecting the rear valance to the left rear quarter panel. I cut the brazing where the 2 panels butt together but I will have to drill out the spot welds, then heat the brazing and break them apart.

 

 

Datsun 1200 sheet metal is Very Thin! I almost screwed up and nearly cut all the way through a couple of times. Shouldn't be too hard to fix.

 

 

 

All the spot welds are cut out, but the panel still won't let go.

 

 

 

It won't let go because the hole for the tail light mount is drilled through the middle of a spot weld. I had to very carefully cut around the hole. It was difficult because the cutter moved around a lot because of the large hole that the cutter index was in.

 

[KiloTango1200]

3 spot welds close together at the left lower corner of the tail light opening.

 

 

Almost all the visible damage is on the quarter panel. Easy enough to fix.

 

 

 

It's easier to burn the seam caulking out than to cut it out.

 

 

Seam between the rear valance and left quarter panel is loose above the trunk floor. Took me about 3 hours. A lot of work still left.

 

[KiloTango1200]

This SOB took about 45 min. for one spot weld. It ties the rear valance to the trunk floor, Left quarter panel and something else below the trunk floor. Had to drill through 3panels but not the last one. There is also a compound curve involved, so the cutter isn't deep enough to cut the 3 panels. Had to cut some material with a Dremel cut off wheel to finally get to the last panel. I was afraid of blowing through the panel because of the angle I had to cut. I got about 80% of the panel cut and used the torch and heated the cut to the point the paint on the back side caught fire. A little pressure from the screwdriver and it popped loose. It feels really good when you finally whip something that is pissing you off.

 

 

 

Stripped off the burnt paint. No damage on the outer panel. :thumbup:

 

 

 

 

Got about half of the spot welds connecting the rear valance to the trunk floor cut out. Figured out that if you get the cut almost all the way through and only have about 25% left connected, you can use a MAP Gas torch and heat up the cut. With a little pressure from a screwdriver, the weld will break loose. No risk of damage on the outer panel.

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

Only had about 45 minutes after work today to work on the rear clip. Cut out 5 more welds. Pulled the clip away from the wall to look at what is below the trunk floor. Didn't like what I saw and pushed it back against the wall.

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

5 more down. The first 4 were fairly easy. The 5th one fought me for about 20 minutes.

 

 

 

If you don't start almost exactly in the center of the spot weld, you wind up not being able to cut the weld cleanly and end up with something like this.

 

 

 

 

Right corner weld. I knew what to expect from this one by cutting the left side first. 4 sheets of metal bonded by one spot weld. Broke through the first two fairly easily.

 

 

 

 

Cut away metal from the top 2 layers to get a clean shot at cutting away the last layer.

 

 

 

Last layer cut out with no damage to outer sheet metal.

 

 

 

 

Trunk floor to rear valance seam completely cut out.

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

Left side of the rear valance, also called the Beaver Panel, is now separated above the trunk floor.

 

 

 

Right side separated.

 

 

 

 

Upper left side separated.

 

 

 

 

Upper right side separated.

 

 

[thisismatt]

Nice work B)

[]2eDeYe]

Tedious work too. Looks good, well done.

[KiloTango1200]

Thanks, when I finally get the panel off the rear clip, I still have to remove the one from my Sedan.

[KiloTango1200]

Turned the rear clip180 degrees and now the bottom section is facing out. After studying the way the rear clip is assembled below the trunk floor, I realized that the hard part is still ahead. Now all the spot welds are in places that I cannot get my spot weld cutter at an acceptable angle from the inside to prevent damage to the panel. My original intent was to take the rear clip apart with as little damage as possible in case of an accident in the future. Now I must cut panels with a cut off wheel next to the seam that is spot welded. If the fenders are needed later, I can fabricate a connector panel to use the rear fenders.

 

The bottom seam of the rear valance. No way to cut the spot welds from the back to keep from damaging the donor panel.

 

[KiloTango1200]

Bottom seam of the valance.

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

Right rear bottom seam that connects the rear valance "aka Beaver Panel", rear outer fender, rear inner fender, and trunk floor. 4 different metal panels that are rather difficult to separate.

 

 

 

 

3 out of 4 seams detached in the lower right quarter.

 

4th needs to be cut.

 

[KiloTango1200]

No way to cut the spot welds from the back side of the lower rear fender.  The angles won't work. Must use a cut off wheel along the seam line to cut off the panel. Will separate the panels after they are apart.

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

Cut the seam between the rear valance "Beaver Panel" and the right rear quarter panel and inner fender. No way to get a spot weld cutter behind everything to prevent damage to the donor panel. The good news is most every spot weld can be cut from the outside on my Sedan because It's rear valance is trash, and I need to save the inner connective panels. I have no electricity at my storage, so a 30 min. job lasts 3 days using battery operated tools. Good thing I got time. My goal is to have it finished by my 60th birthday. I turned 53 yesterday. :rofl:

 

 

 

 

Inside view of the cut. Above the cut is the rear valance "Beaver Panel", below the cut is the inner and outer right rear quarter panel. To the left of the cut is the trunk floor.

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

No way cut the spot welds from the back side to keep from damaging the donor panel. Must use the Dremel cut off wheel again. Right side. Top panel rear valance, Right panel trunk floor, Left panel Frame Rail. Took some time to cut through the compound curve. It will be easier on the Left side.

 

 

 

Spot weld on the donor panel side. Connecting the Rear Valance to the frame rail.

 

[datsunfreak]

Maybe one of these?   ^_^

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

Maybe one of these?   ^_^

 

 

Already shopping for one.

[KiloTango1200]

Right side, horizontal spot weld connection between the frame rail and the rear valance.Can't get to it from the back side to avoid damaging the donor panel. Must think of other options.

 

 

Right rear valance to right rear quarter panel seam cut out above the trunk floor.

 

[KiloTango1200]

Rear valance, trunk floor and right frame rail connection. The angles will not allow any more use of the cut off wheel. Now I must use drill bits as a cutter to separate the panels.

 

 

 

Outer connection of frame rail to rear valance

 

Right frame rail, trunk floor, rear valance connection cut away using drill bits. The only thing I had at my disposal that would work.

 

 

 

 

Right frame rail, drilled out the right section of the rear valance to trunk floor, to frame rail connection. The center section can be cut out by a Dremel cut off wheel.

 

 

Center section of the connection between the rear valance and the trunk floor. Used a cut off wheel.

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

Dremel cut off wheel cut to the left frame rail.

 

 

 

 

 

Drilled out the left frame rail connection.

 

 

[KiloTango1200]

Left side frame rail, trunk floor, rear valance connection viewed from below. Dremel cutoff wheel and big drill bits were the only option to cut the rear valance loose with limited damage. It was a very restricted area. 

 

 

 

Cant make the cut from the bottom without damaging the donor panel. Pulled the rear clip away from the wall and made the cut from the top of the trunk floor.