Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Welding Holes in My Rear

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I compared the two floor pans this morning. Here’s a picture.
EC68A23E-6244-4774-ACF5-8392CAFEF5BF.jpeg

Do you see the difference? It’s just the two bolt holes that hold the eb handle.

Easy peasy fix, drill a couple holes and weld a couple nuts on the back.
 
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I compared the two floor pans this morning. Here’s a picture.
EC68A23E-6244-4774-ACF5-8392CAFEF5BF.jpeg

Do you see the difference? It’s just the two bolt holes that hold the eb handle.

Easy peasy fix, drill a couple holes and weld a couple nuts on the back.
The one on the the top is obviously way more darker, and much smaller than the piece on the bottom.
 
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Another small victory, I got my front bumper absorbers sand blasted and will coat them this afternoon.

I wish I had a before picture for you, they were nasty!
24E1C451-0D1E-4180-9593-2CB9F672A728.jpeg
 
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Dang it Dave, youre making me want to do work on my car that I was going to let go. I removed my rear bumper to get all the caked gravel dust out, and it as well as the mounts are cruddy. Since they never seen, I was gonna just bolt it back up and move on... Not sure I can now.
 
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Dang it Dave, youre making me want to do work on my car that I was going to let go. I removed my rear bumper to get all the caked gravel dust out, and it as well as the mounts are cruddy. Since they never seen, I was gonna just bolt it back up and move on... Not sure I can now.
They're really easy to fix Nick.
 
They're really easy to fix Nick.
I personally don't know why he's even worried about it....
I drilled holes in mine, and compressed them shut. Then I welded them that way.
Then I jammed them in the holes and welded them in there. Then I welded the bumper to the stumps stickin' out, which is welded to the fenders. then I welded the fenders on. Then I welded the hood to the fenders,
I did all if this all because I too was worried somebody would dog me for how my bumper mounts looked.
 
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Well, well, hell!

Those nice and clean bumper absorbers are in actuality, the devil.

I wasn't going to do anything tonight, nada, nothing......:nonono:

I simply was going to slip them on to see how they looked when I got home....then in for a beer.....:nonono:

Well, they both fit in nicely, so I thought I might put in the retaining bolts. Driver's side:nice:. Passenger side:notnice:.

The holes in the new rail were too small for the bolt to go through. I say, "were" because I had my reamer at home.
IMG_4475.JPG

All I had to do was start up the compressor and ream those holes out. So I did that, but since the compressor was running already and I literally had the reamer in my hand I figured I would go ahead and take care of those welds I couldn't reach with the grinder. That got me going along the right strut tower.

There are a bunch of factory spot welds in that area and the reamer would clean those out easily, so I did that.

That got me looking at the strut tower, it sure looked yucky........and my compressor was running.......out comes the 3" DA and some 80 grit sandpaper. I stripped the strut tower.

Now I see some knicks and cuts that I want gone. Out comes the die grinder with 3" 50 grit discs. Got it all cleaned up. Since the die grinder is in hand why not go ahead and go over the whole strut tower and the rear of the frame rail....right?:crazy:

Now that I've done that, what do you know.......the panel is prepped for bondo.......:scratch:.

So a little mixing of mud and I'm slinging.
IMG_4473.JPG

Of course the best time to block bondo is before it completely hardens like a rock, out comes the 40 grit and a block to knock the edges, high spots and slag down. Shoot, that was easy, let's block with 80 grit now.......

God gave me a reprieve. He knew I wanted to do nothing tonight. So I forgot to bring home my clean up thinner can I took to work to get a refill. Wet bondo is a bit of a pain to clean up without thinner. That was enough for me to call it quits......almost......

So I have blocked bondo sitting there exposed to our unusually humid air. It needed a couple coats of primer to protect it, so out comes the etch primer.
IMG_4474.JPG

To end this one, here are those offending bumper absorbers that started all this crap tonight.
IMG_4476.JPG

So, maybe tomorrow night I'll spread another coat of bondo on the strut tower to finish it off, assuming of course my head isn't lodged in my ass and I remember my laquer thinner.
 
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To my untrained eye, it looks like the hole for the emergency brake cable comes out at a different angle. But you've got it in front of you. I would love to figure out how to use the 87-up handle and graft the part of the console of an 87 up that has the CUP holder area, but still have the 4 eye arm rest.

Are you up for it Dave?
 
To my untrained eye, it looks like the hole for the emergency brake cable comes out at a different angle. But you've got it in front of you. I would love to figure out how to use the 87-up handle and graft the part of the console of an 87 up that has the CUP holder area, but still have the 4 eye arm rest.

Are you up for it Dave?
I thought that once I looked at the picture too Drew. It’s just the same in reality though.

After all the work I put into that old console, I’m staying with the original one.
 
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