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Undoing An Earlier Repair


DB

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When I purchased my 1973 2002 a decade ago, it came with a late front. It had been repaired after front damage and the repair is very sound and well done,  At first I was OK because then I liked the late front and early back.  Now I have grown to prefer original config.

 

I am thinking about buying early front panels and grille pieces and sometime in the future possibly at the time of a planned respray, return it to its early front grandeur.

 

Are these panels and grilles available new?

 

 

DSCN1391a.JPG

 

DSCN1395a.JPG

Edited by DB

.........

David

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Hi,

  i have replaced several of the center section of

the grill area that conforms to the early kidney.

it is actually easy if you have the new grills to 

get the alignment you just cut and paste/weld.

i even have several of these sections if you are

interested. if the nose panel is in good condition

and you are okay with it then just modify the

center and respray the nose panel.

good luck,

stone

stone racing co

phila pa 19123

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Stone has the winning idea...much easier to piece in the sheet metal (mostly around the center grille area) then to change the entire nose.  And since your late style nose isn't cut for the late style US bumpers (being an Aussie car), that should be the only modification you have to make.  

 

It's been done more than a few times, and with a good welding job, you won't be able to tell the difference.

 

cheers

mike

Edited by mike

'69 Nevada sunroof-Wolfgang-bought new
'73 Sahara sunroof-Ludwig-since '78
'91 Brillantrot 318is sunroof-Georg Friederich 
Fiat Topolini (Benito & Luigi), Renault 4CVs (Anatole, Lucky Pierre, Brigette) & Kermit, the Bugeye Sprite

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The aluminum (roundie) center grilles are made from pretty soft aluminum so can be manipulated pretty easily if you're patient and careful. The vertical slats all come out (they're just crimped in place); I've straighted them with a soft-faced mallet and a piece of Masonite.  You can  also shape pieces of wood to match the rim's countours and carefully ding it back into shape with a soft-face mallet.  There are also tricks to repair/replace the grille's attaching studs too.  

 

I did a Roundel column on repairing roundie grilles--center and side--drop me an e-mail with your e-mail address and I'll send you a copy.

 

cheers

mike

'69 Nevada sunroof-Wolfgang-bought new
'73 Sahara sunroof-Ludwig-since '78
'91 Brillantrot 318is sunroof-Georg Friederich 
Fiat Topolini (Benito & Luigi), Renault 4CVs (Anatole, Lucky Pierre, Brigette) & Kermit, the Bugeye Sprite

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If you do swap the center section for the kidney keep in mind to modify the mounting points of the two side grilles, too. Mounting points for plastic side grilles differ a little from those of the early aluminium ones.

 

Best regards, Lars.

Ei guude wie? (Spoken as "I gooooda weee" and hessian idiom for "Hi, how are you?")

 

Já nevím, možná zítra.

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Boy, having modified a late panel to fit early grilles, I'd take a close look at how the current panel fits now.  If it's a very professional job,

and looks good and shows no rust, then yeah, maybe modifying makes sense.

 

But if it's less than stellar, start looking for a whole nose.  Yes, it's a big job, but splicing the center section AND duplicating

the mounting details of the earlier panel's not trivial, either.  It's made worse by having to work at an unpleasant angle-

if you're an average welder, doing clean butt welds tucked up under the installed nose panel is a particularly unpleasant form

of self- torture.  

 

My take,

 

t

"I learn best through painful, expensive experience, so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth." MattL

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