Is there body filler between front panel and fender?

[AceAndrew]

As you say Toby, heat is the issue.

 

My comment about there being a lack of brazing used in the nose join is because during the fender disassembly of a couple of original cars I was easily able to melt out everything but the welds with a handy little propane torch and not much time/effort.  In my experience, brazing really needs a hotter oxy-acetylene torch to do efficiently.  I've tried brazing with a propane torch, and it's not exactly efficient.

 

Again, could be wrong, but this is where I was coming from.

Edited February 19, 2019 by AceAndrew

[al]

 Thanks to all of you guys with the info. I checked the car out just now again and the bottom seam looks very close and the top I’m just gonna leave as is. They didn’t want to repaint the whole front for me and as long as I know that is wrong and I’m OK with it I’m not gonna sweat it.   I’m pretty sure one time before I’ve had a car with the front clip replaced and the bondo there cracked after a while.

They didn’t seem to want to use the high temperature filler either. Next time I’ll know better. Thank you guys again

[TobyB]

Andrew, I agree- brazing with propane's terrible.  But using a better (more concentrated) propane torch,

I could see it getting hot enough to flow out.

Also, like the door pic you posted, I don't think the factory used very much braze, but used lotsa lead instead.

If they had only leaded, as any good 60's California body shop man could have told you, it would have cracked.  Why they didn't use 4 spot welds?  Access, maybe.

The 2002 was a pretty low- volume car.  

 

t

 

[dlhoovler]

I remember back in the year 2002 a matched set of Ceylon 2002s was featured in the Roundel, and at least one of them had that upper seam unfilled. As has been discussed, it's not original, but it struck me as a good idea; if the fender is damaged, it doesn't necessarily require repainting the whole nose.

-Dave

Sent from my phone.

[jgerock]

11 minutes ago, dlhoovler said:

I remember back in the year 2002 a matched set of Ceylon 2002s was featured in the Roundel, and at least one of them had that upper seam unfilled. As has been discussed, it's not original, but it struck me as a good idea; if the fender is damaged, it doesn't necessarily require repainting the whole nose.

-Dave

Sent from my phone.
 

This is why my 69 was finished the same way (open seam at the top).  I had a hard time removing the original fenders from the car.

[jgerock]

20 minutes ago, dlhoovler said:

I remember back in the year 2002 a matched set of Ceylon 2002s was featured in the Roundel, and at least one of them had that upper seam unfilled. As has been discussed, it's not original, but it struck me as a good idea; if the fender is damaged, it doesn't necessarily require repainting the whole nose.

-Dave

Sent from my phone.
 

I remember that issue as well. Believe both cars were owned by Bryan Lancelot.  The Werk Shop did the work.  IIRC, they also restored a Chamonix turbo for Bryan.

[dlhoovler]

I remember that issue as well. Believe both cars were owned by Bryan Lancelot.  The Werk Shop did the work.  IIRC, they also restored a Chamonix turbo for Bryan.

Always wondered what happened to them, considering the issue mentioned he funded the restorations thanks to his good job at Enron...

Sent from my phone.

[Conserv]

3 hours ago, dlhoovler said:

Always wondered what happened to them, considering the issue mentioned he funded the restorations thanks to his good job at Enron...
 

 

I believe one of them was featured in the Icon exhibit, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 2002’s introduction. Sorry my clunky, emissions-controls-equipped, laden-with-big-bumpers ‘76 is blocking the view... ?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by Conserv

[Conserv]

51 minutes ago, jgerock said:

This is why my 69 was finished the same way (open seam at the top).  I had a hard time removing the original fenders from the car.

 

But I have to ask, Jim, how many times have you had a fender off since you re-did the car? And when do you think you’ll next be taking a fender off? Accidents happen, but given that I only drive the ‘02’s 2,500 miles annually, I’m optimistically hoping those babies are not coming apart again in my life....

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[jgerock]

8 hours ago, Conserv said:

 

But I have to ask, Jim, how many times have you had a fender off since you re-did the car? And when do you think you’ll next be taking a fender off? Accidents happen, but given that I only drive the ‘02’s 2,500 miles annually, I’m optimistically hoping those babies are not coming apart again in my life....

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Not yet, but JIC (just in case).  The car may just revisit the body shop to correct some minor things at the nose.

[kbmb02]

20 hours ago, AceAndrew said:

My comment about there being a lack of brazing used in the nose join is because during the fender disassembly of a couple of original cars I was easily able to melt out everything but the welds with a handy little propane torch and not much time/effort.

 

My experience has been like Andrew's - lead* over a 'tack' weld, or two (*the lead flowed out easily, I then collected it and made fishing sinkers out of it). -KB