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Paging Michael Dubois.... and a nose question


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Who better to ask than our resident California 02 owner/ bodyman.

Not that anybody else with experience shouldn't chime in-- I welcome that too. Here's the rub--

I'm puting a used core support on my newest purchase. Now that I've cleaned down to the inner fender wells and frame rails as well as prepped the donor core support for fitment, I am beginning to look at the assembly in a completely different light.

Would there be any harm in adding material to the inner fender well so that I could attach the nose firmly to the body but use removable fasteners? I'm thinking one large one at the frame rails, and 10 to 15 bolts or machine screws per side. I could even go so far as to dimple all holes in each piece so that I could use flush fasteners without compromising thickness (pneumatic squeezers kick arse) and then weld all nuts to the substructure.

I've got a welder and can weld fine-- I'm not trying to hide any crappy welds, that's not the problem. I want a truly removable nose panel but I don't want to cut the core support to do it nor will I sacrifice the integrity of the body.

I do know that the subframe caries much of the loads up front, and I remember what the nose of my car was like when I cut the core support out (both before and after I put in the new custom support) so I know that it'll probably be fine.

I know that I'll have upper seams at the fender wells-- okay fine.

I know it won't look stock to many who know what they're looking at.

I know I'll have to remove the fenders anytime I wanted to take the nose off-- this too is just fine.

Whaddaya think?

Can anybody else add anything to my pile?

Make it different... or just do it differently

Bill in Petaluma, CA

1969 1600 supercharged m20 in progress

1970 2002 RIP -- crashed then quartered

1971 2002 M20/02 RIP -- nothing but pieces now

1972 2002 gone, but not missed POS

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Judging by the little that actually holds the nose to the car, I would think that it doesn't play a significant structural role. I would think that an additional "strut bar" up in front would duplicate whatever job the welded nose is doing. I am almost sure it is not the first time that this has been done. I'd say go for it, it has a lot of advantages, to have a bolt on nose, rather than a welded one. Also the experiment is reversible, you can always welded back. There are others that may want to chime in.

Nose party, anyone?

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FAQ Member # 91

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If you do it well, it's probably OK.

When I binned the race car, I used a lot of steel pop rivets

in places that I could.

There are a few attachments that would be hard to do,

especially where the square 'tubes' at the base of the inner fenders

join the structure at the base of the radiator.

I welded those...

t

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

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Guest Anonymous

That sounds like a good idea Bill, give me a call. I want to come see your new project, and get some inspiration again for mine. Looking into DCOE's, but beginning to think they'll be just as much if not more of a PITA to initially set up standalone EFI. Ill probably be working on the car today doing SOMETHING.

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