This week seems to have rocketed past but I’ve made some good progress. Before I start taking apart the lower section of the front end (Deformation panel and inner valance) I wanted to get some strength back into the top section by replacing the inner windscreen panel.
With it chopped out the front end looks pretty bare:
I then set to work repairing the surrounding metalwork that the panel attaches to. The section on the O/S A pillar is fine (ignoring the rotten lip which I’ll repair when I get onto prepping for the front panel itself):
The N/S A pillar however needed some work. A small patch here:
And a larger section here which I ended up doing in three parts (I need to finish the middle section):
The airbox needed a few patches, but on the whole was in pretty good shape:
The panels from the old inner windscreen that the dashboard attach to were in good nick so I cleaned them up and gave them a coat of etch alongside the new inner windscreen panel:
Once I’ve finished closing up the final hole on the N/S A pillar I’ll be able to get the panel welded in next week, a quick trail fit suggests it shouldn’t be too tricky to fit:
I also welded the captive nuts to the deformation panel that the front bumper mounts to (the Brazilian bumpers mount differently so the panel needs modifying):
