Interesting metal forming...

Things are moving along again now! As solid as things looked, I'm in that position where I have to make a judgement call as far as if the original steel is in good enough shape to save, or if it should be replaced. Then we have to figure out if a suitable replacement panel can be obtained, or if it needs to be made.

I had been buying many of the parts from BFY, and I'm not disappointed in the parts, but they are often more correct for later year cars than what is coming off of mine. So my friend showed me how well he can reproduce some of these awkward parts. At right you'll see the engine compartment "triangles." These were around $130 from BFY if I remember right.

Well my friend was able to use his beader, and a jig he quick made with his plasma cutter, to form almost exact replicas of the originals, in 100% new heavy gauge steel! While I don't think it is the kind of thing or effort that we're going to want to put in to EVERY panel on the car, having that skill sure helps to make sure that we keep the cost down and also get a very authentic product in the process.

So, how far do you go with this? Reproducing small metal pieces mostly hidden from view is one thing, but would you reproduce any high-scrutiny items? Again, we had what appeared to be a solid "H" rear apron, but once we cleaned it up, you could tell even lead was going to really make a perfect panel. In the photo on the right when we held it up to the bright sunlight, you can see the pinpricks of daylight coming through in just too many places.

What to do? A reproduction panel is probably about $500 from Denmark. So we're going to try our hand at seeing how closely we can reproduce this high visibility piece, and then we'll make a determination as to which one we will use - the repaired original with the pinpricks leaded in and the exhaust holes welded up, or an all new reproduction out of new clean steel?

I'll give you a hint. This is a heavy steel plate, and how the process starts! Note that everything has been marked and plasma cut now. Each of these layers and some other stock will form a template the steel is stretched over and pressed and hammered to. Fine curves and grooves will be put in with a bead roller, and the rubber seal channel will be created new and welded in place.

As we were joking around, we started talking about building a 100% reproduction "W" decklid. It will be pretty ironic that with all of the customizers out there that have destroyed so much of the old stock, that this vehicle that seeks to be "all original" will end up with these reproduction parts. Kind of like restoring a Kubelwagen I suppose!