Around here, that phrase usually means it’s a long day in the shop and we’re still out there at 7 PM, when the local classic rock station plays 3 Led Zeppelin songs in a row…
On this car, it has a whole new meaning, as a previous owner used lead body solder not just for the leaded seams, but in place of body filler – and LOTS of it! The new rear wing weighed 8 pounds – the one we took out weighed 23!!!
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- Exposed factory seam.
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- Another exposed factory seam.
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- Another angle – we’re melting this out so we don’t have to cut through it and make lead dust…
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- Extra bumper mounting hole?…
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- Exposed, but definitely NON-factory seam…
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- Needed to pull lead out here too – note rust below the lead…
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- Another poor spot-welding job at the factory – almost 2 feet of non-penetrating spot welds…
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- We’ve pulled out the wing, but the lower valance has to go too – it is also FULL of lead!
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- Who knows the history behind this wound…
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- It was patched with a small aluminum plate, pop-rivets, and caulk!
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- Well, they did put the rubber seal in place, but no metal fixing strip.
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- Obviously, the car took a heavy hit in this area – crash damage everywhere…
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- The boot side panel is heavily twisted – and as a result, a little shortened.
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- These weigh a TON! The wing weighed 23 pounds – TRIPLE the original weight!
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- A shot with the lower valance now removed as well.
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- Shows the twisting.
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- Another shot showing some brazing work as well – this wing weighed THREE TIMES as much as the replacement!!!
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- Here’s a close up of the hole – it looks like a direct hit from an RPG, but I think it was punched in deliberately to get a hook in there and pull out the damage. The hole in the inner wheelwell matches it, but is punched in from the opposite direction – so something didn’t go through, but rather it was pinched in sort of…
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- Click on this photo to enlarge it and see if you can spot all of the various nightmares – IF you think you can stomach it! This is a perfect example of why you should bring your E-Type shell to Monocoque Metalworks instead of the local “body shop”…
