fitting a new front panel

[oddle]

hey guys,

a few months back i was stupid enough to drive into the back of a van which had a tow bar attached to the back. This caused my front panel to be pushed right back and dent in bonnet grille etc..

i have since got the panel pushed back out again and new bonnet, grille but the panel could not be perfectly corrected back to orignal and i have been advised to get a new front panel if i want it to be perfect

How hard is it to fit a new front panel?i would rather try and do it myself if i can and fit it all, it sounds quite easy. Any help???

 

[Final Maxim]

ill pop out later n have a look at mine.

there will be a few 13 mil bolts and possibly spot welds which will need drilling out. aint sure if they spot welded them onto the box section of the chassis leg on the mk 1's, pretty sure they did, ill check when i go out later.

anyway, if theres no spot welds, just a case of bonnet off, coolant flush, rad off, lights out, bumper off and any other bits, drop the panel bolts out, swap it with your new front panel and reassemble.

if it is spot welded, strip it all down, locate the spotwelds and drill them out with a spot weld drill bit, you can use a normal drill bit but you'll probably go through both skins (front panel/chassis). you only want to drill a hole in the front panel and not go all the way through. hammer n chissel down the back to persuade it away.

then get your new front panel ligned up, clamp it in place, make sure its in exactly same position as the old one. drill holes through the front panel where it meets the chassis leg, and weld it to it. grind them down and filler/primer/whatever you like really.

 

[Final Maxim]

also, have a look at the chassis leg if its bent, it may have creased a little at a crumple zone, if so, hammer it down and fill it, if you sell it on, noone will ever know

alternativly you can pay a few thousand labour time and get it jigged