7 replies to this topic

[minisam92]

does any body have pictures of where to cut the old wing off and how and where you weld the new wing on? also how long should it take ?
and is there any other advice any body has for doing this job?
any advice would be apperciated as this is the first time im having ago at welding a wing on and its not my mini lol

[M J W J]

This is a (very) rough guide to fitting a panel. Others with more experience and better body working skills can probably give you a better answer.

You will carefully need to peel off the strip along the seem between the a panel and wing. Then drill out all of the spot welds and cut just about the join at the front of the wing (avoiding cutting into the inner wing and front panel). With the majority of the wing out of the way you can clean up the rest of the edges where the new wing will attach. Drill all the holes you will need to spot weld the wing back on (unless you are using an actual spot welder), get it clamped firmly into position, then weld it. You will find it will require a lot of trimming and minor adjustment to get the wing to fit perfectly.

All cut edges should be treated before welding (use a weld through paint) and remember to paint the joint between the a panel and wing before putting the seem strip back on.

You say you haven't welded a wing on. If you haven't done any body work welding I would suggest you practice on some scrap bodywork metal first.

[MiniFTW]

http://www.amazon.co...o/dp/1859604404 Great book for restoring a mini. It covers all the panel work you would do and much more, so a good all round investment, it would be hard to describe over a forum though. That's sort of like teaching open heart surgery over the phone

[minisam92]

thanks guys ive done a little bit of welding before does that book have pictures in it as well ? if it does i might buy it i have done some body work with a mig spot welds etc

[MiniFTW]

It does yes, it follows Haynes tradition and the pics are in black & white, but it easy to see what is being done If you can lay your hands on a spot welder that will do you no end of favors for getting the wings back on...

[minisam92]

im not goin to do it for her now as i dont think i could do it and wouldnt want to mess her car up but i might get that book as it seems a good buy :)

[MiniFTW]

Yes I recently made the same decision and had the panel work done on my car by a professional, I am currently learning to weld, and will hopefully be able to take on a full resto project in the summer! And at £13 your cant really go wrong, I mean it covers everything for a full restoration

[minisam92]

yh that s what i thought lol havent got any panels to do on my own but it i read up n practice a bit should help us out and build confidence :)