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Thread: *How To* Replace a Complete Front Panel

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    Default *How To* Replace a Complete Front Panel

    This is a guide on how to change a complete front panel on a nova,

    Befor this, I was worried about cutting the engine out with out any bracing to hold the two inner wings together, but this was not needed and the engine supported its self ok with out moving.

    I was also told to make measurements of where things sat, but I didn’t do any of this. As the panel can only go in one place. We did how ever just looked at some gaps and kind of reference points in our heads for the new panel


    Tools needed:

    Welder
    Grinder with cutting and grinding discs
    Drill, with 10mm drill bit or spot weld drill bit.
    Either nitromorse or a wire wheel attachment
    A set of cold chisels, these are essential
    Sockets: 17mm, 15mm, 13mm, 10mm, 8mm and I needed a 7mm for one of my jublie clips. Also either a double of the above sockets or a spanner for the nut.
    Pliers, wire cutters and general screwdrivers
    HAMMER
    Mole grips
    And if you want to do it how we did it, a fat **** petrol saw AKA a paddy saw

    Buy the front panel, I bought a pattern part for about 50 quid I think, it was a while ago, and I also painted it up before I fitted it. Some people would disagree with this, but I think it’s a good idea. I had slight worries about the fitting of this, but all was well

    The start



    Strip all the bits of the front, including the radiator, bumpers, lights, indicators, wings. I struggled a tiny bit getting the radiator out with the engine in. but managed it.

    You should be left with something like this


    Minus the wings. And also that picture shows the way I got the radiator out, coming upwards.

    Find a man, with a big saw and cut out the middle bit on the front panel, this aids getting to the spot welds

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    To be left with




    Next I would say, hunt out all of the spot welds, there are a lot, but grind back the paint or under seal in the way and it usually leave a bit of paint where the spot weld is.

    Just some general pictures of where they are and where to grind.













    And once you start drilling through them all, as we did, you can start to pull bits of and chop them as you go.






    The bottom of the chassis legs are by far the hardest to remove, as there are about 12 spot welds holding it on. One of the bottoms on mine had rottern away so one side was good , and the other side we just cut because it started to rot. This saved a lot of time I think and its not hard to weld a bit of fresh metal back onto afterwards.

    Some pictures of the removing of the chassis legs/ end of the cross member

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    There should be abit going across the bottom, but it had rotted




    [IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c325/bmw156/front%20panel/DSC_2487.jpg~original/IMG]


    Now, I had a bit of rot at the top of the inner wing, so we cut it out quickly and made a template

    Bit cut out







    So once you have removed all the old metal. Clean up all the faces and grind of any little bits of old metal. Make sure all the faces are clean for welding, and also either use nitro Morse or a wire wheel and take of the black paint on the new panel on all of the necessary tabs / areas.

    Then we clamped the front panel on, using some mole grips agiant some small tabs, in these places



    Then it’s a case of welding where you have gripped, so grip weld, grip weld etc until you have all of your tabs welded back up again. While the panel was clamped, we did do some checks just by eye. To see it bits had lined up.

    Some clamp and welding


    You can see where my paint was burning, as to where we welded



    We also stitch welded the tie bar plates on the new front panel, as it would be rude not to.

    Once the panel was in a good place and welded, and wasn’t going any where, we made the bottom chassis leg plates which we either cut of or had rotted away



    Which goes here



    And the other was just a bit of flat plate

    Then when your happy, grind away all the welds which will be visable, and under seal, seam seal and primer them, like so




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    And then paint up



    And then refit everything. And you’re good to go.

    I would suggest running a tap through the two threaded holes on the front panel, as we stripped one of the bolts, so had to improvise

    Any questions please ask and im sure me and burgo could help.

    Many thanks to burgo. For the great help

    And I have many more pictures or rusty areas and like close ups. Please ask and I will see what I have.

    Also any hints please say them.

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    Senior User Iain's Avatar
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    Nice guide! Made quite a scary looking job look quite easy!

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    Senior User Club Member Balley's Avatar
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    i would like to do this to my TD, is it the same panel??
    how long did it take you?
    i can weld and have done smallparts before like this and am a mechanic by trade so i am sure i can manage it, i just wanted to know how easy the job will be on the drive by myself??

    oh and is it a pattern part ifso did it fit well???

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    thanks iainel

    and balley, i think TD are the same panel, as this has a TD bracket on it for the rad. but just check beever panels.

    with me and the legend burgo, it took roughly a day. i started at 8.30 and stripped the front end and we were welding the new one on by 1.30. but then we hit a small problem with a bolt. but to be safe i would say a nice dry weekend will see you through it.

    we done it on my drive as you can see, and there was very few times we needed both of us. just when one had to hold a piece of metal up and the other weld.

    yes it is a pattern part. and it is a good fit. we had to use the persuader a few times.

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    Senior User Club Member Balley's Avatar
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    thanks bmw156, if i can pick one up cheap enough i will fit it next summer when i get my 1.7 in :D

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    the crossmember is the same balley but im sure youve noticed on you td theres a removable part of the slam panel, you would have to make this yourself.

    i still love that repair we made

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    Senior User Club Member Balley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by burgo
    the crossmember is the same balley but im sure youve noticed on you td theres a removable part of the slam panel, you would have to make this yourself.

    i still love that repair we made
    thanks mate my top half isn't that bad so i will hopefully be able to chop the top off and re use bits :D

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