T3 Body Metal Issues (T3 part 6)

There are a few problems with the body on this 1993 2 door TinTop Tracker.

Besides the "normal" dents and stuff (no real rust)

1.  Somehow the hood came unlatched and damaged the hood, the windshield and  the area around the passenger side wiper pivot and both wipers.

2. The driver's door was over extended, damaging the fender (swapped out with a used one already) and ripped the door stop mount from the door sill.

When I pulled the head, I noticed I had much better access to the cowl area.  So figured it would be a good time to fix the wipers.

Before

Wiper linkage/assembly removed.

Trying to find "good" metal, found cracks in the metal  quite a way from the mounting point.  Cutting out the bad section.

 I cut a larger part from the damaged body of my parts car.  Test fitting.

Treat and prime the area.  I am a poor welder at best, so I am going to go with structural adhesive and pop rivets.  Looks are not that big of a deal as it is covered by the plastic cowling anyway.

This is a test fit after priming with the wiper system installed.

The adhesive I used was left over from a motohome panel repair.  Most of the tube had hardened so I had to poke a hole in the side to get usable adhesive.  I already tossed the leftovers, so no pictures.

The adhesive (3M) is a permanent bond with a little bit of flex, and it is used in aircraft, aerospace and marine construction and repair.  They say it is paint-able and actually holds the paint.   (Unlike other paint-able adhesives/sealers.)  But being black on a black car... not an issue.

Here it is after pop-riveting into place.

The rivets are more to hold it in place during cure... it took several days to fully set up.

This is pretty much done until I get T3 farther back together.

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Now for the door stop mount.

The problem:

I noticed this in my scrap pile.  It came from a pop-up canopy that have been getting popular lately.  This was from one just a step or so above the cheapest quality.  The hole is in the right place, the tube is the right size and shape.  The gauge is a little lighter than I would like.

I ground down the plastic end cap and drove the solid plug into the tube thinking it would provide support when clamping during my manipulation.

Some work with a grinder made the correct shape and the slot needed for the linkage to the door.

I drilled a hole to be a crack stop as I split the tube.

 Carefully sawing split the tube.

Unfortunity, the metal cracked as it was split.  I do not think this metal will do the job as needed.
But I will finish it (some) to see if I get ideas for the real repair. 

Both legs pread 

Slipping it into the body.

Set in place.  I would put something in the slot to wedge onto holding it in place while  drilling and pop riveting.  To bad the metal is so brittle.

Ideas?  Heat?  something from home depot (brackets/conduit tube) ??

--- thinking now, while I work on something else. --

--- update 11/1/16 ----

Stopped by home depot and found some interesting little straps.

clamped them to a scrap computer case and heated the metal.

 a few taps with a hammer and I have something to try.

 A quick test shows these MIGHT have a little too much protrusion from the door sill.  It might keep the door from closing.  Maybe it would not be a bad thing to do some actual measurements ?? !

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11/10/2016  (Marine Corps Birthday!) Update

Yes, I trimmed back the brackets a little and hit the exposed sections with primer.

I had planned on using pop-rivets, but I couldn't find any large enough.  Looking in the hardware store I found some 5mm U nuts. 

I drilled some holes into the door jam and positioned the plate.  Note the wire attached to the plate.  I had dropped it before and it took me about 4 hours work spread over several days to get back out!

After getting both plates installed and bolted down.  If I had known I was using U nuts rather than pop rivets, I would have left the bracket longer...

... as now it is almost to short!  The original hole was better also.

But the important thing is.... It is done!