1971 Buick GS Body Repair - How To Weld in a New Core Support

We used a die grinder and cutoff wheel to cut across the dotted line.

The radiator support wall has a bunch of factory spot-welds that hold it to the core support. To remove the bad pieces, we used a spot-weld cutter that knocks off the original weld without drilling through the remaining sheetmetal. It also leaves a convenient hole for the new tack-welds. The spot-weld cutter can be purchased at any hardware store for about 8 bucks.

With the old metal removed, we clamped the new parts into place. All the new pieces required a bit of finesse, so we marked each, removed it for trimming, then tacked it into place.

The new battery-tray support got the same die-grinder treatment as it was prepared for fitting.

We clamped the box and then welded it in place on the lower support metal.

Next, we clamped the entire assembly to the core body. The new metal has alignment holes for correct placement.

We tack-welded the parts in place with a MIG welder. Once they are tacked, a solid bead of seam sealer is carefully run down the seam, allowing it to cool every 1/2-3/4 inch so it doesn't warp.

To prevent the entire structure from deforming, we retacked the factory spot-welds as well.

We then smoothed down the welds with a right-angle grinder. Doing so reduces the likelihood of fractures and makes the whole job ready for filler and paint.