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

Battery just fall out? Fix it right when we show you . . . How To Weld in a New Core Support

By Jefferson Bryant, Photography by Jefferson Bryant
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Grinder
    We used a die grinder and cutoff wheel to cut across the dotted line.
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Radiator Support
    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.
    1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Radiator Support
    The radiator support wall has a bunch of factory spot-welds that hold it to the core suppo
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Removed
    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.
    1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Removed
    With the old metal removed, we clamped the new parts into place. All the new pieces requir
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Battery Tray Support
    The new battery-tray support got the same die-grinder treatment as it was prepared for fitting.
    1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Battery Tray Support
    The new battery-tray support got the same die-grinder treatment as it was prepared for fit
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Clamped And Ready To Be Welded
    We clamped the box and then welded it in place on the lower support metal.
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Clamped And Ready To Be Welded
    Next, we clamped the entire assembly to the core body. The new metal has alignment holes for correct placement.
    1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Clamped And Ready To Be Welded
    Next, we clamped the entire assembly to the core body. The new metal has alignment holes f
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Welding
    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.
    1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Welding
    We tack-welded the parts in place with a MIG welder. Once they are tacked, a solid bead of
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Spot Welds
    To prevent the entire structure from deforming, we retacked the factory spot-welds as well.
    1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Spot Welds
    To prevent the entire structure from deforming, we retacked the factory spot-welds as well
  • 1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Smoothing The Welds
    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.
    1971 Buick GS Core Support Repair Smoothing The Welds
    We then smoothed down the welds with a right-angle grinder. Doing so reduces the likelihoo
By Jefferson Bryant
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