Up front and personal

After my exploratory incursion into the nightmare that could be the front panel there was only one thing for it... to show me the metal (if there was any). Fitting for the first time the twisted wire attachment that I had purchase a year ago, but hoped that I would never need, to my grinder I set about the front panel with gusto.

First I needed to remove the spot lights that looked as if they had seen better days, yep, true to form the backs had rusted out completely so they are nothing more than scrap either.

I set about the front panel and my heart sank as the billowing clouds of white dust never seemed to subside. literally from side to side and from the lip of the front panel/bumper mounting panel to the bottom of the front panel bulge was solid filler. The lip was mainly constructed of filler and disappeared slowlt but surely.

At the end of this I vowed to buy some better face masks which I did on Sunday from the overpriced, rip off Britain, lowest quality product possible "HomeBase"... along with some bullet drills (Black and Decker so might not be up to the job) to remove a screw that has blunted 6 of my titanium coated HSS drills and some HSS jigsaw blades for cutting out the all too numerous repair patches having got through 3 cheap blades this week alone.

When I had finished the grinding my heavy heart actually lightened, although the damage was extensive the Inner front panel was solid (£97 saved) and the bumper mounting panel was solid apart from localised corrosion at the sides where the little shutting panel in front of the cab door meets the side of it and so with a fair bit of fettling I reckon I can make all the required patches.

One gets to wonder how far the Isopons filler actually travelled to get onto this local bay, the filler (used to at least) be made in Wollaston by Scott Baders which is about 17 miles from my house... I bet the filler must have travelled at least 2-300 miles to get here though ;o)