best method for replicating factory weld look on inner fender

[5571mopar]

Hi, where can I find the best advice to get the look of the factory welds, when having my inner fender replaced?

I may just have the hood hinge area cut out (some bubbling) and replaced with the the hood hinge area cut out of the sacrificial AMD inner fender I bought, OR take out the whole piece, but fear it will look replaced.  Leaning towards just cutting out the hood hinge area.  The metal guy that is working on my car is very very very good, but has done mostly chevys.

bob

[5571mopar]

hello out there?

[ToxicWolf]

I hate to say this but if you want your welds to look like factory welds, I would suggest massive amounts of alcohol and tieing one hand behind your back.   

[Denison636]

I have met many guys who worked at the Fenton plant and sounds like you guys are being nice to them when it comes to there welds.

[Giveitawack]

If you mean replicating spot welds: I punched dimples in the sheet metal with a piece of round bar. Check the diameter of the factory welds.
Drilled holes beside the dimples and MIGed the holes and ground down the welds. The result looks like factory spotwelds.

[mopar jack]

Before the repop shaker hoods came out guys were hand building them with Ben Snowbar kits and to replicate the spot welds they would use a pencil eraser and dab the paint while wet to give it a spot weld look.

[Haddixj]

Yep dab it with the sealer being wet.

[5571mopar]

I thought about this more, and the ideas helped.  Its going to take some effort to make it look like it was never repaired.  I wish I could see some pictures of folks that have done an inner fender replacement, and nailed it.

bob

[jimynick]

I'm guessing you mean the spot welds around the shock tower? We just did mine and we simply used- a spot welder! Fancy that? Most top end body shops these days have the proper machine and tips to do this, so I'd call around. I'll take 1/2hr if your metal guy puts the inner apron in with a few mig tacks to hold it until you tow the car to the shop. Depends how much originality means to you. Good luck. 

[5571mopar]

I don't get how the spot welder would make it look the same, unless the new spot welds are exactly over the previous weld locations.  I don't want double spot welds showing up in the wheel housing. 

We'll get it right.  Was thinking of drilling holes in the new sheet metal, at the previous spot weld locations, and just hand welding that area in. Dress up each weld later with a finish drill bit, that matches the diameter of a spot weld.

I got to look more at the original look, and see what is best.  I like just re-spot welding it, over the exact old locations.