A-Pillar Skin - Difficulty of Fab

[JonS]

My 71 Chally is awful on both A-Pillars.  After taking a good look at all the seams and welds that attached the front of the A-Pillar it looks like I'm going to have a real fun time trying to cut what is left off the front of the pillar out without destroying the cowl, roof skin, back of the a-pillar, door hinge panel, etc.

Everywhere else up there has decent metal so it would be a shame to ruin everything around the a-pillar.  Has anyone done an a-pillar skin before?  Was it really as bad as it looks to me?

Jon

[E-Body Products]

I have done this and it is not as bad as it seems.  Just drill out the spotwelds and the skins will come right off.  AMD has the replacement panels you need to fix it back correctly.

[wagesofsin]

building a-pillars is gravy...

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=54767.105

[JonS]

Wow... my pillars aren't that bad!

I'd think about fabbing my own pillars if 1) I had the skill and 2)  had access to a metal break.

I probably have some cancer under the roof skin as you did (although again... I'd bet not that bad), but I'm not interested in tearing off what is otherwise a good looking roof skin.

My car is just a 318 71 Chally and isn't getting a concourse restoration.  It's hard enough finding time to sneak out to the garage without tearing apart every square inch of this car.

Great thread WOS.  I'm still paging through it.

Jon

[mopardave]

here is what a replacement looks like

[ksierens]

I have fabbed up lots of parts on my Challenger, because replacements were not available, but that A pillar would have been a bear.  The angles and width changes all the way up it.  I ended up buying some out of a junk yard, but cost me something like $400 for both sides.