[Joseph M.]

Anyone knows what type of welds were used at the Alfa factory to build these bodyshells?

Spotwelds of course but what about the rest? Did they use any brazing (popular at that time)? Flame welding?

Somewhere I also read that the front fender seams were filled with molten silver to prevent rusting.

Any info??

 

[frogeye]

My 72 GTV had braze on the sills where the A & B posts attached to the top as are some braze near the tops of the front wings. There are some mig welds on the underside of the rear chassis legs close to the upper spring location. Fairly certain these are all orginal. Matt

 

[Joseph M.]

Thanks Matt,

Any idee how the wings have joined to the front and rear panels?

 

[kengta]

Thanks Matt,

Any idea how the wings have joined to the front and rear panels?

Hello, These are butt welded together. I have heard they were flame welded but I expect it was more likely mig welded. Maybe a robot was used??

You can see the weld on the inside of the panels. I have noticed that some times the panels are slightly offset, say 1/2 a panel thickness. The outside was then ground, the inside not.

FWIW

Ken

 

[Joseph M.]

Matt,

The rear wings ones on my car have a clean seam, no weld runs inside. I've been assured earlier on this is original. See this thread on this subject.

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/gt-1965-1974/159326-weld-seams-between-rear-fenders-valance.html

However I just came across another one with a thin weld run inside as you mentioned. Owner claims this is original. I'm quite confused now.

 

[frogeye]

Mine were like the ones on the link you posted - ie very clean line - welded on the outside i guess and ground flat - which is what I did when replacing the rear panel. Matt

 

[Joseph M.]

I've just scratched the paint outside are there is no visible seam at all, it looks like one panel.

Inside it's a perfect line (with a shallow groove). It looks like it's filled with molten metal (I can nearly run my fingernail in between). At the very top i.e in the channel below the trunk lid they are overlapped by about 3 millimetres and welded (not a nice finish I would say).

Did they perhaps use different techniques within time? My car was made in 1973. What about yours Ken, Matt?

What Ken has can also be pretty original, as I said I've seen one with a thin convex weld run inside.

I've also checked the paint build up. On the bare metal there is first a pink primer (a bit thick), followed by a very thin layer of light grey undercoat and then the final colour.

 

[kengta]

Mine were like the ones on the link you posted - ie very clean line - welded on the outside i guess and ground flat - which is what I did when replacing the rear panel. Matt

I need to do a right rear fender replacement with an NOS fender to a used tail to the left fender still on GTV. I would be interested to know how you did your butt weld and how you held in alignment and how you finished it. Pictures would be nice.

Ciao

Ken