LF Wing lower panel replacement : removal

Previously, I noted that the front left wing lower portion had some rust-through. So this entire lower section will be replaced with new. I would rather replace the entire lower section rather than just cutting out the rust and patching in small pieces beacuse then there are no mid-panel weld seams to try to blend. This lower section was already a separate component as originally manufactured, so repairing this way will be nearly indistinguishable from the original. 

  Since I wasn't trying to preserve the original panel, the quickest way to start was to cut the main part of the panel off with a cutting disc.  I cut the rear edge free at the raised edge where the doorline meets. This cut line avoids the inner structure that you don't want to cut into.

 I made one long cut just below the trimline seam. 

 Cut just behind the factory weld in the wheel arch (you can see the weld from the inside). Leave enough behind the old weld so that it can be trimmed to exact length later.

 With the old lower panel cut away, the rear folded edge remains to be removed. I grind the edge with a coarse sanding disc until it just penetrates. This lets the lower half fall away.
The other side is spot welded in about 4 places, so those welds need to be cut free. 

 

Now the remains of the horizontal trimline flange have to be cut free. First you need to see where the welds are, so running a sander lightly over the surface reavels dimples which are the factory spot welds.

 I use a carbide burr in a die grinder to grind down the spot welds from the scrap side. You only need to thin down the weld area, don't have to cut all the way through.

 Now the scrap flange material can be peeled away with pliers. 

 This leaves behind some thin tags that need to get ground off completely afterward, during which the rusted seam area also gets cleaned up to bright metal.