Reproduction Cowl Panel - How To Replace a Cowl Panel

7 Use a sander to remove the burrs from the freshly drilled holes.

8 For durability, it's a good idea to apply a bead of sealer around the water dams before welding the panels together. This will provide extra protection from the moisture collected by leaves, pine needles, and other trash.

9 After scuffing in preparation, paint the inner panel surfaces body color because you will be able to see into the cowl through the upper vents.

10 After the paint dries, remove the paint on the areas to be spot-welded.

11 Once again, clamp the upper and lower panels together in preparation for final welding.

12 Use a spot-welder to weld the panels together at each drilled hole where the panels meet at the windshield area. Matt welds from underneath the top panel, which reduces the amount of final grinding and finish work, making for a cleaner appearance on the top panel.

13 Here's a good look at Matt's spot-welds where the lower panel meets the upper panel at the windshield area.

14 Place the semi-welded cowl-panel assembly into place on the car body. It's a good idea to cover the vents with tape to prevent debris from accidentally falling in. Once the panels are welded together, you won't be able to access the interior area.

15 Use an awl to align the cowl panel to the body. There are holes, four in front and one at each side, in both the cowl panel and the body for this purpose. With the cowl aligned, clamp it into place before welding.

16 Now comes the tedious part: Spot-weld the cowl panel into place at all of the nearly 200 holes.

17 Before final welding, it's a good idea to lay the fenders into place to check the fit. It's easier to remove a few welds for adjustment now instead of having to cut out all the welds later.

As you see, the fender and cowl fit perfectly, so Matt continued with the welding to complete the installation. Both Matt and Merv from Classic Creations of Central Florida agreed that the Dynacorn reproduction cowl panel is a quality piece.