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My 72 has the classic rivet pops on the front end where the front nose attaches. I understand that the rivets have to be drilled out, the old bonding strip pulled off and a new bonding strip installed and re-riveted, then have the damaged areas filled in, repaired or glassed over and painted. I'd apreciate knowing I'm on the right track for this repair and where would I get the new bonding strip. None of the big vendors seem to have it. Thanks for the help.
I had the rivet pops also, of course, and so I heard just smoothing them off works well.....but why take a chance, MY bar is fine, no apparent rust in my '72....so just grind off the rivet ends, pop the bar loose, take a hole saw and work the rivet heads off the bonding strip very carefully....on your back looking up, have to do that anyway, and clean up the original bar, assuming it's sound still...and glue in with the recommended epoxy......
smooth out and paint....
relatively simple, just time consuming, and I have to admit, I"m lazy....
This is correct.....I replaced the hearder bar on both my 76 (needed it) and on my 72 (because it was just about to need it)...In both cases I bonded the new header bar back into the cars....
Hardest part was removing the old bar...removed the hoods and went at it with a chisel ..very slow and with very light taps...
This was done on both about 8-9 or maybe 10 years ago
and both have been problem free...
If you reuse the original support(bar) then you'll need a NOS bonding strip. If you buy a new support then they are bent to offset the thickness of the bonding strip. I bought a NOS strip from Brian Bair a few years ago. You can try and see if he has anymore. Use 3M epoxy to set it. I'd have to look up the number. I think I posted pictures of this job a few years ago, you can do a search on my ID and it might come up?