I am planning to knock some dents out of this cowl band. I am looking for some tips before i attempt this. The cowl band is fragile and i don't want to ruin it. I plan to make a tool that has the curved shape of the trim so i can get inside the back and tap the dents out. I could shape a wood block to match the curve of the trim. Anyone know if this is an original factory part? It is stamped MOTOR PRODUCTS on the back.
IMO... sand a piece of oak to match the inner radius ... lay the band onto a bean bag and gently tap the oak with a small hammer... also round all the edges on the oak so you don't add reverse dings... hope it helps...
A small carriage head bolt with notch cut in the bolt stem works the best to get near the edges , I'll see if I can find mine and I'll post a pic Do you have a pic of the lower mounting bolts, that's the best way to tell if is a Org one later kb
The drip rails on my coupe have the same stamp on it, smaller lettering. The original cowl bands fit much better than the reprise, it’s best to fix the original.
I used a drill press to fix a piece of stainless once Used a pushrod. Chucked the pushrod in the drill and used the the drill to press the dent by pulling down on the handle. Had a block if wood on the drill table. Using the press meant not having to hammer the dent.
I made 2 tools to fit inside the cowl band and match the contours of the band. With the tools secured in a vice, I slid the cowl band dents over the tools and gently hammered them out. Some filing, sanding and polishing did the trick. Hope this helps. Good luck. Cpldale
That's one of the small jobs I have on the back burner. Thanks for all the tips. I especially like the idea of using a press to concentrate the right amount of pressure precisely where needed. I haven't worked straightening stainless for decades now but do remember , patience was key. Good luck Ron, be sure to post a few pics of your results.
Be extremely careful when polishing the cowl band. Try to do it by hand rather than using a stand mounted buffing wheel. If you use a stand mounted buffing wheel you could end up wearing the cowl band.
Light pressure on the buffing wheel is your friend. So is a die grinder with a small fine flap wheel.
Yes i was thinking the buffing should be done by hand . I might build a wood frame to bolt the cowl band so i can use a small buffing wheel to polish . I don't want to wear the cowl band.
If your body is off of the frame, it's much easier to install that cowl band before you put the body back on the frame. It's pretty hard to put the nuts on those studs that go through the hole in the cowl with the splash aprons and frame in the way.
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