The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Best way to fill the holes on the firewall

My firewall looks like Bonnie and Clyde drove it into the ambush. All original, yes, but way too many holes. I plan on keeping the main hole in the upper driver's side, the steering shaft hole, and the heater hose hole and whatever needed for brake and Ebrake. The rest I plan on closing up. I have been told the easy way is to weld washers into the holes. Anyone here have other methods I might use?

My firewall had more holes than a politician's promise. Perry (bodyman) used a mig welder on the smaller holes with a piece of aluminium placed against the panel on the inside. Mig Weld does not stick to aluminium. Larger holes were filled with a patch panels. Small holes with a mig welder larger holes with oxy and hammer and doly
Make sure all holes are cleaned with wire wheel or small sander before any welding

regards
andrew

Knockouts from electrical boxes worked on a couple holes for me. There are various sizes also.
Dan

BIG CHEVY 3600,

This falls more in line of hot rod stuff, but on my '51, I cut a piece of aluminum to cover the firewall. I polished it and pop riveted it on, then used a single hole for my access to the under dash area.

It sure cleaned up the engine compartment, and the polished aluminum reflected the fancy engine.

Stuart

now you may laugh at this one .....lol But i used small pcs of sheetemtal cut into the size needed ...painted a whole bunch of them and after the paint cured i JB'd em to the inside of the firewall to cover my swiss cheese look. after they dried i just bondo'd over the holes and sanded smooth .

Depending on the size of the hole, use copper as a heat sink backing and mig weld shut, kinda like a plug weld then grind smooth. Larger holes or imperfections may require a sheetmetal patch cut to size and mig welded in.

i use a little pencil magnet to hold the patch panel while i tak it on

I'm going to cut sheet metal pieces and bond them on with lord Fusor bonding agent.