After weeks of cyber research(!) before buying tools I've decided that the most cost effective way to go is with a Dremel die grinder (air or electric? don't know yet) teamed up with an air chisel. I'll use the grinder for grinding out the top layer of a spot weld (cf drilling it out), cutting out bits and for grinding off welds. The air chisel will be for lifting off bits that have had their spot welds reduced or removed with the die grinder. I also have a 4inch angle grinder. The yanks love a beastie they call a "Sawzall". This is a hand held reciprocating electric saw with an totally open blade & from what I read, it can reduce a vehicle body to pieces a child can pick up very rapidly! But at $4-500, I think I might try & make do with an electric jigsaw I already own. Comments?

GO FOR IT

just make sure you get all the rust ...
take it right out to good clean metal.
otherwise the rust will just come back again.

Just be careful with a air chisel, they are really brutal. They are a small jack hammer. They will buckle and warp anything around where you are working near. There best purpose is used for a quick removal of say a unwanted 1/4 panel that is being replaced, not as much detail work.

Best bet it to drill out a spot weld from above, then use a small chisell and hammer seperating the panels. They should just pop apart then.:thumb

I've got an air powered hacksaw which works well, it takes standard hacksaw blades and looks the same as the sawzall.

The Dremel is a toy for the sort of work you are doing.
I do not consider myslef to be hard on power tools, I am still using many that I have had for 25 years,but when I bought a dremel the first one failed after 5 days, the repacement after 6months of occasional light usage and the last just outside warranty.
If you have a compressor get a propper air powered die grinder
Jeff
jeff

I'm with Jeff on this one..my dremal is one of my most favoured tools...for eletrical and modeling work it's perfect. I had mine for about 5 year with no problems. However it just is not designed for serious work, first is spins way to fast 15~37.000 rpm and second it has little to no torque. Save youre self 200 and get a nice dril and spot weld cutter or a decent air grinder if your compressor can keep up.

I like the power I have over sheet metal with my air-reciprocating saw. It's like yours Brad, but smaller and can make use of anything up to a full length hacksaw blade. The blades for it are actually made from hacksaw blade stock and cost upwards of $10 each some places, so I just cut my own and grind them to the shape i need for the work I'm doing. Great for trimming out small to large areas in bodywork and also brilliant for cutting out door panel backings from MDF etc. And because they're variable speed, you can cut plastic and fibreglass without melting it too...

I have to admit though, I do like my angle grinder for carving up a car properly... I sliced a Subaru in half the other day using only a 4 1/2 inch grinder and my "tool of mass destruction" to finish it off... It took all of about 4 or 5 minutes and we had a "Sub" and an "Aru" to cart away on a box trailer. I offered to cut a big bit out of the middle of my mates good Subie and weld it in between the two halves so he could carry longer stuff on it and fit more sh!t inside it, but he wasn't as keen as I was...

"Go the nasty cutting tools"...

hehe all this talk about hacking up cars is making me excited :bounce I admit I've got a really nice 4'' hitachi and a air hacksaw but for pure destruction you just can't beat a 9''. I borrowed Brads metabo (i think) and hacked a kombi. A little later and I had what you see in the picture. Chassis rails, hardened steal whatever the 9'' don't care WooAHAAAAAAAA

For rust work you really need an air saw (the ones that take hacksaw blades) and a small anglegrinder. Your use the grinder to take out big chunks then use the air saw to tidy it up

:vader