Firewall at Clutch Cable Repair

[CharlieB]

Hi all,
The firewall on my '76 Spider is cracked where the clutch cable passes through. I'll be welding a plate but I'm not sure how thick the plate needs to be. I have some 1/8" material but that seems a bit thick.
What thickness do you guys recommend? I'm using a mig welder if that matters.
Thanks,
Charlie

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I think 1/8" should be fine, as long as you can get it welded in there (I'm not a welder). I just went out and looked at my '69 spider as I have the clutch cable out for some repairs, and it has a thick (factory) welded boss on the firewall for the clutch cable. So does my '71 after I went and looked it. Both bosses are round and look to be about 3/16" thick. Maybe even 1/4"; they're pretty beefy.

-Bryan

[CharlieB]

Thanks Bryan, I'm not a very good welder but my neighbor is. So he's going to help out luckily.
I'm still in the process of getting everything out of the way so maybe this weekend he and I can get it done.
1/8" thick sounds like a winner.
Thanks again,
Charlie
PS Hope all is well with you and yours in San Francisco.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

PS Hope all is well with you and yours in San Francisco.

Yep, we're all fine, thanks, but it has been a rough end to the summer what with all the fires and the bad air quality. At one point, my wife and I were on the edge of an evacuation zone, so we had our bags packed, but the danger subsided for the time being. Since my '69 spider has actually been through a brush fire (and survived), I really don't want to go through that again. One set of melted tires and vinyl top and paint job and rubber trim on the outside was enough. Many of our friends up and down the West Coast have lost home and property, so I am very thankful that the worst we had to deal with was the anxiety and the bad air.

Meanwhile, the '71 is running just fine, and I'm going through the '69 with a fine tooth comb.

[CharlieB]

Scary stuff Bryan, glad everything is ok.
I've evacuated for hurricanes (I'm from South Carolina) but at least they are predictable. Fires, not so much.
Take care
Charlie