Did a final test fit before fully welding the fenders in. Fitment is looking great with the OEM 1M bumper and side skirts
Closer view of the mounting points. The side skirts and bumper aren't fully attached but they still line up great
Next I got both sides welded up. I started on the driver side, being very slow and meticulous, planishing each tack as I went until it finally came together as a full seam. Used a light from the backside to check for pinholes
Then the passenger side, which went much much faster. I found that instead of doing tacks one at a time, I could do batches of 3, each spaced out a few inches, and then planish the full batch. I got the main seam finished tonight and just have the rear part left. I wanted to try and work that rear radius before fully welding that area, but it was too late by the time I got around to it tonight and my neighbors have a baby I don't want to wake up
Tomorrow I'll finish welding in this flare, then prime and seal as much as I can from the backside. The outer seam surface will also receive a quick coat of spray can primer for now just to keep it protected while I build the wheel wells- proper bodywork will come after the car is fully 'sealed' again. I'm in Florida, so it will start to rust within a day or two if I don't get it immediately primed