HOLE FLARE TOOLS

Add strength — and some subtle Singer-esque style

Difficulty:

Time to fit: 1 hour Nothing says Resto Mod more than a few flared (swaged) holes in the bodywork — whether for letting air in, or out, and hole flaring tools are great.

With one easy step you can flare an existing hole in sheet metal panels for improved strength and appearance. Simply placing the two halves of the die on either side of the properly sized hole drawing the tool together with a standard spanner and hey presto — you’ve got instant motorsport cred for your classic Ford. Just don’t get carried away and start drilling holes in every panel...

How much: £59.49 (new, 2.5 inch, MotorsportTools)

“NOTHING SAYS RESTO MOD MORE THAN SOME SWAGED HOLES IN THE BODYWORK...”

E Finished.You can see here how the material has been drawn through adding strength to the panel..

A Using a hole flaring tool To stop the holesaw moving around, drill a pilot hole first.Then drill a matching size hole for the flaring tool.

CTighten both the bolt and nut together.This will draw each part of the tool together, flaring out the metal held in between.

The final stage one is to unbolt the two halves and remove to repeat again where needed.

B With the two sections of the tool separated, feed one side through the hole, and finger-tighten the other end.