Firstly, kudos on the initiative to make a DIY manual for this inevitable part of coupe ownership - even if one never takes this type of project on themselves, such a document (with pictures, no less!) can be very educational for a contract body man.
I agree with your approach, but also offer up that the fender CAN be saved if the removal process is thorough. Specifically, the factory used tack welds, butt-welds, and brazing for fender attachment. At the a-pillar connection point, they also used lead filler to smooth everything out.
I first removed the door (one can't access the jamb spot welds without doing so), and drilled out the spot welds:
I also removed the spot welds on the support braces in the engine bay. These are also brazed to the fender, and in my project they were not salvageable. The points where they connect to the fender, however, were preserved by grinding away the brace from the fender.
I striped the paint (could be done before or after spot weld removal - I found more spot welds to drill out after stripping) to reveal the butt-weld seams:
A-pillar, window sill, and rocker connection butt-weld seams were ground through with a cutoff wheel (taking care not to damage the underlying material). Seams hidden by lead filler (at a-pillar and window sill) were first exposed using heating (propane torch with rosebud tip) and a wire brush (to remove molten filler lead):
The butt-welds at the nose were cut with a body panel saw (this is a small reciprocating saw with a metal blade, similar to a jigsaw but more maneuverable). There are weld tabs on the bottom, and if you are careful these can be saved with some careful cutting - if preserved, this will likely make refitting easier. When all is done, the fender will lift off:
I included my pictures for reference, and to build a more comprehensive publication. I have more if needed.
For reinstallation, a tig welder might make those butt-weld seams a bit prettier.
P.S. I kept the color scheme the same as yours for purely for cohesiveness, of course :-D!
