With the body upside down, the rear bumper mounting areas were incredibly easy to correct and work on.
Since we are going from rear exit exhaust, the rear lower valence panel had to be replaced. The new one fit like a glove... so it needed some work too.
We found another broken bond that had to be dealt with. I was in the passenger side rear wheel well area, near the rear body mount.
You can see the adhesive oozing out the other side. You can see the black tar-like substance being removed. That is time consuming. The Soda blaster does not cut through it easily. We eventually got the fiberglass safe chemical stripper out and used it instead.
Like the top side, we filled the stress cracks and age related cracks.
Once we finally got that black stuff out of there, we were able to see the back of the storage area / gas tank area clearly.
The bond line was cracked apart as well... When sitting in the car, this is below the rear window. It separates the gas tank area from the passenger compartment. Fuel vapor and fumes could get in... not good.
More when I can...
-Dave
[This message has been edited by IFLYR22 (edited 08-08-2011).]
I will not be gone long. It is only a 2 month stint, hence the last minute orders.
-Dave
In that case, make sure you keep yourself safe until you get back. Having your project finished by others never ends up the way you would have wanted it.
In that case, make sure you keep yourself safe until you get back. Having your project finished by others never ends up the way you would have wanted it.
I started to do some of the repairs where the strands were sticking out.
I am using resin to re-seal them in, then I will grind and sand out the fibers and extra resin.
Once the bottom had all the metal brackets that we were willing to remove, all the stress and age cracks repaired, and was sanded out a bit, we started to mask all the metal that was left.
Then we shot a coat of sealer. My gun malfunctioned on me or I had the wrong tip and didn't know it, so I had a lot of runs in the sealer that I didn't see while it was going on. I had to sand all those out.
You can see the worst of it right here:
Some of them I just skipped over, as the chassis was going to be hiding them anyway... yeah, I cut a corner After all the sanding and tack-rag was over, I grabbed a different paint gun and prepped for the final coat. We chose the most common over all color from the underside fiberglass, and had a gallon of it made up at a local paint supplier. The goal was to seal in the fiberglass and make it easier to clean and keep clean. The final coat was a 2K Urethane Satin "custom FRP grey". The sealer was a 2K Urethane compatible. All was shot using an HVLP system.
Now that we have a faster internet connection I can see all those pictures you are posting. I used to have to wait so long for a single picture to load it was frustrating. Nice work. I just skimmed threw are you staying with the original color?
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
So what product did you use to strip the paint? I want to get rid of the cheap paint job on my Vette and the only way I can afford it is to do the prep work before its taken to paint.
Now that we have a faster internet connection I can see all those pictures you are posting. I used to have to wait so long for a single picture to load it was frustrating. Nice work. I just skimmed threw are you staying with the original color?
Steve
Thank you! Yeah, that was why I put the disclaimer. I am trying to keep the pictures as high quality as I can. The color will be similar. Right now, we are considering the pin stripe color (or close to it) to be the main body color. It is a darker blue. You can see the pinstripe better in the picture of the body on the dolly from page 1.
So what product did you use to strip the paint? I want to get rid of the cheap paint job on my Vette and the only way I can afford it is to do the prep work before its taken to paint.
We used a chemical stripper called Aircraft Stripper (ironically, not for use on aircraft). It is safe for fiberglass, but we never let it get to the fiberglass on the top side. The underside did not concern us as much. There were enough layers of paint that we could get it to only take one layer off at a time. Once we were at the last layer, the air sanders came out instead. Depending on how many layers of paint and the paint type you have, I would recommend Soda Blasting instead. This car was done in Lacquer. Soda Blasting Lacquer is time consuming. Enamels come off quick with Soda Blasting. I never tried Urethane, so I have no frame of reference there...
Well, the main part of the body was finished, and ready to be put back on the chassis...
New poly body mounts installed and shimmed correctly based on measuring the mounts with a laser.
It took three of us to mount it on the chassis, two to carry the body, one to hold the chassis from moving and guide us. Body mounted on chassis:
My dad's favorite view:
The transmission shifter fit like a glove through the opening... almost too tight. The rubber cover rubbed a little on the passenger side. That will get corrected. This is before the body was bolted down (bolts in holes to keep it from shifting, but no nuts installed).
after bolting it down, the shift knob just had to be installed.
Looking good! Used to work with a guy that ran a Vette shop and he used to say that the best way to get everything lined up body-wise, was to mount the bumpers and align everything else to them. Seen it work both ways, looks like you' ve got it nailed! Very nice restore. Looking forward to future updates.
dude... awesome... I just got caught up on the project.
Your thread almost belongs in 'The Construction Zone'
gave you a (+) for the efforts taken to share with us. Bunch of time represented here with all the sizing of pics, uploading, accompanying text, and all the replies!
Thanks, sir! BTW, I like the barrel cactus out in the yard.
Looking good! Used to work with a guy that ran a Vette shop and he used to say that the best way to get everything lined up body-wise, was to mount the bumpers and align everything else to them. Seen it work both ways, looks like you' ve got it nailed! Very nice restore. Looking forward to future updates.
HAGO!
I have actually heard that before. I believe there may be some truth to it...
dude... awesome... I just got caught up on the project.
Your thread almost belongs in 'The Construction Zone'
gave you a (+) for the efforts taken to share with us. Bunch of time represented here with all the sizing of pics, uploading, accompanying text, and all the replies!
Thanks, sir! BTW, I like the barrel cactus out in the yard.
Thanks for checkin' in! And, thanks for the (+). It has been entertaining for me to post it here. The big time consumption was keeping it all in understandable order...
We connected the steering system as a test fit for the final steering column comes in. The clutch pedal was connected for tests as well.
The pedal assembly was converted from the Automatic Transmission brake pedal to the Standard Transmission brake and clutch pedal system. Then it was installed and the clutch pedal was connected for fit check.
Since the Tremek TKO Transmission has cable driven and electric output for the speedometer, we plan to install cruise control using the electrical speedometer output and add in a more suitable brake switch and clutch switch for cruise cancel. The idea is to use the gas pedal as the point where the cruise control cable pulls on. That way, the digital cruise module can be hidden in the dash to preserve the engine compartment looks. We are looking into after market steering columns so we can install a cruise control/turn signal stalk in it.
We test fit the new front end, and it looked pretty good. It definitely needed some more tweaking. The hood fit like a glove, a little too much like a glove... some sanding was in order. The sides of the hood did not follow the contour of the front, but we did leave the fender skirts un-attached at that location so we could adjust it.
The side vents did not fit their location as well... so we decided to use the original ones to the car and cut out the new ones from the front clip. We cut at the bond lines and where the front fender skirts were bonded in, so it would have a backing to bond them in. It should hide the seam better, as well.
Even though I'm 100% aware that Vettes are made of fiberglass, my brain refuses to accept/process all of the fiberglass that you're fixing/repairing/painting. Keep posting; I'm restoring vicariously through this thread.
Even though I'm 100% aware that Vettes are made of fiberglass, my brain refuses to accept/process all of the fiberglass that you're fixing/repairing/painting. Keep posting; I'm restoring vicariously through this thread.
I'm actually glad it is fiberglass. I have found that fiberglass is easier to fix / modify than metal. Thanks for the interest in this.
We took more measurements and set up some "guide lines" to follow. The lowest point of the body is our zero line. Using long straight edges, shims, and levels (including a laser level), we set up how the front clip was to be bonded on. We did this with the front clip temp installed, so we could see what it should look like when we actually glue it on. We decided to use an SMC / FRP panel adhesive from 3M, Automix 8219 again for this application. It took two tubes.
After gluing it on: (We covered the engine with a sheet just in case...)
The laser to keep the front in the correct spot while fitting it:
We used every clamp we had to bond the front clip on...
Now that the majority of the body panels were installed, we went back to the mechanical stuff... like the radiator support, that was in the original accident the car was in. To replace it was going to cost quite a bit of money, so I decided to just use it, but fix the issues. Everything bolts to it just fine, so it just needs a little tweaking. We also re-riveted the hood hinge and radiator support brackets back in.
It bolts to the inner fender skirts perfectly. The issue is where it bolts to the chassis. I drilled the spot welds out and removed the brackets.
I took two paint sticks and a couple small machine bolts to make a dimensional template.
With the two sides measured out and the brackets marked, I proceeded to re-weld them back on the radiator support using the drilled weld holes and some skip welding. Then, I started to cut the extra metal off.
Final test fit:
The radiator support got fully cleaned up and repainted. All the support rods that go from the radiator support to the headlight mountings fit perfectly.
We also started to test fit the grill... the brackets needed to be riveted in as well.
We test fit with screws before we riveted it back on. Final screws will be stainless and Allen Keyed cap head where used.
Good luck to you!
Thank you for your service, and we will be waiting patiently for updates. Keep your head down, and your eyes up. 
