First Mike call me Jim, then Kastern call Mike Steeve, then Mike calls Kastern Fred....
Jim, who's Kastern?
My '76 restoration (long post)
- Thread starter denpo
- Start date
Jim, who's Kastern?
MYBAD79
Moderator
MYBAD79
Moderator
Hal was a good guy, he dished it out good as he got....
:smash::thumbs:
http://www.vettemod.com/forum/showthread.php?p=105677#post105677
:lol:
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
First Mike call me Jim, then Kastern call Mike Steeve, then Mike calls Kastern Fred....
Jim, who's Kastern?
It's getting cold over there, and it's getting hard to type, lots of typos.
No kidding.
Sorry Kartsen :amused:
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
Hey Larry, found the problem with the shortened headlight lilnkage.
First there was the outer spring that was hitting the headlight support, and when I removed it, that was the bar itself that hit the support.
The stop tab almost reach its destination.
At least that validates the motion range, now I have clear stable state on both end of the motion, but even with modified spring I don't think the headlight support is going to be happy to be hit every time.
First there was the outer spring that was hitting the headlight support, and when I removed it, that was the bar itself that hit the support.
The stop tab almost reach its destination.
At least that validates the motion range, now I have clear stable state on both end of the motion, but even with modified spring I don't think the headlight support is going to be happy to be hit every time.
It is close on mine but the springs clear the doors. The link should just barely go past center when locked in the up position. Clearancing the doors would be pretty easy also.
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
To the list of things done, I can add my door upper curve fitting.
After ungluing the fiberglass, banging the suporting metal frame and gluing it again, I now have pretty decently matching body curves
Then I started the body seams.
First I chiseled out the original glue down to the underlying bonding strip
Here you can see I cut the bonding strip at the back of the front clip. At the time I found it was easier for adjusting the front clip with the doors.
Then I ground a slope along both side of the fiberglass.
With a mix of epoxy and fiberglass powder I then filled the gap formed by the glue. So I got a continuous V shaped groove.
Sorry no pic of that, will take one when I do the next seams.
Then glassing.
If I'd say I got it right the first time I'd be lying big time.
Took me 4 attempts go get it right. Each time I had to remove everything and start from scratch.
My biggest mistake, and it's a newbie one, was not to break the fiber before laying it.
Basically I was trying to make piece of fiberglass rigid as cardboard to stick to in a concave shape. Did not fly.
It was ok doing this way when the surface are flat and/or can be kept under compression while curing, like all the repairs had to do so far.
I had to get back to fellow restorers thread to understand that.
So with every patch of fiberglass mat gently pulled in every direction until it get soft as cloth, I could finally math by fiberglass to follow the shape.
Bubble is the other big deal breaker, and I found it's important to keep checking the setup while it cures, chasing bubble with a spotlight and a razor blade, making sure every inch of mat is fully soaked in resin.
The painter tape trick, I learned from Jeremy's thread, is a must. Without them I'm sure I couldn't get back to the original shape.
Took me 5 layers to match the body panel thickness. I don't know how thick is my mat, I took the regular-medium-usual local fiberglass supplier sells.
Here the sanded result :
I'm gonna probably sound cocky here, but I'm damn proud of the result.
A handfull of surface bubble (I couldn't monitor the last layer as I wanted), it feels solid, and the seems are barely noticeable.
Last pic is a crack in my donor front clip I discovered some time ago. Cracked fiberglass backed by a generous layer of bondo.
I ground into every cracks and removed all the bad fiberglass
After ungluing the fiberglass, banging the suporting metal frame and gluing it again, I now have pretty decently matching body curves
Then I started the body seams.
First I chiseled out the original glue down to the underlying bonding strip
Here you can see I cut the bonding strip at the back of the front clip. At the time I found it was easier for adjusting the front clip with the doors.
Then I ground a slope along both side of the fiberglass.
With a mix of epoxy and fiberglass powder I then filled the gap formed by the glue. So I got a continuous V shaped groove.
Sorry no pic of that, will take one when I do the next seams.
Then glassing.
If I'd say I got it right the first time I'd be lying big time.
Took me 4 attempts go get it right. Each time I had to remove everything and start from scratch.
My biggest mistake, and it's a newbie one, was not to break the fiber before laying it.
Basically I was trying to make piece of fiberglass rigid as cardboard to stick to in a concave shape. Did not fly.
It was ok doing this way when the surface are flat and/or can be kept under compression while curing, like all the repairs had to do so far.
I had to get back to fellow restorers thread to understand that.
So with every patch of fiberglass mat gently pulled in every direction until it get soft as cloth, I could finally math by fiberglass to follow the shape.
Bubble is the other big deal breaker, and I found it's important to keep checking the setup while it cures, chasing bubble with a spotlight and a razor blade, making sure every inch of mat is fully soaked in resin.
The painter tape trick, I learned from Jeremy's thread, is a must. Without them I'm sure I couldn't get back to the original shape.
Took me 5 layers to match the body panel thickness. I don't know how thick is my mat, I took the regular-medium-usual local fiberglass supplier sells.
Here the sanded result :
I'm gonna probably sound cocky here, but I'm damn proud of the result.
A handfull of surface bubble (I couldn't monitor the last layer as I wanted), it feels solid, and the seems are barely noticeable.
Last pic is a crack in my donor front clip I discovered some time ago. Cracked fiberglass backed by a generous layer of bondo.
I ground into every cracks and removed all the bad fiberglass
SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
nice work on the fiberglassing :thumbs:
GT6Steve
Well-known member
I too noticed the use of painter tape but didn't really understand it's use. All of my glass work was a total mess compared to what smart people were doing.
Can you explain how to exploit the tape?:confused2:
Can you explain how to exploit the tape?:confused2:
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
Thanks Aaron :drink:
It's not everyday you got this feeling that you "get it". It feels good.
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
Here diagram that show what I did on the seams.
Initial state : fiberglass and the pink factory glue
Remove the seams
Grind the border
Form the groove with epoxy+fiberglass powder
Glassing, several layers
Then sanding
Initial state : fiberglass and the pink factory glue
Remove the seams
Grind the border
Form the groove with epoxy+fiberglass powder
Glassing, several layers
Then sanding
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
Steve, do you see in the diagram above how the tape tells me when to stop?
Without you'll never now if you left too much, leaving a hump, of ground to deep, forming a "crevice".
When you start grinding the tape itself, you know you have to slow down, make sure your sanding block stays flat again the tape.
Grind until the tape is all gone, when you just start sanding what was under the tape, you just a the right level.
I hope I don't sound, too professorial. :huh2:
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
Front fender seam, passenger side, done :
I started actual repairs, like this big scratch:
This parts was filled with bondo, ground it out, replace with fiberglass :
This one was cracked
Now it's hole filling time !
Rear fender is ready for glassing
I'm moving really fast, and Sovan will come help me this week's evenings.
I expect the bulk of the bodywork to be done this week.
I started actual repairs, like this big scratch:
This parts was filled with bondo, ground it out, replace with fiberglass :
This one was cracked
Now it's hole filling time !
Rear fender is ready for glassing
I'm moving really fast, and Sovan will come help me this week's evenings.
I expect the bulk of the bodywork to be done this week.
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
glassing, full force ahead!
(Almost all) fender holes glassed
The fender crack repair is on its way, still need some work to get the wheel arch right.
The rear fenders will get sanded tomorrow
Next in line to be glassed off : T-top carrier, antenna and mirrors holes.
(Almost all) fender holes glassed
The fender crack repair is on its way, still need some work to get the wheel arch right.
The rear fenders will get sanded tomorrow
Next in line to be glassed off : T-top carrier, antenna and mirrors holes.
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
:shocking: ANY idea why those odd holes were drilled in the front fenders??
WTF was going on there???:beer:
WTF was going on there???:beer:
Fastphil
Active member
I'm no expert, but I suspect it's related to the crash damage the front clip had. Maybe they drilled holes to help realign the two fender parts before applying tons of bondo. Just a guess.
Fastphil
Active member
Fantastic work Denis, are you enjoying the itchiness from working with fiberglass?
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
Making sure the front clip stay put until the glue set.
Some are also emblem holes, better have to drill one when needed rather that having a holes without emblem.
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
Thanks Phil.
Not that much itching surprisingly, too tired to care anyway.
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
:surrender: Rong term, it's NUMB.......:suicide: