smoothes boot - alternative idea

[ade]

See how most people either jam the hole full of filler/glass fibre which cracks or they weld a plate over it and skim it - which occasionall cracks and leaves a hole at the bottom...

well - why doesnt anyone just hammer out the recess???

I mean - if you take your boot apart (and I've not - I'm just brainstorming here...) and remove all anciliaries like the wiper motor etc (I dont even think theyre attached to the recess) surely the recess can be knocked out reasonably flat and then lightly skimmed?

Any thoughts?

:? :| :?

Might save a shite load of hastle...

[burgo]

wouldnt work i doubt youd be able to shrink the metal enough and you cant get behind it very well

[Rexy]

wayyyyy too much work fella, Plus you will be working the metal far too much. not sure if you have ever tried to get a dent out using a Planishing hammer but it can be an arse unless you have been doing it for years.

To be honest, the easiest way to skim your doot lid would be to have made a Fibreglass sheet and blend that into the bootlid itsself.

Thus saving the cracking effect as its a whole panel... or you could just leave the recess alone ;)

[ade]

shouldnt be that difficult surely - the actual recess is stamped into the a single sheet of metal and its only about 1.5mm thick if that.

Like I say not really looked into it but could be an idea...

I'm trying to avoid the fibreglass option competely.

Was also thinking what about a sheet of acrylic right across the lower rear section. Angle the top and bond with sikaflex or similar. Can fill the recess with expanding foam to give recess area regidity or similar (for weight) and using plastic weld make a plate for the underside...

The look will depend on thickness of acrylic - may stick if more than 3mm-5mm however will give a totally smooth finish withoyt the weight of a plate and a ton of filler...

Am considering this option for my boot smoothed project but then I'm modding my rear lights too so where the boot flush may be a bit deeper, the lights will meet it so you wont tell...

Thats the plan anyway.

[Rexy]

I can see where your comming from fella, I think there would be too much metal tho. Could always buy a knackered boot lid and just take a hammer and angle grinder to it. See what happens.

[Fester]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/SJJura/My%20Cars/Nova%20GTE/Tailgate%20Interior%20Stuff/P8040010.jpg

I started doing one, sacked it off I had to cut the top bit off and needed loads of work to get it anywhere near!

[burgo]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/SJJura/My%20Cars/Nova%20GTE/Tailgate%20Interior%20Stuff/P8040010.jpg

I started doing one, sacked it off I had to cut the top bit off and needed loads of work to get it anywhere near! thats because your trying to fit one skin over another, i think you'll find if you remove the metal skin the fibreglass one is an exact fit. however being as this is ball ache may i surgest cutting the fiberglass panel along the line across the boot then bonding just the lower half on, this way you dont have to worry about the window fitting and it is piss easy to smooth in the line. ;) latest idea which i recon is "the best" way to smooth a nova boot

[peester]

im sure with novas being novas - around for a long time now and owned/stolen/modded by mainly people of the chav breed- this has been attempted before and failed miserably. just a hunch.

[burgo]

im sure with novas being novas - around for a long time now and owned/stolen/modded by mainly people of the chav breed- this has been attempted before and failed miserably. just a hunch.what has been attempted before??

[peester]

im sure with novas being novas - around for a long time now and owned/stolen/modded by mainly people of the chav breed- this has been attempted before and failed miserably. just a hunch.what has been attempted before??

read the thread boss. smacking the crap out of a boot.

[burgo]

ohhh i thought you meant what i had surgested. as to wether or not someone has already attempted it i dont recon anyone would of done because of how much work it would take to shrink the metal again

[Jack]

or you could just leave the recess alone ;)
Best suggestion yet! :lol: :wink:

[coxie]

personally i prefer them with the recess anyways, either colour code the handle or take that out n smooth the top of the recess so u jus have a smooth recess line ( no handle or locks etc)

looks best i reckon .. to many chav cars all smoothed n they almost always crack after time anyway ..

hardly worth all the work

[Stuart]

id say metal plate and then box in the bottom section. Or the acrylic idea but it would need bracing to prevent too much flex.

i stripped a boot lid down to bare metal and in the recess was about 1/2 an inch thick layer of filler which was from the factory!!! lol thankfully thats gone and the lid is much lighter now.

[Dave]

also if welding a plate be careful the boot doesn't heat up and flex
my 1st attempt did and the boot didn't shut flush

[Fester]

Burgo those are meant to be bonded over! There's a ledge underneath to box in the recess from the bottom and the edges coincide with the window rubber/wraparound spoiler!

Anyway though it needed loads of work :lol: still got it all though...

[burgo]

Burgo those are meant to be bonded over! There's a ledge underneath to box in the recess from the bottom and the edges coincide with the window rubber/wraparound spoiler!

Anyway though it needed loads of work :lol: still got it all though... yes i know that but when you bond them it takes shit loads of work to get the window in and smooth off the edges properly

[Rick Draper]

I have a mint nova smoothed boot, the old recess was cut out, this then had a plate welded over it and then a very thin skim of filler ouver the top of it all, in about the 7 years its been done it has not cracked at all.

[Ben]

Thats the best plan ^^^^

[Mike.]

i've got the panel that you have too bond on tio the tailgate and it was a pain in the arse, still not finished lol

[Rexy]

I have a mint nova smoothed boot, the old recess was cut out, this then had a plate welded over it and then a very thin skim of filler ouver the top of it all, in about the 7 years its been done it has not cracked at all.

I was going to suggest that ages ago... but couldnt be arsed to type it Pmsl...

:lol:

[Matt2107]

I reckon you should get an old rusty boot ade and give it a go.

[scriv]

i usualy ciut the recess out then put a peice of metal behind that way u only end up with a very light skim of filler :wink:

[Ste_Nova]

why fill the whole thing??

this idea came from the vw boys who thin the resess

http://www.tomstickland.co.uk/astra/photos/bruntingthorpe_10_02/brunt12.JPG

[Mike.]

i have also seen novas that have number plate recesses off other cars

[scott.parker]

why fill the whole thing??

this idea came from the vw boys who thin the resess

http://www.tomstickland.co.uk/astra/photos/bruntingthorpe_10_02/brunt12.JPG

My mate hates smoothed boots so i said to him try making it more cut size etc..i think it works and its subtle.

See the parts changed..
http://www.novaload.net/images/car_images/1423big8.jpg

scott

[ANDYRACER]

Ive seen that nova before Scott and imo the bootld looks cluttered, but it might be just because of the bodykit rear bumper.

[Ric 16v]

my mate smoothed his tailgate not long ago and he cut along the bends of where the numberplate was and bent it out, it needed virtually no welding or filler it's finished and looks a top job

[andyhayes77]

Heres the lazy boys way get some plastic super glue it to the full width of the boot lid spray it to the car colour then hey presto smoothed boot that will never crack lol i might even try it my boots nackered anyways i made a right c**t ov it filled the lot with filler n fibreglass NOBODY DO IT THAT WAY IT DUNT WORK with loud music ie subs

[andyhayes77]

Heres the lazy boys way get some plastic super glue it to the full width of the boot lid spray it to the car colour then hey presto smoothed boot that will never crack lol i might even try it my boots nackered anyways i made a right c**t ov it filled the lot with filler n fibreglass NOBODY DO IT THAT WAY IT DUNT WORK with loud music ie subs

[NiksNova]

im wondering to save everyone some trouble why not get it done in a garrage? any one know how much itl cost ?

[burgo]

im wondering to save everyone some trouble why not get it done in a garrage? any one know how much itl cost ?ill guesstimate ?300, probably more though