them head light things you have made are you getting them welded in or just leaving the on with riverts
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them head light things you have made are you getting them welded in or just leaving the on with riverts
I'm leaving them in place with rivets and Ive also used a special automotive adhesive to give extra strength. Theryre totally solid. I must have used over 150 rivets so far.
Thursday 31/08/2006
Managed to blag another 1/2 day todayso started work on securing what remains of my upper slam panel where the bonnet locks into.
This is another tricky part of the front end as it needs to line up exactly as it has to secure not only the bonnet but also the top of the radiator.
I started by degreasing the panel - it was caked in years of dirt and greese. Once clean I stripped down the bonnet pin and catch and degreased them also (just whilst I lined everything up).
I started by locking rhe bonnet into the slam panel and then lining up the centre metal support with the lower valance. I had to make 2 metal extensions to secure the centre column in place - this was due to the bottom welds being drilled out when I changed my lower valance initially.
Bonnet locked into the remains of the slam panel -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/rad14.jpg
Bottom support secured using liquid weld (the grey stuff) and rivets. The excess grey stuff can be removed later -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/rad16.jpg
I calculated that the distance from the back of the new light housings to the front part of the slam panel was exactly 6cm. Theres is a few mm's tolerence in this which is handy -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/rad23.jpg
Once I'd worked out the distances I needed to work out how to secure it. The problem is the existing panel was supported from the sides - welded into the inner wings, the light housings and down the sides into the engine bay. It was also cushioned by the radiator mountings on the top and side.
The first task was to make plates to secure the front section. I measured and cut out 2 plates which would join the inner section of the new light housings with the ends of the slam panel.These would secure it and stop it moving side to side -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/rad21.jpg
These will be braced underneath between the front of the panel and back of the light housings for additional strength.
This secures the front but the panel still flexes up and down when the bonnet is lifted. To stop this I need to brace each end of the panel and also support it from underneath.
I fashioned 2 brackets that will support the underside of the panel and attach it to the engine bay.
I then made card templates for the end sections -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/rad19.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/rad18.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/rad20.jpg
These are rough looking but will be tidied up when made in metal.
The side supports will be hidden beneath the white card templates and lock into the underside of the panel.
I'll not assemble any of this until I've stripped the paint away from the joining points - this will ensure a tough bond.
Once this is done I can work out how to secure the radiator. I can see basically where the top mount should go -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/rad15.jpg
However cant attach it until I know the definate location of the radiator in relatioon to the underside of the slam panel. I'm not sure if it site back so the topcooling fan mounting clip is exposed or whether the radiator is more towards the front of the car so the cooling fan clip is underneath the slam panel.
That's tomorrow's game (along with removing anything that may burn for the welding).
gettin there then i c lol
Keep it up matey
L
Friday 01/09/2006
Managed to Pull another 1/2 day from work (I love it when its quiet) so spent all afternoon and late into the evening in the garage.
Cars going to the Garage on Saturday to get more welding done (see earlier posts re this) so need to secure the bonnet, remove any sound deadening from inside and clear back any wires from the footwells - of which there are loads!
Using the templates I made the day before, I made a couple of minor modifications and cut 2 plates out from galvanised steel. These will secure the bonnet section of whats left of my slam panel in place.
Took ages to get them right but in the end theyre really tough and lock the panel totally. More strength will be added once the radiator is in place and the top mounting of the rad is secured.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/lights94.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/lights93.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/lights96.jpg
However when bolting it all together somehow the panel moved 5mm to the drivers side so now when the bonnet closes the fecking thing moves too far to the left. 5mm is enough to make the gaps in the wings uneven!
So I had to drill out all the rivets and relocate it again!
:mad: pain in the anus! :mad:
It's really solid and now sits properly even if it did take me till 10.30pm!
The grey stuff is sealer - this will be cleaned up once cured.
Although the lock mechanism is secure I'm contemplating getting a set of bonnet pins instead of using the lock. That way I'll know it's secure...
Why not use both?Quote:
Originally Posted by ade
I've decided to get some bonnet pins (solex locking ones) and remove the bonnet pin. The ones I've seen (made by Rage) are descreet units and should look good on the bonnet.
Got a call from the local garage doing the welding on my car (the inner arches and passenger suspension post needed patching up) and they advised its ready for collection. I went up the other day to have a look and to tell them what i weanted for mounting points and it looked really good based on what they'd done at the time. Mounting point wise, I've asked them to fit pads to the bottom so my trolley jack will fit snug on them (2ton one always lives in the boot).
Should get it back Saturay morning.
:thumb:
Thursday 07/09/2006
Operation Boot Flush
Tonight, I are mostly be flushing my boot.
Theres several ways to do this -
Theres the "fibreglass panel" approach which always looks a little dodgy and requires some serious bodge work (and never quite looks right).
Theres the professional "welded plate" approach which is strong, ever lasting but costs a fair bit.
And theres the "ades rivet" approach - explained below.
I figured its not a structural section and the basic concept was to make a stiff plate that can be secured with minimal fuss and then skimmed with filler (as with the welded approach). Mty idea was to to make a plate with folded edges that can be rivetted from behind and from the front in places. this will be further secured using this liquid weld stuff I;ve been using which I have to say I'm really impressed with.
I started with an old mk2 boot I had spare. I removed all anciliaries (wiper, motor etc) and took some measurements and made a card template of the basic recessed area. I made it a fraction smaller all round so that the plate would sit shallow in the recedd, allowing it to be skimmed over with filler.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot9.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot7.jpg
Once the template was made, I added wings and worked out the underside that would conceal the recess from the bottom.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot8.jpg
the wings would fold back the way and sit behind the plate, angled down to fit the contour of the recess. These would them be rivetted in place from behind with additional rivets. on the face.
The pattern was then transposed onto a sheet on 1mm thick galvanised steel and cut out
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot6.jpg
I then spent a few hours hammering, bending and generally shaping the sheet (unfortunately I didnt take any pics) but basically all the folds bend behind the front of the main plate. I then tested the fit and made minor adjustments.
I took measurements and drilled a series of holes along the top of the recess in the boot and down the sides - theres limited access along the bottom of the sides so planned to rivet from the outside (the plate is recessed enough to take the height of a rivet head - which if necessary can be filed flat).
To ensure a really strong bond, I removed the paint from the area that would be bonded -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot10.jpg
Liquid weld was them applied and the plate was fastened in place.
Heres the finished result (prior to smoothing off) -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot1.jpg
heres the underside (still to be sealed and completed - metals just been tapped in place provisionally) -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot2.jpg
and this image shows it looking pretty smooth -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/boot4.jpg
The sheet has been hand bashed so there are hammer marks on it but the best thing is it sits flush and is totally solid.
The next task is to remove excess liquid weld once cured, back fill with expanding foam and skim with filler...but before I do any of that I need to fit my new lock which is a VW Golf mk5 boot release. It's one of the ones where the badge lifts up and actucvates a solenoid opening the boot. Its pretty big and will dominate the rear of the car but will be a totally original feature. I'll replace the vw sign with an opel/vauxhall one 1st though and then have chrome trim coming off the sides for additional detailing (similar to the fromt grill detail of new opels).
I'll post more pics when I start that bit...
let me know what you think.
Ade do you even need to ask what we think.
It looks fantastic and the way you've done the boot panel is a good way for those unfortunates that cant weld (me included) to use.
Nice idea with the boot lock too. You are a very resourceful fella.