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FINALLY gettign back on this project after a few projects that seemed to go on forever. WHEW....glad to get back into this one.
Getting my photos and information entered...so hopefully in the next day or two I should be done.
This photo is of the roll bar where it passes through the firewall area near the fuse panel. gettign it prepped and ready for laminating up the fiberglass to close in the fiberglass to the roll bar tube better.
This is the left side roll bar where it goes through the firewall area. I laminated up the fiberglas around the tubing. This has not yet been prepped or ground on to clean it up.
Finalizing the firewall where all the un-needed holes have been filled in. YES...I know the area behind where the master cylinder was filled in due to....well...it just needed to because it was a power brake car and now it is going to manual brakes.
I basically filled in the heater core hole and others....including the wiper motor hole The firewall is gettign very close to being completed.
Looking good. Is the firewall going to be body color or black? If black, what do you use? And in your last photo, I presume the roll cage is welded to the frame?
All of the repair we are looking at is VPA? Just making sure. When I get to my firewall I want to do this as well. If you were going to fill that seem would you use VPA or something else?
All of the repair we are looking at is VPA? Just making sure. When I get to my firewall I want to do this as well. If you were going to fill that seem would you use VPA or something else?
I won't steal Dub's thunder but yes that is VPA. Using this product is a learning experience which Dub has gone over with me many times. Wise to take his advice and get the feel for it. Great stuff though. Here are some shots of my project which Dub has giuded me on along the way.
RVZIO
Just making sure. I'm so glad to find this thread. I would have wiped the firewall with bondo after filling in the holes and cutting out the seem that runs across C1s. I have a few repairs to make to the fenders as well as replacing the lower nose piece on mine. Someone in the past cut out behind the grill and the bumperettes with a saber saw. I bought a NOS lower nose, if it ever gets here, to do that repair. A couple of body mount holes will need attention including the left rear where I guess the mounting rubber or shims got away and the frame rubbed the entire bottom of the mount off. When I saw that I really didn't like it but I guess it's no big deal. This thread is invaluable to me!
All of the repair we are looking at is VPA? Just making sure. When I get to my firewall I want to do this as well. If you were going to fill that seem would you use VPA or something else?
Not all of them. In POST#11...I showed me laminating in the huge hole where the heater core was located.
But YES...you would be amazed on what you can do with the VPA.
And as Roger mentioned...VPA does take a bit of time to practice with so you know what to expect out of it. but once you know what you can do ...like I showed and explained in many photos....it can save huge amounts of time and still be a rock solid repair.
But this also requires a person to stop and think about any stressed the panel may be under where laminating is needed.
WHERE the crack or hole is located is just as important ...because it can dictate on what needs to be done to make sure it does not come back.
And...for what it is worth....the fibergalss resin Roger shows in POST# 66. Is good resin...BUT...following the chart on the side of the can on how many drops that they say are needed can come back and possibly cause the resin to set up a lot faster than I personally like. I do not want my resin to set up in an hour or two. I prefer it to take 24 hours. SO...testing this might also be worth you time if you care about this at all.
Not all of them. In POST#11...I showed me laminating in the huge hole where the heater core was located.
But YES...you would be amazed on what you can do with the VPA.
And as Roger mentioned...VPA does take a bit of time to practice with so you know what to expect out of it. but once you know what you can do ...like I showed and explained in many photos....it can save huge amounts of time and still be a rock solid repair.
But this also requires a person to stop and think about any stressed the panel may be under where laminating is needed.
WHERE the crack or hole is located is just as important ...because it can dictate on what needs to be done to make sure it does not come back.
And...for what it is worth....the fibergalss resin Roger shows in POST# 66. Is good resin...BUT...following the chart on the side of the can on how many drops that they say are needed can come back and possibly cause the resin to set up a lot faster than I personally like. I do not want my resin to set up in an hour or two. I prefer it to take 24 hours. SO...testing this might also be worth you time if you care about this at all.
DUB
Good point Dub, I have not used the resin, that just caught in the picture. Any advice on using that particular product. The other repairs I made were with a different product. Just curious.
RVZIO
Good point Dub, I have not used the resin, that just caught in the picture. Any advice on using that particular product. The other repairs I made were with a different product. Just curious.
RVZIO
YES...Roger, that EVERCOAT resin is good stuff....but you can seriously pull back on the number of drops PER ounce an easy 3-4 drops if not more.
***For anyone who reads this****
PLEASE test it to confirm it. And YES you actually have to laminate something...because a mixing cup with 4 ounces in it is NOT a test due to the heat that builds up when it begins to catalyze. SO...actually laying out mat and resin CORRECTLY ( and no more than 3 layers of ounce and half mat) is how this needs to be done and if people feel that this is a waste of time or product...then do as you see fit.
I did tests with the EVRCOAT resin...but how much MEKP I add depending on temeprature conditions. I also get another resin from across the border in South Carolina and I know how it does. And that resin is what I used in the lamination repairs on this car.
And for those who feel that they want to apply 5-9 layers of mat and resin because they want it do it there way and save time. Go ahead.
And I would love to be there and see what can happen. Because I have really pushed the envelope on laminating...because I learned WAY before the internet. And I can personally seen the effects if trying to do too much at one time.
Got it. I am watching all the way through very carefully. I was talking about all of the greenish blue you can see. I plan on doing the heater delete and relocating the wiper motor as well as removing the horizontal seam, again a 61. I am also gong to use hidden latches but I'll have to figure out how to attach them where they won't break loose from closing the hood. Thanks
Got it. I am watching all the way through very carefully. I was talking about all of the greenish blue you can see. I plan on doing the heater delete and relocating the wiper motor as well as removing the horizontal seam, again a 61. I am also gong to use hidden latches but I'll have to figure out how to attach them where they won't break loose from closing the hood. Thanks
Yes...the blueish gray/green colored stuff is the VPA.
And I did use it on the outside of the heater area so that it would be flat so when I go and paint it...it look decent and not all wash boardy.
If you get to a point and need input on your hidden latch idea. I would be more than glad to be a 'sounding board' that you can bounce ideas off of. Because even though the VPA is stout...it does have some specific limitations when it is expected to be the prefect adhesive for every idea. Which it is not always the best adhesive in some structural applications.
Thanks will do. I have to finish the frame first.pretty close on it. After powder coat I'll final assemble the the chassis and suspension then on to body work.
This is what I want to use for latches. I'll have to attach a plate to the top and laminate it in but I'll need supports from the sides to keep if from breaking loose. Now you'll have an idea what I'm doing and the best way to get there.
FINALLY!!!! I have the firewall to the point where I can basically call it done and ready for the next step when the body and frame get joined again.
I know this is going to be a drag car..but there are still processes and prep procedures that still should be employed to make sure that when I go and apply the primer/paint. It looks decent.
This photo is of some really bad fiberglass work that was done on the left side of the floor board area ..just a bit to the rear of the hinge post area.
As I suspected and does NOT surprise me. Who ever did the lamination work on this car...DID NOT prep it correctly and I could actually get the lamination to pop off becasue they did NOT prep it. Apply fiberglass resin on undercoating, paint, oil and whatever contaminant is on a surface DOES NOT mean that it will adhere.
In the photo below...it proves it. I peeled it back and VOILA...it is dirty and NEVER STUCK. The ONLY reason it stayed in place was because that had such a huge pile of mat and resin...it could not go anywhere...but it did not bond...it was just laying there.
Here is the area AFTER I ground and peeled stuff off.
This is a view form the underside. Notice how they actually cut into the rocker channel and THEN realized....OOOPS!!! We did not need to cut it here for the roll cage...and moved it forward of this cut out. This damage is ONLY on the left side...they did not make the same mistake on the right side.
I got a section of the rocker channel...and I will cut out a section of it and weld in back into the rocker channel where they had cut out a section.
I cut out a section to weld back in from the used rocker channel.
After cutting the section form the used rocker channel. I got it fitted for welding. It will go into my blast cabinet and get cleaned up.
The section AFTER I media blasted it clean and free of rust. It is being held in place by magnets and getting ready for tack welding it in. I am butt welding it back in place.
The section AFTER I welded it in place and ground down the welds.
A view of the section from the underside. A little bit more grinding to make me happy and it will be ready for prepping it so the POR-15 can be applied and then I can do my fiberglass lamination on the inside later.
After following the correct prep procedure so POR-15 can be applied to the steel section I welded in to repair the rocker channel. It was allowed to cure and then I used masking tape as a backing material so I could laminate in the lager hole in the floorpan area. I applied a thin coat of mold release wax on the newly welded in section so the fiberglass resin would not come in contact with tit and possibly effect it somehow.
11-21-2016, 06:14 PM
