Exactly!


I fought for two hours trying to move the rear of the body 1" toward the driver side frame rail *without cracking or breaking off any "body parts"*. I managed to move it 3/4".....that's good enough for me to add the cargo area extension.......

I put a 3/4" thick wooden spacer in the passenger side gap to keep the body from sliding against the frame rail again until I can replace all the body mounts.........






The passengerside gap is 1 & 1/4" (1/4" too wide)....add it to the "fix-it list"......................









Since I'm extending the cargo length I can't use drip pans under the deck, so I removed them in order to seal the vent holes/I will leave the stainless grills installed in the deck..................











I managed to fiberglass-in the driver-side panel for the extension............





(I would never have done this to a halfway original car!)

 

So this might be a dumb question that you have already answered, but dont you still need a gas tank? It looks like your extension takes up where the tank goes lol.

 

Here Ya' go............18 gallons..........it fits where the spare tire once was......(don't ask where the spare is going LOL)......you won't be able to see the tank when standing behind the car ........

 

I figured you were doing something like this. Please tell me you are going for a behind the license plate gas cap?

 

O.K. I'm going for a "behind the license plate" gas cap.

However..................

My uncle had a '57 Chevy......the tail light assembly popped out revealing the gas cap

I still haven't installed a filler neck yet/deciding where the gas cap will work best/but your idea would be much easier.........

YOU WIN!

 

Oh the '57s had such a cool gas cap though. But I'm not sure you could fit one behind the light on a vette

 

YEAH it would have been wise to get the body mounts and any rusted gussets replaced before starting this...but no big deal. The process is the same either way (before or after)....and it depends on how badly rusted your #4 body left and right body mounts are. NOT #7 and #8 as you call them..if you want to get technical about it.

When you get ready for this I will be more than glad to give you my opinion if needed.

When you are going to lay the floor of your cabin compartment extension....and actually it can be done along the sides. To give the panel a LOT of added strength WITHOUT adding a lot of weight.

How to do this is quite simple. I use the designing foam like you find in fake floral arrangements where they poke the fake flowers into this foam. WELL...I will cut a 'half round' piece. Picture you cutting a golf ball in half. You would have half circle....then with this half round made out of this designing foam I buy in large sheets. I then bond it with VPA. Then I apply 2 to 3 layers of fiberglass on this half round piece of foam I bonded in place. When the fiberglass cures...this shape of the half round will provide SERIOUS strength to the panel due to the shape you just added. I mean SERIOUS strength. The more of them you make and the size you choose to use and where you put them is up to you but it will change the floppiness of a panel rather quickly and easily.

DID THIS MAKE SENSE????

DUB

 

The aluminum spacers were dissolved/the mounts crumbled like tin cans/I will install wooden spacers for now/It will be November before I replace them.

HOW did you know the floor extension was floppy---LOL!

I already made the floor extension.......Do I understand correctly that the underside of the floor extension will receive the VPA'd sheet of half-*****?

Question: Does fiberglass resin release from PVC pipe?

(I want to join the walls to the floor of the extension by forming 2" radius' using the PVC pipe)

Dub....thanks!

 

Gunner, quit killing yourself fighting both the frame and the body, time too make the move and go body off.
Good luck

 

Me has a problem with my hindsight.....When I bought the car I made it safe to drive so I could knock out small repairs while driving the car daily as needed.

I didn't factor in the total of 200 days per year that I would be house-bound because of the PTSD/family tragedy/depression/

I should have had it done/painted 18 months ago

Today I managed to "move the body enough" to keep going on the cargo mod/avoiding having to lift the body.

Another reason I didn't do a body lift yet is because the frame needs a lot of rust-related repairs at the ?kick-ups?

 

Gunner, sounds like alot of extra work doing frame repairs, body mounts etc. with body on, with your situation of possible downtime i was thinking you would be able to maximize your production during the good times.
Good luck

 

WHOA!!!!!

NO...You are NOT using VPA to make the half round shape.

I did not mean for it to come across like I was doing HALF ***** ....RATHER...I what a half round shape that may be 2 feet long...because that is how wide you part is that you are trying to reinforcement.

And with this half round shape made out of the designing foam...is bonded to the underside of your floor panel...THEN you laminate mat and resin on that to create the shape of the half round. DOES THIS MAKE SENSE NOW?????

YES it generally releases from PVC if you wax the PVC. OR you can apply a layer of boxing cellophane tape and wax it also. That way you can use the shape of the PVC an not have it lock down to it. SO...YES...if you cut a PVC tube in half exposing the INSIDE of the PVC pipe...you can do as I wrote above and apply mat and resin to the inside...and when it cures....remove it and that will give you a SLICK surface for the area you can then apply this curved piece of fiberglass to. IF you have a DOUBT...preform a TEST on the PVC pipe first to see if the mat and resin test spot will release.

DUB

BUT....with this being a convertible...and he is making a larger interior compartment...and using the frame as a gauge so things will fit and work that he is fabricating...he is doing it right at this time. A lot of stress on the rear clip will occur when it is hanging there in the air with basically no support...UNLESS he makes SPECIFIC support stands that would hold up the rear clip at the #4 body mount points.

DUB

 

Like Doorgunner, I thought that you meant "hemispheres". I now see that you were actually describing a D-shaped profile extended the length of the panel.

 

EXACTLY...sorry for the poor description. It has been a LONG day.

DUB

 

You were clear about covering the foam in order to make a tough "shell" over the foam.

The golf ball cut through the center....I thought you meant to glue the halves face down in a pattern on the underside of the floor.....then cover them with fiberglass.....kind of like a Super strong tray that would hold individual eggs..........

I "got it now"..............a long solid foam "rod" split in half lengthwise forming a D shape when looking at it from either end....as many of them as I see fit, like Wendell said......D shape.

GOT IT !!

PVC waxed or taped'n'waxed......Got It!

Thanks Dub.......and Wendell!

 

Chuck, you are giving him ideas! Don't feed the beast! He will put a '57 taillight on it so he can put the gas fill tube there! LOL!

 

Now THATS funny!

 

Well........back to the V.A. They need to see me to make sure I can still be allowed to harmlessly roam the streets.

That's fine......I'm out of fiberglassing cloth and the little brushes that the resin is spread with.....(need a KING CAKE TOO!)

Later!

 

See if they have any garage space.

 

Make sure you get enough King Cake for everyone.