Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth Texas
Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!!
I noticed the other day that it looked like the hood on my 68 vert was coming up on the drivers side front (up by the bumper). After looking at it, I have decided that the body is sagging in that corner and the hood is alined fine. If I open the hood and pull up on the body right in the corner behind the drivers side head light it moves up and down about an inch or so. Also there are about 3 or 4 stress cracks in the drives side fender close to where the hood starts its turn in the front (if that makes sence). Anyway it seems like something is lose and allowing that front corner to sag a little bit. I have gotten under it and can't find anything lose and don't see any cracks in the seems anywhere. Any ideas or help would be great. Thanks, Ray.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,679
Likes: 6
From: Charles Town WV
Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (59intheworks)
I have checked in both of those areas and they look fine.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth Texas
Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (Steve Straus)
Its a 1968 convertible and the best I can tell all the supports seem tight, but it feels like something is lose. I must be missing something that I can't see.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,410
Likes: 0
From: chicago IL
Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (59intheworks)
I think you might have the same problem that i did, the fiberglass glue that they use for bonding eventually wears out and it doesnt keep the body glued down anymore, when we removed our front we oculd take all the panels off by hand, no even using a chisel, most likely the fiberglass has just started coming off of the fender skirts and frame because the glue no longer holds it in place. My .02 
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth Texas
Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (killervette666)
yea I think your right. It looks like the bonding strip that runs across the front is coming off on the drivers side. Anyone got an easy fix for re-sealing it?
Racer
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: cincinnati oh
Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (59intheworks)
If you clean off the old adhesive with a grinder you should be able to glue the joints back together. The hard part is figuring out how to clamp the parts so that they don't move while it is curing. Make sure you use the stuff made for FRP panels. The Ecklers stuff is pretty good.
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Drifting
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,432
Likes: 22
From: Oxford CT
Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (59intheworks)
Before you get to deep into this, check the support bracket on the inner fender. If you look at the inside front of your weel well, you should see two bolts. These hold a "L" bracket on the other side of the fender which in turn support the end of the bonded metal support across the front of the car.
If these are lose or missing or the support is off the bracket the fender will sag. Ask me how I know this!
If these are lose or missing or the support is off the bracket the fender will sag. Ask me how I know this!
