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Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!!

Old Jul 3, 2004 | 12:49 AM
  #1  
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Default 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.
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Old Jul 3, 2004 | 01:16 AM
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Default Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (59intheworks)

Have you looked at the frame near the radiator support? Check for frame rot on the frame and around the windshield pillars.
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Old Jul 3, 2004 | 01:41 AM
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Default Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (Steve Straus)

I have checked in both of those areas and they look fine.
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Old Jul 3, 2004 | 02:12 AM
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Default Re: Sagging body, please help!!!!!!!!! (59intheworks)

I have checked in both of those areas and they look fine.
What year is your car? I just looked at mine and I have supports that bolt onto the frame and support the nose and bumper. I'm not sure what a rubber bumper car has. Maybe something has come loose on those supports? Is the radiator support tightly bolted to the body?
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Old Jul 3, 2004 | 10:21 AM
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Default 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.
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Old Jul 3, 2004 | 10:30 AM
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Default 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
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Old Jul 3, 2004 | 04:57 PM
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Default 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?
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Old Jul 4, 2004 | 09:59 AM
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Default 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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Old Jul 4, 2004 | 09:13 PM
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Default 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!
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