Body panel misfits

[tmoretta]

Am having lots of trouble pre-fitting body panels: I have clamped the side sails as suggested by many (5/8 inch back from the frame allowing 8" from door opening to the roll bar frame). The engine cover needs to be forced in and down at the front to mate with the side sails. With the front of the engine cover correctly placed, I have 3/4" gaps between the front engine cover and the trunk and 3/4" gaps between the trunk and the rear panel - not the 1/8" that I would like. Major difficulties in the front also: my headlights seem too high. Should the black plastic front perimeter of the headlight buckets sit below the fiberglass? The headlight are interfering with the forward tip of the fenders. The front bumper is far from the attachment point at the radiator mount. Have some builders left it as it is (forward) and fabricated mounts to bridge the gap?

[RM1SepEx]

Re-read the threads, there is a body fitting thread that's very helpful

I had to slide my panels back a bit, the engine cover needs to be held up 8 inches over the shock strut in the rear

You need to trim the headlight eyelids and the buckets sit under the fiberglass

[tmoretta]

I have installed a support under the rear of the engine cover. It is the front of the cover that is too wide for the side sails. So, the buckets are installed with no black plastic edge showing above the white fiberglass? And, what are the headlight eyelids?

[Mechie3]

I wedged pieces of folded cardboard to set my gaps and then taped the cover to the side sails with duck tape. This helped to make the arc it needed. Then I drilled for the hood pins and after being held in place for months it has taken on the arc.

[metalmaker12]

Am having lots of trouble pre-fitting body panels: I have clamped the side sails as suggested by many (5/8 inch back from the frame allowing 8" from door opening to the roll bar frame). The engine cover needs to be forced in and down at the front to mate with the side sails. With the front of the engine cover correctly placed, I have 3/4" gaps between the front engine cover and the trunk and 3/4" gaps between the trunk and the rear panel - not the 1/8" that I would like. Major difficulties in the front also: my headlights seem too high. Should the black plastic front perimeter of the headlight buckets sit below the fiberglass? The headlight are interfering with the forward tip of the fenders. The front bumper is far from the attachment point at the radiator mount. Have some builders left it as it is (forward) and fabricated mounts to bridge the gap?

All your questions can be answered in the other thread, and pm me I can help guide you ( send pics and measurements so I can view were you are)

[tmoretta]

I have figured out what the headlight "eyelids" are. I have trimmed them some. I also have remounted the headlight buckets lower in the nose (the black lip in front now sits below the fiberglass). I have also removed much of the base of the buckets to get the lights to sit lower. The headlights are finally almost where I want them so that the hood will sit flush with the fender and front bumper. Seems like an awful lot of modification. As for my problem with gaps between the engine and trunk lids, except for adding fiberglass, I can't imagine how I can lessen the gaps. I am thinking that when I finally mount the rear spoiler (wing) it will cover some of the offensive space.

[AZPete]

Regarding the fit of the two engine covers, I pulled the top of the bumper forward by attaching a wire from the top lip of the bumper to the frame over the tranny with a turnbuckle so I could adjust it. In other words, I pulled (straightened) the bumper to better fit the rear engine cover. After about a month I now see that the fiberglass has assumed the new curve somewhat so with more time I may be able to remove the wire, maybe. See the 2/9 post on the K818S build thread where he has done the same thing but with a metal tube.