View Full Version : 1/4 inch gap between rear cockpit panel and cross beam
nick7405
02-21-2020, 08:10 PM
I have almost a quarter inch gap when placing the rear cockpit panel in place from the cross beam behind it and the vertical beams behind passenger and driver. Is this normal? Do I just force it to fit with riveting or am i doing something wrong?
122930
phileas_fogg
02-22-2020, 08:54 AM
Something's not right. Can you re-mount the panel(s) as shipped by F5? Is your floor pan in the correct place? Is the bottom of the panel sitting inside the floor pan tab? Is the forward edge of the side panel approximately flush with the 3/4" frame & door striker mount?
At shipping, my aluminum panel looked like this.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4306/36249140746_aa1844a095_3k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XedjDh)IMG_1032 (https://flic.kr/p/XedjDh) by jhsitton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/91016165@N07/), on Flickr
John
Richard Oben
02-22-2020, 09:53 AM
The key is to mount the seat belt holes at the edge of the 3/4 tube where the bottom of the slot is at the top of the tube. Center and the drill a couple of holes there first. The rest is easy to push or pull to fit. We have actually re bent the bottom of the panel to mate with the floor.
Last but not least, do not sweat this small stuff, build the car, no one will ever see that panel ever again. JMHO, Richard.
nick7405
02-22-2020, 10:04 AM
Thanks for the info. I'll work from the top then and just work down on the fasteners
. We have actually re bent the bottom of the panel to mate with the floor.
JMHO, Richard.
I've got a very early MkIV and that space at the bottom was on mine too. I took a 1/4" piece of aluminum and fit it in there without re-bending the tab and used long rivets. As I learned early on there is some massaging that will take place before it all fits together. I have found those small challenges a bit of fun but sometimes it can also be frustrating.
George