F500guy
08-07-2024, 10:55 AM
Ok everyone, sorry for the long post but can't find to much info positive or negative to address some of the body work before I install it on the chassis to continue with assembly. Paul had some good details in one of his builds, but have not seen to much else to cover the woulda's, shoulda's, if again or wasted my time on it. This part of the build will be my nemeses, I can stumble thru as I have done a lot of fiberglass crash repairs and fabbed a few minor things, but want to minimize mine and a pro body-work person's time at final body finish and paint. Don't worry, I have another post for after the body is fitted and I want to get it to license and title before final body work, which will probably try and schedule with Ken next year unless I can get something else worked out;). Chime in if you have any input.
1) Trunk opening: Trim the lip to 1/2-inch all around.
2) Door openings: Trim the lip to 5/16 - 1/4-inch all around.
3) Hood opening: Cut off the bottom part of the lip to 5/16 - 1/4-inch all around.
4) Radiator opening, oil cooler opening, brake cooler openings: Trim all around making the lip parallel to the smallest dimension.
5) Body sides where they wrap under: Straighten.
6) Front body bottom wheel well to wheel well. Trim as necessary to have parallel behind the oil cooler opening and symmetrical curves to both wheel well openings.
7) Rear body bottom wheel well to wheel well. Similar to the front. Parallel to the trunk opening and symmetrical curves to both wheel well openings. Note for the entire body perimeter, I break the edges with a slight radius all the way around inside and outside. Your hands will thank you as you handle the body plus helps to not tear up bulb seal.
8) Wheel well openings. Here I first trim the lips to 5/16 - 3/8-inch all around. The fronts I taper to zero starting 6-inches or before it starts going around to the front. Hope that makes sense. I put a pretty strong radius on the outside all around all four. Later I'll be adding a filet of HSRF all around the inside of the lips, and put a radius on the inside. This gives the appearance of a rolled edge.
9) Side louver openings: I adjust them so the angle of the opening exactly matches the angle of the louvers and so that exactly the same amount of each louver is exposed.
10) Cockpit roll around dash: Straighten/clean as necessary and trim to provide dash clearance.
11) Cockpit roll around rear wall: Also straighten/clean and trim to provide rear wall clearance including carpet.
12) Entire underside with heavy grit paper to knock off the high points, loose threads of glass, etc. and apply trunk bedliner.
13) Install bulb seal and foam strips? (hood area does not seam like much benefit there are there any other tall rubber or foam products to put on the frame for the body to rest on and if the body contacts the dash hoop, what should be done there?
1) Trunk opening: Trim the lip to 1/2-inch all around.
2) Door openings: Trim the lip to 5/16 - 1/4-inch all around.
3) Hood opening: Cut off the bottom part of the lip to 5/16 - 1/4-inch all around.
4) Radiator opening, oil cooler opening, brake cooler openings: Trim all around making the lip parallel to the smallest dimension.
5) Body sides where they wrap under: Straighten.
6) Front body bottom wheel well to wheel well. Trim as necessary to have parallel behind the oil cooler opening and symmetrical curves to both wheel well openings.
7) Rear body bottom wheel well to wheel well. Similar to the front. Parallel to the trunk opening and symmetrical curves to both wheel well openings. Note for the entire body perimeter, I break the edges with a slight radius all the way around inside and outside. Your hands will thank you as you handle the body plus helps to not tear up bulb seal.
8) Wheel well openings. Here I first trim the lips to 5/16 - 3/8-inch all around. The fronts I taper to zero starting 6-inches or before it starts going around to the front. Hope that makes sense. I put a pretty strong radius on the outside all around all four. Later I'll be adding a filet of HSRF all around the inside of the lips, and put a radius on the inside. This gives the appearance of a rolled edge.
9) Side louver openings: I adjust them so the angle of the opening exactly matches the angle of the louvers and so that exactly the same amount of each louver is exposed.
10) Cockpit roll around dash: Straighten/clean as necessary and trim to provide dash clearance.
11) Cockpit roll around rear wall: Also straighten/clean and trim to provide rear wall clearance including carpet.
12) Entire underside with heavy grit paper to knock off the high points, loose threads of glass, etc. and apply trunk bedliner.
13) Install bulb seal and foam strips? (hood area does not seam like much benefit there are there any other tall rubber or foam products to put on the frame for the body to rest on and if the body contacts the dash hoop, what should be done there?