Body work

[Alcarp]

Do you have to do the body work on the frame? If so, should you do the body work first, so you don't get everything messy? Has anyone used or made a body buck like we used on the Cobras?

[beeman]

Do you have to do the body work on the frame? If so, should you do the body work first, so you don't get everything messy? Has anyone used or made a body buck like we used on the Cobras?

I plan to cover the chassis with a plastic drop cloth before laying the body on it for the bodywork.

[rev2xs]

It definitely is a good idea to do the body work on the frame. If i where to do it all over again, i'd do what Fastthings did.

[VD2021]

There are phases of the body work that require the body to be mounted. Hatch, doors hood need to be fitted, flushed and gapped so all of the major body work requires the body to be mounted. I am currently doing bodywork and my body is on the frame. I have everything I'm not working on draped with plastic.

If I had to do it over I would mount the suspension and wheels, set the car at what I would like for ride height and do a garage alignment (with max caster). Then I would mount the body and complete the bodywork. The reason I would mount the suspension and wheels are because the lower corner of the front wheel arc was contacting the tire after the alignment. You can also see how the wheels fit in the wells and check for any issues when the suspension travels.

[Kempo]

Here is a link to the plans for the GTM body buck. Mine was made based on this and turned out OK.

EDIT: I'm such a genius. I forgot to add the link when I posted. Sorry. Thanks for adding it Vidal.
http://gtmbuild.com/galleries/misc/g...ans%20rev1.pdf

[VD2021]

http://gtmbuild.com/galleries/misc/gtm_buck/GTM%20Buck%20Plans%20rev1.pdf

[fact5racer]

http://gtmbuild.com/galleries/misc/gtm_buck/GTM%20Buck%20Plans%20rev1.pdf

You forgot to show the dimensions for the "5" logos. :-)))

[Tanimal]

Do you have to do the body work on the frame? If so, should you do the body work first, so you don't get everything messy? Has anyone used or made a body buck like we used on the Cobras?

It ok for you to do most of the body work off the car if you like. The most important part is that you make sure that you have a loaded suspension when you fit up the panels (which should be the first thing you do when you get there).Figure out how you want the gaps and make sure your body line are all set. Body work to smooth out lows or seam that need touch up is ok. If you're making body lines or molding edges and building crowns do it on the car. It will give you a true idea of what you'll get.

[LCD Gauges]

My input:

I started building the interior, and then dabbled in some body work. Once I saw the mess from the sanding, I planned to continue with the body work as opposed to completing the inside.

At the moment, the body is sitting on the roll cage while I get through the first pass of sanding. Once that is complete, my idea is to lift the body off and wipe everything clean. The only parts
that are secure are located under the hood which will take some effort to dust off.

I'm also taking the advice to mount the body before doing final prep on the hood lines, doors, hatch, etc.

[crash]

It ok for you to do most of the body work off the car if you like.

I would HIGHLY advise AGAINST doing the body work OFF THE CAR. It should be mounted EXACTLY the way it will be finally mounted while doing any bodywork. These bodies consist of large pieces and when one area is "moved" to make something fit, it effects another, or sometimes multiple, areas. The body should be securly fastened to the frame before any detail work is done to insure that it will end up the way it is supposed to. If you do not do this, you will be chasing your tail again and again.

[Jacob McCrea]

I agree completely with crash's comments above. For a few years I worked, either part-time or full-time, at an auto body, frame repair and fabrication shop. I was often the primary painter and body man; a fair amount of my work was fiberglass repair on commercial trucks. From what I can tell, the Roadster may (or may not) be a little more forgiving if you want to do the bodywork on a "buck," but I would not do much more than de-wax/degrease and scuff a GTM or Coupe body without having it hard-mounted to the frame. In my frankly considerable experience you will have a harder time making a body panel truly "straight" if it is constantly moving about in response to your sanding efforts. Nor do you want to apply filler when the panel is not at its final resting place. The filler is generally flexible, but only to a certain point. For these and other reasons the better practice is as crash suggests.

[VD2021]

Here is a link to the plans for the GTM body buck. Mine was made based on this and turned out OK.

EDIT: I'm such a genius. I forgot to add the link when I posted. Sorry. Thanks for adding it Vidal.
http://gtmbuild.com/galleries/misc/g...ans%20rev1.pdf

Hugo,

No worries.....Seemed like a great oportunity to add one to the post count:D

[JonathanS]

I did most of my body work on the buck. I did mount the body to do bodywork on the doors. I am more than happy with the results. It is possible that I am less critical than those who insist that it must be done on a buck or possibly they have not seen the results that can be obtained on a buck. The only area of the car I am not happy with is that I have some wave in the doors, but I do not believe that the buck has anything to do with that.

[Tanimal]

I guess I should preface this by saying that I never worked on a Factory 5 shell so I am not sure how much body work is need. I assumed that the shell is straight so the process should be just removing some seam left by the molds and then getting it to paint. With proper blocking blocking you can work on the shell off the frame if you have experience otherwise it would be best to do it on. If there is wave and high low issue then make sure you First: pick the right block (big enough for the area but not to big as to get in the way of blocking the area, when in doubt go big), Second: pick the right grit (shaping should be in 80 to 120), finish for prime should be finish up to 220(or 320), primer to paint should be finish in 600(or 400). Here where things gets a little hairy, know your product and use the appropriate grit for the product. (aka are you using a primer filler, primer surfacer, primer sealer, or poly surfacer) Third: sand back and forth form the Northwest to Southeast, Northeast to Southwest, and North to South across the whole area unless you are cutting something in (This is call cross hatching this is what makes your panel smooth and flat). It always a good idea to use a guide coat to see where you are sanding to identify high and lows, possible sand scratches when you step through the grits, and pin holes. I recommend 3M Dry guide coat.

If you are working in a restricted area and need to sand your panel off the frame then fit up your panel like what I said in my other post. Once that is done find area on the panel that you don't see (when it is done) and drill an alignment holes (1/8th inch)in different area around the panels.Be wary where you put the holes so you don't put it somewhere it would later leak or make wind noise and such. The plus side of doing this is that you can paint everything off the car and save time on masking but you have to be extra careful putting on the shell so you won't crack or scratch the paint( yes paint will crack regardless of how much flexabilizer you put in if it is stress enough). When you sand anything off the car make sure it is supported properly so as to not flex the panel when sanding. Pressure should be applied evenly across the block as to sand the material but not to much as to flex the panel. If you have a death grip on your block you probable putting on to much pressure.

Well that my 2 cent.