Am I Ready for the Body?

So I decided to run in gelcoat this summer and do body work next winter. I've been working on the aluminum panels and have gotten to the point where I think I'm ready to put the body on, but I'm not 100% sure if I've fitted all of the right panels and left the right ones off.

All of the gunk panels are in, f panels up front, dash, foot boxes, cockpit (minus door sills and upper rear cockpit, and the rear outer gunk panels. That leaves the elephant ears/splash guards front and back, and the radiator trim.

Am I missing any that should already be on? I still need to do the sai kit anyway, but I'm getting close, so I figured I'd double check.

Thanks!

I'm right with you and pondering the same issues. Are you going to bolt on the ears? I am thinking on using rivnuts so they can be removed easily. I have read to make sure the windshield is fitted before aligning the doors and the ears need to be on before final trimming the side pipe cut outs.

You've pretty much got it Kevin, aside from the rear cockpit panels which should go on and get bulb seal prior to the body. If you have a hood hinge assemble and roughly install it now then make your adjustments when you fit the hood. Remember your cockpit brace. Keep the rear high, drop the nose over the front extensions then move the body rearward while lowering the back end. After you have the body on do the splash panels and nose aluminum. As carbon said install the windshield & front splash panels before trimming for sidepipes and fitting doors. I just use the leftover FFR self tapping shipping screws for the initial install of elephant ears then rivet them when it is time to go permanent.

Good luck guys; you'll find that the anticipation of putting the body on is greater than the challenge of actually doing it!

Jeff

Thanks guys, sounds like we're on track. I might go ahead and do the ears with screws (that's how I did the small upper bulk head pcs) and do the bulb seal on the bulk head and my custom piece I made for the bulk head shelf.

Guess I'll get the tires off and get that SAI kit installed so that I can give the body a shot.

I'll watch for 3k's posts too and see if you come up with anything else to watch out for.

JK i believe the rear cockpit panel doesn't get a bulb seal, that panel sometimes interferes with body alignment it shouldn't be touching the body at all.
the side panels get the bulb seal, the ones along the side of the rear tires, and the arched 3/4 tube gets the doublesided tape this is where the trunk attaches.

I'm not to far away. I spent today drilling seat bolt holes and running cables for my hidden amp and MP3 player. Still have to fit up the roll bar. I'm going with a full width bar about 3" lower than standard so I have some fabrication to do on that.

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Originally Posted by 3kcarbon

I'm right with you and pondering the same issues. Are you going to bolt on the ears? I am thinking on using rivnuts so they can be removed easily. I have read to make sure the windshield is fitted before aligning the doors and the ears need to be on before final trimming the side pipe cut outs.

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Hold the front and rear splash panels in with rivnuts - I ended up having to remove mine a few times, damn glad I can just unscrew them and not have to drill rivets out.

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Originally Posted by BigLeo69

JK i believe the rear cockpit panel doesn't get a bulb seal, that panel sometimes interferes with body alignment it shouldn't be touching the body at all.
the side panels get the bulb seal, the ones along the side of the rear tires, and the arched 3/4 tube gets the doublesided tape this is where the trunk attaches.

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That's what I meant Leo but maybe it wasn't clear. I think Kevin was talking about the small wings right behind the seats that make the wheelwell tops---short stretches of bulb seal there but not across the large panel running side to side. BTW, on the Mk4 FFR has redesigned the aluminum behind the seats and done away with those contrary little "dammit" panels. Kudos to them; much easier now!

Jeff

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Originally Posted by efnfast

Hold the front and rear splash panels in with rivnuts - I ended up having to remove mine a few times, damn glad I can just unscrew them and not have to drill rivets out.

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Alex, seems like you're a rivnut expert, you used them on your footbox panels, too, right?

I need to get some ordered, which sizes are you using?

If you haven't done the expanded footbox mod, do it before mounting the body. I didn't and had to do it all from the inside, which is much more difficult.
Pete

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Originally Posted by AZPete

If you haven't done the expanded footbox mod, do it before mounting the body. I didn't and had to do it all from the inside, which is much more difficult.
Pete

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Oh, yes, I'm all over that, I actually made both sides of mine bigger, PS and DS, and did a dead pedal bump out and added room on the go-pedal side as well. I wouldn't want to try that with the body on, for sure.

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Originally Posted by Kevin Davis

Alex, seems like you're a rivnut expert, you used them on your footbox panels, too, right?

I need to get some ordered, which sizes are you using?

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I mostly used 8-32 for attaching panels.

I installed all my lights before putting the body on. Much easier to do while it is still on the buck. Just tape the pigtails up out of the way while the body is gong on. I also fitted/drilled the Lemans filler cap beforehand.
Don't forget bulb seal on the firewall. The shoulder harness hole plastic grommet protective stuff, is easier to install with the body off, as well. It's a little tricky to fit it. Not sure if you have a heater, but defogger holes cut now, would be smart, as would be wiper pivot holes.

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Originally Posted by efnfast

I mostly used 8-32 for attaching panels.

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Are you putting the rivnuts in the F panels or the ears? I was pondering 1/4-20 which is over kill but I already have a box of 1/4-20 here.

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Originally Posted by 3kcarbon

Are you putting the rivnuts in the F panels or the ears? I was pondering 1/4-20 which is over kill but I already have a box of 1/4-20 here.

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1/4-20 would be kind of useless (imho) for panel attachments .... #8s are compact and will hold perfectly fine.

The rivnuts go into the frame, the screw then goes through the panel into the frame.

So basically align the panel where you want it to go. Clamp it in place. Drill through panel and frame with drill bit (I usually use 1/8''). Then drill out the frame larger to accomodate the rivnut (use proper sized drill bit here!). Then enlarge hole in aluminum to accomodate #8 screw. Done.

When a rivnut goes in, it leaves a "washer" on the the surface it's going into (so it isn't totally flush). This was okay for me if the panel was resting against the rivnut 'washer' instead of directly against the frame, but if you want it directly against the frame you can use a unibit to enlarge the aluminum holes such that they sit inside the rivnut 'washer'.

In any event, make certain you practice before using them - it's not very hard to do, it's just like pulling a rivet, EXCEPT you don't want to mash the handles of your rivnut tool together. Generally a gentle squeeze and you're done - too much of a squeeze and you'll rip the threads off the rivnut.

I wouldn't bother with steel rivnuts - the aluminum ones work fine once you've practiced installing them (i.e., you don't end up stripping the threads, lol) .... they can take a fair bit of torque. For example, a 1/4-20 max recommended torque is 10ft-lbs. I can torque a 1/4-20 bolt into an aluminum 1/4-20 rivnut to 15ft-lbs before I destroy the rivnut, so they're plenty strong.

#8's are as big as a rivit so I see the logic.

I used 1/4 -20's on the rear elephant ears because there were only three (2 at the top and one at the bottom thru the lower fender edge) and 10-24's in the front ones from top to bottom, with one above the cobraearl power vent duct and one right below it on either side. I used them on the front for the nose floor to body and to the lower radiator; and to mount my ss mesh radiator guard.

Kinney Beisel