Front trunk Floor pan, Progress thread Options

[peteyd]

Alright, I spoke a while back that I was going to start producing the Front trunk pan. I already have all the steel and all the CAD work done, so all I need to do is prep the steel and start cutting!

I wanted to start a thread here for all to follow the progress and also to get a better idea of what goes on at Restoration Design. I am the one in charge of designing and making all the dies here for the 914, 911, 912, and 356's. I have only made two small dies( pedal cluster support, seat mount bracket) for the 914 so far so I wanted to make something else that was in need.

I started with an NOS full floor pan. The one that runs from the firewall all the way to the front trunk pan. Brought that away to get a digital scan and then from there I designed the male and female halves of the die.

[peteyd]

Time for an update.

We managed to load the die into the press yesterday. There is a total of ten nitrogen cylinders that have 1800 psi in them. They hold up the draw pad higher than the male half of the die. When the female half of the die comes down, it first clamps the sheet metal between the draw pad and the female half of the die. The press then goes into high pressure mode and starts to compress the nitrogen cylinders. (BTW, this press has a maximum of 500 tons of pressure.) This process makes sure that the sheet metal is clamps around the perimeter and in theory should make for less wrinkles and folds.

Sometimes different amounts of pressure need to be placed in different areas.

You can see in the picture that there is still wrinkling. We only did one stamping so far. Now we have to test out different amounts of pressure in different spots, as well as different blank shapes and sizes.

It might take a couple days to fine tune it, and get a perfect part. There are still holes in the pan for drainage and for the vertical tubes under the headlight buckets. There are some edges at the front that need to be hammer formed as well. So once we have stamped a good part, that still needs to be done.

[Niklas]

Looking good!!

Maybe oil the sheet metal when you press it so it will form smoother?

Niklas

[sixnotfour]

The Blems will make good AC hole patches.

[Black22]

The Blems will make good AC hole patches.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[Jeffs9146]

The Blems will make good AC hole patches.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I will take one!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[pjf]

The Blems will make good AC hole patches.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I will take one!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

I only need enough to cover an AC hole too. Any chance of you selling the "irregulars"?

[914werke]

You betcha! Ill take that one!

[shuie]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i36.photobucket.com-2075-1340339149.1.gif)

[peteyd]

The parts are not "coined" meaning the die has not come down fully because of the folds. The stamping is not crisp, and I do not want to send out a mediocre product.

I know you only need the AC cutout, but from the picture you cannot see that the lines are not clean and crisp.

We will continue to work with it. If we get some stampings that are crisp, but still not good enough as a whole piece, then I will consider selling one.

Pete

[pjf]

The parts are not "coined" meaning the die has not come down fully because of the folds. The stamping is not crisp, and I do not want to send out a mediocre product.

I know you only need the AC cutout, but from the picture you cannot see that the lines are not clean and crisp.

We will continue to work with it. If we get some stampings that are crisp, but still not good enough as a whole piece, then I will consider selling one.

Pete

That makes sense. I didn't consider that the piece wouldn't be fully formed by the creases. Good luck with finishing this piece. I'll definitely be buying one either way.

[ChrisFoley]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)
Excellent first test!
Using that "scrap" piece would be way better than scabbing in a section grabbed from a donor car with 5 layers of paint hiding all the rust.
I know some cars that would consider it an upgrade, lol!

[ThePaintedMan]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)
Excellent first test!
Using that "scrap" piece would be way better than scabbing in a section grabbed from a donor car with 5 layers of paint hiding all the rust.
I know some cars that would consider it an upgrade, lol!

Yeah! You should sell your scrap/test pieces at a discounted rate to those who don't care so much. That being said, the parts you guys produce are works of art and I understand the need to ensure that every piece that leaves there is up to your standards. Thank you for giving us a place to go - I know many owners of cars who aren't so fortunate.

[JmuRiz]

Man, I wish you guys made parts for the Mercedes W114/115!!!

[obscurity]

I can't speak for others but I need the engine mount. Any plans for those any time soon. 8) By the way this thread is amazing. I am a closet CNC junkie.

John

How about a prestamped hell hole liner (battery side) ?? ....... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

Im not quite sure what you mean. All the pieces for that area are being made currently.

Maybe others can chime in but IMO the greater part of most 914s have 'hell hole' corrosion. Mine has the superficial liner completely gone.

this is the spot;

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...p;hl=hell++hole

There is a kit but it is all flat pieces that needs welding and fabrication in and of itself.

If there was a preshaped piece that droped in and spot welded or riveted in place ............ then seam sealed and painted .......... that would be the ticket!!!!!

It would be small and you would sell A LOT of them!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

I did a quick 'title' search for hell hole and got three pages worth right off the bat. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

Please never rivet a piece of sheet metal over existing rust ! It would only make the problem worse.

I do sell these pieces though, which piece still needs to be made?

[RON S.]

Excellent progress Pete, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

It'll be right soon...


Ron

[peteyd]

Excellent progress Pete, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

It'll be right soon...


Ron

I made some adjustments to the die last week, and we should be trying to stamp another part this week.

updates to come...

[MrHyde]

Excellent.. I just finished with the gas tank bay and rear trunk and painted them on the weekend... moving onto the engine bay next, then I'll be ready for the front trunk.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[peteyd]

We were working on this die the whole day today. I got rid of the folding in the one corner with the draw bead that I put in as you can see in the first pic.

We have decided that we will sell this part for the guys who need to repair their A/C cutout.

The final product will be laser trimmed, have the drain holes below the headlight buckets trimmed out and then the edges hammer formed to replicate the original from Porsche. Im not sure if we are going to cut out the plug sections.

We will continue to work out the kinks this week with some more polishing and grinding, but if you want to put in an order for one of the A/C cutout pieces, then give us a call.

Pete



Here is where there is still some wrinkling.

[SirAndy]

Very nice ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/first.gif)

[peteyd]

We've had a couple calls already for these trunk pans. The die is out of the press for further work. I can sell the few that were stamped yesterday, I think theres only 2 or 3, but there will be more in two to three weeks.

The final product will be a little bit longer, we need to have the laser program fine tuned and some punches made up to put flanges on the part.

Pete