I currently have the doors, front hood, front fenders, rear trunk, and front bumper/spoiler out of fiberglass. The rear flares are f/g but the targa bar, sail panels, and the rest of the rear fenders are sheet metal.

I'd already cut off the rear end, here is a left side pic.

Left side.

Next is to cut out the inside of the fender and sail panel so I have just a shell. You can see the rust at the top and bottom. Just think about the rust you have in your car that you can't see or treat

This is the mass of sheet metal that is inside the sail panel. It is HEAVY. (heavy=bad)
This took two sawzall blades and used up a cutoff wheel to get it out.

It is ugly and sharp.

From the bottom. If you saw Brad's post the other day about the lady that hit the tree branch and bent the targa bar, you'll realize how much damage was done by looking at all that steel.

Inside the left sail. I was surpised to see the surface rust at the top.

I cut the door jamb label off and I'll pop rivet it back on the car.
Those big chunks of crap is body filler that was around the tube that is inside the door jamb for the rear window d-froster.

Now I need to hang the rear fenders and trunk lid back on the car after I've cut off all the referance points for locating it relative to the rest of the car. Not an easy job, where the hell do you start? The rear end of the doors were held in place by the rear fenders and door jambs, but those are gone now.

I had to set the front bumper and hood and work back from there. Weld on brackets from the roll bar to hold the rear of the doors and the front edge of the rear fenders. You need two hands and weld with your feet.

Mounted right rear fender, but what is holding the rear end up?

This is the real tricky part. While you are somehow holding everything in just the right place, you need to fit and weld tubes in to attach it all to.

I made the clips removeable so I can take the lid and the fenders off together in one piece.

But after I did this my plans took a big change.

I was hoping to build it so I could flip up the rear fenders and trunk lid in one big piece and hinge it off the roll bar. Like a 917's rear end.

But as I mocked it up I found it wouldn't be practical. When you do this you can't get to the engine from the sides as the area of the body in front of the rear wheels blocks your access. I would of had to cut the rear fenders at the bottom of the sail panel and keep the lower part in place and flip up the top t-bar and trunk lid. No thanks.

After that I thought I'd make the rear lid removable. Than have the rear fenders/targa bar and the lid removeable in one big piece. Thats why I made the clips removeable together.
But that also was ruled out as being too big of a piece and needing two people to do it and it may bend and crack. Sooooooo....

Why not form the rear fender into the door and make the ENTIRE SIDE one piece
One big ass piece of fiberglass from one end to the other.

Last night I held it all in place and 'glassed over the door to rear fender joint. It is ugly now but I'll clean it up.

inside

A couple of comments:

Yes, boys and girls, I'm leaving the sheet metal in the rear fenders and targa bar for now. I could make a mold and fab it all out of f/g but that is a lot of work and I need to get it back in a condition to drive it. But I tell ya, once you cut all the inside of the fenders out and trim everything, the rear fenders don't weigh that much. Sure thier more than f/g quarter panels but only a few (4-5) pounds more.

Also when you cut out the inside of the door jambs, the targa bar and the rain gutter from the inside, you have a limp piece of sheet metal that does not hold its shape. It bends and twists so it is a problem when you are trying to fit it. It was just easier to 'glass it to the door and be done with it. I can still move the targa bar around to get it to connect to the left side when I get that side set.

I will have only five body pieces when I'm done. Front hood, front bumper/spoiler, both sides with rockers attached and rear lid. Just a few less than I started with.

My hands are sore, my back aches, I've got f/g dust in my lungs and I've got an a/x in two weeks.

If I can keep the body under 85 pounds the whole thing will be 1,400 pounds.

Wish me luck,

Paul

Wow - You got skills

Man that is looking awesome!!! You are really good at that...

Hi Paul,

You keep giving me bad ideas...but like they say in the guinness commercials "brilliant!"

Thanks, John www.ghiaspecialties.com

BTW-I thought I'd take some pinstripe tape and make a line where the door joints are to break up sides. From 20' away you won't be able to tell.

Paul

QUOTE (URY914 @ May 1 2005, 06:20 AM)

BTW-I thought I'd take some pinstripe tape and make a line where the door joints are to break up sides. From 20' away you won't be able to tell. Paul

Go for it; that would be really funny

Great job Paul.....

QUOTE (jd74914 @ May 1 2005, 06:25 AM)

QUOTE (URY914 @ May 1 2005, 06:20 AM) BTW-I thought I'd take some pinstripe tape and make a line where the door joints are to break up sides. From 20' away you won't be able to tell.  :D Paul Go for it; that would be really funny

Kinda like a NHRA funny car.

Paul

Paul, you are a friggin animal. Glad I know you. I am finishing up my car, so I hope to be at the A/X.
T.C.

Great work. So why do you always stress that this is strictly an autocross car and not a track car? I'm having really bad ideas about building something like this as my next street/track car... ?

Not the safest thing in the world, but probably still a lot safer than my motorcycle (<-- agree, not very logical thinking).

-Steve

QUOTE (siverson @ May 1 2005, 10:34 AM)

Great work. So why do you always stress that this is strictly an autocross car and not a track car? I'm having really bad ideas about building something like this as my next street/track car... ? Not the safest thing in the world, but probably still a lot safer than my motorcycle (<-- agree, not very logical thinking). -Steve

Well first it won't pass a tech inspection for a track car at SCCA or PCA. Now I could do DE's and maybe some other run-what-you-brung type of track events.

But the main reason is.....safety. I welded every piece of this car together. Now I'm not a professional fabricator or certified welder. I would not trust my welds if I was to go head first into a concrete wall at track speeds. If I had used larger diameter tubing and was a certified welder I'd being on the track. But it being autox only, allowed be to get away with a lot of big and little things that I couldn't do with a track car.

Paul

This reminds me of the punch line of an old joke.
"I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid"

QUOTE (J P Stein @ May 1 2005, 11:10 AM)

This reminds me of the punch line of an old joke. "I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid"

Like guys that jump out of airplanes.
Thier crazy to go up in the first place, than stupid to jump out of 'em.



Paul

QUOTE (URY914 @ May 1 2005, 08:19 AM)

QUOTE (jd74914 @ May 1 2005, 06:25 AM) QUOTE (URY914 @ May 1 2005, 06:20 AM) BTW-I thought I'd take some pinstripe tape and make a line where the door joints are to break up sides. From 20' away you won't be able to tell.  :D Paul Go for it; that would be really funny Kinda like a NHRA funny car. Paul

Why not, nitrous setups shouldn't weigh that much, and alcohol is about the same as gas. I know a guy with a 1000hp pink funny car

traction bars weign quite a bit tho

I'm planning on running NO2 in the roll bar tubes. Than tap injectors into the intake manifolds. I don't think anyone will notice, they'll be too busy looking at my fine body work.
Please don't tell anyone.

Paul

QUOTE (URY914 @ May 1 2005, 08:10 AM)

You need two hands and weld with your feet.

Man, you should've called; I would've given you a hand.

Might've helped me pick up a few weldin' tips.