New Sheet Metal Question..

[Jay128]

It will be a bit before Im ready to buy any new panels, but I wanted to ask a quick question (gotta plan ahead). Im going to need to replace fenders, trunk lid, and door panels. What kind of work is involved in lining up and making the correct seem allowances for metal replacement panels? (Im most concerned about the fenders right now)

Thanks
-Jay

[Ryatt-Motion]

Eastwood Co makes a gage a tool called the judge. It shows the correct gap for panel replacement. I have followed the old school method and used two popsicle sticks, or the thickness of a paint stick. That does the job for me.

This is a part of the job you don't want to rush, as that could make or break your ride. My pass fender alone took me 6 hours to allign when I was putting the body back together for block sanding.

[Jay128]

That simple huh.. cool (maybe simple isnt quite the word.. 6 hours, wow.). Thanks Rick.
Do you use spacers or shims or anything when you bolt it up?

[Ryatt-Motion]

Originally posted by Jay128
That simple huh.. cool (maybe simple isnt quite the word.. 6 hours, wow.). Thanks Rick.
Do you use spacers or shims or anything when you bolt it up?

You have to. I have coffee jar full of allignment shims, and it's a game of trial and error. Mine took so long because the sub frame came out and got powder coated and the entire sub frame was treated to new bushings. This drastically changed the geometry of all the panels.

[Jay128]

Originally posted by ryatt-motion
Mine took so long because the sub frame came out and got powder coated and the entire sub frame was treated to new bushings. This drastically changed the geometry of all the panels.
Im going to have that exact same situation.
Thanks for the info Rick.

[Ryatt-Motion]

No problem :)

[joe69standard]

Jay, look into the fiber glass market, particularly performance fiberglass, they sell all the front sheet metal components, now, im not shure how good the outer panels will match up, but for stuff like the inner wheelwells, go for it! there much lighter! id like to see what people think about this idea!: www.up22.com

[Jay128]

Well Joey, I already have looked a bit. And Im actually getting rid of alot of fiberglass parts, plus my 67 came with brand new front metal wheel wells. Since Im not trying to build anything that will set record times, I really am not so impressed with fiberglass stuff, especially after bolting up the pieces mine came with.

[joe69standard]

no, why not? are they just not good quality? Cause im interested in buying a few. Thanks

[Jay128]

Well Joey, first consider that mine may have been poor quality (or may not have, but probably were pretty cheap), could have been not properly installed for a number of years, were never painted, and had been played around with, if that’s a good word, since they had many different holes to bolt it up with (to the other front clip pieces I mean, not the car). So note that with all this my opinion on fiberglass is extremely biased, others may have had much better luck with it, so don’t go by mine alone.

Now, to answer your question, yes, I found them very cheap indeed with little things that didn’t look quit like the metal replacement panels, and things that just wouldn’t line up right and seemed to be warped out of alignment, plus there were so many chips and little cracked edges and a broken body mount. I just literally said the heck with it.

But If they had been properly aligned, and then painted with the car the story may have been different, I don’t know (theres obviously people who make it work). I do know on my truck I replaced a fiberglass bumper valance and it was the easiest and nicest thing I have ever done in my life (that’s a little different from a fender though).

Sorry that was so long, hope it helps.
And please don’t go by it alone.
-Jay

[Jay128]

Oh yeah, AND..

They didnt have correct mounting holes, like to the wheel wells and to the subframe or lower support, whichever it should be. The only mounts made into the fenders were to the firewall/body area, there were only two. I guess they expected you to do the others yourself????

[joe69standard]

ill ask for a few other opinions, but i really expected the quality to be poorer, as dragers use them. Thanks for telling me about your luck with em. I realy would like to shave some pounds such as hood and wheelwell areas. But thats way ahead of me! back to the mig welder! :)

_joey

[Jay128]

No problemo joe. If you do decide to work with some fiberglass peices let us know how you make out. G'luck either way.

[Ryatt-Motion]

Junk! Stick with the metal ones. The engine compartment can and will generate a lot of heat and will cause those suckers to distort after time. The new repro's are a thinner gage metal and don't weigh as much as the OG's and they are a 100 times easier to install.

[Jay128]

Kinda glad to hear im not the only one.

[Ryatt-Motion]

I'm with you 100% Jay!!