JimR Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Ok Iv just finished my sbc convesion on my 77 280z now im readyto start the body work.My question is has anyone ordered steel body panels from the Victoria British cotologe they have lower quarter panels that you weld in place . I have rust on all the common places such as lower front fenders rockers rear quarters ect. Is this the right way to go ? I am not a body man so any thing you could tell me would help. Thanks Jim:cuss: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SouthGaZX Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 http://www.tabcobodyparts.com/html/table_of_contents.htm there ya go.. from what i gather these guys make the parts.. and other companies buy them.. jack up the price.. sell them to you.. buying from the manufactuer is cheap and eliminates the middle man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brisk1961 Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Is there a direct buy for the rear valiance panel (lower rear of the car)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 Thanks soulth ga check out site they are about half the price as victoria.How do you install these panels just cut the rusty part off and tack weld the knew one on then bondo the seem?let me know thanks Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 You cut off the rusted part. clean the area to be welded and do a overlap tack weld. Tack about 1 to 2 inches apart. go back and tack in between those tacks, repeat keeping in mind of keeping 1 to 2 inches part in the pass, untill you tacks produce a bead. remember to let it cool enough between passes. Then dress the weld (grind flush), bondo, primer, paint. You do that tack process to keep metal warpage to a minimum. You can just do 2 passes but I wouldn't recommend it for anything structal. maybe a fender patch panel. I would recomment to use seam sealer (I think it was called body dope) after you dress the tacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SouthGaZX Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 i've always wondered (as i havent started any of my body work yet.. and this will be my first body work project) when you overlap the pieces.. how do you get it to smooth out? do you grind the original metal to a fine thin where the overlap will be so there is minimal protrusion of the new metal.. then weld/grind/bondo etc? i was wondering the same with fiberglass... just say you were fiberglassing a fiberglasshood to your fiberglass fenders.. to make the whole front end one piece.. do you sand it down a little lower.. that way the layers of fiberglass builds it back up near original thickness.. then smooth it all out... or what?? i think we need a few links on basic body repair... ill search for some later on.. i love to read.. and can do just about anything if i've read about it (that way i have an idea of what direction to go) and then actually jump into it..ill try to post any links i find in a new post... thanks for any help on the questions above though.. this should help out the original poster also... not trying to hijack the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 i've always wondered (as i havent started any of my body work yet.. and this will be my first body work project) when you overlap the pieces.. how do you get it to smooth out? do you grind the original metal to a fine thin where the overlap will be so there is minimal protrusion of the new metal.. then weld/grind/bondo etc? i was wondering the same with fiberglass... just say you were fiberglassing a fiberglasshood to your fiberglass fenders.. to make the whole front end one piece.. do you sand it down a little lower.. that way the layers of fiberglass builds it back up near original thickness.. then smooth it all out... or what?? i think we need a few links on basic body repair... ill search for some later on.. i love to read.. and can do just about anything if i've read about it (that way i have an idea of what direction to go) and then actually jump into it..ill try to post any links i find in a new post... thanks for any help on the questions above though.. this should help out the original poster also... not trying to hijack the thread. Smoothing overlap weld. Thats what the bondo (body filler) is for. Body filler should not be more than a 1/8 inche thick on a panel. Sanding down body filler is a lot easier than grinding a panel flush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SouthGaZX Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 i agree it is easier to sand filler... but if you overlap.. and then use body filler.. wouldnt you have a bow outward where the bondo transists to the repair panel...or would you have to use filler a pretty good way down the body to slowly transist up to the new panel height? sorry if these questions are dumb.. but to me if i put a repair panel on the side of the car.. and looked at it in the light.. smoothed out with body filler or not you'd be able to tell it bowed out where the patch was...(yes yes i know people have done this for years and years and years) but.. maybe i just dont get it because i've never done it? lol anyone have any pics of repairs they've done... before the body filler... during the body filler... and then the final product? i've seen austins work.. and i saw the new pics of porkchop where the hood and fenders were connected together.. anyone have any close ups though? my neighbor is into body work and is painting a vette... maybe i need to get in good with him and check out some of the action Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SouthGaZX Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 seems like this site http://www.autobody101.com/articles/ has ALOT of great info.. i've just skimmed through it but it looks like a really good site with info on welding.. painting.. bondo.. etc hope this helps someone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 i agree it is easier to sand filler... but if you overlap.. and then use body filler.. wouldnt you have a bow outward where the bondo transists to the repair panel...or would you have to use filler a pretty good way down the body to slowly transist up to the new panel height? sorry if these questions are dumb.. but to me if i put a repair panel on the side of the car.. and looked at it in the light.. smoothed out with body filler or not you'd be able to tell it bowed out where the patch was...(yes yes i know people have done this for years and years and years) but.. maybe i just dont get it because i've never done it? lol anyone have any pics of repairs they've done... before the body filler... during the body filler... and then the final product? i've seen austins work.. and i saw the new pics of porkchop where the hood and fenders were connected together.. anyone have any close ups though? my neighbor is into body work and is painting a vette... maybe i need to get in good with him and check out some of the action it would curve more outward, but keep in mind that these panels aren't that thick, maybe 1/32 inche at the most. so it wouldn't be an issue. You overlap weld for a couple of reasons. a lap joint is stronger than a butt joint (butting the pieces up against each other and then welding). If you butt joint using tacks, the leading edge will not be straight it will stretch the metal around the tacks. So the straight edge between tacks will be spaced away from each other. Then to fix the spacing, you would have to use bigger tacks --> longer welds --> more heat = warpage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SouthGaZX Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 i see what you are saying now... and i also read on that site that you can direct more of the heat toward the bottom layer of metal.. so you dont burn through the top.. it makes more sense now... now one more question on this subject... would it be possible to weld your stock hood to the stock front fenders.. and make the front end raise up or would it be too heavy.... if so you could possibly put gas shocks to help raise the hood.. but if you're going through all that trouble.. why not get better looking glass parts... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 well, it looks like speeder did a one pice fiberglass front end. Fab'ed up hinges and all. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=108846 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbuczesk Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Jim, You need to flange the metal first so it's flush after welding. That way it won't bow outward. After grinding I coat the welded area with POR-15 on both sides. Seam sealer on the back and bondo on the outside. Here are a couple of flangers: http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=1587&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=504&iSubCat=510&iProductID=1587 http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=1658&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=504&iSubCat=510&iProductID=1658 Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 like cbuczesk says, at the seam you can use a flange tool to step the panel so that when one is laying on the other, they are flush. A lot of patch panels come with a stepped flange in them anyhow. Also, if ya do it just right, the welding slightly shrinks the seam area, sucking it in ever so slightly. Trim and fit the panels carefully, the better they fit, the better the patch will turn out. keep the questions coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brisk1961 Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 I was asking about rear valiance panels earlier since the only one I could find was from MSA and it was real pricey ($250). I did my best to pull it out and fill in the defect. Just going to fill the remainder with body putty and sand it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Reese280 Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 Hello This is my very first Z and my oldest brother has had over 100 different Z and he can help me as well but if any one could give me some pointers on what certain parts do how they would help me and some good places where i can get some parts near Columbus, Ohio and where there are some go paint shops. Thank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewievette Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 Alrighty, I've got one for you guys. I need to cut out and patch my driver's rocker panel and I'm planning on coating everything inside with por15 but after I weld wont that burn off some of the paint and leave bare metal inside? Should I be as worried about that as I am? Most other places I'll still be able to get to the backside. I just dont want to get a couple of years down the road and have to deal with rust again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SouthGaZX Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 thats a good question.. lol never thought of that.. but it would seem that it would make the paint flake off inside... i also have one more question. a z i bought a couple months ago has a rust spot on the roof.. thats a small hole..its ate all the way through the metal.. and i know water has ran all down in it... how hard will this be to repair? i know its not going to be pretty.. and im going to have to probably remove alot of metal on the underside of the roof.. is it even worth it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 Alrighty, I've got one for you guys. I need to cut out and patch my driver's rocker panel and I'm planning on coating everything inside with por15 but after I weld wont that burn off some of the paint and leave bare metal inside? Should I be as worried about that as I am? Most other places I'll still be able to get to the backside. I just dont want to get a couple of years down the road and have to deal with rust again. That's what these are for: http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=10966&itemType=PRODUCT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewievette Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 Yeah, that would definately work. Now I just have to get that far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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