Help with bodywork

[martin62]

Hi I don't post on here too often but I check in every day. I lost my enthusiasm a couple of years ago with having problems with body kit I received from Saturn/nts which were never resolved after many promises. Now my problem is I am trying to fit my body kit and would like to know how to attach the body sides to the chassis.If someone could post some pictures of how its done or have any tips to help try and finish the car as I have some spare time now as I started chemo 2 weeks ago and next one is on Friday,6 in total.So any help would be appreciated. Thanks Aidan PS looking for the proper length of a saturn bonnet ie center line

[jason 82]

Just like to wish you all the very best with the chemo. Hopefully you will start having better luck with your build now, and it will prove to be an invaluable release for you.

[K4KEV]

here... here...I second that

[martin62]

thanks for the good wishes trying to get a few jobs done before friday,chemo not too bad just the steroids wreck my stomach and make me a bit hyper for a few days before I crash.I hope thrusday is fine so I can cut grass and hedges

[Ben_Copeland]

Hi.

I did some write ups when I fitted my equinox bodywork, but alas I didn't do one for the side panels. They are pretty straight forward.

Best to bond and rivet them on, closed end rivets stop water getting into the chassis. You need to make a template for the holes around wishbones etc. lots of masking tape is recommended when drilling/cutting the fibreglass so it doesn't splinter. Make sure the crease in the side panel lines up with dash edge of the scuttle and the vertical chassis tube below.

Best to temp fit then try the scuttle and back panel on to make sure everything lines up.

If you have a look at the Facebook link below there's some guides I posted in the photo galleries of fitting other panels.

[martin62]

Thanks for that Ben I have the sides cut and trimmed I was looking for a guide as to how many pop rivets or screws to put in the top and bottom edges especially the top edge

[Ben_Copeland]

I would think one every 3 inches would be ok. You can go slightly more or less distance. Fibreglass isn't going add too much strength and as its bonded too its fine.

[Ben_Copeland]

http://i775.photobucket.com/albums/yy31/ben_copeland7/null_zps7991e031.jpg

Shows spacing

[martin62]

Thanks a lot Ben all I have to try and source is some oval tube for the headlight brackets before I fit the sides

[baz-r]

if you use a pu based adhesive you can reduce the amount of rivets and there is less need for the side pannels to be an exact fit on the chassis.
down side will be there is no chance of getting them of with out damage when set.

[martin62]

Thanks for that I was looking at Tech-7 as it sticks everything and will never move

[jason 82]

Tiger seal is supposed to be really good stuff, my local spray shop sells it for £8 for a silicon seal sized tube.

[mgglep]

IMO I think sikaflex is the best stuff 221 or even 252

[SeriesLandy]

Tiger seal is supposed to be really good stuff, my local spray shop sells it for £8 for a silicon seal sized tube.

That's what I've used for my floor and aerocatches. It's sticky stuff. However it's a 1 fit tube, if you don't use it all don't expect to use it again.

[K4KEV]

I found a way around that Steve.....dead simple, 8 or 10mm drill and drill it out till you get to good adhesive then clean your drill....done it three times with one tube so far, but you are right you have to forgo some of it curing in the tube.

[martin62]

Will try and get some Sikaflex next week hopefully when today's chemo wears off

[SeriesLandy]

I found a way around that Steve.....dead simple, 8 or 10mm drill and drill it out till you get to good adhesive then clean your drill....done it three times with one tube so far, but you are right you have to forgo some of it curing in the tube.

Kev, I've got a 12mm drill still covered in the horrible stuff. I ended cutting the tube up and spreading it so as not to waste it!

[TheArf]

Hi Martin, I recently found the oval tubing on Ebay, it was a steel stockist in the midland, and he was decidedly cheaper than my local steel stockist

Arfon

[martin62]

Hi Arfon I found some wishbone tube and took it to my friends garage on Thursday and put it in a hydraulic press and gently formed it in to shape,did not turn out too bad.Will try and make them up during the week when the steroids wear off. Aidan