4th gen body work?

[Pranav]

Honestly a lot of the hesitance on doing a tub swap is my working conditions won't allow it. If I had more storage and shop space we'd be having a different discussion.

Back in '12 I turned down a clean black v6 hardtop roller for $400 due to a lack of storage space.

I just think fixing up what I have now and continuing until I actually total/bend/fatigue the tub in the future is the best way to go. Build a "Pranav 0002" after a good number of years of beating down what I have like Zimmer/Landrum/Allford/Liebbe have all done. By then I'd hope to have a more permanent domicile and/or shop space.

Right now I have the inner loop bachelor pad and parents' garage up north going on...

[Al Fernandez]

I've had pretty good luck with a porta power just pushing stuff back into some semblance of reasonable. After David's deal at Hallett I could fit my finger between the quarter and the trunk lid (the bumper cover pushed in and pulled the inner fender and quarter down wit it). Now it's back to a more reasonable gap after pushing here a bit and there a bit. Same with the front fender. It got pushed in and back so you couldn't even open the door. A little pushing here and pushing there and it's pretty ok. The door opens and the panel gaps are reasonable anyway.

Just a thought that maybe cutting and welding isnt quite necessary yet.

[Rob Liebbe]

I've had pretty good luck with a porta power just pushing stuff back into some semblance of reasonable. After David's deal at Hallett I could fit my finger between the quarter and the trunk lid (the bumper cover pushed in and pulled the inner fender and quarter down wit it). Now it's back to a more reasonable gap after pushing here a bit and there a bit. Same with the front fender. It got pushed in and back so you couldn't even open the door. A little pushing here and pushing there and it's pretty ok. The door opens and the panel gaps are reasonable anyway.

Just a thought that maybe cutting and welding isnt quite necessary yet.

I agree, patch it up. Maybe you could pop rivet a quarter skin over the old edge of the damaged area. Keep driving it until you get to where you are comfortable and stop running off the track so much - no offense . Then build a new car.

[Pranav]

Yeah we'll definitely be porta powering the inner fender back into place. That RF corner had been wrecked before as a street car and pulled back out, so a chunk of inner fender outer skin and rad support should be replaced now that it has crinkled again.


Talked to the body guy and looks like I'll have him do it all while I vacation in July. Startimg in August, budgeting 6-8 weekends of work to finish building out and setting up the rest of the car and getting some seat time in before we resume racing. Race rest of the year then blow car apart for paint inside and out Nov-Dec.

That's been the plan since 2012...

[Supercharged111]

I've had pretty good luck with a porta power just pushing stuff back into some semblance of reasonable. After David's deal at Hallett I could fit my finger between the quarter and the trunk lid (the bumper cover pushed in and pulled the inner fender and quarter down wit it). Now it's back to a more reasonable gap after pushing here a bit and there a bit. Same with the front fender. It got pushed in and back so you couldn't even open the door. A little pushing here and pushing there and it's pretty ok. The door opens and the panel gaps are reasonable anyway.

Just a thought that maybe cutting and welding isnt quite necessary yet.

What do you measure by? My gaps never changed from my contact, but I do wonder if I knocked it just a smidge out and don't know how to check myself. Seems like a 101 thread on this matter should be a sticky in this forum.

[Fbody383]

I've had pretty good luck with a porta power just pushing stuff back into some semblance of reasonable.

What do you use for the anchor point? What do you push off of with the ram?

[Pranav]

Anything that won't move. On Craig's car when we started on the quarter panel, we used the cage.

[AllZWay]

Like Pranav said... use the base of the cage. That sheet metal will bend easily with the portapower.

[Al Fernandez]

Exactly. If you're moving sheet metal that holds exterior panels and or the quarter, the cage or frame are your best bets. When pushing the lower unit body metal under the bumper cover side, for example, I was able to use the rear frame. what to measure to see when it is right? Well, I just eyeball the other side of the car lol. Race car body work and street car body work is not the same thing.

[Pranav]

Finished the suspension repairs and got the front fenders and bumper off to survey the newer damage from Hallett before dropping it off with the body guy.

Happy to find the drivers front had very little damage, just need to replace/bend a fender mount apron/bracket and bend a lip back out on the inner fender structure and that corner is 100% straight. The rear quarter panel on the driver's side will need a good amount more work, but appears to be repairable/sectionable on car according to the guy.

He is going cut the passenger front corner inner fender and upper rad support crossbar, as it is not only bent from where I punted Craig back in January, but was previously bent/repaired from whoever last drove this car on the street; time to cut/replace. Also having him replace the driver's rocker and section/repair the driver's quarter from that parking lot incident at MSRC in 2014 along with the aforementioned driver's side issues from me backing into the tire wall at Hallet.

After having him look at it, the work is a lot less involved than what I first described here. No need to fully replace the quarters which is what I was sweating the most.

Car will get a nice fresh coat of gloss black, then hopefully later this summer I'll plasti-dip it in a super secret color I've been sitting on for three years now...