Section XX Exterior Panels
All I intend to do in this section is to highlight any problems. The basis methods were covered in the Floorpan Section.
By this time you are almost certainly getting quite good anyway. The RHSC's Video covers these parts quite well. There is not a lot more that can be said.
Rear Panel
Follow the RHSC's video to the letter. No real problems at all. It was even quite easy to form the stainless material. When forming the top radius over the 38mm tube leave as much material on as possible so the pop rivets are covered by the Rear Top Panel. The two corner bends are a different matter. Mild steel may be easy to form but Stainless is not. I cut away quite a lot of material away locally, in the hope that the Top cover and beading will cover up. !! The video does not make it clear that the folds on the ends of the panel need to be 40mm o/d. They need to slip up and fold over onto the top chassis tubes. Bending over a piece of 25mm ply is no good.
Side Panels
Note 1:
It would seem impossible to fit the RHSC's 4 Branch Pinto Exhaust Manifold AFTER the offside panel is fitted. Fit BOTH at the same time.
Instead of positioning the side panel using a self tapper into the roll over bar, try a "40mm Jubilee" clip. Fully adjustable up/down and no holes in the roll bar.
Note 2:
Before you fit the outer panels this may be a good time to make the internal side panels. This is the last chance to really see what you are doing. Make from 1/8" (3mm) hardboard and cover with carpet or vinyl. If you are using vinyl fold over for about 50mm all round, seals the edges and sticks much better. Use thin wadding underneath to give a slightly padded feel. My panels run the full length of the car, back panel to footwell. The area in the vicinity of the accelerator pedal is a bit cramped, so you may wish to leave this section out. Paint the backs of the panels (the smooth sides) with cheap varnish and cover with thin polythene sheet once the varnish is tacky. This stops the damp getting in, exactly as on production cars. Pay particular attention to the upper and lower edges of the panels. You can drill all the holes for some self tappers and cup washers and place aside until later in the build.
The fitting of these panels is covered on the RHSC's Video and in superb detail in a North West RHOCaR web page article.
As usual with RHSC's parts there is a serious error in these panels. The lower flange is in the wrong place. ie: The chassis and panel do not match. There are a number of solutions but the best seems to involve carefully flattening the lower flange, using a block of wood, and re-folding to the correct dimensions. This was done by my local sheet metal shop on an 8' Press brake for only a fiver. On my car it was about 6mm out at the front but about 25mm out at the rear. Fortunately, as the flange was too low, the old bend finishes up under the car and is hidden. A V cut is required in this lower flange and this needs to be where the chassis curves in, right at the apex of the cross member in front of the seat. Once the sides are re-formed, cut off any excess back to the INSIDES of the chassis tubes. This give a convenient datum for marking off the pop rivets, these pass thro' the floor pan into the lower chassis tube. Avoid the floor pan rivets !!
Note this flange will be much wider at the rear as the panel sticks out, just past the outer suspension pivot.(see photo)
SVA note. If you have any exterior opening panels (access to the boot etc.) it must be lockable, as must ALL external panels, covers etc., inc. the Fuel Filler Flap.
© Colin Usher 2005