FRP is about $1.00 a square foot. Thanks for the alternative though.

I had a visitor yesterday. West Peterson was in town to visit family and came by to check out the project. He brought his FIL and his two boys. I think West's FIL got a big kick out of the project.

West forgot to bring my hat back, again.

4-16-2006

I found the perfect tow vehicle!

How about this for a "tow" vehicle?

I'm still apprehensive that you'll try to beat it out of me.

Did I give you my Maybach test drive hat? I can't seem to find it.

Geez West, that picture of me next to the trailer makes it look like a toy. I have no concept of how big I am until I see pictures like that.

Someone told me I look almost normal size next to the Mark II. My wife said, "No, you don't."

Barry,

I'm glad I decided not to kick your butt.....

Your wife 5'-2" tall? right?

She's 5'7". She said she fell in love with me because I called her "Shorty".

She was 17 in this picture. That's my '68 Firebird behind her.

4-17-2006

More progress.

4-21-2006

Paneling completed.



After installing the paneling into the rear curved molding a little heat was applied and the molding nicley conformed without any waves.



This material cuts very cleanly and easily.





I'm planning on framing the windows in polished diamond plate aluminum.



Looking back through one of the front access hatches



The base luan paneling will start to go in the lounge tomorrow.

9-24-2006 Reassembly

After straightening out the wall bent outward by impacting the ramps, everything fell back into place. The door gaps are now correct and everything operates smoothly.

The side panel still has a couple of deep scratches but they are barely visable in the polished surface. The side marker light was pressed into the surface of the sheet metal. With the trim removed it was an easy matter to flatten the metal after removing its temper with localized heat. I've ordered a new light for each side.

Test fit the bumped and sanded lower trim piece and it fit perfectly. I'll polish it after it's been riveted. The rivet heads have a coating that needs to be polished off.

I should be able to start fitting sheet metal on the other side soon.

Looks like things are turning out to be a little easier to repair than orginaly anticapated. It's just ashame that it needed to have repairs. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I don't think that it is easy.... I think that Barry just makes it look easy. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Oh, I know that it isn't real easy work, I work on a race car shop and know what's invovled. I think he's found that somethings that looked like they were going to need major work are turning out to be smaller jobs. Things like that ramps which he was able to pull back into postion without having to rebuild them, the 2nd side was able to be hammered out, buffed and didn't need the skin replaced.

And yes, he does make it look easy.

It's a lot easier than I imagined. The structure is so strong that it literally sprung back into place once all the bent metal was removed. Thanks for your kind remarks guys.

9-25-2006

Went to visit the Porsche today. I'd say it's coming along nicely. The front suspension has been repaired and they are still searching for a new aluminum drum. I've decided to have the entire car stripped and repainted. I'm being told that the paints they are allowed to use today are incompatable with blending into a lacquered finish.

If the rest of the car is as rust free as this side it'll be worth it to have a flawless paint job.

Barry I might have the drum you need, which way do the cooling fins go?

There are no cooling fins. I believe the fins were only on the Carrera's brakes.

I'll see what I have and let you know.

I believe they have found a drum. It needs to be checked out as the aluminum drum with iron insert are prone to get out of round. I'll keep you in mind as a source though. What kind of Porsche do you have?

9-26-2006

A 48" x 144" sheet of Alclad showed up today. It was rolled into an 18" diameter cylinder. I took it to my local fab shop where they dropped everything and chopped it into the three pieces I need to repair the walls and reskin the rear door.

I ordered the aluminum with a protective film to protect it in handling and installation. I used the damaged panel as a template, I had the fab shop run it through a roller to flatten it.





I secured the new studs to the baseplate with some angle iron brackets. The entire rear area is now prepped to accept the new sheet metal. I've drilled out all the rivets so that I can slip the new metal underneath the cut edge creating a new overlapping seam. Two new rivets will be installed in-between each existing rivet location duplicating the pattern in the seam above.

Restored a '65 SC sunroof coupe from a shell and two dozen boxes of parts a couple years ago. Other one is a '79 911 Targa. Have a Speedster in my sights but haven't made the deal yet.

Drums are semi-easy to find because some people changed over to C or SC discs from drums. The early ones are more difficult but out there. When I did my SC, I had to scrounge parts from Maine to Albuquerque to Florida. If I don't have it, I can probably find it. The only thing I need but haven't been able to find is the escutcheon that goes on the sunroof switch. They are very rare. I think possibly the fin-back Mercedes used the same switch (I think it's a Bosch) but can't confirm.

9-27-2006 Sheet metal installation

I cut out the shape leaving the protective layer in place.



I used duct tape to hang the sheet in position. It is tucked up under the sheet above and sandwiched in-between a horizontal aluminum support. The rivets that attached the metal to the strut were installed on 3" centers while the seam above was set to 1 1/2" centers so I drilled new holes to match.



The new skin will take on the identical appearance as soon as all the vertical rivets are installed.



Once I do a final buff of this area the repair will be indistinguishable from the original surface.

Absolutely beautiful workmanship, guys!!! ...............Steve

1 guy, thanks!

9-28-2006 Riveting

I enlisted the aid of my office manager Christine in acting as Rosie the Riveter. She followed my instructions well and the work went rather quickly.



The new J channel will be installed after I repair the other section.

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