Tips for Cutting Fiberglass?

[Mark Radzin]

Dale– I must have been typing when you posted. Thanks for the tip. I will run it by my mechanic. I do know he flushed the tank at least twice (I don’t know what he used) but he seemed pretty convinced we need to do a reline or replace the tank.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Mark Radzin.

[edward ericson]

Was gonna say take the body off and don’t cut the glass because you lose rigidity and body integrity. Then I saw the pic.

You have a tube frame! That is most excellent.

So all you need to preserve is the ability of that front lower rocker panel to stay put.

I’d extend the cut at the back of the hood straight down and then either cut a line underneath or (better) remove the pan bolts from that cut forward. You’ll have a nice clean cut and piece. Smooth the cut edges and paint to match the car. Epoxy a bit of 3/32 aluminum plate in behind the bit of rocker that’s left, leaving an inch or 1.25-inch lip and paint that also to match. When you get your tank sorted, put the cut panel back and put two or three screws or rivets through it into the aluminum lip. Stainless quarter inch 20s into riv-nuts would be grand and allow you to R&R this easily later if needed, but 3/16 pop rivets are fine. Touch up the heads body color and done.

It’ll look like it’s supposed to; the less you try to hide this the better.

 

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by edward ericson.

[Mark Radzin]

Edward– thanks for the input! What you describe is pretty much what I had in mind, I especially appreciate the tips on how to deal with the seam.

My personal preference is to take the cut top to bottom on the rocker panel, but not align it with the rear hood cut. My gut was that having it not align would be aesthetically better because it would establish the hood panel as one thing, and the body/rocker panels as an entirely different entity with its own geometries and construction. Interestingly, on real Type 35’s there is a seam (actually multiple seams) in the rocker panel just ahead of the hood but not aligning with it. The proportions will be slightly different on mine if I cut it where I intend to (or even further up a little), but that doesn’t concern me too much since nothing on the kit car is exactly like the real thing. Approximate will fit right in.

[Mark Radzin]

 

Here is a good view of that seam on a real Type 35:

 

[edward ericson]

Nice! I didn’t realize this about the original deal; your way makes more sense then.

[Author]

Posts