Body Building Technique

[Punisher88]

I bolt the right side and rivet the left side. I take the right side off during cleaning and the bolts I use come from fastenal. The ones around here normally keep a few boxes for us racers. They are 1/4 20 bolts with a washer buit on. Then the nuts have a flange built onto them with the side that contacts the sheet metal between it and the bolt having serrated grooves around it to keep the nut from loosening. With thone style nuts and bolts you don't need a wrench on the back to take the bolt off. Just hold the nut with your hand and use an impact to run the bolt out. And also I use the all star multi grip rivets on the left side and use alot of rivets so I don't really need washers.

[rakracing]

if your racing on the woo tour rivet them on left and bolt the right ,if racing on small tracks local we always dzused the doors and quarters on for removal and straightening, i've even bolted the body with the 1/4 fender bolts and nutserts. if riveting use the exploder rivets there worth the money

[zeroracing]

I use a harbor freight threaded insert tool and inserts from Grainger, 1/4"-20 to hold the right side on. Clean, easy and cheap.

[A ron]

Has anyone tried the prefab side panels from Circle Track Supply? For 419.99 you get both doors, both quarters, and a full rocker panel kit. With sheet metal being $65 a sheet your at 260 then another 120 for rocker panels and you get em cut out for $40. Only thing I didn't see was what shipping would cost.

[phenom08]

We get a door , quarter , fender side and fender top out of each sheet. So your only at $130 for the sides

[17m fan]

Built several complete bodies with a Boyd 7' brake, harbor freight electric shears & bead roller with a tipping die for rolling inside fenders and leading edge of the filler panel, Harbor freight snips, round file, flat body hammer, tape measure, straight edge and cheapo dollar store markers (they erase easily when you have to mark on the non-plastic side.
One thing I do is if you have the car there, put the used panel on the car (decking especially) hammer flat any cuts that are made around things and see how it fits. This is your guide so you want something good to start from. If you don't like how it looks, now is the time to change it. Look around the bars for even gaps.. If they are too large or cut poorly, cut thin cardboard to shape around the bar and tape it on... if its too tight, draw around the bar and trim it out. If a deck piece is a little to short or not square (front to back) write the length needed on the panel at the ends and add that to your new flat piece as you are tracing your pattern out.
Always be sure you are looking at the backside of your pattern piece when you are tracing it out or you will end up with an opposite panel.
Mentioned above was a double bend with "L" shape..this is a good thing for decking and interior pieces because, it ads a lot of strength.
For the roll on the fenders, I've used stove pipe crimps but, if you have an old pair of vice grips, weld 2 pieces of 1/8' roll steel to both sides of the bottom jaw and one in the center on the top. Will fold doubled fender edges really easily. Once you make your hood, an acetylene tank works real nice in putting a roll in the hood and it wont try and buckle up on the tops of your fenders when its pinned down.
Cant stress enough... do not leave any sharp edges any where! Don't take but a second to trim off an corner and use the hammer to tap it round.
Just go slow and use patience. Keep checking your fit. You have to think about what your doing sometimes because if you bend it the wrong direction, your door will end up being a spoiler side or a sail panel. Because 9 times out of 10, when you try and bend it back it will break.

[Lizardracing]

Maybe not everyone has the same problem but when I make parts new and shiny and perfect it seems to attract other cars wheels and bumpers like a moth to a flame so spending mega amounts of time detailing nets 0 reward when it gets knocked off the first turn of the 1 lap of the first race anyway. I like nice looking bodies like any one else but all I'm saying is too there isn't any sense seeking perfection in a contact sport.

[Racer96m]

One tool I use alot is an English Wheel. I have a cheep Harbor Freight one. Now I'm not trying to make motorcycle gas tanks with it, lol. I just use it for two things. First its great for a super flat hem. If your working your openings by hand to hem them, all you have to do is get the hem slightly past 90 deg then roll that edge through the English wheel, with the flat rollers and it finishes the hem nice and tight. The second reason I use it is to flatten crunched up panels. Get the big dents out of your door, then roll it through the flat wheels and you can make the door look almost new in seconds.

Dave

[17m fan]

Make them look sharp, take lots of pictures then go ahead and kick a door and both quarters in and get it over with.