The Zetec 'Ropacane

[Chuck Nukem]

Figured I would revive this old ghost of a thread since I am back!!! After over 4 years of hiatus I have returned to the order of the glass...My hands are still tingling from the DA sander and a familiar itch has returned....Stress cracks are being purged...

Pick up trucks and house restorations be damned!! I have paid my debts to all prior obligations and can now indulge my fiberglass fantasies without guilt! Let this finally be the year that I know what it is to drive a Europa!!!!

[BDA]

Go get'em Chuck! That's a pretty aggressive plan. Good luck and keep us up to date!

[dakazman]

  Congrats on your newfound freedom !
Yahoo! As BDA says to me , stay focused! All the bodywork and painting is a big commitment.
What upgrades to the garage do you have in mind,??? a headset with some music is great for sanding.
Dakazman

[BDA]

Chuck, you and D'man have my sympathies! I'm in Pensacola visiting family and it is HOT! Given where you both are, I'm sure your in the middle of similar weather. Stay cool!

[Certified Lotus]

Glad to hear your still committed. You can read that anyway you want 

[Chuck Nukem]

Chuck, you and D'man have my sympathies! I'm in Pensacola visiting family and it is HOT! Given where you both are, I'm sure your in the middle of similar weather. Stay cool!

Thanks for thinking of us BDA. A cup of poylester resin goes off in a bout 10 minutes down here.... I have to try and spread it out as fast as possible or it congeals on me...

I wear a sweater when I sand fiberglass so I get a bit of a sauna workout.

[Chuck Nukem]

  Congrats on your newfound freedom !
Yahoo! As BDA says to me , stay focused! All the bodywork and painting is a big commitment.
What upgrades to the garage do you have in mind,??? a headset with some music is great for sanding.
Dakazman

Dmakazman I am going to put a metal carport up this weekend. That will help me clean out the garage and make a better work space. I am planning to make a temp spray booth with plastic and 2x4s. I need to spend some time reading your thread to uncover your method. You have posted some seriously impressive results!

[dakazman]

Chuck,
 Sounds great. I’m here for you.  Thanks for your compliments.  My son in law is the master of all things paint. It’s all long story but the paint shop I purchased most of my paint from the grandfather son married my daughter, unknown to me his relationship.They are very knowledgeable, and now the grandfather is retired after 40 years in the business. Funny how things work out.

Dakazman

[Chuck Nukem]

Guys,

Just want to do a sanity check. I still have the square bobbin that fits in the bottom of the door which was ripped out. I am getting ready to glass it back in the door. Is this big square hole the "adjustment" that is spoken about with the door? Does the finished product simply rely on a pinch fit between the two sand paper discs?

I folded on my fancy honeycomb carbon kevlar firewall...I figured if MDF did the job then marine grade ply should work just fine. Thankfully that job is now done and I also changed the seat belt plates from rust to stainless! The car is preparing to be flipped for crack repair.

I am seriously thinking about adding a few layers of kevlar to the floor after seeing what happened with the spun S2 and the street sign on the forum... not sure if it will help much but it certainly can't hurt...

[BDA]

Yes, those square bobbins are what allows for door adjustments. I would try to glass it in as close to the same place and orientation as on the other door just to be sure.

Some extra floor stiffness wouldn't hurt, but it didn't happen to be an issue with my car at all. My thin glass was elsewhere. I don't think you would but I wouldn't make the floor substantially thicker. I would think a quarter inch would be a gracious plenty. After all, you won't be standing on it!

[Chuck Nukem]

Here is my air bubble filling method for the TCS. I am using the filler with fiberglass reinforcement. I'm grinding out all visible surface bubbles from repairs and filling them before primer. Time will tell!

[BDA]

I'm not an expert but I have used micro-spheres or chopped mat mixed with resin but I've also used Bondo and glazing putty. I think they both worked well.

[dakazman]

  All that will work out fine, Chuck.👍
 
   If you need a template of the bottom hole my doors are still off and I can give you a good point.
I would glass the bottom of the door flat first , cut in place, and then add the square bobbin in later layers. 
I see sandy got your back👍
Dakazman

[Chuck Nukem]

Upside down again! Assume the "Lots Of Toil Unrivaled Suffering" position.

The doors came out very well indeed. Will post pics soon. I think as soon as the underside cracks are sorted it will be time to flip her right side up and shoot some primer on to see how far out she really is.

[lahi]

How do you flip it upside down just like that without cracking anything? Many people lifting where? I think the front is quite sensitive when lifting without the closing plate underneath?