Birdcage welding and repairs are done. The steel has been treated and ready for the rust inhibitor to be injected into the interior structure of the cage. Note the lock pillars and overhead cage are already totally treated, less primer and color. Just the underbody was media blasted with a polyester bead. This bead with the RIGHT pressure, is very gentle on the fiberglass.
Again steel repairs are Completed. The cage has been treated inside and out. All bonding strips are re installed. I buttered in a very thin coat of a flexible sealant between the bonding strips and the steel. I pulled the upper deck away from the cage so I could treat the surface of the steel and again, insert the flexible sealant between the bonding strips and the steel. Then re riveted the bonding strip only, back to the cage. Will glass holes etc., when body goes to frame, leveled and shimmed. This is also when panels will be aligned and bonded.
A before and after front shot of the WS pillar.
Right rear top of cage open.
Cut out rusty areas. I did end up removing the whole lid to repair other areas on the top side of upper cage.
Right rear top of cage. Sample of new steel I fabed, stitch welded in and leveled.
Right inside lower window pillar.
Shot of the inside of WS pillar. The left was a ditto, along with bottom WS frame. (both half) The gray look is after the phosphate treatment was done inside and out.
Right rear birdcage top.
After repairs of cage, phosphate, and a rust inhibitor, the bonding strips are then re-applied. A sealer is added between the bonding strips and the steel, which also acts as a expansion joint.
Right hinge pillar trim off lower pillar.
Just some pre fitting after donor WS pillar is aligned and welded in.
Old screw holes from trim pillar weather strip are glassed in as well as bonding strip. A lot of glassing of old holes was done through this project to get back to correct size holes for screws and rivets.
Injecting a rust neutralizer inside the cage as well as out. Followed by a rust inhibitor . All this done after all repairs of the steel is completed.
Using a pressure pot system to inject all chems. Note, also works great for frames too.
A 1/4 hose to inject the chems. Small slits cut in a diagonal in the end, approx 1/4 long. Weld (melt) the end of hose with a torch. Chems. will spray 360 degrees as tube is moved through the interior of the structure. I should patent this one. lol.
Note the rust inhibitor inside the upper WS frame. This whole process is done through out the cage, right down to the bottom of the lock pillars. The idea is to totally FLOOD the interior of the structure after repairs and removing all other loose rust. One must wait for the phosphate to convert the rust (iron oxide) to iron phosphate and totally DRY, before moving on to the rust inhibitor.
Craig reinforced a common area where C2's have been commonly prone to stress due to the flexing of the body.
Firewall has Gel coat
Hinge pillar prep with finish color and outside epoxy applied, ready for hinge pillar trim.
pre-fitting the quarter panels
After months of glass repairing, rivet holes re-glassed and re-drilled and many imperfections filled.
After epoxy primer, color to follow, which will match the new panel color, (black/gray look) but with a slight gloss.
Underbody rear shot, note the glass build up area of driveline tunnel and the intersection of the tubs.
Rear underbody shot of glass ready for epoxy.
Quarter shot of well prep. underbody.
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Birdcage welding and repairs are done. The steel has been treated and ready for the rust inhibitor to be injected into the interior structure of the cage. Note the lock pillars and overhead cage are already totally treated, less primer and color. Just the underbody was media blasted with a polyester bead. This bead with the RIGHT pressure, is very gentle on the fiberglass.