Timbo - Got gaps? Not me.

[flounder]

Need to fill in those panel lines if I'm gonna get slick.

First run a bead of liquid glue. This will soften the plastic.

Hosted on Fotki

Then start working in the styrene rod. Just press it in. Sometimes, I prebend the tight corners.
Hosted on Fotki

You can pull it along the longer panel line. It will drop right in. The trick is to keep working it back into the gaps as the glue dries. You can see a flattened out one on the door panels.

Hosted on Fotki

[whitewall]

Heya Flounder!
I wouldn't mid seeing where you're going with this!. do you just sand/grind down the rod afterwards? does it minimise body filler? I've always just used body filler to fill the seams...and Styrene to make trim and so forth...can I see more pics of this?

Kelly

[robriley]

i'm guessing that you are filling all of the door gaps, hood gaps and trunk gaps to make itr appear as a one peice fiberglass funny car style body
am i close ??

[soooperdave]

A very good tip Floundie! I'm going to be doing the very same thing to the gaps in my chopped T this afternoon, I'll post some tips in a bit

[hizootdklown]

I think Tim was shooting hoops the day they taught gap filling 101..! Great advice Scott, since I do alot of customs, this is the technique I use to fill in stock door lines before I scribe new ones.

Hizoot ;D

[Tim Nolan]

Lookin' real good Scott! I'm not filling my doorlines, because I want to retain a basically stock body design. I've smoothed the front and rear, but still have a slight bit of sanding/filling to do.

I finally got the filler panel for the top of the body cut up properly. I have used the stock chassis as the platform for the build, but I had to grind most of it flat. I also had to recess it up into the body more to lower the stance. I made a smoothed complete chassis panel to cover the entire bottom of the car. I have had this thing mocked up and torn down about a hundred times!

The motors are lined up and set, lots of holes drilled, and exhaust headers have been made from aluminum tubing today. I also have the rollcage/seat fitted, as well as the clear canopy. I boxed out the "interior" with plastruct sheet to go between the motors and seat area. Smooth panels were made to go under the motors as well. It's just been a major hack job! LOL. (Maybe I'm not taking this SERIOUSLY enough........?

[flounder]

Hey Whitewall. You basically got it. Let is sit over night and knock it down smooth. No filler, or just a bit. Best part is no shrinkage. (Timbo - insert joke here).

It is going to be a one piece body more or less. The part are all around if you take a look.

I'll post more pics of the body work before I lay on the primer.

It was great talking to you Timbo.

Flounder.

[Tim Nolan]

Scott, what the heck motor is that in the background?

Thanks for calling last night, great talking to you!

[flounder]

Olds. Single turbo. Twin turbo too high.

[Deleted]

Hey Scott,

That panel filler tip is good. I use a similar technique with one diff: DON'T use liquid cement! There will be "shrinkage" and that ain't no joke!

Use super glue only! ;D

The reason why it is a bad idea to use solvent cement for body mods, such as chopping and sectioning is because solvent glues never really "dry" or go away. They may cure on the surface, but any solvent trapped under the surface will not be able to evaporate or gas off. This solvent just sits there inside your bitchin' body work doing its thing for months or even years. That is why a top chop done with model glue will look good for a while, but eventually, the cutlines start showing through the paint.

The same thing will happen with those strips of plastic jammed into those gaps and panel lines with liquid glue......... eventually. It is better to play it safe with crazy glue. It will not attack the plastic. And once it is hardened, it is completely inert. It essentially becomes just another kind of plastic. The lack of solvents means that there will be no "ghosting" or "shrinkage" to come back and haunt you later on.

Dude, that shrinkage thing can be real embarassing! Just ask yer lady friends.......!! ;D

Mike

[Tim Nolan]

I was wondering about that.......

I had problems years ago with model putty's and old style glue. I switched to using all CA glues (mostly Zap-A-Gap) and cure it fast with Kicker. This stuff is like a rock when it's done.