Ian Perry Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Sorry if this has been posted/answered before! Latest issue on Project Gruyere* is that it came with GRP rear wings and outer sills. I'm (obviously) replacing the sills with steel as these do have a structural role (just a little... ! and I'm baffled to know how/why anyone would get GRP sills...) but am planning - for the time being at least - to keep the GRP wings, on grounds of cost and hassle of changing back to steel. A question, though. Conventionally, the outer sill joins onto the rear wing at the front of the wheel arch. I'm not sure how much of a structural function that area of the outer wing/arch has. So, do I: 1. Chop out the GRP at the bottom and put in a steel "repair panel" to connect the sill to … something? 2. Chop out the GRP at the bottom, put in a hidden triangular steel 'closing panel' behind it connecting the sill to the heel-board and inner sill, and then refit/repair the GRP section? Or 3. Just bond the sill and wing together at the natural joint, and not worry? * Project Gruyere. So-named by - erm - someone, who thought that Gruyere (cheese) also came full of holes. Sadly, as I pointed out to her (oops!) last night, the holey cheese is actually Emmenthal… :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 GRP rear wings.....uurrgh.. Like Bella Emberg with cellulite! If it was me I would change the whole lot back to steel The rear wing should be welded( i think my 70`s Spit was brazed) to the sill where the sill overlaps the rear wing...which again gives it strength Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Perry Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 Hi Michael, In principle I agree that steel would be preferable (that's a horrible image BTW, thanks for that. There isn't enough brain bleach in the world to remove that one)... … but, having already spent my daughters' inheritance on bits, I was going to leave that bit for now. I am not planning a full nut-and-bolt restoration on this car, getting it back on the road in a good state - not looking or feeling like a rat - is the short/mid term aim. Plenty of opportunity to put steel wings on again at a later date. Having said that, the GRP wings don't look bad. They are a good shape and apart from the lack of rust, not obviously not steel. Incidentally some idiot has for whatever reason stuffed all the cavities with some sort of rockwool type insulation. That's all coming out, as I've already set light to some of it with the welder :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Then there is the `hidden factor` ....what is lurking behind the GRP wing, like a Russian spy with dark glasses and trilby, whereby the GRP may not be attached to something stable. We found this with our MK3 when removing what was a simple job, the rear steel wings, finding more rot than a pile of old pied potato`s and then nothing left to attach to or acquire panels that are no longer available. In our case ....disposing of the tub and acquiring another solid one Oooooh .....whats under that rock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Perry Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 Thanks again, you aren't really very good for other people's peace of mind, are you? :-D I've had to rebuild the whole back RH corner of the floor (where the seatbelt anchorage is) including the bottom of the inner wing panel as well as the floor itself and the inner sill, so I'm aware of the risk of the GRP hiding a moth-eaten steel structure behind it. The corresponding NS corner is not much better. But I've had a good rummage in the dark recesses of the boot corners, but not seen anything horrifying yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Perry Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 Another thought re the structural contribution from the lower part of the rear wing (or otherwise), is that Canley Classics refer to alloy rear wings which would be suitable for racing (where body/chassis rigidity is important for handling), which would be held onto the car by nothing more than a few pop rivets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 I like to be and make others pessimistic ....cos then when you find some really points , it makes you elated and feel great.....! Most race panel are now bonded and in bonding ,they are generally as good as a weld...as in most GP cars now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Perry Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 "I like to be and make others pessimistic ....cos then when you find some really points , it makes you elated and feel great..…!" You sound like my father. The aluminium panels - on re-reading, Canleys actually recommend rivets plus Sikaflex. But even so, the aluminium sheet is only about 1.2mm thick so can't do much structurally, particularly as a single skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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