I am getting ready to paint my 71. But when I corner hard the decklid keeps srcaping the paint off the rear corners because of body flex. What is the best way to prevent this?
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Easy don't corner hard. Seriously there are several vendors that are making and marketing bracing for the front and the rear to limit the flex. Not cheap but effective.
lpb,
I remember seeing (years ago) in an issue of P.I. a vendor selling 'Corner Protectors'. These would install on the underside of the decklid in the rear lip at the extreme corners. They had rubber bumpers that you would adjust to just touch the quarterpanel at the corresponding location when the decklid was closed.
Basically, when you cornered, the rubber bumpers would contact the inside of the quarterpanel and force the decklid to do it's fair share of the flexing. This would maintain the gap between the decklid and the quarterpanel thereby eliminating paint chips in that area. If I recall correctly, they sold for about $90 bucks for the pair.
If you'd like, I'll dig through my past issues to get a phone number for you.
Michael
I remember seeing (years ago) in an issue of P.I. a vendor selling 'Corner Protectors'. These would install on the underside of the decklid in the rear lip at the extreme corners. They had rubber bumpers that you would adjust to just touch the quarterpanel at the corresponding location when the decklid was closed.
Basically, when you cornered, the rubber bumpers would contact the inside of the quarterpanel and force the decklid to do it's fair share of the flexing. This would maintain the gap between the decklid and the quarterpanel thereby eliminating paint chips in that area. If I recall correctly, they sold for about $90 bucks for the pair.
If you'd like, I'll dig through my past issues to get a phone number for you.
Michael
1. For $2 go to your favorite hardware store and buy the little rubber cabinet door stops. Usually come in white or brown and has a sticky side. Paste two on each corner and replace as needed. Works best if you have a little triangle piece welded into the outside corner so there's a flat spot to place the door stop.
2. For overkill my car has a couple of hood pins attached to the rear deck, one one each side, that mate with the bottom when closed. Zero chips in 13 years but you got to watch your head when you lean into the engine bay.
2. For overkill my car has a couple of hood pins attached to the rear deck, one one each side, that mate with the bottom when closed. Zero chips in 13 years but you got to watch your head when you lean into the engine bay.
Rick and his hood pin solution is THE solution to this universal problem. But instead of mounting the pins on the deck lid, mount them on the body. Remove the rear tail lights and you can drill a hole into the light cavity. Use clay or grease to index things, but you want the mating hole in the deck lid to be in the triangle area of the webbing. DO NOT drill all the way through to the outside. With the pins on the body, no head bumping. No unsightly pins sticking outside. Just a solid, no shift deck lid. Drill the deck lid hole just big enough for the pins. Any rubber/plastic bushing in an oversize hole will just get pounded into pieces by the shifting forces that are still there but no longer hitting the 1/4 panels. Try this link to some photos I took at the '04 Concorso Italiano.
http://pak01.pictures.aol.com/NASApp/ygp/Login?event=DirectView&shareInfo=Ehyt65ORhpOTTcqYhNYhgbXBELGeb4dzh6R4SZ%2f7gOA%3d&pageName=AlbumViewFromEmails&locale=en_US
Larry
http://pak01.pictures.aol.com/NASApp/ygp/Login?event=DirectView&shareInfo=Ehyt65ORhpOTTcqYhNYhgbXBELGeb4dzh6R4SZ%2f7gOA%3d&pageName=AlbumViewFromEmails&locale=en_US
Larry
Another option. What about those "wedges" you would use on front hoods. They are mounted on the 1/4 itself. When your lid comes down, the downward rubber wedge (very small) self-centers the lid.
Bob
Bob
Thanks Rick and Larry, That looks like a great plan. Thank you for the link to the corsico show. I will install pins as indicated...carefully!!!