Anyone bond their own ERA panels?

*13* · #1 (**permalink**) 04-26-2012, 07:36 AM

NO, why would you want to, other than price? Have you ever done a frame off resto? If you have & you are familiar with getting everything lined up, I would say go for it, if that's your desire. But...This was my thinking. The car is going to travel to you 3000 miles on a truck, load & unload. One less thing to go wrong. The other issue is that they have done this (how many hundred cars?) so many times that it's probably less of a skill & more of a practice at this point. I just didn't think it was worth the risk(& I was on a budget!!!). Had them powdercoat the frame & bond it. When it arrived on dollies, it was trouble enough to get it up in my garage. I can't imagine it all in pieces

*13* · #2 (**permalink**) 04-26-2012, 07:43 AM

Lippy, this is my old gallery. There are many pics of my car through the process. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. I put my hands on many parts of the car. I had ERA put the rear assembly together for me, bond & powdercoat the frame. Most everything else, I did myself.
Tongue Pirate Gallery - Club Cobra Photo Gallery

DanEC · #3 (**permalink**) 04-26-2012, 11:35 AM

I did it all myself after having ERA powder coat the frame.

The bonding part is relatively easy and just about idiot-proof. I think the guys who fret over this have the prior ERA model. I don't see how you could mess up the newer model.

I will admit that riveting in all the panels is a chore and takes considerable time. It's not especially difficult - there are a few places it's tight to get a drill into to drill the holes. A smaller drill, right-angle drill, or shortened drill bit can help. The holes that have to go into the frame material take some effort to drill. I probably went through a dozen drill bits all together. The panels are all punched for the holes so there isn't any guessing. It's just a matter of drilling through the panel underlying it, or into the frame.

After drilling the panels you have to pull them out to at least clean all the cuttings out and apply sealer between panels. When installing them back I did have some problems getting the rivets into the pre-drilled holes in a few cases. The trunk and rear wheel well area is kind of painful. I can see ERA going up on their pricing for this. Even just a hair of misalignment was enough to hang up a rivet. So, I had to re-chase some holes with the drill. I drilled all my panels out before raising the body (like a 1/2 inch) and bonding it back. I had no problem with the panels all lining back up after bonding the body other than a couple holes I just barely had to chase with a drill.

An inexpensive pneumatic rivet gun from Harbor Freight is invaluable because there are a lot of rivets.

DanEC · #4 (**permalink**) 04-26-2012, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *13*

NO, why would you want to, other than price? Have you ever done a frame off resto? If you have & you are familiar with getting everything lined up, I would say go for it, if that's your desire. But...This was my thinking. The car is going to travel to you 3000 miles on a truck, load & unload. One less thing to go wrong. The other issue is that they have done this (how many hundred cars?) so many times that it's probably less of a skill & more of a practice at this point. I just didn't think it was worth the risk(& I was on a budget!!!). Had them powdercoat the frame & bond it. When it arrived on dollies, it was trouble enough to get it up in my garage. I can't imagine it all in pieces

Without the factory bonding or riveting, the car still is shipped all assembled. The body is secured to the frame with steel alignment plates and pilot screws and all the panels, dash, foot boxes, rear suspension, windshield, major accessories, radiator, etc are installed and secured or in the case of aluminum panels installed with a few alignment screws. The other screw holes are all punched on the overlying panels. My car came on dollies and it was just rolled off the truck and into the garage. I do recommend the powdercoating - that precludes having to pull the body off the frame entirely.

*13* · #5 (**permalink**) 04-26-2012, 12:22 PM

Well that doesn't sound so bad... I had visions of things coming apart, not lining up & so on & so forth

Maybe I'd give it a shot if I do another...Bodywork? I'll let someone else next time.

Dusty mess of fiberglass is for the birds