904-090
June 23, 2004

I just recently got this photo from Jeff Klein (long time IMSA racer). I was Jeff's crew chief, when he drove Jim Busby's Miller 962 at San Antonio in the late 80's. This picture is taken at Willow Springs in 1971, when Rudy first got the car. A very young Jeff raced this car for Rudy. Jeff has some great memories of this car and we will write about them later in the project.

In the last update we were "Saving Private Headlight". This picture shows the headlight adjusters, which are riveted to a fiberglass housing. These housings are then glassed to the bucket
(after they are lined up of course). Who wants crooked headlights?

I've smeared cabosil in all the areas where the bucket will be re-glued.

When the glue dries, the grinders come out and prepare the surfaces for body filler.

Remember, it's not a sin to give a forty year old panel a skin of plastic (bondo). Just try to have all the bodywork repaired with glass so you don't have to apply too much filler
(weight is everything even on an old racer).

The back of the fender still needs to have the surface ground away. The picture on the right shows two 6 mm threadserts missing from the "A" pillar. We will re-glue two serts back in the holes.

This picture shows what it takes to glue a threadsert into a piece of fiberglass. First you would tap the hole, then you install a 6 mm bolt with a lock nut and washer. Next, mix any good five minute epoxy (we use JB Weld), spread it in the hole and on the outside of the insert. Times a wastin so hurry and screw the insert into the threaded hole and before it dries, undo the lock nut and bolt and then remove the washer. Wipe the excess epoxy away and let it cure. Bingo, one very cool hinge post ready for a door. By the way, you can purchase these inserts from metric hardware companies.

Now, the door is installed and the body filler is spread to be level with the existing door skin. After the bodywork and seam is to your liking, give her a shot of duratech.

I have fans rolling so I don't have to worry about breathing duratech. But I suggest you use a mask every time you spray this shit!!

Wow! Now to the other side.

This headlight bucket is beyond fixing (I never should have fixed the other side) so I've made a new bucket and now I have to remove the headlight housing. This is like unearthing a dinosaur, because you have to remove the part without destroying it. This could take half a day, but if you succeed, the repair after it's removed is easy.

The left side of the nose was hit two times. The right side of the nose (this headlight bucket) must have been hit 10 times! Such as life.

It's hard to see in the picture, that the headlight cover has been replaced five times or at least there are five holes at every mounting screw.

The new bucket is installed but not glued in. I'll do that in the next few days.

I forgot that the brass inserts for the 3 mm screws that hold the headlight cover on are installed in a way just like the door posts (threadserts). Because the fiberglass material is thin in these areas, there is not enough meat for the threadsert to be screwed in. These pictures show me adding three layers of 1 1/2 oz mat where the inserts will be installed. More meat more strength.

After fighting, chipping, grinding, hitting, and scraping I got the housing free and it's in pretty good shape.

This will be reinstalled in the new bucket.

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