1980 99 GLi

[Jordan]

That looks just like my Belgian 99

[Geoff]

That Wurth stuff seems like something I should get. Does it get firm and stay in place or does it just run through the seams and coat the metal?

My plan is to clean all the seems and, once assembled, get POR 15 into as many of the seams as possible. Then use seam sealer. On the fender lips I usually use the wax from a toilet bowl gasket when I put the trim on.

That looks just like my Belgian 99

Nah, it's not that bad!

[KoogiA17]

How about measuring that replacement section and drawing it up in CAD?

Cars worth saving due to the special colour

[Geoff]

I suppose I could try that. Darn, now you've got me thinking!

[DeLorean]

That Wurth stuff seems like something I should get. Does it get firm and stay in place or does it just run through the seams and coat the metal?

When you spray it, it's pretty runny and liquid like, but sprays in a "fog" like manner so it coats well. When it sits for a while, it remains fairly fluid like but thickens a bit and stops running off. If you wipe it off, there will still be a waxy coating on what ever you sprayed it on. I was turned on to the stuff by a Citroen restorer who suggested it for use in areas where you cant (and shouldn't) paint. He suggested it for inside doors, rocker panels, wheel arches, and rear wings, etc.

It really seems to work pretty well. You obviously would not want to spray it on an external fender, but In areas where there is clearly going to be no physical contact to the metal (inner metal pieces, wheel wells, spot welds, inside doors, fenders, hoods) - it's perfect. The stuff isn't going to wash off or chip off.

[KoogiA17]

I suppose I could try that. Darn, now you've got me thinking!

You know you want to! One less bit for me to measure and draw up

[Geoff]

I had to remove the spring perch to get the new panel in. I really should have removed it when I was taking the old one out but didn't realize it at the time. It would have made things a lot easier.
Here's what it looked like after I got the inner fender out:

I cut the spot welds:

To re-attach I'll just line it back up, clamp it, and weld around the perimeter of the holes.
The other part of the spring perch stays in place:

I'll clean both parts of the perch well and paint most of it before I put the perch back in.

[Geoff]

Test fitting the replacement panels


I used a floor jack to slowly lift it into place


The fender lips line up well:


But for some reason there are gaps on the inside, at the rear 'bulkhead'


and at the floor and rear bumper bracing mount


I'm not sure why it isn't fitting as close as I'd like but it doesn't want to go in towards the center of the car enough. I took the panel out and bent some parts of the car back and ground some extra welds that could possibly be in the way but my next test fit didn't get the panel in any further. I think I can get the floor to fit better because I bent it previously and can bend it back out to match the new panel but the top at the 'bulkhead' and a few other places just don't want to line up.

[DrewP]

When you cut the old piece out did the car 'spring' open?

Just get a big ole' pipe clamp around the back half of the car....

[SwedeSport]

Maybe something sagged after the structure came out. If the car wasnt braced the right way or supported in multiple spots it could be quite possible.

[DeLorean]

You should do this in the winter, hot metal expands!


Seriously though, watch some videos of them making the C-900 / 99... a lot of stuff was not "just so" - so they had to improvise. I would not be shocked if they had some sort of rear wheel well expander rig to make these fit into cars that came out a little wide.


Hammer hammer hammer, make it fit.

[DrewP]

Ratchet straps!

[Geoff]

Funny about the manufacturing videos. I've watched a few on the 9000 and NG900 before and found them pretty impressive. I tried to find some on YouTube for the C900 this morning and the only stuff I could find were videos of the cars being assembled after they bodies were welded together. I'm trying to figure out if the part I have was really manufactured as a solitary piece before being assembled to the rest of the car or if it was assembled in a different sequence. A video of the shells being welded together would help that. I'm working under the assumption that the piece I have was put together somewhere on a jig before being attached to the car.

I was able to get the inner edges to line up pretty well by using vice grips to clamp between the standing seam of the two halves of the new inner fender and the vestigial heater-powered rear window defrost hole in the rear 'bulkhead'. (I didn't take a picture before I pulled the panel out)

I think you're right about the winter thing. A week ago it snowed, today its almost 90°F. That must have something to do with it!

Drew, I replaced a broken gas tank strap on my 9000 with a ratchet strap.

[DeLorean]

I looked and I can't find that video. I think it was hosted on saabvideos years ago - I bet it's still around somewhere... I think the rear wheel wells went in after the body was set together most of the way, however this may not be universal.

With the DeLorean production, initially they installed everything but the doors and adjusted everything around the fact that the doors going on at the end, when they found out that didn't work well and produced cars with poor fender/door gaps, they adjusted the entire production line to make it so that the doors went on FIRST. many early cars that had the doors go on first had be be messed with so much with the grinder and the flapper wheel that if you just buy a door to replace a damaged one, they typically don't fit eight or work right.

The 99's were probably put together a lit differently than a 93 900 was due to experience.

[DrewP]

Drew, I replaced a broken gas tank strap on my 9000 with a ratchet strap.

I never thought if that, totally gonna steal that. They won't even rust out like a support basket made of woven-together wire coat hangers!

I think this is how I'm going to affix the battery in the trunk of my '85 to satisfy the SCCA scrutineers....