ust to make sure the story is complete ... there have been a few "booboos" so far in getting the body work ready for painting ...
1.
Sanding Too Much. In my zeal to get the right shape there have been two times when I actually sanded a hole in the fiberglass ... not a big holes but ones that required applying 3M HSRF to repair.
Note: The hole in the photo has been expanded for clarity.
2.
Forgetting or Failing to Install All the Seals. The seals (bulb seal on the aluminum panels) and the weatherstriping (on the frame around the hood opening)
must be installed
before attempting to get the doors fitted to the body. The trunk seal should be temporarily installed and the hood trimmed and supported with seal and or rubber buttons as required.
3.
Cracked Door Latch Support. Somehow I managed to crack the support ... either from dropping the door or most likely from pulling on the door when I "glued" it to the body with Rage Gold ... another blunder.
4.
Glueing the Doors to the Body. This occurred on more than one ocassion ... I got lost in sanding and shaping one area while the filler solidified in the gaps on the doors. The fix usually involve at minimum a utility knife and in one worst case a large flat blade screwdriver and a rubber mallet ... oh and a whole lot of pulling to get the door to break loose. Note that this is likely the cause of the problem in #3 since I could have been putting pressure on the door with it still latched.
5.
Pinholes, Pinholes and More Damn Pinholes. After getting the sanding done to 120 grit I inspected the surface carefully and found a lot more pinholes than I actually expected. I think the causes for their sudden appearance ... 1) Sanding through the gelcoat in some places; 2) Improper mixing of the Rage Gold; and, 3) Applying the filler too late ... meaning as it was turning or setting. I used a 3M product