Collision repairs

[glenfiddich]

With the fender fully cured I mounted it to the tub so it could be tweaked in situ. First the whiskers came off, then the arc was worked into a uniform curve, and last the body of the fender sanded smooth. Tomorrow I start finessing with filler



Cured fender mounted to the tub for finishing work



Still a flat spot around ten o’clock, but pretty close to as good as it gets before applying body filler



Front: leading edge. Rather than fussing with the gap I decided to go with fender welting after all



Rear: trailing edge

 

[glenfiddich]

I was having a hard time eyeballing tweaks to the flat spot at ten o’clock on the fender, so sprayed some guide coat on the fender and taped some paper behind it. The additional contrast helped quite a bit



I temporarily installed the rubber weatherstripping around the rim of the tub and gently placed the clamshell lid in place to ensure it wasn’t impacted by my changes. The fit was perfect



With rough sanding done it was time to deal with body filler. It’s much easier to shape than fiberglass and needs just a few minutes to cure - unlike fiberglass - so the pace of work can pick up quite a bit



It’s still an iterative process, but much faster. A layer is applied, cures for 15 minutes, is sanded to eliminate irregularities. High spots are ground down, another layer of filler applied, and more sanding. It usually takes me three applications to finish a section and in the end what remains of the filler is a very thin layer



In the above photo you can see where a couple of high spots were ground down. They were then covered with another application of filler. The edge, where the fender will make contact when bolted into place, will be sanded down till a thin strip of fiberglass is exposed. Fiberglass on fiberglass contact is much stronger than filler and impervious to chipping

 

[glenfiddich]

Trying to get the arc of the mount just right was driving me nuts, so I shifted my attention to the (mostly) flat surfaces in front of and behind the wheel well. Plastic filler was applied to those areas then sanded using a long board with 40 grit. Though it was aggressive, it still took a lot of sanding to bring the surface mostly level. I used guide coat when it felt fairly smooth to identify any remaining low spots



Switching to 80 grit I continued sanding to eliminate the high spot and minimize the low



While there’s still a narrow low streak visible I stopped at this point since it can be filled when I blend the seam where the tub and mount meet. Meanwhile, having sanded the plastic filler on the rear about as smooth as it could be, poly filler (also known as icing) was applied and sanded smooth. Poly fills minor imperfections including pin holes in the plastic filler.



Once the complete area being repaired/modified reaches this stage the entire sidecar will be sanded with 220 grit to get it ready for a coat of epoxy primer

 

[r0ckrat]

If the arc is circular, you could cut a piece of MDF to the circumference, and tack sandpaper to it's edge to sand it... (or 2 glued together for a thicker edge.)

 

[lee]

so the pace of work can pick up quite a bit

You should have plenty of time. Spring doesn't arrive to Vermont until June

 

[glenfiddich]

You should have plenty of time. Spring doesn't arrive to Vermont until June

But the paint needs a couple of months to fully cure. That’s one of the reasons we’re driving the Xterra to Redmond this year. The other is so we can spend two weeks exploring dirt roads in Utah along the way. 4WD beats 1WD in sand and mud.

 

[glenfiddich]

Today was a short day as five inches of fresh snow, sunny skies, and a high of 22F promised a great afternoon of cross country skiing. I spent the morning looking for an applicator flexible enough to let me spread a consistent amount of filler in the seam where the mount met the side of the tub. In the end I discarded popsicle sticks and various bits of plastic and rubber in favor of my thumb clad in a latex glove run sideways down the seam



Carefully sanding the edges till they blended in with the tub and mount, my thumb again saw action to smooth out the seam



In the process one last high spot was exposed. It was reduced with 40 grit. Once I was happy with the lines a coat of poly icing was applied



The icing was sanded smooth, the high spot didn’t reappear, and I think the arc is just about ready for a coat of sandable primer. But now it’s time to get out and enjoy that beautiful weather!

 

[paul_f]

Glen, whatever your insurance pays you and whatever is recovered from the woman who ran into tour rig, surely it will never cover all the time and effort that you have put into restoring your sidecar. It seems extremely unfair as to what she has put you through, as well as not being able to use the rig to ride to ether last year’s or this year’s June Rally. You seem calmer about this situation that I would be.

 

[glenfiddich]

Glen, whatever your insurance pays you and whatever is recovered from the woman who ran into tour rig, surely it will never cover all the time and effort that you have put into restoring your sidecar. It seems extremely unfair as to what she has put you through, as well as not being able to use the rig to ride to ether last year’s or this year’s June Rally. You seem calmer about this situation that I would be.

Paul - I was grateful my dog wasn’t injured and that while damaged, the rig was functional enough for us to make it to the Virginia rally and then on to home. And truth be told, I’d been considering making some modifications to better suit my somewhat aggressive style on mountain twisties. The damage occurred exactly where those mods were needed and it’s the sort of work I enjoy in our long winters. So in the end it all worked out

 

[glenfiddich]

After several iterations I got the seam between tub and mount the way I wanted it.



But I found the urban camouflage look confusing. A solid color would help me spot defects, so into the paint booth for a partial coat of white epoxy primer.



It looked pretty good in white until I applied guide coat. It took just a few seconds of sanding to show there was still sanding ahead





In the photo above a linear low spot is highlighted above the seam. I sanded it out using 120 grit on a soft block with short strokes perpendicular to the seam. It was slow going, but after a couple of hours it looked great! (See below)



With the modified section smooth, I switched to 220 grit and began sanding the entire tub. Pits left by rock hits over the years will be filled with poly. When that’s done I’ll move on to the fender, trunk lid, and clamshell lid

 

[glenfiddich]

With the tub ready for the next step it was time to start working on the re-glassed fender. Because it’s so light it refuses to hold still while being sanded, so I bolted it in place after protecting the tub from splatter



Filler was applied, cured quickly, and was sanded in place. I held the sanding block with my pinky finger off to the side as a bumper to protect the tub from scuffs while sanding



Predictably, some high spots showed up and were reduced with the RA. Another coat was applied



More sanding. At this stage it feels like an endless process. Filler applied, sets up, is sanded down in long sweeping strokes that would get Richard Simmons worked up, irregularities found, repeat till all is smooth and just a thin layer remains



Finally the surface meets with my approval. At this point the fender is removed from the tub so the inboard curve can be sanded without risk of damage to the tub. But I’d forgotten to apply anti seize to one of the stainless fasteners and I had to cut the head off that galled bolt.

 

[88bmwjeff]

But I’d forgotten to apply never seize to one of the stainless fasteners and I had to cut the head off that galled bolt.

When I was test fitting my lights I figured skipping the anti seize for the short bit of time would be OK. But, no! One nut seized half way being removed. I had to cut it off. Stainless fasteners will teach you a lesson if you don’t treat them properly.

Things are looking good though

 

[PGlaves]

If you happen to have a good corrosion related reason to use stainless fasteners, OK. But if it is an appearance desire, of some falling for marketer's ads about stainless, then don't. Stainless will gall and seize quicker than a beer will fizz. I never install stainless fasteners without good copper anti-seize, or a thread protecting blue loctite. Metal on metal stainless is not trustworthy, even for license plate bolts. Cutting those little suckers off with a Dremel tool is not fun.

 

[pauls1150]

Sure it is, it just takes a bit of time and patience...

 

[glenfiddich]

If you happen to have a good corrosion related reason to use stainless fasteners, OK. But if it is an appearance desire, of some falling for marketer's ads about stainless, then don't. Stainless will gall and seize quicker than a beer will fizz. I never install stainless fasteners without good copper anti-seize, or a thread protecting blue loctite. Metal on metal stainless is not trustworthy, even for license plate bolts. Cutting those little suckers off with a Dremel tool is not fun.

I’ve used them for years but only for the bolts attaching the fender to the tub as residual road salt wreaked havoc in that location. This time I forgot the anti-seize and paid the price

 

[glenfiddich]

Body work is like writing. Sometimes you have to walk away for a few hours before you can see areas that need improvement. I THINK the fender is ready to prime, but I’ll look again tomorrow with fresh eyes before calling it done.



My view walking into the shop this morning. The tub’s bodywork is done. The fender is on the operating table waiting to be sanded. The bike and subframe are awaiting test fits to see how much additional width is needed to accommodate the mods.



The fender was sanded to near perfection, then a thin layer of icing was added to fill the pinholes. Almost all of it will be sanded off



After sanding, with the pinholes gone, the fender was clamped into position for a final caress with 120 grit

 

[glenfiddich]

Finished sanding the trunk lid and moved on to the big clamshell lid. Originally Hannigan secured the lid with a cheap catch like you’d see on a garden gate. That broke years ago and I never replaced it, but it was kinda essential to have some means of securing the lid.

I opted for a spring-loaded latch like the kind used on boat hatches. I don’t think fiberglass would hold up to the constant tension and vibration, so added a quarter inch thick aluminum backing plate. It’s fiberglassed into place for now. Once it cures overnight I’ll drill and tap it for a pair of bolts, then position the catch and fasten that as well. Then the clamshell can be sanded and prepped for the primer coat


Clamped in place during cure. The shims are to allow a gap for the weatherstripping to fit

 

[riderr1150gsadv]

The progress is looking good!
Make sure to use some insulating grease like Tef-Gel, Lanocote or equivalent to keep the SS screws from seizing up in your aluminum backing plate..
I think Loc-tite makes something too... YMMV

 

[glenfiddich]

After taking a couple of days off, today I worked on some details. There were some patches of bare fiberglass from my repairs of too many holes drilled before I bought the rig, some more that were failing from me not providing enough support for my extra fuel and water containers mounted to the bulkhead, and the numerous sharp edges I’d ground down so they wouldn’t snag Glenlivet’s fur anymore.



All that naked fiberglass was covered with two coats of bedliner



The inside of the clamshell and trunk lids got the same treatment. Next I fashioned a much larger mount for my fuel and water Rotopax containers to spread their weight over a wider area

 

[glenfiddich]

The Rotopax mount is done and fits fine. I left room between the containers for a poop bag dispenser. The mount was then removed and covered to protect the finish as I continue to make a mess.



Then a test fit of the tub on the subframe. I knew my mods would drive some changes, but it was important to carefully measure the current settings and how much they needed to change to accommodate the wider stance



Next the bike was separated from the sidecar frame. The front mounts had plenty of length to add 3/4 inch of width, but the rear lower mount did not, plus the threaded rod itself was bent. I ordered a longer length from the good folks at McMaster-Carr