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Post by overthinker on Sept 2, 2024 16:59:56 GMT -5
Well, it took 11 build attempts, but I finally have electric windows that fully go into the bottom of the GT2 gull wing doors. There is a small triangle section that is fixed, but you need this area for the motor and spool to operate the window. I am working on glassing in the frame to conceal the tracks and put the lower cover on the interior of the door. The door latch is now a popper so the button that sticks out the bottom of the door is gone. I still have a manual operated lever on the interior of the door, plus the driver's side door will have a hidden exterior manual pull in case of electrical failure. I am going to weigh the door when complete vs the original door weight to see if I need to bump up the lift supports or not, but I don't think at this time that the weight will be much different, however when the glass is in the bottom of the door, more lift would be needed for the weight being moved. I raised and lowered the glass 50 times last night just to see if any place needed any changes or adjustment and everything worked flawlessly. I have to start over on the documentation on the next door build as I had to start over so many times until I got it right that the documentation that I have on hand right now is useless. Also, the design allows for the entire window assembly to be removable in the event a motor, cable or glass replacement is needed down the road. The door is stiffer now than it was originally which was part of the problems with all the initial builds keeping the glass properly in track. It's going to take a while to get the video on YouTube, but I will let you know when it is up. I had to have some more stents put in, which set me back a bit, (31 aortic stents now). This modification took a toll on a lot of brain cells, and there were many times I wanted to just slap a piece of Lexan in there, but as I always tell my kids, never give up....never surrender. If you can think it, it can be done.
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Post by cocacoladodge on Sept 3, 2024 2:57:18 GMT -5
Greetings Overthinker,
Do you by chance have a youtube page or are you on Facebook? I would love to see videos of how you did this and some of your other projects. You really do have a lot of good ideas that in turn give me ideas too (oh no, here we go again lol).
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Post by cocacoladodge on Sept 3, 2024 3:23:36 GMT -5
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Post by overthinker on Sept 4, 2024 12:46:41 GMT -5
I apologize for being so tardy on my post. I used to do 1 car a year, but my body keeps failing me this year. The greatest challenge I had since the windows are parallelogram's and don't go straight up and down was keeping the glass panels in the tracks and not binding up because there is so much flex in the door. watching my granddaughter using one of my drawers in the pantry as a ride gave me the final working idea. I used a 250lb rated fully opening drawer slides as my track and attaching the glass panels to the drawer slide sections allowed for the flex needed and since there was one fixed and two sliding sections on the drawer track, I was able to attach each piece of glass to the sections of track. The bearings in the track allow for flex and also allowed me to build an 1/8" thick frame around the window area which stiffened up the door area. I am taking a break from bending panels for the lower door area cover and to cover up the cable on the inside of the car door. The outside of the car door will just be glassing back in from the fiberglass door to the removable frame. I will copy cat what I have done to the passenger door to the drivers door and take photos of each step. It's going to take a little while to post, but I will get it out there asap. I never in the past documented my work, the 73 Opel Gt was the first time I took photos from the start to the end. Here is a quick video of the window after it was roughed in. The window spacing has been adjusted and I am in the process of adding seals, closing in the bottom of the door, and finishing the exterior of the door. The window sections do completely go into the bottom of the door and do not interfere with the door latch. youtube.com/shorts/e8K395bTPJg?Please note: I had to switch to a door "popper" set up for the door latch. You will not be able to get the glass to go fully into the door with the exterior door latch installed. I will show this on the next video as well. That was the easiest part of the entire project....LOL. |
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Post by overthinker on Sept 9, 2024 13:43:15 GMT -5
GRRRRRR. I spent a few days bending and making all the pieces for the interior and exterior to cover up the window tracks and to get the final size of the small triangle section of glass that is left. Looked great, then went to making the mounting bracket and mounting the electric Camero side view mirrors......ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THEY BLOCK OUT 95% of that triangle window area........!!!! Spending the day today REMOVING all the trim around that triangle area. I am closing it off, and I am going to put the popper button, the manual door latch and the window switch in that triangle area on the inside so your legs will never be blocking access to it. Forgot the golden rule of building, ALWAYS think one step ahead BEFORE you build it. |
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Post by overthinker on Sept 24, 2024 13:19:53 GMT -5
Greetings Overthinker, Do you by chance have a youtube page or are you on Facebook? I would love to see videos of how you did this and some of your other projects. You really do have a lot of good ideas that in turn give me ideas too (oh no, here we go again lol). I am so aggravated right now. This is my first time rebuilding a fiberglass car and it must be my last. Some of my long-term medications are causing some really bad rashes with the fiberglass contact, and I developed a cough even with using the proper mask. I have to extremely limit my daily time working on the GT2 and wear Tyvek suits, gloves ect. which is so uncomfortable. I'm not going to quit on it, that's not my style. But I doubt it will make it out of the shop this year. I have the passenger door back on the car and the power window works great. Looks a little jenky from the side with the triangle piece missing in the window, but having a full window go down where I am not trapped in the car was a top priority for me. If I could not open the windows, I would have scrapped the car. Working on the driver's door now, but since it involves a lot of cutting of the door, as soon as I start itching, I have to stop. The driver's door will be lighter than the passenger door since I kept adding steel to the passenger door to stiffen it up for the track to work. I don't need all this now that I am using the flexible drawer tracks. For those that say, all fiberglass is itchy, I know. The problem is that with the platelet blockers that I take, scratching that itch causes me to bleed and stopping the bleeding is not easy. I have a lot of pictures, I will get them out asap. The finished painted car, probably not this year. Sorry. |
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Post by cocacoladodge on Oct 14, 2024 23:18:39 GMT -5
Just reading this made my skin to start feeling that itch and all I can smell is the resin even though I haven't done anything for a couple years now. I'm sorry to hear about your condition, and I fully agree this should be the last fiberglass you deal with. I had talked to someone a while back that was working on a Tow'dster kit (a more street looking version of the Tow'd dune buggy kit) that had blood thinners so he couldn't stand fiberglass either; so he started playing with Carbon Fiber. I haven't caught up with him in quite a while now, but he had said it was easier and cleaner than fiberglass, just a LOT more costly
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Post by overthinker on Nov 13, 2024 11:07:07 GMT -5
Thanks Cocacola,
This entire year has been on swift kick in the ass, one after another. My brother who served on the USS Newport News in Vietnam, had some vascular issues in his legs. This led to him developing an infection and ultimately losing his left leg above the knee. I spent most of October 600 miles from home getting his home wheelchair ready and offering my support to my brother during this difficult time. I returned home the end of October, only to receive word 5 days later that my brother had died from a blood clot, probably related to the surgery he had just received. I returned back to Alabama to honor his funeral request; I voted early since I knew I would not be home in time for the election. The home he lived in was my mother's that was left to my sister and I and my brother had a life estate on the property. Prior to leaving Alabama, I had met a young, engaged couple that was looking for their first home, but the pricing in that region of Alabama was an average of 400k, well above what they could afford. My sister and I decided to sell them the home way below its market value, insuring that not only would they qualify for the loan, but would also have immediate equity in the property to make some needed repairs and upgrades. I wish others in this situation would consider doing this as well. The money from the property is "found" money, meaning I really did nothing to earn it. ( I did maintain the home for over 20 years for my mother and brother at her passing) however, I did this for them, and not for a return on the home. Seeing this young couple get their first home, meant more to me than the cash which most blow on something stupid that has no return on its investment. When I drive down to complete the documents for them, I will be taking a Lowe's gift card with me and ask them to use it on landscaping to return the property to its former amazing curb appeal that it had when my mother was alive. I know this post is not about cars, but I hope it inspires others to look out for our youth. To work with them and help them get a foot in the door of life. They are our future and we need to help show them the way. Not with handouts, but also not to lock them out of the chance to own a home and raise a family, (and tinker on old cars) just as we did. I know my late mother would be proud, my late father....eh, but hey dad, life is not always about the Benjamin's........ Happy Holidays to all, let's see if we can all get along now and into the future.
Let me recoup a bit from all of this, and I will get back on the project.
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Post by Gary Hammond on Nov 13, 2024 11:59:01 GMT -5
Hi Overthinker,  I really enjoyed reading your last post! Hats off to you! Gary Hammond,   |
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Post by overthinker on Nov 13, 2024 12:55:40 GMT -5
Thanks Gary,
I have to give hats off to my sister as well. I really did not expect her to make the same sacrifice, but she was all in. I received a text from one of my cousins that he had a C2J Willys of my brothers and would like me to have it. I will bring it back from Alabama and restore it for my kids with the condition that it gets passed thru the family. So, I guess next year, I will be looking for old Willy's parts......I am already thinking of the dash plaque which will simply read "For Bob". The car is rough, lol, but so was my brother. As we told stories of Bob at his favorite hunting place where we scattered his ashes, we all ended our stories with "Bob was Bob". We all agreed that this phrase must be put on his memorial stone, which will be placed next to my mothers.
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