TAZMNDVL - Build - 350 QB - 6sp - chop ... and more (Page 37/44)
madcurl OCT 05, 03:03 PM
madcurl OCT 09, 01:41 PM

quote
Originally posted by madcurl:
madcurl OCT 10, 06:03 PM

DrCPU OCT 15, 07:35 PM
Well - it looks like I have a few moments to document the VDI hinge install I did at Archie's Sept 2-3 of 2008. Sorry it's taken so long to post but life seems to be extra busy the past two months. I moved my 83 yr old father to Mississauga and it's been a ton of work getting him into an old folks home, selling his house, getting rid of a lifetime of his stuff etc....

Most of you know I love spending the week before Fierorama at Archie's. Well this year was no different. Archie, Rob and Kris are a ton of laughs - and they really know their stuff. Yeah that's my opinion based on dealing with him since my swap in 2005.

I drove to Rockford on the holiday Monday and left Mississauga at about 6am. I trailered as I did not know how long it would take to get the VDI hinges installed - that I had shipped to Archies at the beginning of August. I arrived at around 5pm on the holiday Monday only to find Kris driving out. They said they thought I was driving in and would be there first thing in the morning. We agree to start in earnest on Tuesday morning.

Archie is the consumate host and I convinced him he'd need a watchdog for the rest of the week - so Ginger and I hunkered down in the shop at night. Thanks Archie! It was crazy hot those first two days and no AC had me thinking I'd made a mistake. Oh well - this stuff happens when you're cheap like me. At almost 95 degrees it took until the wee hours before the temp was even close to being comfortable. Thank goodness it cooled down on Thrusday!

Anyway - first things first. Tuesday at 7am I drive my car into the shop and get the benefit of the car lift. No one can start anything until I take off all the hardware. My deal with Archie is I do as much as possible to minimse my costs. I'd taken off the XD hinges in the Spring and know how to do this stuff in the dark now.



The first order of business is to take off the rockers, then the front fenders, then the inside door panel, then the mirrors, then the inner lower door trim, then the outer door skin. The last thing to come off is the front window guide that runs up and down the front part of the door - in between the door. This makes getting to the hinge bolts easy as pie.

Here is a pick of the driver side - stock hinges - front fender and rocker panel off.



Same thing - other side.



Inside door panel - passenger side.



Driver side - removing the front window guide (bolts are on the inside)



Driver side - no window guide.



Next picture shows the bolt locations on the inside of the door (passenger side)



The final pic for this post is Rob welding in tabs at the top and bottom of the door with the frame. We do not want the door to move when we take off the stock hinges. Please note the door is closed! (tehee)



More tomorrow.....

[This message has been edited by DrCPU (edited 10-15-2008).]

gaas88 OCT 15, 08:15 PM
Dave,
Thank you for posting.....I thought Curly was going to go into cardiac arrest!
DrCPU OCT 15, 08:51 PM

quote
Originally posted by gaas88:

Dave,
Thank you for posting.....I thought Curly was going to go into cardiac arrest!



Worse than having a girlfriend! I've learned to ignore the opposite sex - it's a male thing. Bwahahahaaaaa!

I did promise to post - so I don't blame him.

Probably about two or three more posts with about 30 pics to go...
madcurl OCT 15, 08:58 PM

quote
Originally posted by gaas88:

I thought Curly was going to go into cardiac arrest!




Hehee.

DrCPU OCT 16, 08:13 PM
VDI Hinge Install post #2

Let's see where I was - Oh yeah - Rob has just welded on the two tabs to keep the driver side door in place before we remove the stock hinges....

If you check the last picture in the first post there is a very very slight detail of something quite funny. I don't think any of you will find the item - so I'll narrow it down. It's trailing from the driver door - at the rear of the door....

We remove the stock hinges....



Next we place a pit of stock steel that had the holes pre-drilled and tapped. This way the mount point is perfect with the standard bolts! The cut VDI hinges will be welded to this stock later..



Next is a little detail of the VDI Universal Hinge Kit - note the wishbone with the mounts for the door has already been cut off. We need to cut off the bottom mount now...



Kris hard at work cutting the lower mount off the VDI hinge



Next is the build up for the top mount of the VDI hinge. Note the rounded edges (both sides) for a good weld.



And a test fit once things have cooled down and been ground flat....



Now a close up at the lower mount point - this needs to be built up with a nice weld...



And a few with more lighting showing how the wishbone will be tacked and then welded the last pic has the welds done.





Now a couple of picks of the hinge just before we are ready for the test opening....



Alrightythennnnn! Now to cut off the bits that were welded on to keep the door solidly mounted to the frame during all this mounting/remounting and welding.

The next few are different shots - at different angles.... The hinges still come off one more time for final clean up of welds and some paint....







So now the door and hinges are off for the last time. Must clean up the area while everything is open, and one more look at a finished hinge!



That's it for today's post. The first two posts show all the work performed on the first day - Sept 2,2008. There are many small details I could have added, but most if not all of the important things are covered off the now "acclaimed" Archie/DrCPU Youtube production of the complete install.

I'll post the remainder of the images of the finished project next week. Yup - that's it for me until Wednesday - let's see - close the trailer this weekend - fun and games on Monday night - Old farts hockey on Tuesday..... Enjoy yours too!
DrCPU OCT 22, 08:15 PM
I promised my post today - so here is the final installment for the VDI hinges.....

This last part is a bunch of pics I took three days after the install and one at the Chop Top Reunion....









and the shot from Saturday at Archie's place during ChopTop



So as a wrap up - if you follow the last two posts and then check out the youtube video - you'll have all the info you need to get perfect fitting and perfect functioning doors! follow this link to the videos...

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/094708.html

In closing this post - thanks again to Archie, Rob and Kris for such a great week. More fun than I've had since last year's Choptop!!!
Archie OCT 22, 08:27 PM

quote
Originally posted by DrCPU:

In closing this post - thanks again to Archie, Rob and Kris for such a great week. More fun than I've had since last year's Choptop!!!




We had a great time too.

You need to know that you're always welcome here.

Archie