Pulled all panels off my car, what stuff should I replace?

[uhhair]

So we have finally completely finished our winter project of stripping our red car. Now the time as come to put the panels back on and enjoy our hard work. I am wondering if I am forgetting anything that needs replaced in this process. I know that there are four seals on the wheel wells under the panels, I'm assuming these need replaced? I also plan on buying the seal kit from DMCH which I think should include all the seals I need. I also am going to buy new rub strips as ours are not in great shape. Besides these things, can anyone else think of something I am missing? I'm sure there has to be something I'm forgetting...

[David T]

You should reattach the grounding wires. If they are not in good shape you can make new ones or maybe buy them? from DMCH. I do not know if they even have them. Of course replace any broken or missing hardware. Take your time and line things up nicely. Not everything fits perfectly so you have to "split the difference" and compromise the edges. Don't tighten down too tight until you are satisfied with the entire car.
David Teitelbaum

[uhhair]

The only grounding wires that attach to the panels are on the front fenders right? Those looked good when I attached them last night. As for the alignment, for now we are just putting them back on so that they look OK and we will realign them after we do our doors as our doors are real bad and no sense aligning the panels to the doors since we have to adjust them anyways.

[thirdmanj]

Do you have any pics of your work? It'd be really neat to see that.

[jawn101]

The only grounding wires that attach to the panels are on the front fenders right? Those looked good when I attached them last night. As for the alignment, for now we are just putting them back on so that they look OK and we will realign them after we do our doors as our doors are real bad and no sense aligning the panels to the doors since we have to adjust them anyways.

I have short ground wires from every panel to every other panel. Fenders to A-pillar trim to windshield header to T panel to rear quarter panel to frame, on both sides. I didn't put them there, they are original. Just little jumpers with O-terminals that you put one screw into.

[uhhair]

Hmm, I don't know if I have all of those grounds. I just know I have two so far on the fenders I am reattaching so I will see about the rest as I go about assembling the car. If my research is correct, these are simply static grounds and aren't part of any integral electrics in the car so hopefully if I'm missing one I'll be OK.

I do have some pics, will post a few tonight for you.

[thirdmanj]

Schweeeet! You rock man!!

[jawn101]

Hmm, I don't know if I have all of those grounds. I just know I have two so far on the fenders I am reattaching so I will see about the rest as I go about assembling the car. If my research is correct, these are simply static grounds and aren't part of any integral electrics in the car so hopefully if I'm missing one I'll be OK.

I do have some pics, will post a few tonight for you.

Correct, they aren't current-carrying. But since the individual panels don't really touch anything metal without them, they do just like you said and ground static to the frame :) From what I have been told, most cars are missing most of them as they get removed during one repair or another and never go back on. I was shocked to find them all intact on mine.

[David T]

They are primarily for static BUT. If a hot wire should touch a panel it would electrify it. Having the ground wire will cause that circuit to blow the fuse so you know there is a problem. You should replace those ground wires. Actually they should be called bonding wires since that is what they do, electrically bond all of the metal together to ground. Kind of like a swimming pool. the ladders, railings, etc.
David Teitelbaum

[D Knight]

I,too, had a red car and stripped it back to bare metal. Congrats! Not many know just how hard this really is. I still have a little in my left door jamb to remove but otherwise it's all gone and regrained. Looks MUCH better in stainless!

[DeLorean]

Fender, door & gap alignment can be pretty tricky in a "normal" car, I'd imagine that a DeLorean is probably a tad even more challenging.

#1 rule is that you should take your time. After replacing a fender and a door on a non DeLorean car recently, I know how hard it can be to get it "just right" Change one little thing to try and get it perfect and all the other gaps that were previously just right are now all wrong! If you had any shims, bushings, etc I hope you noted their position before removal.

[Kenny_Z]

Pictures! I want to see how good a red to stainless conversion can be :D

[uhhair]

As soon as I get a free minute I will post some pics. Its hard being a tax accountant and trying to have a car stripped all before April 17th. I will say that while this process has been difficult, it wasn't as bad as some told us it could be. We lucked out by having grain underneath all our panels and no bondo issues to overcome. Really the most difficult part has been the details, many small spots where the paint stripper failed and we had to go back and do spot treatment. That and getting off the dried-up paint stripper in nooks and crannies. All worth it though, the car is looking fantastic!

[Kenny_Z]

It's amazing how there can be various spots where the paint seems like it'd survive a nuclear blast. I had that issue recently while stripping a new-old grille for my Mustang.