Installing that rear compartment cover. By James Evans
These instructions will guide you in removing the rear cover from an old car and installing it into your new car. These instructions are for the non welder. If you ca weld read the steps carefully. And replace the JB weld steps with welding the brackets down yourself.
Materials
Created By James Evans. “Eat-um-up” Host of Knight Technology
http://knightrider2003.tripod.com
· Donor Car
· Hammer
· Chisel
· Small tube JB Weld
· Duct Tape
· Strong magnet
· Course sand paper (courser the better)
· Flat screwdriver
· 10mm socket and driver.
· Sharpie.
· Razor knife
· Paper plate
· Plastic knife
Created By James Evans. “Eat-um-up” Host of Knight Technology
http://knightrider2003.tripod.com
Part 1 – Removing the compartment cover from the donor car
1. In the donor car open the cover. You’ll se two plastic oval shape covers. Pop them off with the screwdriver. Exposing the bolts (fig 1.1)
2. Unbolt the cover using the 10 MM socket. Set it all aside
3. Remove the rear paneling from the vehicle.
4. Peal the carpet back so that it can rest up against the back seat. This will expose the mounting brackets for the compartment cover.
5. if you need to take care of some business, grab something to eat or use the facilities do it now
6. Grab your hammer and chisel and carefully break the spot welds of the brackets. Don’t worry if you need the brackets a little. It’s okay. Just be careful not to alter the original shape of the bracket too much
7. This will take a while.
8. When you’re done, collect your tools, brackets that you just freed nuts, bolt covers, center rear panel, and the compartment cover. Now have a break. Next we install the cover in the new car.
Part 2 – Prepping the body.
1. Just like in steps 3 and 4 of part 1. remove the paneling and pull back the carpet
2. Lay your compartment cover on the car as if you had just opened the compartment cover to access underneath it. Resting the hinge against the body.
3. Use your sharpie to mark the area of the body that the hinges rest against.
4. With your course sandpaper sand the paint off about 1 inch around where the hinge rests.
5. Using the Sharpie pen mark the body though the holes of the hinge. You should have 4 dots indicating where the bots should be for fastening down the compartment cover.
6. If you bent up the mounting brackets chiseling them out, its time to fix them. Use a hammer and a hard flat surface to beat the bends out as best you can.
7. Take the compartment cover back out of the car and set it aside.
8. using the 4 dots made as a point of reference its time to set the brackets in place
9. Using one bracket line the bolts up with the two dots on one side. Hold the bracket in place by letting it rest on top of the magnet. Draw an outline with the sharpie so you know where the brackets should rest. Do not hold it up with the magnet magnetizing though the bracket. You’ll have to take the bracket back out once more and you’ll end up gluing the magnet to the car permanently.
10. The next 3 steps must be done quickly. It is critical that you do not pause. Read these next 3 steps and memorize them. Again if you need a break now is the time to do it. You’ll have about 20-30 minutes of non stop action.
11. Get yourself the plastic plate, plastic knife, and JB weld. Mix about ¼ of the tubes.
12. Remove the bracket from the car leaving the magnet in place. Spread the JB weld all over the back side of the bracket where the spot welds were. Immediately replace the bracket in the outline on the car. Spread the remaining JB weld around the edges of the bracket. (Fig 2.1) Cover the JB weld on the bracket with Duct tape to keep the JB weld from running. Remove your magnet. (fig 2.2 and 2.3)
13. You can let dry for at least 12 hours or proceed to the next step.
14. If you chose to proceed without letting the JB weld dry then be careful not to disturb the bracket while moving on. Repeat steps 6-10 for the second bracket. Now put your tools away and come back tomorrow.
Step 3 - Finishing Up
1. now that everything is dry the carpet can be put back into place
2. When the carpet is resting where it should be feel where the bots are sticking into the back of the carpet. Use the razor knife to cut holes in the carpet so that each bolt can pass through.
3. Reinstall the paneling into the car. This time replace the original center rear panel with the one from the donor car or one that fits your year car and supports the rear compartment cover.
4. Go ahead and bolt the compartment cover onto the vehicle. The cover should be reasonably close in adjustment.
5. If your cover is extremely out of adjustment you may need to re drill the cover hinges to line up with the bolts. Or you can pry the bracket back of the car. Relocate it and JB weld it back on.
6. Adjust the cover the best you can and put the bolt covers back on the compartment cover hinges.
7. Finished (Fig 3.1)
Created By James Evans. “Eat-um-up” Host of Knight Technology
http://knightrider2003.tripod.com