How to shave a RX?
How to shave a RX?
I was wanting to start shaving my rx7. I already have all the trim pieces off and now im looking at all the ways to make the sides completely smooth. So what ways are there to go about doing this...?
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The proper way to do it is to cut some metal sheets to the size of the opening your closing and weld it in place. Then take a grinder and grind down all the welds then go over it with the sander. After that use fiberglass filler to spread over it and make it nice and smooth with the rest of the body. Once the fiberglass dries you sand it down to smoothness and your pretty much done. There are some other finishing products you can go over the FG with afterwards before you apply primer to give it a super smooth finish I forget what its called though. This is the method that has been used to shave my moldings and antenna hole from my car. I'm leaving the door handles. Shaved door handles on cars just seems kinda dumb to me.
You can see parts of some of the process & results in some of the vids in my build thread.
Unless you are good with body work I suggest having this sorta thing professionally done if you want it to last.
You can see parts of some of the process & results in some of the vids in my build thread.
Unless you are good with body work I suggest having this sorta thing professionally done if you want it to last.
Fibreglass is a horrible suggestion...due to the different expansion rates of fibreglass and metal the fibreglass will crack.
Edit: Bondo shouldn't be applied thicker than a 1/8 inch, 1/4 is acceptable...only if really needed.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 27
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From: Canada
The proper way to do it is to cut some metal sheets to the size of the opening your closing and weld it in place. Then take a grinder and grind down all the welds then go over it with the sander. After that use fiberglass filler to spread over it and make it nice and smooth with the rest of the body. Once the fiberglass dries you sand it down to smoothness and your pretty much done. There are some other finishing products you can go over the FG with afterwards before you apply primer to give it a super smooth finish I forget what its called though. This is the method that has been used to shave my moldings and antenna hole from my car. I'm leaving the door handles. Shaved door handles on cars just seems kinda dumb to me.
You can see parts of some of the process & results in some of the vids in my build thread.
Unless you are good with body work I suggest having this sorta thing professionally done if you want it to last.
You can see parts of some of the process & results in some of the vids in my build thread.
Unless you are good with body work I suggest having this sorta thing professionally done if you want it to last.
There are some other finishing products you can go over the FG with afterwards before you apply primer to give it a super smooth finish I forget what its called though.
Full Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 77
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From: Phoenix AZ
Are you sure your up to this task? It's going to look bad if its not done right. If you have never done body alterations before you might want to get someone who has to at lease watch over you while you do it. That way you dont turn your 7 into a monster.
Threads like this make me cry.
Firstly, don't ask second gen RX-7 owners about body work. This is a terrible idea. There's next to no one who knows the first thing about it in groups of car guys who have money to spend on body work, let alone 2nd gen owners. (hypocritical perhaps since I own an FC....no offense either Juiceh
)
Second, you can do it a number of ways but as mentioned welding strips and filling the imperfections is the ideal way. This, however, is a huge process as if you've ever tried welding a flat piece of body metal significantly, you've probably discovered that if you heat it up too much - you're going to **** the panel up REAL good.
I'd suggest going to a paint forum and asking these types of questions, you'll get much less dilluted answers. Its possible to do yourself, you just have to be prepared to spend weeks or months getting it right and be prepared to drop some bread on good materials and special tools.
Firstly, don't ask second gen RX-7 owners about body work. This is a terrible idea. There's next to no one who knows the first thing about it in groups of car guys who have money to spend on body work, let alone 2nd gen owners. (hypocritical perhaps since I own an FC....no offense either Juiceh
)Second, you can do it a number of ways but as mentioned welding strips and filling the imperfections is the ideal way. This, however, is a huge process as if you've ever tried welding a flat piece of body metal significantly, you've probably discovered that if you heat it up too much - you're going to **** the panel up REAL good.
I'd suggest going to a paint forum and asking these types of questions, you'll get much less dilluted answers. Its possible to do yourself, you just have to be prepared to spend weeks or months getting it right and be prepared to drop some bread on good materials and special tools.
Originally Posted by classicauto
Second, you can do it a number of ways but as mentioned welding strips and filling the imperfections is the ideal way. This, however, is a huge process as if you've ever tried welding a flat piece of body metal significantly, you've probably discovered that if you heat it up too much - you're going to **** the panel up REAL good.
Originally Posted by Electric
Fibreglass is a horrible suggestion...due to the different expansion rates of fibreglass and metal the fibreglass will crack.
yea like I said I still dont really know if I want to do it. Im not real sure if I like the process/ the look. Im a good welder and could weld the strips on no problem but it's making it nice and smooth that im worried about. Ill check photos and then check the body shop
