Rear Brake Vent

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Major System Category: Body (Shell)
Task: Cut out rear vent slots
Parts:
Prerequisite Tasks: Mount the body
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 2.5 hours
Date Started: September 17, 2012
Date Completed: September 21, 2012
I seemed to have more trouble cutting out these little slots than all the other body cut outs I have performed. Anyway, when I finished they were jagged and rough. I used a file, the Dremel with a drum sander and 180 grit sand paper to get things evened out. This is the only area that I plan to use the Factory Five supplied mesh.

Rear vent screens after they are formed and painted.

I painted the mesh screen black. This is keeping with the gloss black accents I am incorporating into the car's image. Next I did a test fit of the screen against the opening. The screen needs to be formed to the contour of the inside of the rear vent. To bend the mesh, I used a vice to evenly bend the creases at something less than a 90 degree angle. This is keeping with the angle of the fiber glass form on the inside of the body shell. There's no need to be exact. You just need the creases to work with.

3M adhesive tape applied to the screen mesh. Ready for install.

I used 3M double sided adhesive tape to attach the mesh to the side of the fiber glass. I have used this successfully on my Corvette in attaching Race Mesh grills to the brake ducts. I applied the 3M tape in two strips. Be careful not to roll the tape when applying the mesh screens to the fiber glass.

Final install.

The final bit of work requires sanding and glazing putty to smooth out the cuts. I work these tasks in around other things I am doing on the car. They take time, but in small chunks, as I have to wait for things to dry.