Fuel Tank Finish Panels

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Major System Category: Fuel System
Task: Install the two angle panels that came attached to the chassis on delivery
Parts: Fuel Tabk Panels (LH/RH)
Prerequisite Tasks:
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 2 hours
Date Started: July 26, 2912
Date Completed: July 26, 2012
There are a couple of gotchas on this one. Two pieces of sheet metal and rivets and silicone. This is familiar territory. The gotchas involve the rivets on top as you get close to the chassis tubes angling down. A full size drill is not going to fit.

Driver's side panel. Taken from inside engine bay.

Passenger side panel. Taken from inside engine bay.

There are many surfaces that need to be drilled and riveted. This is best done sitting inside the engine bay. If you can elevate the car some the engine mounts are waist level, you will save your back. As it is, I busted four drill bits on these two panels. I think it was just a real bad night.

Rear Splash Panels

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Major System Category: Chassis
Task: Install four panels
Parts:

• Rear Splash Guard Front Lower (LH, RH)
• Rear Splash Guard Center (2)

Prerequisite Tasks: Kit Disassembly
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 2.5 hours
Date Started: July 9, 2012
Date Completed: July 9, 2012

The hardest thing about this job is opening up the box with all the packaged aluminum and realizing there are lots of aluminum pieces in your future. Most of these are marked in black marker with the part number on the detailed inventory. There were a couple that require the old process-of-elimination trick.

This the orientation of the splash panels. This is driver's side  rear.  The front of the car is towards the left. The rear of the car is towards the right. The panels fit around the attachment points for the rear suspension.

Splash panel traced and drilled.

Final install after coating, silicone and rivets.

Once you figure out the orientation of the panels, this is pretty straight forward. I think the manual could benefit from better photos or more photos. One of the items I don't understand at this point is the rear splash guard centers stick up over the frame. I am thinking these must be bent or rolled over some where along the line so the body can be remounted.

Consideration: These pieces must be installed before the rear suspension.