mazda mayhem.

[thingsthatfly2]

Hi friends,

So this gem of modern 4 door go fast coupes has been gracefully dumped on me. It is a friends car and he managed to smack into the side of another car on the Tail of the Dragon! hwy 129.


picture was taken minutes before he smacked her up!




and the honda he hit

story done... now work!!!


steam cleaned! always nice to work on a clean car


cut away core support and aprons!


repainted trim.


the front clip he bought for me to use. I need to fabricate a smooth version of most of these parts!


here is where it will go!


splicing in the frame rail


I admit i had a rough night tonight. my plasma cutter I recently bought went BANG! and does not work anymore. And I was just getting used to using a straight edge with it and guides to make the clean cuts!


splice... yes you see a sawzall. the plasmacutter went out a half an inch from completing a cut so I finished it with the sawzall.


Should be some fun shaping to come for this engine bay!

[Joe Hartson]

That looks like a lot of work to repair correctly and expensive. The hood looks like it has a texture is it carbon fiber? Are you going to have to make a lot of the sheet metal for the repair?

[weldtoride]

Brent, I have followed many of your posts here, I think you do exceptional work, work which is very thorough. To that end, something you posted above caught my eye, and that was: "I need to fabricate a smooth version of most of these parts!" Personally, I would use the clip your friend provided, and retain all the little irregularities, as all the little regular indentations you see in the structure are there to create a crush zone. Crush zones destroy cars but save lives. ICAR http://www.i-car.com/ spends a ton of industry money researching collision repair practices that retain the original safety features of an auto.

[thingsthatfly2]

Originally Posted by Joe Hartson

That looks like a lot of work to repair correctly and expensive. The hood looks like it has a texture is it carbon fiber? Are you going to have to make a lot of the sheet metal for the repair?

Yes the hood is fiber, Thanksfully all of the outer sheet metal is availiable so this is just a quick repair with some custom work added. The car did total and he bought it back from insurance.

Originally Posted by weldtoride

Brent, I have followed many of your posts here, I think you do exceptional work, work which is very thorough. To that end, something you posted above caught my eye, and that was: "I need to fabricate a smooth version of most of these parts!" Personally, I would use the clip your friend provided, and retain all the little irregularities, as all the little regular indentations you see in the structure are there to create a crush zone. Crush zones destroy cars but save lives. ICAR http://www.i-car.com/ spends a ton of industry money researching collision repair practices that retain the original safety features of an auto.

Thank you sir! I am not changing the tops of the aprons. just the sheet metal that the fuse box and such used to be mounted to. I plan on using 22 gauge (maybe 20 at most) metal and spot welding it in as from the collision the panel folds at the spot welds. I strongly feel that this will still offer the same collision protection as the stock panel. I-car is a fantastic organization and they are doing wonders with the quality requirements of body shops!

[bohnhed]

I have to agree with Mark on changing the the structural integerity even though your not fooling with the rails. Plain cr steel is not the same as what is used on newer vehicles. All those shapes in the panel, even the number and placement of the spot welds are all part of how everything works in concert to absorb an impact and keep it out of the passenger compartment. Not to mention liability of changing those areas if anything bad ever did happen.
Why not formed inner panels, that cover all the unsightly things. They could be polished or painted, removable for service...
Not trying to be negative, I love custom stuff, just objective.

[thingsthatfly2]

all structural aspects are almost mute considering this car did not even have a crash bar or air bags when this accident happend.

[Square]

Originally Posted by thingsthatfly2

It is a friends car and he managed to smack into the side of another car on the Tail of the Dragon! hwy 129.

That would be easy to do! hope the repair is just as easy...
liked your Corvair repair

[thingsthatfly2]

thanks square!

rather then lots of meaningless posts until I get to the metalshaping I waited to add them all now.


I was able to get the apron rails strait and test fit the fenders.


dropt the sub frame.


some low pressure pulling while I tapped around with my favorite 1lb hammer and dolly


and a little bit of heat and this bend is back where it needs to be.. well almost I learned today that its still over almost a quarter of an inch.


this morning I was able to test fit the front clip! lots more to go here!


cleaned the car a bunch and tacked on the front clip will finish welding it later... I finally had it lined up enough to try making the panel!


tipped a line, bent the edges I want to stay straight.


started streching down in the center and then put it in the brake and alternated back and forth between sand bag and brake until it would no longer fit in the brake.


and here is where I have questions. I am getting little tucks on all 3 surfaces at the center. I have been forcing those back into them selves like tucks but the metal will no longer keep folding.. I do believe that i stretched too much higher up in the bulbous area. As you see I did use a lancaster shrinker on the top edge and I think this was a mistake but it did straighten up the wavy edge. should I have shrunk in the top center and stretched along the tipping line? how can I do this with the simple tools I have. would a doughnut dolly do this? (I do not have one though) I am just thinking of how the high crown is preventing folding. I know i can take a pie cut out of the bulbous area and get my part but it seems like cheating. I worked myself into this corner and getting out of it should be rewarding.

[thingsthatfly2]

FAILURE!!

but I took Pictures to learn from.


I decided to start writing my flaws on the panels that I turn to scrap. Going to find a spot to hang the flawed panels until I can overcome that problem. Should be a good learning tool?


I ran it through the wheel some to smooth the lumps but all the reinforcement I added for my last project really got in the way with this piece. and then I sliced it to show how much shrinking would have to be done.


I can relate this piece to a shape like this. since it really is a variation of a shape of this triangle. I would have to shrink the 2 sides that stay flat but the 3rd side has curved lines and is like a reverse? I think I might make this out of 2 pieces.

[Joe Hartson]

Good assessment of what happened to cause the results. It was a good learning experience for you. Thanks for posting your results it helps a lot of us.