Work In Progress...... !!

[JoFotoz]

So...I'm getting there :dan_ban:

The "ORW" isnt so much the "Off Road Whore" anymore...
.
.....more the "Off Road Whale"..Shamu style!
.
.
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500//VX_FIXED_BODY_001.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23426)
.
.

Planned completion by May 10th, then drive to Moab!

Jo

[Triathlete]

Looks good Jo. You sticking with ebony or is there a color change coming?

[vt_maverick]

Jo I'm curious, how did your shop actually do the repair? Did you get that "chunk" of body panel off a donor and have it welded in place, or did the shop pull out the dent and Bondo it, or maybe some third option? I ask because there's a VX about an hour from me that no one wants to touch because it has almost the identical damage (and because the price is ridiculous IMHO). Here's a pic:

http://www.jtzimages.com/dealers/eastcoastpics/JACCN57X217D01099D.jpg

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=23576

[JoFotoz]

Well Billy, I'm torn between....


Looks good Jo. You sticking with ebony or is there a color change coming?

Paris Hilton PINK...

....and :cool: !!

Jo

[Triathlete]

I can see you driving and wheeling a pink VX :)

[JoFotoz]

Something of as joint effort between us....



Jo I'm curious, how did your shop actually do the repair? Did you get that "chunk" of body panel off a donor and have it welded in place, or did the shop pull out the dent and Bondo it, or maybe some third option? I ask because there's a VX about an hour from me that no one wants to touch because it has almost the identical damage (and because the price is ridiculous IMHO). Here's a pic:


I drilled / eye bolted, and pulled as much as I dared to with a Heath Robinson set up, anchored to a tree..worried about the window all the time!!!
The body shop did the rest of the pulling with proper equipment , then minimal bondo.

Quotes from various places ranged from $2400 - $1700- $750.

The $750 quote was a referal from a car nut I know , to a son & pop little shack. No checks, no credit cards..all CASH !!

I went to take a look at their work, MBenz's /BMW's..etc..all amazingly well repaired.

Essentially they specialize in Non insurance ,ask no questions... "cash talks"....Fix its.
So..no brainer..I went with them

Its amazingly well done, symetrical with other sides..and for $750..a bargain IMO.
(They did the big ding, door ding, front wing dings (!) on both sides, and a rear door ding as well..basically everything.)

New panels alone ( if available) would of been more expensive just to buy.

I'm super happy with the result so far...now its up to me to not "F" it up!

I'd say the one you looked at would be a tad harder to do...but not impossible at all.
At $5900 its too expensive...but at $3500 its a good bet...and Lisa/VXCrazy has a tweaked
back door with a complete back window for sale at a good price for this fix it.

Pity its not over this side of the world.

Jo

[vt_maverick]

I had a minivan way back in the day and got similar damage by accidentally backing into a jersey wall. The shop did it for just about $800 I believe in a similar no-insurance scenario and it looked great too. Body work is more akin to art than science IMHO, so when you find a good guy that's cheap too that's a double bonus.

Nice work Jo! Hate I didn't get to see the beast last year!

[JoFotoz]

Saddle up....


Hate I didn't get to see the beast last year!

...and git there again this year :thumbup:

I hope to make..WITH the VX this time!

Jo

[vt_maverick]

Well I did catch Sonya looking at a Moab tourism guide on our Kindle a week ago... said she was trying to remember the name of the gift shop we visited so she could buy some jewelry. I told her the easiest way to remember would be to go back. ;) Unfortunately Sonya's in school for the next 3 years, and since exams always fall roughly from the 10-15th of May, we'll be out until at least 2016 unless the group decides to go a week later.

[Jay Dunford]

Planned completion by May 10th, then drive to Moab!

Jo

You putting' the gears in on the 9th?

:bgwb:

[JoFotoz]

Well Hardie Har Har Mr Dunford....:clap:


You putting' the gears in on the 9th?

:bgwb:

Just wait till you need strapping... :eek:

In all actuality....gears are in.......and tested :thumbup:

Jo

[Triathlete]

Just wait till you need strapping... :eek:


You'll be first in line with a ball gag in hand and a grin on your face! ;)

[Jay Dunford]

Just wait till you need strapping... :eek:

That's why we put the Heep in the back of the line, so there's plenty of people ahead to pull me out of trouble!:p

[Mile High VX]

Well Billy, I'm torn between....



Paris Hilton PINK...

....and :cool: !!

Jo


And since the cladding is already off that would make a nice accent with light blue...:bwgy::smilewink:bgwo::bgwb:

[VXorado]

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500//VX_FIXED_BODY_001.jpg

Looks like urban camo. Spray some clear coat and call it good. :thumbup:

[JoFotoz]

She blends right in...


Looks like urban camo. Spray some clear coat and call it good. :thumbup:


...at Sea World!

Jo

[nfpgasmask]

So Jo, how was the cladding removal? I am going to get my VX resprayed at some point, but I want to do all the cladding myself to be sure it is done right, and to save some labor dollars. Was it pretty easy to remove?

Bart

[JoFotoz]

Well--Yes & No !


So Jo, how was the cladding removal? Was it pretty easy to remove?

Bart

Took about 4 hours..and lots of patience!!...but not a hard job.

Start at the door panels and work front and back from there.
Realease torx screws..DOHH!
Release all nuts/bolts..where used.
A long bladed SHARP fish filleting knife helps...slide it down between body
and cladding to cut through the double sided tape as you pry cladding away from body.

Long shaft big blade flat head screw driver used to pop cladding clips...broke a few!

Wheel arch rivets..I just cut the heads off with a dremmel..will remove rivet studs
and use machine screws and washers when I replace...so easier next time!

Lots of ziplocks..I baggied each panels "bits" in their own bags.

Fuel cap/cover etc comes off intact..no need to take off first.

1/2 moon took lots of force/pulling to release tape...after internal nuts released.

All 10 mm nuts/bolts on cladding.

** My welded Rock rails prevented taking lower door/kick plate cladding off ..couldnt get to the fastners.**

Thats about what I remember...hope it helps.

Jo

[Buffy]

So Jo, how was the cladding removal? I am going to get my VX resprayed at some point, but I want to do all the cladding myself to be sure it is done right, and to save some labor dollars. Was it pretty easy to remove?

Bart

To me the hardest piece to get off is the cladding on the back door. There are two tabs there that you will break off if you are not careful. The double sided tape is a PAIN!

[nfpgasmask]

Thanks, guys. What kind of tape are you going to use to replace? I would imagine it needs to be there to keep moisture and dust out, and to keep the cladding snug against the body.

Bart

[JoFotoz]

Initially I'm going Tapeless....:eek:


Thanks, guys. What kind of tape are you going to use to replace? I would imagine it needs to be there to keep moisture and dust out, and to keep the cladding snug against the body.
Bart

Its not about moisture or even dust, as its not a 'seal' more of a random distribution.

I wonder if it was used to make assembly easier..'stick' the cladding on..
...then screw/bolt/rivet with it held in place by tape.

If I find the cladding "chatters" without tape, I'll probably just use thick adhesive draft excluder to silence it....

...or just turn the tunes way up :dance:

Jo

[nfpgasmask]

I guess I have always wondered if the cladding traps moisture that could lead to rust issues...

Bart

[wintermute]

Jo is absolutely right; the tape has nothing to do with keeping moisture out or acting as a seal. The body shop that resprayed my VX just used 3M automotive acrylic (http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Auto-Accessory-Attachment/3M-Tape/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U52300MM30IHLVJJFH07R3000000_nid=GSWPGWX TH0beS2Z15RR9ZVgl) tape to re-install the cladding.


Thanks, guys. What kind of tape are you going to use to replace? I would imagine it needs to be there to keep moisture and dust out, and to keep the cladding snug against the body.

Bart

[VX4EJR]

Jo is absolutely right; the tape has nothing to do with keeping moisture out or acting as a seal. The body shop that resprayed my VX just used 3M automotive acrylic (http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Auto-Accessory-Attachment/3M-Tape/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U52300MM30IHLVJJFH07R3000000_nid=GSWPGWX TH0beS2Z15RR9ZVgl) tape to re-install the cladding.

As 3M has several products on their site, any idea which one and mil was or should be used?

[djvx]

Democrats frown at Jo's vx. For instance the vehicle is too assault orientated, similar to assault weapons, it just isn't needed by the general public. Also it doesn't get acceptable gas mileage... Your vx should be forfeited to the Govt as soon as possible:?: Could happen Jo.....jus sayin'....:flower: