Phase 1 - Initial preparation
In this first phase we are going to cut the back plate (remember that there are two possible trays that you can install – in fact they are independent:
- One is from the rear of the car to the differential.
- A second one running from the differential to the center cross member of the vehicle.
In this link you can see the scheme that I have made for you that fits the underbody of a Renault Dauphine Gordini. In any case, I recommend that you make a rigid cardboard template (any piece of cardboard from a packing box will do) so that you can verify that you can adjust measurements and holes.
It is made of ordinary 1.5 mm thick steel plate. In sheet metal, this is a relatively important thickness, but as the plate has a certain length, this helps to maintain rigidity (without adding excessive weight, which in the weight scale of a car, is negligible).
The cut has been partially made between a miter saw with a multi-material blade (in this entry
entry
about it) and a radial saw to make the round part. Obviously the round shape of the end is not strictly necessary, but it is more aesthetically pleasing and gives a more professional finish: even if it is on the underside, if you want to have your classic car well cared for, this is always a detail. Also think that in the ITV they will examine the underbody of the car. And the technicians of the ITV, the arrangements with a “homemade” finish, let’s say that they do not usually like too much -that’s where I leave it :-)-.
Photo gallery phase 1
This is the image gallery of the initial phase. You can click on each of the photos to see the description. As always, if you have any questions or doubts, you can contact us and we will be happy to answer and help you.
Sheet metal bending
To bend the sheet metal there is not much mystery. It is to apply the same procedure as to fold a paper or a cardboard: you have to support it on a rigid profile that acts as an edge. In our case it is made using a combination of “jacks”, square iron pipe or the corners of a welding table. However, if you think you will be doing more work that requires bending iron, you can buy a bending machine. For small jobs you can have simple ones ranging from 60 to 250 euros. Obviously I am not talking about professional press brakes, but as I mentioned, these “domestic” ones can help you a lot. If you simply Google,
you will find them very easily
.