Once the body is removed from the frame it is sent to the acid dippers or sandblasted. If the frame needs repair the coachbuilders fabricate the correct repairs or make templates as patterns using the correct type and gauge of metal. They build a 'bird cage' made of metal inside the body to stop twisting while repairs are made.
The car is then mounted on a rotisserie which allows the coachbuilder to rotate the body and frame a full 360. The rotisserie must be made for each individual vehicle so that the vehicle is balanced properly and can be rotated easily.
If a part such as a fender needs to be fabricated the coachbuilder first makes a buck to the exact shape of the fender. The fender is made of many pieces of metal shaped on the English wheel and then assembled together to create a new fender. All pieces are butt tack welded together and test fitted to the buck. There is frequent testing of the fit of the curved sheet to the buck.
All welds are hammered and ground to remove any signs of weld repairs. They are then run through the English wheel to flatten. Final welds are ground to remove any excess weld above the level of the sheet steel. The use of special hammers may be needed to panel beat the metal to the correct shape. |
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