Luggage stop panel removal

[Tom K.]

I need to remove the main section of the luggage stop panel to repair a crack in the fiberglass below it. It appears to be spot welded to the side panels. The side panels don't appear to be easily removable as they are sandwiched between the birdcage and the body. Is there an easy way to separate the pieces without destroying them? What is the best way to reassemble after repairs?
Thanks for any help.
Tom

[Tim E.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal

Tom - I had to replace the luggage stop on my '66 because the spot welds on one side broke (or rusted). This allowed the door striker pillars to squeeze inwards which in turn pinched the upper rear fenders to the deck lid. Here's what I did:

I drilled out each original spot weld which allowed the luggage stop to be removed. A new stop is available from Corvette Central for $60. I used a bottle jack (and 2 X 4 extension) to separate the pillars to the correct distance and trial fit the deck lid. Since the pillars were under an inward tension, I added 1/8" as a margin.

Before placing the new storage panel in place, I drilled holes for rivets (through both the luggage stop and the birdcage gusset) near each original spot weld location and drilled additional holes (through only the luggage stop) for welding. I installed the new luggage stop and riveted in place. Then, using my MIG welder, I did a tack weld at each of my weld holes.

As long as you drill a big enough hole through each of the original spot welds, I don't see any reason why the original luggage stop couldn't be reused. Be sure to accurately measure the spread of your door striker pillars before any drilling.

Hope that gives you ideas for a method that worked for me. Tim

[Tom K.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal

Tim, thanks for the ideas. I just went at it this afternoon and drilled out the spot welds. most of them only went thru the first layer. A couple did go all of the way through, but I think I can do what you did and pop rivet and then weld back in. I tried to post a few pictures tonight, but I haven't figured out how to get them from my phone (which is my best camera) to the forum. When I tried on my phone it just went to a black screen and wouldn't post the pics. I am doing a frame of and I have a piece of thread rod across the top mounting holes to keep everything in alignment. I now have access to the top side of a crack in the fiberglass that I wanted to repair from both sides. My panel can be cleaned up, repainted and put back in. Not sure what caused the floor to crack under the plate, unless it was from a previous owner cutting out the transmission tunnel and not getting it back in strong enough. There is no rust in the frame.
Thanks again for your expertise.
Tom

[Tom K.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal

Here pictures of the removed luggage stop panel. This might help someone else in the future. There is also a picture of the cracked floor pan under the luggage stop panel. This is the first time that I have posted pictures so I hope that it comes through ok.
Tom

[Tom K.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal

Oops, I didn't realize they needed to be rotated. Sorry

[Richard M.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal

Tom, Nice work. Tim gives good advice and a good process for repair of the panel.

To repair the crack, I'd recommend grinding a groove into it and bevel the edges. You may want to wedge some blocks under the car between the hump and the driveline to push up slightly as it may have sagged over time. It's possible that the differential snubber may have failed and caused the diff to hit the floor and stress it.

Use a quality resin an chopped mat mixed into a paste and fill the beveled area along it's path to re-bond the 2 separate parts. Then cut a adequate length of mat in strips, lay on more resin and the strips for added strength.

Assuming the body is still on the frame, it will be very difficult to use factory large head rivets, inserted from under the car and peened inside the cabin. The space for a backer bar under the car is nill, nor is there any space for a rivet gun to be inserted there, so you may have to use pop-rivets from the inside out. If so, have a helper hold backup washers on the underside, or use a little dum-dum on the washer to hold it in place over the rivet end underneath to hold it for you while you operate the pop-gun from inside.

To keep the panel flat against the body while riveting, I first assemble the panel to the body and use #8-32 screws and nuts in all positions to keep it flat. I remove one at a time and replace with a rivet.

A few pics of one I just did last week. HERE I didn't have to remove the panel, but all rivets were corroded, loose, and not holding anything.

Rich
ps iPhones for some reason leave a attribute which rotates the photos. Oddly, when viewing your post with those photos, on a computer, a right click then open/view in new tab or window will reorient them properly. I have no idea what attribute is in iPhone photos that does this.

[Tom K.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal



Rich, The body is off of the frame. I am ready to start glassing the transmission tunnel that a previous owner cut out and didn't repair properly. It was held in place with fiberglass cloth and some kind of a dark colored glue or epoxy on the top side only when I got the car. The tunnel and the crack in the floor will be repaired from both sides. I found the crack in the floor after I cleaned the underside of the body. Both sides will be tapered before any glass work is done. This is a whole new venture for me. My previous experience with fiberglass was back in the early 60s, as a young teenager, on an old wooden boat that we had. Not much money back then and a need to cover up/repair some wood rot. That experience plus several utube videos should have me heading in the right direction.
Thanks your help. I do enjoy following and learning from your projects. Please keep up the good work.
Tom

[Tom K.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal

The top picture was right side up before I posted it. I have a lot more to learn about posting pictures.

[Keith B.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal

I am assuming this is a convertible. i replaced on a 67 coupe and it only had the 3/16 body rivets holding it in place to the body.

[Tom K.]

Re: Luggage stop panel removal

Keith, yes it is a convertible. Your finding and Tim's would explain the welds as a structural piece on the convertible. I now know to make sure that the panel is securely welded back in place after the repairs are complete.
thanks both for your input.
Tom