Here's some of the mods I've had to do to allow the guard to release tension. This is a better way than just pulling the panel to line up. The panel has a couple of layers behind the cut to stiffen the panel back to where it was. Doing the filler I'll carve a big V at the cut lines and scruff up the surrounding area for best adhesion, there won't be any evidence it's been cut at all.

Used a sanding block wrapped in plastic as a wedge to keep the panel pushed out, the other bits have a plank of wood while drying


Driver's guard is just sitting there, placed the grill to see if gaps are ok. I measured the guard gap for the bonnet and it's ok, won't know for sure till it's actually on.

Deano, I don't advertise on here as it's a bit frowned on by the elites of the site apparently.
What have you missed ? I can virtually clad a mk1 in fglass inside and out including some panels except doors as that's illegal. MK2 is getting there slowly, not quite as much tho includes tarmac and forest arches . The only interior I have is kick panels, parcel shelf and heater cover, glovebox and dash coming soon.
Door cards I don't have as a good set to copy is rocking horse plop to get nowadays.

Back to the mk1... First job was to turn the car around so the front is facing the door and while it was out, I gave the room a proper sweep up. As I'm happy with how the guard has turned out after being sliced and glassed I've bolted the bonnet on and checked for gaps which are quite even and level, considering being fglass I call that a win. So now it's bolt the guard down with nutserts . I'm thinking to lightly bevel the hole so that the nutsert is level with the mounting panel, it's only a mm height difference. Trick e to use a small socket and support the panel underneath then give the socket a tap with hammer. Anyways will assess that tomorrow, with pics.

Update on my CNC machine it is now alive, I'll add a profile to see if everything is going as planned, had a few hiccups with motors being wired up wrongly, that's now sorted so full steam ahead.

Did a good day on the guard getting it to line up better and then drilling holes for the rivnuts. Lining up with the bonnet is at a constant 4mm , maybe 5mm but it's straight. Had the door off and on bunch of times to access the A post to be drilled and nutsert installed., I put the bolts at a average spacing of 110mm


Looking down on the guard at the post and door


I did lightly countersink the panel so the nutsert sits flat

These are the tools I used to install the nutserts, simple and effective, I noticed that some direct brands of nutserts are a different diameter, the ones I used for the guard are for a 9mm hole but the others are 10mm so be aware before drilling!


Since I was doing a bunch of nutserts I had a grand plan to use then for the grill, since I don't like the speed clips and self tapping screw arrangement. Using M5 screws and nutserts only fit to the size of the bolt head ( button head Allen) fits over the grill screw holes, a bit of jiggling with hole placement and it's good

Gaps look good Marty. Like the guard affixing method.
Should be a warning 'Nutserts are addictive'. Ever since I saw my first one, I find it hard to use anything else for those low stress type applications.
You ever tried putting in 6mm and over nutserts with one of those pissy tools Marty? Better get yourself an air nut riveter. I know if I ever had of realised how much I was going to use them I would have. I use the double arm type which is a good compromise?

Thanks Mark, yeah nutserts are addictive, even used then on my MTB to hold another drink bottle holder. You'll prolly see me using them more as I start to assemble the car.
Going above M8 starts to get a little straining, I think my kit goes to M12 , I'd prolly use the nut n bolt method on the big guys. When I worked at Rinnai I was using a air rivnut gun for solar panels, so easy and quick. Having alloy nutserts will make life easy too. Reckon everybody should own one!

It sounds like im missing out on some sort or Rivnut party.
I admit i've never been tempted, but  now could realise where it might be handy to have tacked a nut on th e bodywork somewhere, before i've painted.
 
Might have to find a link for a kit and join in the fun.
Good progress on the coupe now the guard is done.

Deano, kits are a great way to get started.
Any good fixing supplier will have alloy, or my choice, stainless.
Just watch out though, trying to strangle a 6mm stainless nutsert with one of those hand riveters is a challenge.

Mine are either alloy or mild steel, good a kit that came in a two tier tackle box for about $30 some 20 odd years ago then I found out I had 2x adaptors of M6 and no M8 so it was actually cheaper to buy another kit (with less in it) than Faff about hunting for the adaptor. I did have 2x grips until one burst while doing the grill parts, so it joined the used rags in the bin !
Also at GMH while working there, we had a very similar air gun as Rinnai had however the holes were stamped hexagon for the nutserts, also known as Avdels in the industry