Little bit more done
Time to finally get this trailer done… For now at least.
*** Gallery images at the end of the post ***
I wanted to get that front hatch door completed as it was driving me nuts trying to get anything out of the trailer through the rear hatch if it was up by the tongue. I first cut out the sheet metal that was covering the frame I originally built. I then built a door frame from 1” square tube. Skinned the top with sheet metal that had holes drilled around the edge. These holes were used to spot weld the metal to the frame. If I had just normally welded it the sheet metal would warp which I learned doing the rest of the trailer body. I then added some steel strap as a lip which would be used to add a watertight seal between the new door hatch and the body. Some fill welding and a lot of grinding later and the door was done.
The hinges were just store bought hinges and I hate them. I need to find some hidden hinges that will work with the lip of the frame better. I basically need to scour the junkyard for a set of usable trunk hinges that would work properly and allow it to clear the lip as it should.
The locking mechanism was a kit I got online and used for things like truck boxes and such. It was perfect as it locked and I could easily get it to work with the hatch door without needing to massively modify or fabricate anything up. I was hoping for something a little more slim as far as the exterior handle goes but I’m happy with it for the time being.
I tried to fill and block out as much of the waves in the metal as I could but in the end I need to go back in and add more bracing behind the sheet metal to get the waves and bends out. I’m not very good at body work and I always seem to miss massive dents and waves in the panels and never seem to find them until after the paint is on. It’s a learning experience for me and each time I fail I learn. That’s all that really matters.
A good coat of primer and the car is ready for final paint. The rear hatch, rear bumper, sail panels and front hatch door were all removed to be painted properly. The sindeskirts and door caps are permanently attached so they all get painted as one. Painting everything the saem single stage satin black that the rest of the car is painted in. Some of the trim pieces like the inner sail panel plastics were coated in bed liner. It’s a tough durable coating that will hold up to the weather and UV. It also gives it a nice OEM textured finish that I really like.
The interior of the trailer is still completely gutted and I have not had time to even begin working on it. Eventually I will get around to finishing it all off but the trailer always seems to get put on the back burner as far as projects go so there is no telling when I will finally get around to finishing it off 100%. For the time being it’s in a completed enough stage that I can haul it around to shows and such. It’s always an attention getter at shows and a great conversation piece.
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