Repro

Not the best workshop session tonight because I'm not completely satisfied with my work. Half way through, it became obvious that the reproduced new panel will not enter the frame with the engine already mounted. Two possibilities:
#1 engine out - panel in - engine in
#2 cutting the panel into two pieces
As it will almost not be visible, I opted for solution #2. It would have been nice to have that panel in one piece, but the amount of work would have been immense. Heat shield will cover the cut.

Split panel in place with Sicaflex for sealing and fixing, 4x12mm rivets with large heads. Imagine some heat shield on it and the swirl pot fuel tank mounted. A.s.a.p. I will add a pic with the panel in focus.
Cheers.

Floored

Sicaflex is applied both for strength and sealing before the aluminium panels get fixed to the frame. Sicaflex is sticky and stains like shit, but apparently is one of the best adhesives available.

This time it's for good. The cleaned panels get fixed with 4mm aluminium rivets. You can see the riveter minutes before it was flying with lots of air time through the workshop. After only 32 rivets (yes I counted them out of deception) it broke down. The biggest annoyance is the loss of time when such a tool conks out, but ...

... it's replacement is such an über-riveter that I quickly forgot about it's five times higher price. Twenty minutes for panel #1 using the basic riveter, five minutes for panel #2 with the Ironside riveter. And one more very capable tool in the workshop! Stopping work and driving to the hardware store took me more than half an hour. Time easily saved during all the panel mounting that has to be done. I even found black rivets in that shop. They come handy to fix the inner (black!) panels.

Cheers.

Riv'it

Some panels have to be redone, the old ones serve as model and help to try out the riveting tool.

The floor panels look really filthy and have to be cleaned from road dirt and oil. Dry with paper, then with white spirit, once more with paper and finally with Scotchbrite. The remaining Sicaflex must be grinded, I found no other way to get rid of it.

The chassis turned upside down and the cleaned floor panels put in place to check the fit. Sicaflex ready!
Next steps: applying the Sicaflex and fixing the panels per rivets.
Cheers.