![[Rear Clip]](rear.jpg){kind=small}
Corvette Grand Sport #002
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The "prime directive" remains:To accurately recreate the entire fiberglass Roadster body, and most importantly, not do any damage to its original 1966 "as-raced" condition in the process. |
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![[Courtesy GM Archives]](gsgm1.jpg)
| The mold-making for the rear rear clip presented several challenges including dealing with the rollbar fairing to the close tolerances necessary. |
| The new rear clip mold was made in several parts. In order to be able to remove the mold it has to separate at the rollbar structure. This will be the front edge of the mold. |
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First coat of plaster on the rollbar structure. This mold must be made in two parts; an outer mold and an inner, collapsible mold. |
| Molds for the rollbar. The arrow points out the wedge-shaped piece which is removable allowing the mold to collapse so that the part may be removed. |
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The plaster mold section for the rear half of the rear clip is quite large. The mold was reinforced with the steel shown. The steel was suspended above the painted surface so as not to damage the original finish. |
| This picture shows how the rear deck mold was made in two sections so it could be removed from around the built-in rollbar. |
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View of the right rear fender prior to making the plaster mold. Note all of the anchors and how the car has been masked off. |
| New plaster mold for the right rear fender, before any sanding and filling. |
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New plaster mold for the left rear fender after much sanding and filling and spraying with gray gelcoat. |
| Same fender mold after spraying the finish white gelcoat. Ready for making a new fiberglass part. |
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Rear tail light panel mold ready for part-making. |
| Rear-deck plaster mold, before the cutouts for the rollbar and trunk lid hinges & and latches have been filled in. |
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Rear deck mold after spraying with finish gelcoat. The trunk opening ledge was made with aluminum which was removed to produce the actual trunk lid in the same area later. The other 2 oblong plates create a recess for the rollbar. |
| In order to make a mold of the inner panel below the rear deck, surfaces were masked off with tape so that the plaster would release from the rough surfaces. The inner deck panel is quite large and is divided up with other inner panels. The mold was made in four sections that were re-assembled into one mold. |
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Steel framework bonded to each mold section facilitates accurate re-assembly. |
| Finished inner rear deck panel mold. The new panel made from this mold fits well and looks as original with all the correct shapes and edges. |
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An interesting detail of the inner fenders on the Grand Sport is the
"wood grain finish" of the original fiberglass panels. It appears that
the original molds were created by laminating blocks of wood that were
then carved to shape.
The mold used to reproduce this inner panel was made from reinforced aluminum sheet with squares of oak veneer laminated on its surface to reproduce the wood grain of the original mold. |
| These are the new, reproduction rear inner panels. Note the correct compound curves and "wood block" surface texture, exactly as original. |
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New fiberglass rollbar surround; top & bottom halves. |
| The new rollbar had to be curved precisely, as there was only about 1/16" clearance between it and the fiberglass fairing along the top. |
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New fiberglass rear clip, as original. |
| Rear view. |
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Correct vent slots were cut into the rear fender panels as original. A template was made from the original body and traced. |
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