How To Prep And Fit Aluminum Panels

It's certainly no secret that one of the ways to go faster is to reduce the weight of whatever you want to move. Racers have been looking for ways to shave pounds since the very beginning of speed contests, and clearly, there are only two ways to reduce weight-remove superfluous parts or make them lighter.

We hung out with the crew at Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, as they installed a set of Auto Metal Direct's (AMD) all-new and recently released aluminum body panels on a '69 Camaro. AMD is the first company to manufacture aluminum parts for this car, including the hood, fenders with extensions, upper and lower valances, both bumpers, and trunk lid. The total weight savings is more than 100 pounds.

AMD stresses that these panels are made from modern aluminum that is similar to that being used on some new cars today. It is stronger and more dent resistant than the factory panels of the '60s and even tougher than some of the ultrathin, lightweight steel panels used by some of the foreign manufacturers. Once the panels were installed, we found we could lean on the fenders without fear of damage.

They're tough, but they are still aluminum, so they need some special attention as they are fitted to the car; you can't work aluminum like you can a steel panel. No heating/shrinking, heavy hammering, or cutting and welding are allowed. They can be worked, but you must be much gentler than one would imagine.

The panels all come e-coated. You can check them for straightness and/or shipping damage by checking them out under fluorescent shop lights. Any irregularity in the panel will show up as a distortion of the light's reflection. This is a similar method to that used with paintless dent repair and will reveal imperfections not readily apparent otherwise. If you prefer not to work on top of e-coat, you can sand it off with 180- to 220-grit paper, clean with PPG DX394 water-based low VOC wax and grease remover, and prep the bare aluminum by mixing PPG DX533 aluminum cleaner 1:3 with water and rubbing it into the surface with a gray Scotch-Brite pad. Let the DX533 stand for 2 to 3 minutes, rinse well with water, then blow and towel dry.
The panels all come e-coated. You can check them for straightness and/or shipping damage b
As soon as possible (no more than eight hours), apply one light coat of DX1791 etching primer. Let that air dry for at least 30 minutes but no more than 24 hours (or you will have to lightly sand it prior to the next coat).
As soon as possible (no more than eight hours), apply one light coat of DX1791 etching pri
Next, tack off and apply a medium coat of DP90. Let that sit overnight and then lightly scuff it with a red Scotch-Brite. Clean with DX394 again and apply a couple of medium coats of your preferred primer, then proceed with your usual panel preparation methods.
Next, tack off and apply a medium coat of DP90. Let that sit overnight and then lightly sc

Because new inner fenders from AMD are also being used and since the whole front clip is going onto a Detroit Speed front frame assembly, it was better to assemble the inner and outer fenders first before fitting them to the car, as the inner strengthens the outer and helps prevent the outer from being damaged.
Because new inner fenders from AMD are also being used and since the whole front clip is g
Don't try to draw together any parts with bolts. Aluminum may not tolerate the stress over time like steel does. You may have to fuss around a little more than you are used to to get everything to come together cleanly. MCR found that it was best to loosely assemble all the front clip parts before beginning to tighten up everything as one unit.
Don't try to draw together any parts with bolts. Aluminum may not tolerate the stress over
The weight savings becomes quickly apparent when you install the 23-pound hood. The underside of the hood and the trunk lid are virtually indistinguishable from original factory parts. Once painted, no one will ever know.
The weight savings becomes quickly apparent when you install the 23-pound hood. The unders

The hood comes with the necessary lighter-weight hood springs. Softer torsion springs are also included with the trunk lid.
The hood comes with the necessary lighter-weight hood springs. Softer torsion springs are
Like the rest of the parts, the aluminum bumpers come e-coated and can be easily painted or polished to a chrome-like appearance, then anodized, if desired. These will be chrome plated to make them indistinguishable from factory originals.
Like the rest of the parts, the aluminum bumpers come e-coated and can be easily painted o
If you are replacing the door skins, whether or not you are also replacing the door shell, don't weld the skin to the door until you have the front fender in place. That way if the leading edge of the door doesn't quite line up with the fender, the door can be twisted slightly to match the fender without altering the door-to-quarter alignment.
If you are replacing the door skins, whether or not you are also replacing the door shell,

These panels turned out to be sturdier than expected. They will tolerate some alterations. Just be very gentle, as they will likely kink easier than the steel versions.
These panels turned out to be sturdier than expected. They will tolerate some alterations.
Though it did take a little longer to get all the pieces together, the end result looks just like steel. We'll leave it up to you if you want to share your secret with the world.
Though it did take a little longer to get all the pieces together, the end result looks ju
Prepping e-coated panels for paint requires a quick rough up with some 120-grit. Sand across the seams to locate any high/low spots. The goal is to have all the panels straight, not just individually, but also as a unit.
Prepping e-coated panels for paint requires a quick rough up with some 120-grit. Sand acro

If you are good with an orbital sander, you can save yourself some time. Just be sure to stay away from the panel edges and stay off the sanding disc edge as well.
If you are good with an orbital sander, you can save yourself some time. Just be sure to s
It turns out that the body line on the driver's fender was just a little farther out than the line on the door, so it needed to be moved in a bit. The good thing about aluminum is that it doesn't take much force to move it-which is also what's bad about it. A 1-pound dead-blow hammer used on its side just did the trick. It was important that the aluminum be moved but not stretched or hammered thin, which could have led to oil canning.
It turns out that the body line on the driver's fender was just a little farther out than
A little weld was added to the leading edge of the upper door line/break to build it up slightly. This will improve the uniformity of the door-to-fender gap. These are the types of little tricks that really improve the overall look of the car but go unnoticed because, if done right, they disappear after the work is done.
A little weld was added to the leading edge of the upper door line/break to build it up sl

The last step before applying body filler is to rub down the panels with a red Scotch-Brite pad to be sure every bit of the e-coat has been roughed. Then do a quick wipe with DX394 to be sure they are completely clean and uncontaminated.
The last step before applying body filler is to rub down the panels with a red Scotch-Brit
Using a wide (5- to 6-inch) metal spreader to apply the 3M Platinum Plus filler will minimize the amount used and also the sanding time.
Using a wide (5- to 6-inch) metal spreader to apply the 3M Platinum Plus filler will minim
Treat the two panels as one and sand across the seam with 80-grit sandpaper. Be careful not to bear down on the aluminum fender. It will give more readily than the steel door, and that will lead to an uneven surface. Imagining both panels are aluminum will help keep you out of trouble.
Treat the two panels as one and sand across the seam with 80-grit sandpaper. Be careful no

It's important to be sure to touch all of the filler with some 80-grit before the next coat is applied.
It's important to be sure to touch all of the filler with some 80-grit before the next coa
The guys really like using a Dura-Block for the finish sanding. Its teardrop shape works very well on both the straight and curved parts of any panel.
The guys really like using a Dura-Block for the finish sanding. Its teardrop shape works v
After the finish sanding is complete, it's likely there will be some bare-aluminum high spots that will need to be covered. It's perfectly fine to spray these with a coat of NCP271 Corrosion Resistant Primer before using DP90 or another quality primer to finish the job.
After the finish sanding is complete, it's likely there will be some bare-aluminum high sp

AMD PARTS AND PRICES
DESCRIPTION	PN	PRICE
'69 Camaro inner fender lefthand	250-3569-L	$129.95
'69 Camaro inner fender righthand	250-3569-R	129.95
'69 Camaro trunk floor	800-3569	349.95
'69 Chevrolet Camaro aluminum
body panel kit 2-inch cowl hood	199-3569-2AS	2,999.95

ALUMINUM PANEL WEIGHT SAVINGS
	AMD	STOCK STEEL
Fender w/o extension	9 lbs	26 lbs
Fender extension	2 lbs	3-4 lbs
2-inch cowl hood	23 lbs*	56-61 lbs
Upper valance	3 lbs	5.5 lbs
Lower valance	4 lbs	11-12 lbs
Trunk lid	11 lbs	24 lbs
Front bumper	4 lbs	12 lbs
Rear bumper	5 lbs	15 lbs
Total weight savings: about 115 pounds
*AMD says the shipping box weighs more than the hood.

SOURCES
3M Corporate Headquarters 3M Center St. Paul MN 55144 888-364-3577 www.3m.com	Auto Metal Direct 940 Sherwin Parkway Suite 180 Buford GA 30518 866-684-5942 www.autometaldirect.com
Muscle Car Restorations 11371 20th Ave. Chippewa Falls WI 54729 715-834-2223 www.musclecarrestorations.com	PPG Refinish Strongsville OH 440-572-2800 www.ppg.com/coatings/refinish