# help. Aurora GTO is doing "the twist"...



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I acquired this GTO in a small lot of cars today. Uncut, good screwposts, good window posts, good glass, good front bumper, just missing the rear one. Even the detail paint is still pretty nice. The problem: it's twisted from front to rear something fierce. I bet when the front end is perfectly level, the rear is 15 degrees off or thereabouts. Anybody have a good method for straightening things like this? Sorry about the crappy pics, just snapped these off with my phone...




















thanks in advance for any advice...

--rick


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

what i did to any resin bodies - i would put them in the microwave for short time like 30 sec and see how soft the body is then twist it gently then put cold water on it BUUTT this is a original afx body so i have no idea.. sorry. maybe boiling water? 

Good Luck!

Wes


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

NOOOOOOOO Microwave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll get back to you rick


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

Bill Hall said:


> NOOOOOOOO Microwave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> I'll get back to you rick


Gotcha!! LOL!! You are in good hands with Bill!! 

Wes


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## T-jetjim (Sep 12, 2005)

Good save Bill. This could have been a tragedy. Rick, another option, I'll send you my super straight GTO (maybe with missing pillars, bumpers and glass) and I'll take that poor ol' twisty wreck.

Jim


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

T-jetjim said:


> Good save Bill. This could have been a tragedy. Rick, another option, I'll send you my super straight GTO (maybe with missing pillars, bumpers and glass) and I'll take that poor ol' twisty wreck.
> 
> Jim


LOL. sounds like my twisty wreck and your super straight example should be in the Carfax thread...

--rick


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*T-jet frame rack*

You'd have better luck roasting it on a stick over a yule log. We'll leave my microwave experiments for another day...lets just say the Island of Dr. Moreau has nothing on the Hall's kitchen.

Lets get right to the nutz of it here. There's no magic wand for that particular type of damage. This body more than likely took a "Set" over eons. Probably jammed up between a rock and a hard place in a shoe box on the top shelf of Uncle Johns closet. This takes time. 

ALL bets are off; if there are pronounced puckers, shrinkages and creases which are obvious indicators of microwaves or toaster oven attempts at god knows what. A good set of pictures would help us here Rick.

No fire...no fire...no fire...no fire...no fire...

did I mention no fire?... we'll save that for later. 

Your first move is to go, find, whittle yourself a piece of wood that will become a "buck". It should be nice and square and fit snuggly into the underbody cavity. Drill holes or partial holes to go around the posts. They need to be supported for this to work. The buck MUST also hang an 1/8" to 1/4" below the rockers and screw posts. You'll need a coupla T-jet Volkswagen screws also. 

Once you have a good fit on the wood block you'll need to add a chunk of stiff sheet metal to the bottom of the block, use a coupla screws or contact cement...same width as the block BUT over hang the length of the metal a half an inch longer than the screw posts. Drill slightly oversize holes in the metal to correspond to the screw post locations. The screws should spin freely in the holes! Check your screw posts by carefully winding the screws in.

Now set the buck in the body and toss it into a pot of semi hot water, boiled so it's hot but not warp plastic hot! Let it sit in there until it's taken in some heat. Wind the screws in carefully and methodically. Dont rush it and watch what happens. Let it sit in the water add some more torsion to the screws and keep trying to carefully pull the body into square. Basically you are gradually pulling the body into square from the screw posts, the extra wood material hanging below the allows the necessary travel and the sheet metal gives you something to pull against. Have some washers/spacer on hand ...as you make progress be sure to place spacers under the screws so you dont overdrive the screws through the trunk and the hood! You might be in jeopardy of going D'oh!

Did I mention dont rush it?!!! The gamble here is that your betting that the screw posts in tandem are strong enough to overcome the overall distortion while your reminding the plastic of where its supposed to be. If you get all frenzied and caffienated, the risk of pulling the posts through is very real. Even at best you may end up with some standard looking screw post shrink divots that you didnt have before. But those are pretty EASY to fix! 

Keep at it and let the body cool naturally between sessions allow the body to sit overnight. With any luck you'll see that the rockers and the front and rear valences are parallel to the bottom of the block. If you think your done loosen a screw and see if the body torques back out of wack...you may have to go to plan B which involves using testors underneath to further cooperate the plastic's memory. You wont need anything extra but testors and a brush. After working with this body you'll now know where the kinks are. Apply the testors to the target areas UNDERNEATH the body. Let it soak in and repeat the applications unitl you feel the kinkage become pliable. Jam it back in the buck and repeat the process. Stay away from the screw posts with the testors if at all possible. 

In the forefront of your mind always remember that this type of damage didnt happen overnight and your not gonna fix it tomorrow. It may take a while to change the ravages of time and abuse. Sorta depends on how bad ya want it...

You may never get it all out Rick, but you may get it good enough to square up properly when you mount it to the chassis. Most of the little buggers have some natural twist or kink in them anyway that we never even notice.

Good luck!


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## shocker36 (Jul 5, 2008)

Looks like its twisted from too much horsepower must have been a drag car at some point:thumbsup:


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

wow. i will try that... if i can get it get it to start squaring up before we go away for Christmas on the 26th, then leave it on the buck for the week that we're away... i might just see a difference when we come back. thanks for the words of wisdom...

--rick

edit: i will get some pictures up for posterity...


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Did you check the HO CarFax before you bought it?

Might be a salvage car.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

1976Cordoba said:


> Did you check the HO CarFax before you bought it?
> 
> Might be a salvage car.


Got it right here!!!

http://www.sportsnimports.com/gallery/files/3/carfox.jpg


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## hartracerman (Jan 9, 2005)

OK! So how do you get rid of screw post divits? Enquiring minds want to know.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Replace yer divots*

Put the wedge back in your bag; use a two iron, choke up and shorten yer swing. :tongue:

1. Sometimes I sand and re-seed ...er I mean... buff.

2. Most other times not so lucky...then I have to fill, color blend the hood, trunk, or roof, AND then ....sand and buff.

3. Been known to leave them alone too.

Seriously Hart, much depends on the depth of the divot relative to the overall body thickness AND surrounding detail. There is also a viable argument that removal of the factory warts and boogers is some kind of crime against the Aurora gods. I dont buy into the idea; but agree to disagree and simply do whatever the hell I feel like with mine, and what the customer/owner wants done to theirs.

For example if ya saw my Olive Cobra resto, Feb. last year or so, the divot got wiped off the hood in 1200 wet, like a bug on a windsheild. Try that between the headlights of a Dune Buggy, or across the hood details of some other Aurora Dodge or Ford models and you'll invent some new cuss words gauranteed! 

It can be very labor intensive or minimal depending on the model. Pretty much a case by case thing as many times unseen cracks, fissures, or stress marks are revealed after I've prepped a body. Usually after I've told someone , "Sure no problem!" :thumbsup:


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## SCJ (Jul 15, 1999)

ParkRNDL said:


> I acquired this GTO in a small lot of cars today. Uncut, good screwposts, good window posts, good glass, good front bumper, just missing the rear one. Even the detail paint is still pretty nice. The problem: it's twisted from front to rear something fierce. I bet when the front end is perfectly level, the rear is 15 degrees off or thereabouts. Anybody have a good method for straightening things like this? Sorry about the crappy pics, just snapped these off with my phone...
> thanks in advance for any advice...
> --rick


You can always try the old stand by method the train guys use..........I was tought this years ago from my Grandfather as many of the older Lionel, American Flyer etc. box cars warp over time and/or attic heat. I've tried before....it does workl, but takes time and patients.

Remove all metal, glass and chrome, then simply place it on a glass mirror in the sun and keep a close watch on it. The heat is slow but steady and warms things up..........keep a close eye though it reaches a point where it's past the heat stage of no return and certainly NOT an exact science.

No warranty, expressed or implied!


-------------------------
www.SlotCarJohnnies.com


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

*Because I said I'd post better pictures...*

here they are:



















Bear in mind, in the picture below, the front of the car is sitting level...










now THAT'S twisted.

--rick


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

That looks like it hurt. 

Could you use one of the hairdryer things you wife has to gently coax that backend back down?  

 rr


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Not as bad as it first appeared...

I think you'll get her Rick!


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