September 6, 2025
Today I’ll start welding the new rear end parts. The section between the longons still needs to be removed, so I won’t waste any energy trying to make it fit perfectly.
September 16, 2025
After I’ve welded the new panels, it’s time to remove the old rear panel of the car. Here’s a photo of the original rear end:
By grinding away the rear end, I’m losing a lot of strength in the car’s body. So I proceed carefully. The bumper supports are located behind the rear panel.
To grind away the bumper support, I need more space. So I remove another section:
Next I make a reinforcement plate and weld it in place. Same thing on the right side.
September 21, 2025
After taking a deep breath, I grind away the section between the longons.
It did expect that there would be some tension in the bodywork. The longons were exactly 420 mm apart. After removing the center section, this space was increased by a few millimeters.
The Gemini Racing kit includes two pre-bent plates that will be used to finish the rear end.
The open rear end will be closed with a separate piece. This piece can be removed for engine installation and disassembly. To secure the center section, I weld four nuts into the new rearside of the longerons.
September 24, 2025
The Gemini Racing kit includes several sheet metal parts for the center section. I stare at them for a long time, but I’m not entirely sure how to make a center section from them. The space between the Longerons is 420 mm, and all three of these parts are slightly shorter. The build manual has a series of pictures of the center piece, but it seems that it has been modified. I send the photo below to Michal, and he explains what I need to do.
It turns out it’s not that complicated; I need to make two more parts to fabricate the center section. In the photo below, the sheet metal shown on the left in the photo above is welded between the new parts.
Before I can continue with the center section, I first need to make the rear of the car. This is where the center section will be attached to. To weld the rear to the bodywork, I need to grind away part of the body. It’s quite difficult to see what needs to be removed and (more importantly) what needs to stay. Luckily, I have a rotisserie. I suspend the car on the brackets I made last summer and turn it up side down. This way I can clearly see where I need to cut, and I take the opportunity to remove the undercoat where I still need to weld later.
