Why does no one make their own chassis?

[SonicHedgeHog]

It's that time of year when I start mulling over new projects and was pondering buying an old TVR and learning about mechanics by rebuilding it. To make this in any way cost effective I would probably need to buy a car with a knackered chassis and replace it. My dad is a dab hand with a welding kit so I was wondering how complicated it would be to 'just' build a new chassis? Is it not simply a case of making a jig out of the original chassis and then cutting/welding new metal tube to fit? Very time consuming I appreciate, but surely miles cheaper than buying a new chassis or refurbing a wreck?

And while I'm asking stupid questions, how long would it take to strip an old TVR down to its component parts and then rebuild it again? I'm probably talking about an S Series.

[MPoxon]

I think you would need a specially designed jig for that. Sport motive sell a new chassis for the Griff /Chim:

http://www.sportmotive.com/chassisn.html

[SonicHedgeHog]

MPoxon said:

I think you would need a specially designed jig for that. Sport motive sell a new chassis for the Griff /Chim:

http://www.sportmotive.com/chassisn.html

Yeah, I know you can buy them and thanks for the link, but, to quote the immortal phrase, "how hard can it be?". I really want to learn about mechanics and building stuff and this seems a good way to do it? Or am I just a fecking ejut?

[MPoxon]

SonicHedgeHog said:

MPoxon said:

I think you would need a specially designed jig for that. Sport motive sell a new chassis for the Griff /Chim:

http://www.sportmotive.com/chassisn.html

Yeah, I know you can buy them and thanks for the link, but, to quote the immortal phrase, "how hard can it be?". I really want to learn about mechanics and building stuff and this seems a good way to do it? Or am I just a fecking ejut?

I have no idea but I reckon it would be very difficult to get it within the correct tolerances without putting it on a purpose made jig like SportMotive have.

I think you are a fecking ejut for selling that stunning Griff of yours!

[bsdnazz]

SonicHedgeHog said:

MPoxon said:

Yeah, I know you can buy them and thanks for the link, but, to quote the immortal phrase, "how hard can it be?". I really want to learn about mechanics and building stuff and this seems a good way to do it? Or am I just a fecking ejut?

It's not that hard to make a jig from a good chassis. It's just takes time. If you time is free and your dad is happy to do the welding then go for it!

There are a number of extra considerations:

steel used for the tubes
tube construction
getting the chassis in and out of the jig

and all the other stuff I'm not thought about!

[GarryA]

Insurance issues?

[phillpot]

Take a look at some of the pictures on here of restored "naked" chassis', there are an absolute mass of tubes (round and square) and associated brackets.
To make one from scratch, and jigs etc. would be some undertaking !

As about 80% or more of each chassis seems to survive really quite well would a thorough repair not be a happy and better compromise ?

Time wise for total strip and build How longs a piece of string !!!!

[tubbystu]

phillpot said:

Time wise for total strip and build How longs a piece of string !!!!

My chassis repair/resto was nudging 8 months at Austec.

[dnb]

It took me 6 months of evenings and weekends to rebuild my Griff. If I were to have built a new chassis it would have probably taken me 2 years, even with the space and tools.

In some of that extra 1.5 years, I could be going to work and earning money to more than pay Sportmotive for the chassis - and I would spend less time overall working and buying a chassis than building the chassis alone.

[SonicHedgeHog]

Sounds like it's a bit of a non-starter. Repairing the original chassis would seem to make the most sense as a brand new one is going to be the thick end of 4 grand. Even if it did need a whole new chassis I think it is a very valid point that it would be better to do overtime and buy a chassis from the professionals.

Monsieur Poxon - I must admit you could be right.