bodyshell doesn't fit
Discussion
A colleague is building a well known kit car.
He bought a donor car based on the factorys claims that it was suitable. Same for all the bits that didn't come off the donor. Mostly the factory claim was along the lines that anything from, or designed to fit, the donor would fit their kit no problem at all.
The diff didn't fit.
The wheels didn't fit as the brakes fouled the rim.
The drive shafts were supplied the wrong length.
Make that more than once. In the end he used spacers to shim the wheels to the correct track but still the drive shafts have different play one side to the other.
Now the body shell doesn't fit. The bonet is warped and the shell wheelbase is over two inches shorter than the rolling chassis wheelbase. Also there are other regions of the shell that do not fit the chassis properly.
He is considering:-
1)Asking the company to finish it for him. Hopefully they won't have the cheek to charge him for this.
2)Cutting the wheel arches to suit the chassis and fitting wheel arch rims to hide the mod. Sadly this changes the sixties look that he wanted.
3)cutting the sills and lengthening the bodyshell. This will require changing the doors as well.
4)asking for a replacement bodyshell.
Why do manufacturers still fail to get basic things right? Why claim that donor parts can be used when they just won't fit?
If I was selling a kit I'd supply a list of parts, with part numbers/donor models that would fit based on actual build experience. None of these muppet assurances that anything old thing will fit.
What do you reckon he should do?
He bought a donor car based on the factorys claims that it was suitable. Same for all the bits that didn't come off the donor. Mostly the factory claim was along the lines that anything from, or designed to fit, the donor would fit their kit no problem at all.
The diff didn't fit.
The wheels didn't fit as the brakes fouled the rim.
The drive shafts were supplied the wrong length.
Make that more than once. In the end he used spacers to shim the wheels to the correct track but still the drive shafts have different play one side to the other.
Now the body shell doesn't fit. The bonet is warped and the shell wheelbase is over two inches shorter than the rolling chassis wheelbase. Also there are other regions of the shell that do not fit the chassis properly.
He is considering:-
1)Asking the company to finish it for him. Hopefully they won't have the cheek to charge him for this.
2)Cutting the wheel arches to suit the chassis and fitting wheel arch rims to hide the mod. Sadly this changes the sixties look that he wanted.
3)cutting the sills and lengthening the bodyshell. This will require changing the doors as well.
4)asking for a replacement bodyshell.
Why do manufacturers still fail to get basic things right? Why claim that donor parts can be used when they just won't fit?
If I was selling a kit I'd supply a list of parts, with part numbers/donor models that would fit based on actual build experience. None of these muppet assurances that anything old thing will fit.
What do you reckon he should do?
The first thing must be to approach the manufacturer with the list stated and ask what they advise first - it pays to be gentle in the beginning 
If the kit is that 'well known' then surely you will not be alone in this situation and other builders will be looking for a solution too - you could try to gather a few people together to discuss a solution if the manufacturer doesn't want to play ball. These forums would be a good place to start...
If the kit is that 'well known' then surely you will not be alone in this situation and other builders will be looking for a solution too - you could try to gather a few people together to discuss a solution if the manufacturer doesn't want to play ball. These forums would be a good place to start...
B#llocks, thats where I went wrong with the two "sevens" that I've built.
I used seven, (or even severn, oops), as an example, I expect most people realised that.
I suspect he is talking about a Cobra clone.
As I have a Cobra rolling chassis in my garage and am about to fit the body this is of interest to me.
I used seven, (or even severn, oops), as an example, I expect most people realised that.
I suspect he is talking about a Cobra clone.
As I have a Cobra rolling chassis in my garage and am about to fit the body this is of interest to me.
How was the bodyshell and panels stored?
As the GRP will be curing for months after being popped from the mold it's always a good idea to store the bodyshell on a flat and level surface with the panels/doors in place (taped in place)
Have you (or your friend) trial fitted the body? if so is there no way you can 'manipulate' the body in place
I found half the fun in building my Sumo was overcoming shortfalls in the design (they can't think of every eventuality/mechanical combination) making up brackets, thinking of solutions to make things better etc.
This is a little different were bodywork is concerned though - if a bonnets warped then it's probably
ed. I don't fancy your chances much in getting a replacement free of charge though.
Cheers, John
www.Madabout-Kitcars.com
As the GRP will be curing for months after being popped from the mold it's always a good idea to store the bodyshell on a flat and level surface with the panels/doors in place (taped in place)
Have you (or your friend) trial fitted the body? if so is there no way you can 'manipulate' the body in place
I found half the fun in building my Sumo was overcoming shortfalls in the design (they can't think of every eventuality/mechanical combination) making up brackets, thinking of solutions to make things better etc.
This is a little different were bodywork is concerned though - if a bonnets warped then it's probably
ed. I don't fancy your chances much in getting a replacement free of charge though. Cheers, John
www.Madabout-Kitcars.com
I didn't name the kit due to Teds policy. It's not a Cobra, it was originally based on a seven type chassis and has inboard springs actuated by upper rocker style wisbones at the front.
The kit has a good reputation and the company has tried to help but every time one thing is fixed, up crops another problem. All these problems are basic "part won't fit" issues. I get the impression that the factory is learning the hard way that not all donor cars from the range they use are suitable. And not all parts that will fit the Donor, i.e. wheels, will fit the kit.
If you spot a half finished kit being transported on a trailer to Kent along the M4 over the next few days then this is it. Our friend has decided to take it back and has asked nicely for the problems to be sorted out.
Apparently some body fitting issues, not necessarliy due to the length of the body, are apparent on other builds so he isn't the only one.
His wife wants it finished yesterday so I hope he sorts it out for next Summer.
The kit has a good reputation and the company has tried to help but every time one thing is fixed, up crops another problem. All these problems are basic "part won't fit" issues. I get the impression that the factory is learning the hard way that not all donor cars from the range they use are suitable. And not all parts that will fit the Donor, i.e. wheels, will fit the kit.
If you spot a half finished kit being transported on a trailer to Kent along the M4 over the next few days then this is it. Our friend has decided to take it back and has asked nicely for the problems to be sorted out.
Apparently some body fitting issues, not necessarliy due to the length of the body, are apparent on other builds so he isn't the only one.
His wife wants it finished yesterday so I hope he sorts it out for next Summer.
If it's the one I'm thinking of sounds a bit like the one in between gold and bronze
Yes mods are needed to the body work but unless you're buying a Caterham or Ultima I'd have thought these were par for the course
I helped build one and IIRC the tub bonnet and sills are the only bits of the body work you see, and much jiggery pokery was needed to get them all in line
Yes mods are needed to the body work but unless you're buying a Caterham or Ultima I'd have thought these were par for the course
I helped build one and IIRC the tub bonnet and sills are the only bits of the body work you see, and much jiggery pokery was needed to get them all in line
Hi,
As the colleague in question I think I ought to add a few words on this subject myself. Hopefully my experiences can be of some help to other builders and of course I don't want my relationship with the manufacturer to become soured.
The tub was stored on my dining room floor for a period of about 8 months. I supported it where possible to try to prevent it from warping, but I was obviously not entirely successful. I had also stored the bonnet standing on its rear edge and this caused the sides to splay out under its weight.
The problems with the tub were partially solved by trimming out the blanks in the door apertures. This permitted much greater flexibility. The warped bonnet was more of a problem, and when I started the task of body fitting in earnest, as is apparent from the peceeding discussion, I certainly found myself in deep water.
I believe that it is normal for the bodywork to require some massaging. I think this may depend on the particular style of body chosen (a range of styles are offered). I know one builder who has the same body as me, and has experienced some of the same general fitting problems. He achieved a good fit in the end though.
For me, ultimately, the normal problems, coupled with my own particular problems and lack of any previous experience of this kind of task, just got the better of me. I decided that if I wanted to drive a kit car before the oil wells run dry I was going to have to get the body fitted by the factory.
The result is that after a week of their work, all the body and doors are fitted (plus several other jobs). The result looks very neat. The bonnet is still slightly out of shape, but I'm told this will be corrected once it is clipped down, retained correctly by aluminium channels along the edge, and maybe warmed by the heat of the engine.
The wheelbase of the body does still seem a bit shorter than the wheelbase of the chassis. The back of the rear wheels is quite close to the back of the wheel arch. The same is true at the front of the front wheel arch. I don't think the result looks wrong though.
With hindsight, I think I should have delayed ordering my bodywork until the point where I absolutely needed it. A short delay to the build process would have been preferable to struggling with what appeared to be a hopeless situation.
Well, there's another view of this issue. Now the car is back in my garage tomorrow's job is to start on the wiring. And or course, my wife is very happy to have her dining room back.
richard
As the colleague in question I think I ought to add a few words on this subject myself. Hopefully my experiences can be of some help to other builders and of course I don't want my relationship with the manufacturer to become soured.
The tub was stored on my dining room floor for a period of about 8 months. I supported it where possible to try to prevent it from warping, but I was obviously not entirely successful. I had also stored the bonnet standing on its rear edge and this caused the sides to splay out under its weight.
The problems with the tub were partially solved by trimming out the blanks in the door apertures. This permitted much greater flexibility. The warped bonnet was more of a problem, and when I started the task of body fitting in earnest, as is apparent from the peceeding discussion, I certainly found myself in deep water.
I believe that it is normal for the bodywork to require some massaging. I think this may depend on the particular style of body chosen (a range of styles are offered). I know one builder who has the same body as me, and has experienced some of the same general fitting problems. He achieved a good fit in the end though.
For me, ultimately, the normal problems, coupled with my own particular problems and lack of any previous experience of this kind of task, just got the better of me. I decided that if I wanted to drive a kit car before the oil wells run dry I was going to have to get the body fitted by the factory.
The result is that after a week of their work, all the body and doors are fitted (plus several other jobs). The result looks very neat. The bonnet is still slightly out of shape, but I'm told this will be corrected once it is clipped down, retained correctly by aluminium channels along the edge, and maybe warmed by the heat of the engine.
The wheelbase of the body does still seem a bit shorter than the wheelbase of the chassis. The back of the rear wheels is quite close to the back of the wheel arch. The same is true at the front of the front wheel arch. I don't think the result looks wrong though.
With hindsight, I think I should have delayed ordering my bodywork until the point where I absolutely needed it. A short delay to the build process would have been preferable to struggling with what appeared to be a hopeless situation.
Well, there's another view of this issue. Now the car is back in my garage tomorrow's job is to start on the wiring. And or course, my wife is very happy to have her dining room back.
richard
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