Chassis finally beats me
Discussion
Had the car on ramps over the weekend and noticed that I have a holed out-rigger 
Knew it would beat me one day. It's gone in a place I wasn't expecting so probably didn't get as much attention as the usual suspects. It's holed in the lower face of the long tube that runs inside the driver's side sill but not near the wheel arch but several inches back. Weirdly, all of the thick grease coating that I have been using with good results was missing in this area, almost like it had been steam cleaned off.
Anyhow, reason for this thread is what are my options for repair please. Whilst I would love to be able to, realistically, I don't have the time or facilities yet to do a body lift myself. So what garages do good work please ?
I know of a local place that will cut a hole in the floor to access the tube and patch it but I'm not keen on this. Car is a keeper so I think I need to bite the bullet and get it part or fully lifted and properly sorted.
Knew it would beat me one day. It's gone in a place I wasn't expecting so probably didn't get as much attention as the usual suspects. It's holed in the lower face of the long tube that runs inside the driver's side sill but not near the wheel arch but several inches back. Weirdly, all of the thick grease coating that I have been using with good results was missing in this area, almost like it had been steam cleaned off.
Anyhow, reason for this thread is what are my options for repair please. Whilst I would love to be able to, realistically, I don't have the time or facilities yet to do a body lift myself. So what garages do good work please ?
I know of a local place that will cut a hole in the floor to access the tube and patch it but I'm not keen on this. Car is a keeper so I think I need to bite the bullet and get it part or fully lifted and properly sorted.
Hi Matt...
I'm one of the several happy customers of Willow Sportscars new Newark, and can recommend both Nick's work and the patient and attentive approach he takes with his customers. Str8Six outsource a lot of their chassis work to Nick, and he built their new Tuscan racer as well. It's safe to say he knows what he's doing!
The story behind mine was that I was buying the car from another PHer up in Lincolnshire - a long way from where I live in Woking. I saw the car, decided it was well worth getting a proper inspection done, and commissioned Rob Ingleby to take a look. He gave the car a very good appraisal, with one fly in the ointment: he believed it had some chassis rot, especially in the area of the seatbelt mounts.
From reading these pages, I knew that outrigger rot is fixable. The car fitted the unusual spec I was looking for and I still wanted it, so I negotiated a new price with the seller, and I agreed to commit to the purchase if the seller helped me with the logistics of getting the car fixed. Willow was nearby to where the seller lived, so that was how we made the choice. He trailored it there (I think it was out of insurance by this time) and the work started.
With the body off, it became clear that Rob was right: the outriggers were fairly rotten at the corners. I've seen worse, but they were holed so they wouldn't last much longer. There was one other bit of chassis to be patched, but apart from that everything else was in good shape. I decided to go the whole hog and get Nick to do a full chassis refurb: strip, blast, zinc primer and powder-coat.
While he was doing it, Nick suggested some improvements to the seat mountings, so the seats are now bolted to some new metalwork that is part of the outriggers. I think this may have been the first time he'd done this particular mod, so he may have refined it by now - but if there's any non-standard stuff you want doing, Nick will listen to your requirements.
The total bill came to about £3,600 inc VAT. This included all the stripping and re-assembly, plus numerous other bits and bobs that needed doing: fuel pump, valley gasket, fuel lines, re-cored rad.
I'll put some pics up when I get a moment! I took a couple of trips up there while the work was going on, so I took some of my own pictures - but Nick also provided a CD full of pictures that he took during the work as well.
Edited:
Here's the finished chassis, showing the seat mount mod:
I'm one of the several happy customers of Willow Sportscars new Newark, and can recommend both Nick's work and the patient and attentive approach he takes with his customers. Str8Six outsource a lot of their chassis work to Nick, and he built their new Tuscan racer as well. It's safe to say he knows what he's doing!
The story behind mine was that I was buying the car from another PHer up in Lincolnshire - a long way from where I live in Woking. I saw the car, decided it was well worth getting a proper inspection done, and commissioned Rob Ingleby to take a look. He gave the car a very good appraisal, with one fly in the ointment: he believed it had some chassis rot, especially in the area of the seatbelt mounts.
From reading these pages, I knew that outrigger rot is fixable. The car fitted the unusual spec I was looking for and I still wanted it, so I negotiated a new price with the seller, and I agreed to commit to the purchase if the seller helped me with the logistics of getting the car fixed. Willow was nearby to where the seller lived, so that was how we made the choice. He trailored it there (I think it was out of insurance by this time) and the work started.
With the body off, it became clear that Rob was right: the outriggers were fairly rotten at the corners. I've seen worse, but they were holed so they wouldn't last much longer. There was one other bit of chassis to be patched, but apart from that everything else was in good shape. I decided to go the whole hog and get Nick to do a full chassis refurb: strip, blast, zinc primer and powder-coat.
While he was doing it, Nick suggested some improvements to the seat mountings, so the seats are now bolted to some new metalwork that is part of the outriggers. I think this may have been the first time he'd done this particular mod, so he may have refined it by now - but if there's any non-standard stuff you want doing, Nick will listen to your requirements.
The total bill came to about £3,600 inc VAT. This included all the stripping and re-assembly, plus numerous other bits and bobs that needed doing: fuel pump, valley gasket, fuel lines, re-cored rad.
I'll put some pics up when I get a moment! I took a couple of trips up there while the work was going on, so I took some of my own pictures - but Nick also provided a CD full of pictures that he took during the work as well.
Edited:
Here's the finished chassis, showing the seat mount mod:
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Monday 22 October 11:46
Looks great. What finish was put on the chassis. If I'm going to get the thing stripped and painted, I want it to last a very long time and it's a daily driver so it'll be out in almost all weather conditions including salted roads. POR15 seems fantastic stuff but I know others really believe in epoxy mastic etc.
Any idea what the price for just the chassis refurb would have been ? I'm guessing around £3k.
That seat mod looks the best design of those that I've seen, although how does the bit that goes up over the lateral tube fit (or isn't that finished in the pic?). I thought that would stop the body coming down properly ?
Does all of that paint stay on after they refit the suspension. My experience on my Range Rover of doing this sort of work was, you'd get the chassis looking mint but then the paint would all scrape off when you refitted suspension arms etc as they were such a tight fit in the hangers.
Any idea what the price for just the chassis refurb would have been ? I'm guessing around £3k.
That seat mod looks the best design of those that I've seen, although how does the bit that goes up over the lateral tube fit (or isn't that finished in the pic?). I thought that would stop the body coming down properly ?
Does all of that paint stay on after they refit the suspension. My experience on my Range Rover of doing this sort of work was, you'd get the chassis looking mint but then the paint would all scrape off when you refitted suspension arms etc as they were such a tight fit in the hangers.
Edited by taylormj4 on Monday 22 October 12:34
We're rapidly reaching the limits of my knowledge here! All I know is that the chassis was powder coated - exactly what the finish is, I don't know. But Nick would probably know what was used.
Yes, about £3k-ish for just the chassis refurb sounds about right. Budget an extra £5-600 for all the extra stuff that you'd be daft not to do at the same time, or stuff that you discover needs doing.
Next time I've got it up on stands I'll take some pictures of the seat reinforcements, and I may have some better pictures at home.
Yes, about £3k-ish for just the chassis refurb sounds about right. Budget an extra £5-600 for all the extra stuff that you'd be daft not to do at the same time, or stuff that you discover needs doing.
Next time I've got it up on stands I'll take some pictures of the seat reinforcements, and I may have some better pictures at home.
Hello ! take a look to this topic which was before some days
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
We try to do the best....for you
Regards
Gregor (vaurien)
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
We try to do the best....for you
Regards
Gregor (vaurien)
Depends what part of the UK you're in but there are numerous indies who will do this for you. TrackvRoad, x-Works, RTRacing and Sportmotive to name but four who've been doing it for ages and can fit them without a body lift. I've seen the work of all those I've mentioned and it's top notch.
Hi Vaurien,
Yes saw that thread thanks.
From that thread I got the following (unless I've misunderstood):
Willow Sports Cars £3k ish for full body off refurb of chassis
Sportmotive £1250 / £1500 (seems to be both outriggers replaced)
David Gerald £1750 (per side ?)
SD Autotec - do thicker walled out riggers, price ?
Lloyds Specialst Developments £650+VAT per side, 3mm tube
Southways Automotive £34.98 per hour, no idea how long they'd take yet though
Thanks for your list V8 GRF too.
There seem to be various ways of replacing the outriggers. One of the above makes up complete outriggers on a job, cuts the old ones off flush with the chassis but then bolts them to the car body and the wishbone pick up points before welding it onto the chassis. I'm no expert but that would appear to be supporting no weight of the body as the outrigger is hanging off it before welding in. Shouldn't it be welded in unloaded or the body be partially supported before welding the outrigger in ?
I'm based in Cardiff but prepared to take it a fair way to get the job done properly.
I appear to have some phonecalls to make !
Yes saw that thread thanks.
From that thread I got the following (unless I've misunderstood):
Willow Sports Cars £3k ish for full body off refurb of chassis
Sportmotive £1250 / £1500 (seems to be both outriggers replaced)
David Gerald £1750 (per side ?)
SD Autotec - do thicker walled out riggers, price ?
Lloyds Specialst Developments £650+VAT per side, 3mm tube
Southways Automotive £34.98 per hour, no idea how long they'd take yet though
Thanks for your list V8 GRF too.
There seem to be various ways of replacing the outriggers. One of the above makes up complete outriggers on a job, cuts the old ones off flush with the chassis but then bolts them to the car body and the wishbone pick up points before welding it onto the chassis. I'm no expert but that would appear to be supporting no weight of the body as the outrigger is hanging off it before welding in. Shouldn't it be welded in unloaded or the body be partially supported before welding the outrigger in ?
I'm based in Cardiff but prepared to take it a fair way to get the job done properly.
I appear to have some phonecalls to make !
Edited by taylormj4 on Monday 22 October 16:59
taylormj4 said:
There seem to be various ways of replacing the outriggers. One of the above makes up complete outriggers on a job, cuts the old ones off flush with the chassis but then bolts them to the car body and the wishbone pick up points before welding it onto the chassis. I'm no expert but that would appear to be supporting no weight of the body as the outrigger is hanging off it before welding in. Shouldn't it be welded in unloaded or the body be partially supported before welding the outrigger in ?
Thants the best way to do it. The outriggers dont, as such, take any body weight. The body just bolts to them to hold it in place.Edited by taylormj4 on Monday 22 October 16:59
carsy said:
Thants the best way to do it. The outriggers dont, as such, take any body weight. The body just bolts to them to hold it in place.
Was thinking about this whilst driving home in the Chimaera(whilst listening for any creaks or crumbling noises as I was cornering, lol. What exactly is the purpose of the outriggers. Seatbelt mount if obviously important but does the rest of it do anything really ?Does the body really need to be supported all the way out there to stop it from tilting off the body I was asking myself. Then I remembered that I (80kg) was sitting on one side of the car and nobody in the passenger seat. That's quite a load imbalance so I reckon yes, the outriggers probably do take a fair bit of load. What do you think ?
If no, do they really need replacing or could you just have the bit out to the seatbelt mount ? I wouldn't like to try it. But if that's correct, maybe we're all worrying about something that may essentially be not that structural in the main.
carsy said:
slideways said:
can anyone explain what the hoop is for near the seat belt mount on the long outrigger tube? also the bolt hole same location?
Edited by slideways on Monday 22 October 18:54
taylormj4 said:
Is it one for the seatbelt inertia reel and one for the lapbelt anchor ?
Yep it's likely to be the lapbelt anchor point. The seat belt anchor is usually a tapped tube in the outrigger rail. I wonder if being on top may cause interference issues with the body, you'd certainly have to drill another hole close to the top of the sill?Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff