Discussion
OK, I just got my new Chim, delivered to my door by A&J Exhibitions, who were extremely professional.
So professional, in fact, that they spotted a couple of cracks in the bodywork that neither I, nor the other professional I hired to inspect the car, appear to have noticed.
The first one is on the bottom of the air dam, and is a linear feature about an inch long. The second is a little star-shaped thing about an inch across on the rear quarter.
The car has many stone chips that I already knew about, so I was already prepared for a front end respray. This I expect to cost about £700 at somewhere like TVR bodyshop. Presumably the front crack can be done at the same time. I guess to get the rear done would mean a whole body respray.
So take it as read that I'm kicking myself for not spotting the cracks, but now I have to move forward. How serious are they likely to be? I've never had a GRP car before, and I'm having some rather disturbing images right now.
Can I leave this rear one for a while, or will I going out one morning and find that I own a pile of Starmist blue bits ?
So professional, in fact, that they spotted a couple of cracks in the bodywork that neither I, nor the other professional I hired to inspect the car, appear to have noticed.
The first one is on the bottom of the air dam, and is a linear feature about an inch long. The second is a little star-shaped thing about an inch across on the rear quarter.
The car has many stone chips that I already knew about, so I was already prepared for a front end respray. This I expect to cost about £700 at somewhere like TVR bodyshop. Presumably the front crack can be done at the same time. I guess to get the rear done would mean a whole body respray.
So take it as read that I'm kicking myself for not spotting the cracks, but now I have to move forward. How serious are they likely to be? I've never had a GRP car before, and I'm having some rather disturbing images right now.
Can I leave this rear one for a while, or will I going out one morning and find that I own a pile of Starmist blue bits ?
steveiy said:
The second is a little star-shaped thing about an inch across on the rear quarter.
That's due to impact damage (probably a spanner or something of that ilk) and will grow slowly.
steveiy said:
guess to get the rear done would mean a whole body respray.
Not normally; it depends how special your paint is and how fussy you are.
>> Edited by 19560 on Saturday 18th September 07:53
Thanks for your answers.
That was what worried me. Is this crack likely to be deep-rooted, or is it more of a surface thing? If the former, then I won't drive the car until it has been sorted.
It's only the starmist blue, and I suppose I'm medium on the fussy scale. I want it to look nice, but I don't mind the odd imperfection.
Yes, perhaps a little discount is in order. I don't think I can ask for more than a rear quarter respray, which I see on TVR bodyshop at £135+VAT.
19560 said:
That's due to impact damage (probably a spanner or something of that ilk) and will grow slowly.
That was what worried me. Is this crack likely to be deep-rooted, or is it more of a surface thing? If the former, then I won't drive the car until it has been sorted.
19560 said:
Not normally; it depends how special your paint is and how fussy you are.
It's only the starmist blue, and I suppose I'm medium on the fussy scale. I want it to look nice, but I don't mind the odd imperfection.
tovey said:
could you not get some money back from the (expert) who you paid good money for noticing these problems, as getting this sorted will not be cheap.
Yes, perhaps a little discount is in order. I don't think I can ask for more than a rear quarter respray, which I see on TVR bodyshop at £135+VAT.
<Big grin>
Armed with the knowledge that the body wasn't about to split at the seams, I took it for its first blast this evening. After waiting what seemed like an age this weekend for the roads to dry out (don't want to drive it in the wet yet). Ride and handling are superb - bit lumpy at low speed but I'm sure that can be tweaked.
There aren't many Chims in my part of the world (south Devon) so it was fun to drive through town and see everyone I passed looking back at the car :-)
Armed with the knowledge that the body wasn't about to split at the seams, I took it for its first blast this evening. After waiting what seemed like an age this weekend for the roads to dry out (don't want to drive it in the wet yet). Ride and handling are superb - bit lumpy at low speed but I'm sure that can be tweaked.
There aren't many Chims in my part of the world (south Devon) so it was fun to drive through town and see everyone I passed looking back at the car :-)
steveiy said:
Is this crack likely to be deep-rooted, or is it more of a surface thing?
The trouble is that it's in the fibreglass and will grow - slowly, probably very slowly.
steveiy said:
I don't think I can ask for more than a rear quarter respray, which I see on TVR bodyshop at £135+VAT.
You can ask for more than that; the fibreglass needs to be repaired, maybe only £30 quid-ish but it all adds up. As tovey said though enjoy your car, it's not a big issue.
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