Chassis replacement 400se
Discussion
It depends what needs repairing. I've had bits repaired on 350i's but with the 400SE the body lies right on top of the sills (there are no removable covers)
Sometimes you can brace the chassis, cut out a tube and then weld in a new one. Other times you can sleeve an existing tube to reinforce the tube underneath and weld the sleeve over the top.
Sometimes you can brace the chassis, cut out a tube and then weld in a new one. Other times you can sleeve an existing tube to reinforce the tube underneath and weld the sleeve over the top.
Hi there..
As I am through the process of a full chassis refurb, I can report that it isn't as bad as you first think it might be although the biggest problem is getting carried away as you can see everything!!
I would say a body lift isn't worth bothering with as once you are there you might as well take the lot off and do the repair properly...
Where is your rust??
As I am through the process of a full chassis refurb, I can report that it isn't as bad as you first think it might be although the biggest problem is getting carried away as you can see everything!!
I would say a body lift isn't worth bothering with as once you are there you might as well take the lot off and do the repair properly...
Where is your rust??
vero said:
Hi thank you for your replies wedge1e we live in Harrogate we are just coming to terms with the MOT failure and trying to work out which way to proceed. I will post excerpts from MOT report tomorrow. Thanks the garage said it would need a new chassis!
I drove past you today then, I was down at a factory adjacent to Leeds-Bradford airport.As others have said, the 400SE chassis is not the easiest of the wedge chassis to work on due to the non-detachable sills. Some people have fabricated corner sections and replaced them with the shell in-situ but this is extremely fiddly as you need to be able to weld the top of the tube, under the floor, where it's hard to get in with a welding torch (of any type).
I saw a 400SE that had been 'repaired' a a few years back; essentially every outrigger tube had been cut halfway across the floor and new sections including the sill rail and the outrigger tubes had been butt-welded in. Badly.
It's not hard (or necessarily expensive) to effect a proper repair, as Matt-man says, it's just a LOT easier with the shell out of the way.
Wedg1e said:
I drove past you today then, I was down at a factory adjacent to Leeds-Bradford airport.
As others have said, the 400SE chassis is not the easiest of the wedge chassis to work on due to the non-detachable sills. Some people have fabricated corner sections and replaced them with the shell in-situ but this is extremely fiddly as you need to be able to weld the top of the tube, under the floor, where it's hard to get in with a welding torch (of any type).
I saw a 400SE that had been 'repaired' a a few years back; essentially every outrigger tube had been cut halfway across the floor and new sections including the sill rail and the outrigger tubes had been butt-welded in. Badly.
It's not hard (or necessarily expensive) to effect a proper repair, as Matt-man says, it's just a LOT easier with the shell out of the way.
Yes it was my old 400se !............work done before i owned it, i was told that they jacked the body off the chasis just enough to complete the weld. The car ended up in New Zeland, were the job was corrected.As others have said, the 400SE chassis is not the easiest of the wedge chassis to work on due to the non-detachable sills. Some people have fabricated corner sections and replaced them with the shell in-situ but this is extremely fiddly as you need to be able to weld the top of the tube, under the floor, where it's hard to get in with a welding torch (of any type).
I saw a 400SE that had been 'repaired' a a few years back; essentially every outrigger tube had been cut halfway across the floor and new sections including the sill rail and the outrigger tubes had been butt-welded in. Badly.
It's not hard (or necessarily expensive) to effect a proper repair, as Matt-man says, it's just a LOT easier with the shell out of the way.
but that said it passed many a mot and i added thousands of miles to the clock.
Vero if you find that you cannot face doing the repair, i will have it from you
hotty
HOTTY said:
Yes it was my old 400se !............work done before i owned it, i was told that they jacked the body off the chasis just enough to complete the weld. The car ended up in New Zeland, were the job was corrected.
but that said it passed many a mot and i added thousands of miles to the clock.
Indeed it was that car. It looked sound, it just didn't look pretty! Some of the tubes weren't lined up too well as I recall.but that said it passed many a mot and i added thousands of miles to the clock.
They are prone to cracking at certain joints around the front end and the back just forward of the diff. As far as outriggers go, I had mine done 3 1/2 years ago by respected TVR indy, at a cost of £800 all-in, which does make your quote seem high. Mine was done with a small amount of body lift, and was probably helped by the fact that I had taken out all of the carpets to replace them, and had gone round all the body securing bolts and removed the old ones and replaced with new stainless ones. Who quoted that price?
I see you are in Harrogate ? Who you using for the work.. We have the 2 locals, bouroighbridge, the guy on the York road? Personally I go to track v road in Clitheroe with my s3 it's a nice drive out and a bunch of good guys may be worth a visit for you. Also there are some folks in Sheffield could probably help.
Cheers
Damian
Cheers
Damian
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