Body fit--advice please
Discussion
I looked at the post re this prior to Xmas, but what I don`t understand, there was a note about cutting and drilling the GRP e.t.c., is this correct? Anyone done their on body fit and then what is the additional charge for removing shut lines e.t.c., what is all this then? and can it be done a normal person? as looking at the costings, £1400 for a bodyfit and then another almost £500 for removing shut lines e.t.c. plus VAT for both, it adds a fair wack to the price.
Let me know
Dave
Let me know
Dave
I'll let the others comment further, but I believe "removing shutlines" refers to buffing and polishing visible lines left from the body molds. I haven't seen the shutlines, so I don't know how agressive you'll need to start or if any prep-sanding is required prior to buffing. A buffer can be dangerous in the hands of someone inexperienced. However, the gelcoat finish will be more forgiving than a painted surface.
Fitting the body, basically, will involve positioning it correctly on the chassis, and mking sure the doors and front and rear bonnet all line up properly. Like buffing, this depends on your knowledge and level of comfort performing this task. The terrific thing about the GTR and CANAM is that no bodywork should be required if the body's lined up properly. On my older sports, I spent 9 months doing fiberglass work and lining everything up properly. Check out Stig's site for further details on what needs to be cut and trimmed. There's very little cutting and trimming required, in my opinion, and it is probably something that can be done with a cheap dremel tool, a shop vac, long sleeve clothes, respirator, and safety glasses. Turning on a shop vac and positioning it near your work will really reduce the dust. Fiberglass dust really itches and unpleasantly irritates your skin. You definitely don't want to breath it! The reason the factory do not do this for you is because a few things need to be installed first (like coolant pipes). If the body fit price is more than you can bare, then inquire about the body fit templates/jigs that are available, on loan, from the factory. Hope this helps.
Cheers!
-Mack
Fitting the body, basically, will involve positioning it correctly on the chassis, and mking sure the doors and front and rear bonnet all line up properly. Like buffing, this depends on your knowledge and level of comfort performing this task. The terrific thing about the GTR and CANAM is that no bodywork should be required if the body's lined up properly. On my older sports, I spent 9 months doing fiberglass work and lining everything up properly. Check out Stig's site for further details on what needs to be cut and trimmed. There's very little cutting and trimming required, in my opinion, and it is probably something that can be done with a cheap dremel tool, a shop vac, long sleeve clothes, respirator, and safety glasses. Turning on a shop vac and positioning it near your work will really reduce the dust. Fiberglass dust really itches and unpleasantly irritates your skin. You definitely don't want to breath it! The reason the factory do not do this for you is because a few things need to be installed first (like coolant pipes). If the body fit price is more than you can bare, then inquire about the body fit templates/jigs that are available, on loan, from the factory. Hope this helps.
Cheers!
-Mack
I am going to do the body fit myself. It appears to be time consuming rather than difficult. the cutting is fitting hinges/locks and making the body clear your hose installation (which may vary from one car to another).
The body prep option is another matter. It takes great care and a degree of skill to correctly remove the mould flash lines. You first file them down almost to the surounding level then take a sharp knife blade held at 90 degrees to the surface and slowly scrape the remainder of the flash. Then flat it with wet&dry progressing down the grades then buff with a machine. Because of where they are, the gaps in the mould can trap air when the gel coat is applied. This will then be a pin hole when you remove the flash which will then need to be filled with gel coat. Etc, Etc, They also trim all the waste edges and cut all the openings.
Pay the money I'm going to.
The body prep option is another matter. It takes great care and a degree of skill to correctly remove the mould flash lines. You first file them down almost to the surounding level then take a sharp knife blade held at 90 degrees to the surface and slowly scrape the remainder of the flash. Then flat it with wet&dry progressing down the grades then buff with a machine. Because of where they are, the gaps in the mould can trap air when the gel coat is applied. This will then be a pin hole when you remove the flash which will then need to be filled with gel coat. Etc, Etc, They also trim all the waste edges and cut all the openings.
Pay the money I'm going to.
Interesting Steve... Thanks for contributing that in depth piece of info. The "part-line" removal sounds like something best left to the factory. I thought it was simply a sand, buff and polish job. Didn't know about the additional gelcoat required. I also didn't know that you could color match gelcoat that easily. Do you apply it with a brush or spray it on with a gelcoat spray gun? A squeegee applicator might work. You'd need the same batch of gelcoat produced at time of manufacture I assume? Fortunately, we're talking about solid colors (red, white, blue, black, etc...). I guess things become more difficult with metallics. I have some experience spot/panel repairing and color blending uerethane paints (base coat/clear coats). It sounds much harder than repairing gelcoats. Of course, I'm spraying the paint, but I have to usually blend the repair into the old color, extending my spray pattern out 2-3" at a time. On a 1" spot repair, I may go out 6" or more from the repair. In fact, I've been doing just that on my silver metallic sports from all the stone chips to the front spoiler area. Once I've got it repaired, I'm going to investigate about some 3M clear film.
Thanks again.
-Mack
Thanks again.
-Mack
Thanks for the additional info so far. I thought the bodywork came already cut for door lock, engine bay cover, as Ted up the factory told me they did when I wa sup there a week ago, or he expected me to have it done by the factory, don`t know. Anyone had a recent arrival of their body kit?
Also, if when your doors were delivered and were twisted, how can this happen and if so, why didn`t you send them back, or are they moulded at the same time as the body kit.
Do you guys know if a bodykit is made all at one time out of the same GRP and matched up then, or is it something that can be done seperately. It just worries me the doors were twisted before even applying to the car and when I have tried the factory car doors, they all shut with a thud, as did Guy Thompsons when I visited him over Xmas. He did his own bodyfit and looked fine to me as a novice on these cars, but his is black and you stated to choose a dark colour.
Must say, since joining this e-group, I hhave been very impressed with everyones knowledge and more importantly, there wil to help and advise.
I suppose the one thing you have over any other manufacturer bar kit cars, is that you have built these cars yourself so have fully hands on experience of the full build and you are as one with your machine. As someone said on this group, there is a little bit of me in my car, which must be true for all of you.
Thanks again,
Dave
Also, if when your doors were delivered and were twisted, how can this happen and if so, why didn`t you send them back, or are they moulded at the same time as the body kit.
Do you guys know if a bodykit is made all at one time out of the same GRP and matched up then, or is it something that can be done seperately. It just worries me the doors were twisted before even applying to the car and when I have tried the factory car doors, they all shut with a thud, as did Guy Thompsons when I visited him over Xmas. He did his own bodyfit and looked fine to me as a novice on these cars, but his is black and you stated to choose a dark colour.
Must say, since joining this e-group, I hhave been very impressed with everyones knowledge and more importantly, there wil to help and advise.
I suppose the one thing you have over any other manufacturer bar kit cars, is that you have built these cars yourself so have fully hands on experience of the full build and you are as one with your machine. As someone said on this group, there is a little bit of me in my car, which must be true for all of you.
Thanks again,
Dave
I paid for the pre-fit, hinge and latch, and removal of the flash lines.
If I had to do it all over again, I'd pass on the prefit. I just double checked the pre-fit last week, since I'm nearing the point of permanently fixing the body and I'm gonna have to spend a bunch more time on it, grinding doors, etc, to get the gaps right. I'm guessing I'll spend another 20 hours fitting to my standards.
If I had to do it all over again, I'd pass on the prefit. I just double checked the pre-fit last week, since I'm nearing the point of permanently fixing the body and I'm gonna have to spend a bunch more time on it, grinding doors, etc, to get the gaps right. I'm guessing I'll spend another 20 hours fitting to my standards.
Mack
You get some gel coat and catalyst supplied with your body kit so there is no problem with the match. The pin holes are just that, very small holes. You dig them out a bit in case you have only found the top of the bubble and fill them using something like a cocktail stick or a scalpel blade. You fill them part way through the process of removing the flash lines. The gel is also there for when you take a divot out of the body when final fitting the seats.
Re your stone chip repairs. I had a company come to do that job on my other kit car and was surprised how they did the job. First he cleaned the area with solvent and a tooth brush to get polish out of the older chips. He then selected a pot of paint from a rack in his van which was some way off from the cars colour and screwed it onto an air brush. The process was to spot each chip, wait a moment, and wipe over with a solvent soaked cloth. This takes off the new paint around the chip but not in the chip. Repeat several times until the chips are full. The chip holes are so small that the miss match of paint colour does not show. I was well pleased with the finished job and now know that a squirt of aerosol paint into its cap and applied with a fine artists brush will achieve the same result.
Steve
You get some gel coat and catalyst supplied with your body kit so there is no problem with the match. The pin holes are just that, very small holes. You dig them out a bit in case you have only found the top of the bubble and fill them using something like a cocktail stick or a scalpel blade. You fill them part way through the process of removing the flash lines. The gel is also there for when you take a divot out of the body when final fitting the seats.
Re your stone chip repairs. I had a company come to do that job on my other kit car and was surprised how they did the job. First he cleaned the area with solvent and a tooth brush to get polish out of the older chips. He then selected a pot of paint from a rack in his van which was some way off from the cars colour and screwed it onto an air brush. The process was to spot each chip, wait a moment, and wipe over with a solvent soaked cloth. This takes off the new paint around the chip but not in the chip. Repeat several times until the chips are full. The chip holes are so small that the miss match of paint colour does not show. I was well pleased with the finished job and now know that a squirt of aerosol paint into its cap and applied with a fine artists brush will achieve the same result.
Steve
Dave (bubbles)
The GRP is made in batches and each piece comes with a sticker saying when it was made, what part is it, what gel batch and who QC'd it.
Then, if you have an ahem, problem in the future (ie. smack the front of the car) it can be matched up.
As far as the 'twisted' doors, this must have been a quirk of the way it was packed. I had mine prefit and flashlines removed and to my mind, it's worth the outlay if you're not too confident about trimming/fitting the GRP.
Somewhat ironic as a week after getting it back from the factory I took all the bodywork off and cut bloody big holes in it for the wheel arch vents!
The GRP is made in batches and each piece comes with a sticker saying when it was made, what part is it, what gel batch and who QC'd it.
Then, if you have an ahem, problem in the future (ie. smack the front of the car) it can be matched up.
As far as the 'twisted' doors, this must have been a quirk of the way it was packed. I had mine prefit and flashlines removed and to my mind, it's worth the outlay if you're not too confident about trimming/fitting the GRP.
Somewhat ironic as a week after getting it back from the factory I took all the bodywork off and cut bloody big holes in it for the wheel arch vents!
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