Discussion
I concur, but please go into this with your eyes open. I am doing just that with professionals. We were not happy following the overhaul of everything underneath including brakes, suspension and differential. Our suspicions have been well founded. The chassis appears fine until you put weight on the sill support when we found weakness in several chassis welds. Now it is everything out, check everything especially from below, clean, repair and powder coat the lot.
We are fitting a roll bar and extra strengthening. The latter will take the steering column and pedal box, rather than being bolted to unsupported glass fibre.
After the bottom overhaul, the car’s suspension started to work properly and so did the brakes. The car used to bump steer, but I guess they all do that. We suspected excessive body and chassis flexing.
Now the body has been stripped and taken off the chassis, we have discovered other areas that need repairing and remodelling.
We are going back to basics. Every wedge was a one-off. Mine already is one. We are making it right from safety and engineering perspective and hence a better drive.
We are fitting a roll bar and extra strengthening. The latter will take the steering column and pedal box, rather than being bolted to unsupported glass fibre.
After the bottom overhaul, the car’s suspension started to work properly and so did the brakes. The car used to bump steer, but I guess they all do that. We suspected excessive body and chassis flexing.
Now the body has been stripped and taken off the chassis, we have discovered other areas that need repairing and remodelling.
We are going back to basics. Every wedge was a one-off. Mine already is one. We are making it right from safety and engineering perspective and hence a better drive.
if you do it your self you should see change from 3k, thats what iam aiming for
chassis weld £380
shot blast/zinc coat and powder coat chasis plus lots of sundrie items £680
new bushes £400
new springs/ shockers £500
rebild all brakes and powderf coat £140
plus about sundie items nuts/bolts/pipes etc approx £200
approx spend to date £2120
body is still not on
chassis weld £380
shot blast/zinc coat and powder coat chasis plus lots of sundrie items £680
new bushes £400
new springs/ shockers £500
rebild all brakes and powderf coat £140
plus about sundie items nuts/bolts/pipes etc approx £200
approx spend to date £2120
body is still not on
Gareth,
RT Racing, who come recommended for this kind of work on wedge's came back to me earlier today as I'm considering the same.
Richard said: the price for the work you mention in your e mail is £3500 plus vat. This is a fixed price and will not increase apart from any extra parts you decide to have replaced during the work. Even in this event there will never be any further labor charge as the fixed price includes a full strip down and rebuild. We can arrange various treatments to the chassis, once it is finished the price includes powder coating although we can arrange alternative coatings you just pay the difference in cost.
From start to finish we would expect the job to take aprox 8 to 10 weeks. with the exception of the blasting and coating all the work is done here in house, we do not sub contract out and of course you are welcome to visit our workshops to view other chassis under way or we will gladly send you some pictures.
The cost of the bushes is extra aprox £175 in your cars case however the fixed price does include all the wishbones, anti roll bar, drop links and various other metal brackets and clamps. Once it’s done and assembled it looks like a brand new rolling chassis I have included a couple of pictures for you to look at.
Phil
420 SEAC
RT Racing, who come recommended for this kind of work on wedge's came back to me earlier today as I'm considering the same.
Richard said: the price for the work you mention in your e mail is £3500 plus vat. This is a fixed price and will not increase apart from any extra parts you decide to have replaced during the work. Even in this event there will never be any further labor charge as the fixed price includes a full strip down and rebuild. We can arrange various treatments to the chassis, once it is finished the price includes powder coating although we can arrange alternative coatings you just pay the difference in cost.
From start to finish we would expect the job to take aprox 8 to 10 weeks. with the exception of the blasting and coating all the work is done here in house, we do not sub contract out and of course you are welcome to visit our workshops to view other chassis under way or we will gladly send you some pictures.
The cost of the bushes is extra aprox £175 in your cars case however the fixed price does include all the wishbones, anti roll bar, drop links and various other metal brackets and clamps. Once it’s done and assembled it looks like a brand new rolling chassis I have included a couple of pictures for you to look at.
Phil
420 SEAC
Transmitter Man said:
Gareth,
RT Racing, who come recommended for this kind of work on wedge's came back to me earlier today as I'm considering the same.
Richard said: the price for the work you mention in your e mail is £3500 plus vat. This is a fixed price and will not increase apart from any extra parts you decide to have replaced during the work. Even in this event there will never be any further labor charge as the fixed price includes a full strip down and rebuild. We can arrange various treatments to the chassis, once it is finished the price includes powder coating although we can arrange alternative coatings you just pay the difference in cost.
From start to finish we would expect the job to take aprox 8 to 10 weeks. with the exception of the blasting and coating all the work is done here in house, we do not sub contract out and of course you are welcome to visit our workshops to view other chassis under way or we will gladly send you some pictures.
The cost of the bushes is extra aprox £175 in your cars case however the fixed price does include all the wishbones, anti roll bar, drop links and various other metal brackets and clamps. Once it’s done and assembled it looks like a brand new rolling chassis I have included a couple of pictures for you to look at.
Phil
420 SEAC
i would like to know exactly what is included in this, as i have spent a good part of this on parts alone.RT Racing, who come recommended for this kind of work on wedge's came back to me earlier today as I'm considering the same.
Richard said: the price for the work you mention in your e mail is £3500 plus vat. This is a fixed price and will not increase apart from any extra parts you decide to have replaced during the work. Even in this event there will never be any further labor charge as the fixed price includes a full strip down and rebuild. We can arrange various treatments to the chassis, once it is finished the price includes powder coating although we can arrange alternative coatings you just pay the difference in cost.
From start to finish we would expect the job to take aprox 8 to 10 weeks. with the exception of the blasting and coating all the work is done here in house, we do not sub contract out and of course you are welcome to visit our workshops to view other chassis under way or we will gladly send you some pictures.
The cost of the bushes is extra aprox £175 in your cars case however the fixed price does include all the wishbones, anti roll bar, drop links and various other metal brackets and clamps. Once it’s done and assembled it looks like a brand new rolling chassis I have included a couple of pictures for you to look at.
Phil
420 SEAC
Complete strip-down of chassis.
The fixed price does include blast cleaning and powder coating the chassis and all the wishbones, anti roll bar, drop links and various other metal brackets and clamps. It also includes any and all welduing repairs on outriggers etc.
I wish I could find someone and save a thousand quid as £3.5K on a wedge chassis, albeit a SEAC is IMHO somewhat rich but I just do not have anywhere to carry out this work let alone the experience on the mechanical side. That I suppose is what one pays for.
Phil
420 SEAC
The fixed price does include blast cleaning and powder coating the chassis and all the wishbones, anti roll bar, drop links and various other metal brackets and clamps. It also includes any and all welduing repairs on outriggers etc.
I wish I could find someone and save a thousand quid as £3.5K on a wedge chassis, albeit a SEAC is IMHO somewhat rich but I just do not have anywhere to carry out this work let alone the experience on the mechanical side. That I suppose is what one pays for.
Phil
420 SEAC
blaineuk said:
new bushes £400
That's way too much money. One might even call it highway robbery.After a poor exchange rate, paying your VAT, my GST and import duties I'd have spent $900 on two dollar's worth
of plastic. That's insanity.
If anyone wants to re-bush their car in graphite self-lubricating polyurethane bushing for much less they might wish
to check these guys out. http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/Energy-Suspen...
If you're willing to put in a little time with a micrometer and compare the measurements to a chart to select your parts
you could save hundreds of £. Seriously, check their prices out, then consider the advantageous exchange rate. I bet a guy
could rebush a wedge for £175 after shipping, taxes and such.
These guys sell a master kit for my rx7 and it's only $110 USD. There's no reason on earth a wedge cannot be rebushed
for somewhere in the same price range.
They don't call us 'ripoff Britain' for nothing 
There's no mention of new fasteners but with the minimal cost of 'mild' steel and gold pass fasteners I would hope that they came as standard. As leigh mentioned some will probably be rusted solid anyhow and require cutting out with a disc cutter or oxy torch.
Bushes are as stated above extra cost at around £175.00.
Most of the chassis on my car is covered in oil anyway which of course keeps rust at bay!
Graham,
Have you had any full chassis strip-downs carried out at RT's? What cars and how much did you spend on extras aside from the chassis refurb?
Phil
420 SEAC
There's no mention of new fasteners but with the minimal cost of 'mild' steel and gold pass fasteners I would hope that they came as standard. As leigh mentioned some will probably be rusted solid anyhow and require cutting out with a disc cutter or oxy torch.
Bushes are as stated above extra cost at around £175.00.
Most of the chassis on my car is covered in oil anyway which of course keeps rust at bay!
Graham,
Have you had any full chassis strip-downs carried out at RT's? What cars and how much did you spend on extras aside from the chassis refurb?
Phil
420 SEAC
Hi Philip. 
I had quite a lot of work done on my 280i FHC at RT about 4 years ago, but it consisted of new suspension (Redline adjustables and springs), various bushes, and other bits I've forgotten about. Cost a couple of thousand pounds.
Last summer I had them put a new clutch in my 400SE, also engine mountings, welding to manifold ends, and again other bits and pieces plus oil and filter change. Cost £1350.
They also did a rear end suspension re-build after the loss of the nearside back wheel from the 400,
but that was an insurance job.
Fortunately the necessary chassis work had already been done on both cars (my 390 didn't need anything doing); the 400SE having had a bodylift refurb and outrigger replacement done by previous owner....PHer,'Brummmie'. The chassis is in excellent order now. That might be something you could consider as a cheaper option, depending on the overall condition of your chassis.
It would be worth your while paying Richard Thorpe a visit at his workshop.
He's quite centrally located in Sheffield, only a few minutes from the railway station.
Last time I was in there, there was a Speed12 being re-built, and I also saw the 'Thorpedo' Nascar-powered, tuscan-chassised, FHC Wedge-bodied racer being put together.
What Richard doesn't know about Wedges isn't worth knowing.
Sorry that doesn't tell you how much it costs to re-build a Wedge chassis...but I know a man who can.
I had quite a lot of work done on my 280i FHC at RT about 4 years ago, but it consisted of new suspension (Redline adjustables and springs), various bushes, and other bits I've forgotten about. Cost a couple of thousand pounds.
Last summer I had them put a new clutch in my 400SE, also engine mountings, welding to manifold ends, and again other bits and pieces plus oil and filter change. Cost £1350.
They also did a rear end suspension re-build after the loss of the nearside back wheel from the 400,
but that was an insurance job.Fortunately the necessary chassis work had already been done on both cars (my 390 didn't need anything doing); the 400SE having had a bodylift refurb and outrigger replacement done by previous owner....PHer,'Brummmie'. The chassis is in excellent order now. That might be something you could consider as a cheaper option, depending on the overall condition of your chassis.
It would be worth your while paying Richard Thorpe a visit at his workshop.
He's quite centrally located in Sheffield, only a few minutes from the railway station.
Last time I was in there, there was a Speed12 being re-built, and I also saw the 'Thorpedo' Nascar-powered, tuscan-chassised, FHC Wedge-bodied racer being put together.
What Richard doesn't know about Wedges isn't worth knowing.
Sorry that doesn't tell you how much it costs to re-build a Wedge chassis...but I know a man who can.
Hi Graham,
That's a fine looking wedge in your profile.
Yes, easy to spend the money on these cars when you entrust a professional.
If I go the chassis route then I'm afraid I will go the whole hog with thec body off.
I've booked several shows through the summer, Classics on the Common (Harpenden), Bromley Pageant and a couple of other smaller shows.
I think once they're out of the way I'll get RT to do the work unless I can find someone equally compentant nearer to London.
Phil
420 SEAC
That's a fine looking wedge in your profile.
Yes, easy to spend the money on these cars when you entrust a professional.
If I go the chassis route then I'm afraid I will go the whole hog with thec body off.
I've booked several shows through the summer, Classics on the Common (Harpenden), Bromley Pageant and a couple of other smaller shows.
I think once they're out of the way I'll get RT to do the work unless I can find someone equally compentant nearer to London.
Phil
420 SEAC
Haha...my idleness now costs me a lot of extra cash, but to be honest I'm just too tired to bother getting the spanners out these days, as I work longish hours, and whenever I open the garage I just want to DRIVE it.
My local garage did the back brakes last November....new discs and handbrake setting ,etc, and did a really good job of it. I also get all my cars MOT'd there, including the TVR.
I can understand your wanting to get the chassis done properly, as it IS an SEAC, and rather special.
My local garage did the back brakes last November....new discs and handbrake setting ,etc, and did a really good job of it. I also get all my cars MOT'd there, including the TVR.
I can understand your wanting to get the chassis done properly, as it IS an SEAC, and rather special.
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