Picked up bodywork

[CTWV50]

Originally Posted by jason 82

I have made the second attempt to get my Gillham side panels to fit today, and I have decided to throw them in the skip. I don't see why I have to cut the bottom angle off to get them to sit nicely without the side panel distorting. Well pissed off, while I am at it, I may wang the bonnet as well. The panels are not made thick enough in my opinion, they flex very very easy. Really peed off, but after getting the build looking really nice, I don't want to spoil it by putting sub standard stuff on my car. Wish that I payed a little more & got an agm kit, the quality looks amazing on Chris' car. There is a company down Plymouth direction that sell healey 3000 replica moulds that fit the haynes roadster with the use of out riggers. I love the look of it, and may make a u turn & change direction. Wish that I hadn't wasted a load of cash on sub standard stuff. On the upside, my gaz coilovers from Rally Design will be here tomorrow, amazing service, cheap as chips !

I'm not sure how good or bad the Gillam stuff is but I think unfortunately with a hand built chassis and hand built moulds there are always going to be issues. Especially with a seven type car. It's difficult to accept when so much effort has been exhausted but you have to remind yourself that you're building a car to drive, not a "show 'n' shine" type thing.

[Ben_Copeland]

Just for people that are reading this and getting confused over which kit this is, as there's plenty of different names being throw in. It's Equinox.

The side panels have a 2 inch return which you can trim so it perfectly matches your top rails. It also allows a bit more leverage to get side panels on, if tight.

When I fitted mine they had to fit over the chassis, floor sheet (2mm Ali) and quite largish rivets. They were fairly tight but went on fine without cutting lips off

[robo]

I will make a note of this and use countersunk rivets along the outside edge of the chassis rails when I put the floor in. Thanks for the pointers.

Bob

[jps]

Originally Posted by Ben_Copeland

Just for people that are reading this and getting confused over which kit this is, as there's plenty of different names being throw in. It's Equinox.

The side panels have a 2 inch return which you can trim so it perfectly matches your top rails. It also allows a bit more leverage to get side panels on, if tight.

When I fitted mine they had to fit over the chassis, floor sheet (2mm Ali) and quite largish rivets. They were fairly tight but went on fine without cutting lips off

Ben - a few questions if you don't mind!

Do you mean you fitted the floor first - then later on fitted the bodywork?

If so - does this mean you drilled through the floor and rail to be able to rivet the body work on?

And if so - what spacing of rivets did you use for the floor - and what spacing for the bodywork?

[Ben_Copeland]

Sorry, I don't seem to be getting emails anymore from this forum

Yes, floor first, drilled through panel, floor and chassis to rivet.

Floor I riveted something like every 3 inchs and the panels every 4 inchs roughly, the floor is also glued.

[Numplumb]

Dave from Equinox sent my side panels yesterday and I fitted one side today nice fit everywhere if the other side goes on the same I'll be well pleased, anyway you can't fault Equinox panels the quality is top notch.
Mick.

[alga]

I hit a traffic cone hard yesterday. It got torn off and again it's become apparent how poorly made the NTS panels were. There were horrible voids not just between the gel coat and matting, but between the layers of matting, too.

[mgglep]

My side where from equinox fitted with very minimal trimming excellent quality too fitted over 3mm floor glued and riveted

[jason 82]

Correct me if i am wrong, but i am sure that when i was ringing around for prices, the Equinox kit used the thickest matting, hence being a lot stronger. I am sure it was twice as thick as some of the other suppliers, & as for that colour on Chris' car, very nice deep colour, faultless. I have learned a serious lesson doing this car, i always went for the cheapest option, but if i had to rebuild my car again, i would pay that little extra & go for the quality.

[Ben_Copeland]

I think we've all learned that lesson one way or another. Generally too late