Gaps between GRP panels and chassis rails

[flyerncle]

Looks excellent Slyvain,dont forget a little space on bonnet edges front and rear for edge trim if required in regulations,if my gaps are half as close I will be over the moon.

[TheArf]

Sylvan, please don't make apologies for your English, there is nothing wrong with it. If I'm not mistaken you are of French origin and believe me, there are very few if any on here that could converse in your mother tongue.

Arfon

[flyerncle]

Jais parlez petit francais !

pardonnez mon orthographe

[voucht]

Thank you for the kind words guys I guess I should thank my mum who was an English teacher, and my other half, who in spite of not begin English either, speaks an excellent English with a perfect Queen's accent (quite rare for a swede)! My English might look good because I'm writing here, but the sound of it is different I'm afraid: I still have a big Inspecteur Clouzot accent!

So OK, I think will have a go of fitting the body work the way I planned this week-end. I'll keep you posted.

And Paul, you are ready to move to lesson 2

[TheArf]

I have a colleague at the university where i work, he heads up the performance car dept. his name is Olivier Durieux and man he is as mad as a box of frogs, he too has very good English, either that or I am getting good at understanding him.

Arfon

[flyerncle]

Merci mon ami,bon chance.

[jps]

Originally Posted by voucht

Hi,
I trimmed my bodywork panels as much as I could and now, everything (temporarily) fits together. However, I have big gaps at a lot of different places


2014-06-26_18-48-05 par Voucht71, sur Flickr

(other pictures pictures).

Sylvian, I've just trial fitted the first of my side panels today with a setup similar to yours (3mm alu floor) and found a gap much like the one in your picture above. Any tips on how you addressed that particular gap? At the top, where the panel meets the foot of the roll hoop my panel sits about 10mm above the metalwork...!

[voucht]

Hi,

Yes, this space looks weird at first, but finally, it is not such a big deal.

I haven't actually fill this gaps between CP11/SS1 and the panels, as with the seats in place, they are not visible, and nothing pushed on the edge there. But I filled the gaps between TR3/TR4 and the panel (with aluminium spacers), because that is where you push with your hands when you extract yourself from the car.

http://vouchtroadster.blogspot.fr/20...panels-09.html

To come back on the space between CP11/SS1 and the panel, I had same problem as you at the top, where the panel meets the foot of the roll hoop. Not very nice, especially because it is not levelled with the rear tube where they meet.

2014-10-04_15-38-54 by Sylvain ROIG, sur Flickr

My solution has been to level it and trim the edge in a nice curvy shape to meet the curve of the side panel:

2014-10-04_15-49-42 by Sylvain ROIG, sur Flickr

2014-10-04_15-49-35 by Sylvain ROIG, sur Flickr

to be followed on the next post (can't add more pictures on this one)

[voucht]

I completed the work by put nice slick trim on the edges. The curvy part of the side panel does not go up to the foot of the roll bar, but I'm not unhappy with the result.

The trim goes from the rear tube to the dashboard, and it is not that bad.

2014-10-04_16-58-33 by Sylvain ROIG, sur Flickr

2014-10-04_16-58-41 by Sylvain ROIG, sur Flickr

Hope that helps

[jps]

Originally Posted by voucht

I completed the work by put nice slick trim on the edges. The curvy part of the side panel does not go up to the foot of the roll bar, but I'm not unhappy with the result.

The trim goes from the rear tube to the dashboard, and it is not that bad.

2014-10-04_16-58-33 by Sylvain ROIG, sur Flickr

2014-10-04_16-58-41 by Sylvain ROIG, sur Flickr

Hope that helps

Cheers- I really appreciate the pics - my first thought was to loose the return on that curve entirely so the line of the original metalwork is followed on the outside and somehow trimming the vertical edge so it has a nicer finish on it. Your solution - to effectively 'cut the top off' the curve - does make sense and looks fine I think!

I am fairly sure I have no other room for adjustment as the panel sits pretty tight on the rails down the whole side of the car - I may even need to sand out the returns on the inside slightly to try and introduce a bit more space to work...!