Body Rub !

[CarlC]

Does any one have any great suggestions on the best way to rebuild or re-secure the body to the chassis by the two long bolts in the engine bay/boot. I have two large circular holes where the body has cracked the fibre glass and is no longer secured to the chassis. This has been re-fibre glassed in the past by PNM but it has cracked again right around the bolts.

My first though was to put a thin steel plate to support the underneath. Then rebuild the fibre glass around the bolt holes. Add a second steal plate on the top with all this bolted through?

Im not convienced I will be able to get the boot floor back in though!

Any suggestions greatly appreciated !

[Paul C]

This ain't much help, but reading this i have to add the obvious:

while it's like this, don't jack it up from the rear sills for any reason.

(use the rear chassis member) Sorry if thats blatantly obvious, but

i'm sure you see where i'm coming from...

...Jack car up, body stays up, chassis drops down.

(i'm assuming here)

[CarlC]

Thanks Paul. I do only jack on the chassis. The car had this problem when i bought it and it looked ok for a week or so after PNM repaired it, or so I thought . It does look like a real weak point on the car as there appears to be only a small amount of fibreglass to mount the bolts through.

Ill get the fibre glass today and see what i can find to begin the remount.

Thanks

Carl.

[The_Del]

I have a similar issue and been looking at ways to rectify it witha littl more strenght. Other things seem to keep getting the way so it has been pu onto the list but downa bit.

I think this is a known week spot as I have seen many cars with one side or the other either worn through or close to it. Many people amy not even know as carpet can hide the signs.

Please let me know how the repair goes as I will be doing this myself in a week or two.

As for refiting the floor I was contemplating amking it a two piece unit anyway for mine. Easier to remove for repairs inspection and modification.

[CarlC]

Del,

Ill get some pictures taken before and during and post them up here. I have heard that this is a fairly common problem from PNM.

I havent started yet as I have my Technical Expert (My old Man B) ) coming round tomorrow night (Wednesday) to see what my options are. Plus he has a massive pile of tools that I dont along with 20years more experience messing with cars. I see what he comes up with, or even better does to fix the issue.

many thanks

Carl

[lotus4s]

Carl, I had the same issues and resolved them much as you describe re-inforcing underneath with some sheet metal riveted in place. The repair has lasted a few months now and so far so good.

Here's a couple of pics.

[CarlC]

Jim,

Thanks for the picks, thats help alot !

I take it you stripped back alot of the fibre galss around that area yourself in order to get the plate in the nicely? Mine at present has about a 50mm hole where the bolt runs through and is cracked to the outer edge.

Sadly I have a slightly bigger problem on the opposite side becuase there is no body work directly across to joint to. I would have to use an L bracket instead.

I had thought it best to try and rebound to the existing fibre glass but looking at the job you have done, stripping back more fibre glass to get a good sized plate in deffinetly seems the way to go.

I have taken lots of photo before and I will take plenty more during and after and see if I can put a suitable guide together for LEW.

Really appreciate the pics Jim. They've been a big help.

[DBredS4]

This has happened to me twice !

First time it was repaired but the fibre glass was VERY thin and mostly resin around the area so it failed again. (After the Bedford track day funnily enough)

Got it to Geoff at Esprit Eng in Wilts and his 'Plastics man' did what looks like a more solid job, took most of a day to complete. I did specify to reinforce it against any future failure too. We shall see if it is up to the job but if it fails again I will personaly see it reinforced with Kevlar and 'over-repaired'. It made the rear of the car wobble separately from the chassis. Most disconcerting.

I am unsure but I think the Sport 300 had the additional engine frame attached to these points to make the frame more rigid.

D

[lotus4s]

Carl,

I cut the glass back because it was badly cracked and disintegrated and was trying to get to the "good" glass. I don't know if this is the correct way to do this or not as this was my first experience doing any glass work but at least it has held up.

Did the other side as well like you are going to do which is a little tougher due to the design being different. I just hammered the metal between the body and fender well as much as I could, then glassed it and trimmed the excess metal off with a grinder.

Here's the left side. I won't be making a living doing fiberglass work anytime soon but it will do.

[CarlC]

... Here's the left side. I won't be making a living doing fiberglass work anytime soon but it will do. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow! - I thought mine had cracked badly, That is shocking. mine has just gone around the body to chassis bolt holes not right up the wheel arch like yours.

Im well underway with both sides. They have both been reinforced with steel plates some special glue/sealent between this and the body then riveted top and bottom of each plate to secure it down. I then hammered the plate around the chassis bolt holes and the lot through to the chassis. I just have the fibre glass to matt around the whole thing for some extra strenght and to smooth it all off ready for spraying.

Guide to follow very soon. Thanks for all the input. Ill post a few picks up here this evening as a taster.