So, as you all know, I purchased a near complete kit to finish and have so far discovered that the work has not been completed to a very high standard. I have ended up stripping the car right back to assess the damage and am rapidly realising this is a big job!

Yesterday, things got even worse. On taking the tunnel panels off (because they were poorly covered and poorly fixed) I found some worrying damage to the chassis sections. They appear to have taken an angle grinder to it, for apparently no reason, in multiple places along the tunnel. Clearly this needs fixing but can someone please tell me how bad this is. Will it be ok to weld the sections or does it need some plates welding in.

I'm so annoyed - I know taking on someone else's project is a risk but this is ridiculous.


Chassis Damage


Chassis Damage 2

So I now have the front corners apart because the cycle wing brackets had been beaten with a hammer and calipers painted by a child. All GRP panels have been repainted poorly and are now cracking. I have also overhauled the whole indication side of the engine and ended up building a whole new engine harness to fix the homemade mess they had left. I have also started removing a lot of the bodywork as it's bent, poorly installed or scratched. And every piece of carpet has been installed with the wrong glue or a dirty surface and is coming away from the body. The scuttle has also been very poorly constructed and is falling to bits (and badly scratched)...

The list goes on.

Bloody hell

Looks like they've welded something in then changed their minds after powder coating or something - just chop it out, don't need to make good afterwards!

I would have thought welding a piece back in to make the steel complete again should be enough. Might be easier to put a plate on though.

It might have been a good idea to inspect the car before parting with any money? Your car is a perfect example of why we should have an IVA system in place. Hope you get it sorted .

Oh dear.
That is bad
As above some small plates welded in will be fine.

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Originally posted by rusty nuts
It might have been a good idea to inspect the car before parting with any money? Your car is a perfect example of why we should have an IVA system in place. Hope you get it sorted .

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Glad you had the diligence to inspect! Grab some angle of similer wall thickness and plate over, easy fix.

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Originally posted by CosKev3
Oh dear.
That is bad
As above some small plates welded in will be fine.

quote:

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Originally posted by rusty nuts
It might have been a good idea to inspect the car before parting with any money? Your car is a perfect example of why we should have an IVA system in place. Hope you get it sorted .

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This was probably IVA'ed with those holes there,as the tester wouldn't have removed the interior panels!

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quote:

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Originally posted by coyoteboy
Glad you had the diligence to inspect! Grab some angle of similer wall thickness and plate over, easy fix.

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A bad ex caterham mechanic by the looks!!!

Can't trust anyone selling a car from my experience

That's not good

I'd strip it right back. If they've left something as obviously bad as that, just think what they've tried to cover up

*If* it was an ex caterham mechanic I'll bet he didn't work there long...

Yes obviously annoying , but not tragic! As mentioned plate or fillet weld it shut. Obviously an error or change of plan before., but agree it warrants careful checking of the rest, but fingers crossed this was done in haste and the rest is ok

^^^

It's not the end of the world, 1/2 hour with a welder will sort it.

From your initial post I was expecting twisted metal, this is just cutting out bracing as it was in the way.

Really needs plating and the strength put back by welding in braces a couple of inches further back.

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Originally posted by mark chandler
^^^

It's not the end of the world, 1/2 hour with a welder will sort it.

From your initial post I was expecting twisted metal, this is just cutting out bracing as it was in the way.

Really needs plating and the strength put back by welding in braces a couple of inches further back.

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Originally posted by Ron Lang


I can't work out what they were cutting out for though???

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Originally posted by ReMan

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Originally posted by Ron Lang


I can't work out what they were cutting out for though???

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Could have been a gearshift pivot if they were going bike engined?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ron Lang

quote:

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Originally posted by coyoteboy
Glad you had the diligence to inspect! Grab some angle of similer wall thickness and plate over, easy fix.

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I had to check as the idea was to sell this one on!!! I now feel I need to strip the whole car and check the whole chassis.

This was theoretically built by an ex-caterham mechanic!!!

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The welding needed in the pictures looks dead easy. I would cut small plates to fill the holes and mig them in. A bit of work with the angry grinder after would look better than covering the holes with larger plates. I would mig any unused drill holes too.

i would cover the holes (the ones near gearstick, the other near handbrake) with 1 piece of L-shaped steel, each side. liek a shoe over the existign chassis-rail.

closing the holes by small patches would not bring back the original stability to the chassis-tube