Ron Lang
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 01:05 PM |
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Dark Times - Chassis Butchery
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
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Ron Lang
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 01:14 PM |
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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.
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StevieB
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 01:30 PM |
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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.
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 01:34 PM |
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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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CosKev3
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 01:40 PM |
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Oh dear.
That is bad 
As above some small plates welded in will be fine.
quote:
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 .
This was probably IVA'ed with those holes there,as the tester wouldn't have removed the interior panels!
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 02:03 PM |
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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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Ron Lang
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 02:08 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by CosKev3
Oh dear.
That is bad
As above some small plates welded in will be fine.
quote:
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 .
This was probably IVA'ed with those holes there,as the tester wouldn't have removed the interior panels!
The car wasn't IVA'd. It theoretically required finishing touches and some engine tuning but clearly not. I also agree that the IVA
inspector wouldn't remove panels.
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Ron Lang
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 02:12 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Glad you had the diligence to inspect! Grab some angle of similer wall thickness and plate over, easy fix.
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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CosKev3
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 02:15 PM |
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A bad ex caterham mechanic by the looks!!! 
Can't trust anyone selling a car from my experience
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perksy
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 03:14 PM |
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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...
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ReMan
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 04:56 PM |
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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
www.plusnine.co.uk
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mark chandler
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 07:13 PM |
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^^^
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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Ron Lang
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 07:20 PM |
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quote:
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.
I can't work out what they were cutting out for though???
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ReMan
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 07:26 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ron Lang
I can't work out what they were cutting out for though???
Could have been a gearshift pivot if they were going bike engined?
www.plusnine.co.uk
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Ron Lang
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 07:43 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ReMan
quote:
Originally posted by Ron Lang
I can't work out what they were cutting out for though???
Could have been a gearshift pivot if they were going bike engined?
That would make sense as it had bike tb's on it. I'll get in touch with a mobile welder this week and get it straightened out.
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JacksAvon
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 10:03 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ron Lang
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Glad you had the diligence to inspect! Grab some angle of similer wall thickness and plate over, easy fix.
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!!!
Equally it could be a 'mechanic who once lived in Caterham
The sickness started in 2001 with a Robin Hood 3A, Prelit Westy,Tiger Cub, Tiger Avon, Tiger R6, 16v Mini, Sylva Fury Fireblade, Westfield Sei,
Mallock Mk11, Fireblade Locost, Tiger Avon, Procomp LA Gold, Mk26 Mallock...........and now a Mk18 Mallock.....LR750, Vandiemen FX02
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benchmark51
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 10:30 PM |
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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.
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alfas
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| posted on 17/1/17 at 01:21 PM |
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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
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