Hi guys,

This Saturday I'm off to help a friend look at / buy a cheap cobra replica.

One thing wrong with it is that there is significant crazing of the fibreglass bodywork, in particular around the bulging wing areas.


Crazing

Just wondered what people's views and opinions were... can these things be easily repaired (not sure if the type of kit still exists and cobra bodies are a tad more expensive than your typical seven).

Is crazed bodywork likely to fall apart?

Best regards


Kyle

[Edited on 10/1/08 by The Great Fandango]

From my Scimitar days:

If it's just gel coat cracking it can be repaired by removing the gel coat mechanically then repairing with f/glass tissue (a very fine mat) then filling and painting.

Do not allow the car to be baked in an oven if respraying as it will distort the body.

HTH

Cheers

Mark

Sure seems like a lot of stress cracking
Perhaps it has had a hit in the nose?
If not, then the body is flexing a lot.
Best to grind the reverse side first and add more layers of glass to the inside.
Then grind out the gel coat and the cracks in the glass and add new mat and tissue.
A lot of work to get right - perhaps easier and cheaper to get a new body or repair section? (especially if you need to pay someone to carry out the work).

ooh!!! that looks like a loto work to put right!!!

Is it me or does that pic look like it has been taken from a few hundred feet in the air?

Correct, the crazy thing is I was still in freefall before deploying my chute!

It must be a very badly supported body to end up like that. The cobra is strong shape if mounted right. Suspect the quality of the build with that one. It's also a lot of time consuming work to fix it, plus a respray, might end up an expensive bargain in the end.

Can be fixed but it will be a fair bit of work.
To fix it properly will require work on both sides of the body.

(1) Working on the reverse side the body will need stiffened by adding a couple of layers of matt.

(2) On the top side the gell coat will need ground off on an are extending out side the area of the crazing. the damaged are will need ground out with a flap wheel until good unbroken fibres are exposed, Then covered with a couple of squares of matt (I would use woven). Smoothed off and a layer or two of glass tissue.

After that fill and prepare for painting.

[Edited on 10/1/08 by britishtrident]

[Edited on 10/1/08 by britishtrident]