with the amount of work that still goes after the chassis is ready when do people finsih off the chassis i.e paint/powder coat/etc? do you put everything on and take it off then finish off?

I have such little space that my chassis is going to take a lot of knocks before it's all done.

i'm building my car, stripping it, painting it and putting it back together.

my chassis is 2nd hand, so its already painted and scratched, so might even build it and SVA it before stripping it back down again

it makes very little sense to build a 7 then strip it down to finish the chassis.

whatever you apply to the chassis will partly fill whatever holes you've drilled for rivets or any tapped bolt threads so you'll have to spend ages cleaning holes out.

i'd say finish the chassis, get it shotblasted then powdercoated, and just get on with building. the only bit of chassis you'll really see on a finished 7 is a welded on roll bar and maybe wishbones, so tape pipe lagging over them and get on with it.

you can be as precious as you like, but ultimately, you're adding months to your build.

i've built 2 if that adds any credence.
tom


[Edited on 27/5/08 by indykid]

just get it coated as once you start putting on the panels your stuck anyway, as above very little of the chassis shows anyway so a few marks don't matter at all.

It depends on what you mean when you say "finish off".

If you're sure that you've done absolutely everything required to the chassis, every hole, every bracket etc. then you could get it painted/coated with the knowledge that you don't have to move something or weld something extra on.

IMHO I'd say fabricate and build it up first then break it down for paint, powder coat and chrome (to quote Paul Jr from American Chopper ) That way you know it all works as a finished car before you spend time/money on the cosmetic finishing. Personally I'm in no great rush to have a running car that I know deep down I've had to mess up an expensive finish because I forgot something on the way. That's just me though... I aim for perfection and I expect nothing less from you lot!

After all if I was in a hurry I'd buy a turn-key car or something close to that like a Caterham.

Edited to say... Whippy is right about the side panels... my car will have removal GRP bodywork so I'll be more picky about what my chassis looks like underneath.

ATEOD, do what you like...

[Edited on 28/5/2008 by andyd]

Like most I spent 4 1/2 years so far and built the car up with just an anti rust coating on the chasis and right up to the final rough build up as we called it I was midfying bits such as having to raised the rad supports to stop water comming out the overflow. We then broke it all down and painted what we could and stored the bits then sent the bare chassis and body for painting. Went back together in 2 months. I would only consider doing it the other way if I had bought every bit and was assured it would all fit without any alteration.

I'd build the car, weld on every bracket, and drill all the rivet holes in every panel.

Then drive it down the street and back.

Then take it apart for paint.

Psychogically, it's MUCH better to have the absolute knowledge that what you get back from the painters is going to go together without issues. (Which, I might add, is better than most kits!)

I built my Mini this way and it's the only way to go.

[Edited on 5/28/08 by kb58]

I knew if I took long enough to build this car I'd find a reason for using stainless.



Paul G

I was told from the very start to build it up, make sure all brackets and things are fitted and aligned then strip it for painting.

Thats what i am doing even though its now been 9 years and counting.

Don't feel bad, took me 10 years. However, it's well worth it, knowing it's all going to go together without trouble.