Rebody How near is acceptable?

[Pond]

I have been struggling with EVERYTHING on my car. And I mean everything!

I went into this project thinking I could make the car perfect in every way. I now know I was optimistic and deluded.

So how good is acceptable, when it comes to shut lines, panel gaps and panel alignment? I am becoming more and more obsessed with trying to get all GRP panels to align perfectly , but it is just not achievable with my kit.

I have been paying a lot of attention to panel gaps and shut lines on my 'real' cars which I have never done before (all BMWs) and they are pretty good but not perfect.

 

[Duncodin]

I have been struggling with EVERYTHING on my car. And I mean everything!

I went into this project thinking I could make the car perfect in every way. I now know I was optimistic and deluded.

So how good is acceptable, when it comes to shut lines, panel gaps and panel alignment? I am becoming more and more obsessed with trying to get all GRP panels to align perfectly , but it is just not achievable with my kit.

I have been paying a lot of attention to panel gaps and shut lines on my 'real' cars which I have never done before (all BMWs) and they are pretty good but not perfect.

I think all kit cars suffer from this. All us 507 kit builders have issues with the almost zero mm gap at the rear edge of the door and the huge gap at the front. I don't think we can reduce the size of the gap at the front much because of the way the door opens. But add and remove material to make it straight.

Look at TVR Cerbera. Front edge of door. Even they decided to hide their gap issue with wierd design.

Go to a kit car show. See what other people consider to be "acceptable".

 

[Pingu]

I think that the trick is to make them all the same by eye. Forget about gauges and rulers. Use your eye. Rolls Royce grilles were famous for having curved slats, because straight ones look like the bend towards the centre.

People, especially you, will always find fault. You just have to live with it.

"Perfection is the enemy of the good" is a very true statement, even though I hate it. I'd rather have perfection.

 

[Pingu]

You can overcome the front door gap problem if you can live with the door only opening halfway. Ask me how I know .

 

[Pond]

You can overcome the front door gap problem if you can live with the door only opening halfway. Ask me how I know .

I have the opposite problem. The front edge of the doors go behind the front wings when opened, so the first inch or so is the important bit. I cannot get my gaps less than 5mm or the doors catch against the wing when opened. I have ground the inner wings down to almost nothing to give as much clearance as I can, but 5mm is the minimum. I wanted 3mm but just can't have that, it's impossible unless I pull the wings out so the panels don't align which I also can't do.

The above is OK, as I have an even 5mm front and rear so looks 'square'.

It's the difference in angles of some panels to others I have a major issue with. My bonnet now sits flush in the 'hole' in mot places, except in the centre on the nearside, as it sits around 3mm below the wing. I have bonded brackets in this area, so thought I could pull the wing down using the brackets. I tried but there is so little 'give' in the panel it has pulled the bracket away from the body; ie broken the bonded seal. I can't pack the underside of the bonnet in this area, as there is nothing to hold it against.

There is only so much I can physically do. I can't change the moulded angles.

I am 95% happy with the fit but the 5% is really disheartening and annoying especially as I cannot see a way of correcting it.

I am feeling as though I am wasting a LOT of money on dressing up a pig now.

 

[Duncodin]

I've read of all of your posts in your build threads. Seeing the way you talk even on topics unrelated to your build I can see you're a perfectionist (or words to that effect ) I would say that that character trait is incompatible with the whole 'build your own' scene. I doff my cap to you sir that you've actually stuck with it. Well done.

For anyone else thinking of starting out on a ReBody venture. Remember these bodies are not built by corporations with million dollar jigs. They're built by some bloke in a shed squinting over his thumb at a picture on the wall and, maybe, an airfix model as a reference.

Earlier this week I was making wheel arch liners using a plastic B&Q bucket. What do you use? While doing that I noticed, for the first time, that the front of my front left wheel arch is an inch further forward than the right. Maybe the whole wheel arch is further forward. Maybe the whole left side of my car is longer than the right. I could go on. (and on)

 

[Pond]

I've read of all of your posts in your build threads. Seeing the way you talk even on topics unrelated to your build I can see you're a perfectionist (or words to that effect ) I would say that that character trait is incompatible with the whole 'build your own' scene. I doff my cap to you sir that you've actually stuck with it. Well done.

I don't see myself as a perfectionist, just want things to be as good as they can be. It looks like my car is now 'as good as it can be' but that isn't good enough. Not just for me, but it has to look 'right'. It's a car; it has to look like a car which includes no huge gaps and stuff swinging in the breeze.

But you are correct; my personality and attitude is not compatible with doing this sort of thing. I have to soldier on, though, now as I'm too invested to bale out.

I have pre-made bought wheel arch extensions, but I guarantee they won't fit properly. Nothing else does!

 

[Pond]

For anyone else thinking of starting out on a ReBody venture. Remember these bodies are not built by corporations with million dollar jigs. They're built buy some bloke in a shed squinting over his thumb at a picture on the wall and, maybe, an airfix model as a reference.

Yeah, so my advice would be just don't bother unless your are a masochist.

 

[Nodzed]

Well I take my hat off to you guys, me I'd throw a hammer at it within hours, not enough patience.

 

[Argyll Andy]

Well I take my hat off to you guys, me I'd throw a hammer at it within hours, not enough patience.

that’s about 118 minutes longer than I’d last before launching heavy objects at it and swearing profusely

 

[Pond]

Well I take my hat off to you guys, me I'd throw a hammer at it within hours, not enough patience.

I have thrown away all my hammers, as it is very tempting, believe me.