What to do prior to body removal?

[JohnK]

Stewart Transport called today to let me know that my kit will be arriving tomorrow afternoon. Woohoo!! I'll be starting a build thread soon, but I had a quick and hopefully easy question in advance of that. I've ordered my kit with an uncoated chassis, so I'm eager to get the body off and get the panel positions documented and panels removed so I can clean up the chassis and get it off to powdercoat. However, before removing the body, what should I be checking out, documenting, measuring, photographing, marking and whatnot? Due to space constraints, I'm going to be storing the body offsite in a storage unit, so it won't be very convenient to fit/remove the body during the build. Not to say I couldn't do it if necessary, but if I can minimize the number of times I have to fit/remove the body during the build through some careful pre-work now, that would be awesome.

Thanks,
John

[CraigS]

Each piece of aluminum fits either over top or or under another one. This has a surprising effect on how they all work together even though they are so thin. So grab a marker and cell phone and mark them up and take a pic at every joint. Don't get too close a picture because you will want to be sure what joint the pic is showing and they all look the same later on. It would also be a good idea to do your clearance marking of the edges where they are near the body and will get bulb seal. Look through some build threads for better description of this. Read up on the front body alignment and check how yours is. I am thinking especially of side to side so you can 'adjust' the front mount outriggers when the body is off.

[phileas_fogg]

As Craig said, take photos & mark how each aluminum panel overlaps the other(s). Those photos become very helpful a few months into the build.

To ensure the aluminum doesn't touch the fiberglass body, hold a Sharpie flush with the body and mark the firewall, back cockpit wall & sides, trunk sides, & firewall extension (if installed). The distance between the side of the Sharpie (which is flush with the body) and the nib will provide adequate clearance for the bulb seal. You're aiming for 3/8" clearance, plus or minus 1/8".

Cheers,


John

[JohnK]

Thank you both. I'm definitely planning to take tons of photographs as I go, to ensure I know how everything fits together. My kit just arrived yesterday, so I don't have the body off yet, but my first impression is that the sheet metal is attached pretty loosely in place, and mostly with the intent of keeping it in place for transport. Is it, in fact, placed accurately enough with just the few sheet metal screws that I can get an accurate gauge of which panels I'd have to trim, or am I better off doing that checking after all the panels have been drilled and Cleko'd in place? Obviously the latter would require re-fitting the body which would be an extra step but if that's the more accurate way to go I'd be OK with that. If the consensus is that it's accurate enough now the way they sit, that would be great.

Edit: It may be worth noting that I ordered an uncoated chassis, which gives me the opportunity to clean up some welds that may be impacting panel fit prior to powder coating. Not sure if that changes your answer.

Thanks,
John

[phileas_fogg]

The panels are close enough now to determine if you need to trim them to accept bulb seal.

However, with respect to marking where the frame meets the panels, my panel placement definitely required tweaking; I recommend you mark the frame "foot print" as you finalize fit for each one. I found I was able to make the foot box corners match up MUCH better than as shipped, so you may find some tweaking at the panel overlaps is required as well.


John

[rich grsc]

I would do it differently. Get the body off, mark which panel is the top panel. Then after you've cleaned up the frame, fit, drill and Cleo the panels in place. After you're ok with the panel fit, slip the body back on and check what needs trimming. An extra step, but it'll be more accurate, and you want the body fit right. Not that hard to get the body on an off.
The fit may be better now, but not on the two I built, plus you're going to clean up the weld joints with the bare frame, it may move the panels slightly. JMO