Locating the body onto the chassis for drill and tap

[bloodknock]

Here we go again...
Its nearly body on chassis time. This is a new untapped, undrilled lotus chassis. The Body shell is original undamaged. Is there a technique for ensuring that the body locates correctly onto the chassis before pilot drilling the mounting holes for tapping??? The transmission tunnel pad is in place. How do I know when the body shell is correctly located??????
Thanks
Bob Skerritt

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

There are different schools of thought on this & I think your own experience will be the best thing to go by.

In the case of my car when I fitted the body to a new Spyder frame, I lowered the body on to the frame & it found its own position, there was no movement in any direction that would permit it being re-positioned in any way.
So that was it; it had to be right.

The thick steel pads on top of the backbone which take the bolts that go down from where the dashboard lower bracket locates were standing proud outside of the width of the Spyder frame, These needed cutting back to at least flush with the frame to permit the body to sit properly on to the frame.
Later frames will probably not display this fault.

Good luck
John

[TroonSprint]

I've done this recently too, with a Spyder chassis under my Elan FHC. I found that the front body is very firmly held in place by the rails either side of the engine becoming wedged tightly against the bodyshell. The rear of the body could be moved a little side to side and it is worth checking with a tape measure that the body is sitting centrally on the chassis across the car. I measured from the rear suspension mounts to the outer edge of the wheel arches and nudged the rear body sideways to get it dead centre.

On my car I could not get the body to go right down onto all of the pads at the sides of the chassis backbone (the ones that bolt through the floor). Some were OK and some had a gap. I will need thin spacers there to take up the small gap. The body was sitting firmly onto the main mounts on top of the tunnel so I am not bothered about this. Having drilled and tapped the holes, the body is now off again to be painted, and for the chassis to be built up.

Mike

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Yes along the backbone where the steel strip is bolted through into the body bobbins, spacers are nearly always necessary & those were the ones I was referring to.
Mine were made (turned) to measure from aluminium bar but almost anything suitable may be used.
The previous owner, not finding anything else, used a 5/16" A/F spanner as a spacer in one position!!!!

Cheers
John

[tcsoar]

Hi,

Another thing to think of is marking the position of the holes to be drilled, I bought a set of imperial transer punches for this, worked a treat.

http://www.warco.co.uk/transfer-punch-set/333-transfer-punch-sets.html?gclid=pla230513&gclid=CPzclLmoz7cCFUiV4Qod9GYAnA

Chris,

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Hi,

Another thing to think of is marking the position of the holes to be drilled, I bought a set of imperial transfer punches for this, worked a treat.

http://www.warco.co.uk/transfer-punch-set/333-transfer-punch-sets.html?gclid=pla230513&gclid=CPzclLmoz7cCFUiV4Qod9GYAnA

Chris,

Oh yes, of course! I made some up, 3 different ones I think it was, out of tool steel & had then hardened.
A whole set from Warco at that price has got to be a bargain & their stuff is not bad; I bought my lathe from them.

[tcsoar]

My thoughts exactly, bought a set thinking that I would use them for the chassis and them let them gather dust on a shelf, but I have used these on various other tasks, not sure why I didnt get a set earlier

Chris.

[stugilmour]

Plus 1 on the transfer punches. Having a set is great, as I found one of my bobbin holes was slightly over-sized; just used one size up to get the correct centre position for drilling and tapping.

Bob, this point may be more applicable to the Plus 2, but will throw it out to you. The touchy clearance dimension on the Plus 2 is the hood/bonnet to the radiator cap, carbs, air-box, front of cam cover, etc. I found it critical to have all of this stuff in place to correctly place the body. We actually had a bit of difficulty with the two front tower bolts, and ended up relieving the bobbin holes slightly to reposition things after having difficulty with the bonnet.

As described above, the general procedure is to get things lined up and marked for the tower bolts and dash flange bolts. The smaller bolts along the backbone and front and rear chassis flanges are shimmed as required afterward. I recall back in the day a Lotus dealer friend of mine pointing out a car that was in for service that had extensive body cracking. He felt it was a result of stress in the body by not shimming correctly after a body-off repair.

HTH

[rdssdi]

While the body will settle into a reasonable position, you must check that the hood (bonnet) will close without contacting the valve cover. I had to shim my +2 body to avoid this when I placed it onto a new Spyder chassis.

Bob

[bloodknock]

Great response guys thanks.
My chassis is a lotus original galvanised, which I have etch primed and painted black. I bought it from lotus in 1990! I'm trying for originality, good or bad. I have had a pilot insert made which fits into the mounting holes and facilitates a 3mm HSS drill to run a pilot. Is there anything I need to watch out for with the Lotus chassis? Do I just plonk it on and will it self locate, or do I have to wiggle it? Which are the critical points? I would have thought that being a Lotus chassis the chopping around would be minimal. Any comments will be well received.
Thanks
Bob Skerritt

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

If it doesn't let you "wiggle it" take as being "that's it"
If it lets you "wiggle it" its decision time!
To the left or right? Are the wheels right in the wheel arches?
" " front or back? " " " " " " " etc, the decisions are then yours alone

John

[bloodknock]

Thanks John,
Of course youre right. D Day saturday!
Cheers
Bob

[bloodknock]

Bugger!!!!
Placed body on to chassis jiggled it a bit till it looked right and then marked location points using a specially made centraliser with a 3mm hss drill. Then took body to the bodyshop for respray,
Commenced to drill out mounting holes to tapping drill size as appropriate. Progressively opened out holes to tap drill size, then disaster...drill broke off flush in the NS rear upright !! It locked in solid. How to remove???? Cant get a grip on it, its flush. My only thought is to drill into the upright from the opposite side and punch it out. Then blank the access hole with a grommet. Any thought from the wise would be appreciated. I cant see that such a move would unduly weaken the upright, comments?????
Whilst I'm at this stage is there anything I should be thinking about.....front and rear suspension is in, fuel line in, brake lines are in, handbrake cable and linkages are in, body pad is fitted, diff installed, .....am about to fit gearbox, propshaft, and short engine. Anything else before I drop body on???

Cheers
Bob Skerritt

[oldelanman]

You don't say what size drill you were up to but if it's large enough perhaps you could get some needle nosed pliers down the flutes and get a grip on those to back it out.

[robertverhey]

Enough exposed to tack something to end of drill shaft with a welder?