popeye Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Hi everybody,I have a question about the GRP panels for my spitfire ( the old girl is becoming lightweight because of rust holes everywhere ...)I would like to fit GRP complete door shell but I am wondering if the doors have a structural strenghtening importance like the sills or rear wing do have ? .... the cars like LOTUS, MARCOS ... with complete plastic bodyshell use them ... Does someone have knowledge about this ?How to fit a protection bar in them ? Many thanks for help or comments :)Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamespworth Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I wasn't aware that they carried any large structural importance same for the rear wings, but i'm no expert on the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 The strength is in the chassis and body tub/sills(inner/strengthener and outer)The only problem you have with buying standard grp doors ,is being able to fit to the door gap of the existing tubIf you were renovating as a full project eg fitting new wings etc then you can make things fit /shave /trim etcThe grp door would have to be made to suit your existing door gap(which may not be standard if played around with previous) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popeye Posted June 18, 2013 Author Share Posted June 18, 2013 Thanks a lot !!!The car needs a complete restoration. The only thing thats is without hole are the floor pans !The sills ahev holes and rear wings need to be replaced too.I have often read that the rear wings help to strenghtened the bodyshell ... but I am not a specialist.The bodyshell has never been touched and still have the factory gaps and alignements ...Some monthes ago, someone on the forum has fitted a pair of palstic doors wich seems to have an excellent fitting.Who are the best suplliers for these doors: t6, honeybourne ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 popeye wrote:The bodyshell has never been touched and still have the factory gaps and alignements ...That bad eh?Probably best you have started a restoration.:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 T6 stuff is said to be very good.Going further back there was a guy in Germany (I think) making doors (and some other parts) out of something a bit more exotic and these were apparently an excellent fit as well as bing very light and very strong. Dave Powell had a pair on his white Spit and I think a couple of others bought them as well. Don't have any contact details of know if they are still available but maybe this will jog someones memory?Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepy Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Glynn had started a thread about his fibreglass doors, [Sorry, link no longer available]Honeybourne mouldings, and he had no problems with them.I think t6 are also very good, but a lot more pricey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CP72 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Hello,the guy mentioned by Nick lives quite locally to me and I have met him once or twice on car shows. If someone wants to get in touch with him, I could arrange this.He builds all kind of car parts out of carbon fibre. A friend of mine's Spitfire 1500 is fitted with doors and bonnet from this guy. They fit well and are very light. No idea about prices, though. By the way, I do not have any personal interest in this, etc... Christian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mik Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 My race car has a pair of full glassfibre doors (from Honeybourne) on it now, fitted as part of the current rebuild. They fit well although I didn't do the actual fitting so I don't know how much effort it took to get them like that.There's no strengthening in the doors themselves which would offer no protection at all to vehicle occupants in the event of hitting something solid. My car has a full roll cage with door bars though. They need a plate where the hinge bolts on to strengthen that part. Anything else is up to you.Not the best picture of the door itself but you can get the general idea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popeye Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 Hi to all of you !!Many thanks for all your comments !! the doors on glynn and Mik cars look very nice !! I think thee GRP doors will be my next step ;) ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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