Author Topic: A Cautionary Tale  (Read 1435 times)

seriph

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A Cautionary Tale
« on: September 23, 2012, 04:49:02 AM »
APOLOGIES IF THIS HAS BEEN PUT IN THE WRONG SECTION   

This is in response to questions being asked about the importance of bonding agents when building replicars of differing materials (and which aren't?)

As a person who had a failed project in the 80's   -   Ferrari 250GTO, over a 240Z CONVERTIBLE    -   the use of incorrect bonding agents can cause a burning desire to shoot someone. My project cost me dearly (in all senses) and was sold (incl. molds, jigs etc) for a pittance to a very shrewd man who completed it and sold it as the world's ONLY 250GTO rep - full convertible   -   I am talking removable 'hard' roof section, making the vehicle a Targa, or then folding the remaining cover down into a Mercedes style lid, resulting in full convertible. He did a coupe and my car at the same time, all those years ago and from what I heard sold it for a huge amount. The pair were on the cover of a bunch of magazines here in Australia. Both red and both stunning.

He went on to develop the project further and eventually sold the whole lot to the States in about 1989 from memory. I think they were marketed over there for several yeas, but no one ever bothered going to the extent I did with rotary reinforcing cradle to enable the additional custom-made chassis member to be welded in, or the special roof system ...

.... the thing that brought my project to its knees was someone with a great reputation as a boatbuilder and VW convertible maker (from coupes .... we could not get VW cabriolets here in Australia)   -   great engineer with great ideas, but NO ability to work to the kinds of tolerances needed to make a high-calibre product like DNA's cars. It turns out that relatively few people realise how much fibreglass can move, not only in operation, but during curing etc. The experts keep such info pretty close to their chests as a rule and I don't blame them. That knowledge makes a world of difference in the end product.

Few people also understand how critical fibre length can be and I can't begin to recall the amount of sleep I lost over insufficient or inappropriate panel bonding methods   -   I did learn a LOT though so although of no compensation at the time, I am grateful for the lesson.

Members would appreciate why the DNA cars are an honest joy for me to read about and albeit at an insignificant level, contribute to.

MORAL: Get to know the experts and do what they say :)   -   and become a total detail freak :) take lots of pics, ask lots of questions and never forget that sharing only LOOKS like you end up with "less"   -    it really results in everyone having a better life
« Last Edit: September 23, 2012, 04:52:05 AM by seriph »
Steve

wishing we could get cars like these legally registered downunder