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I've got a bee in my bonnet at present about doors and a future stance on their inclusion/exclusion on the range. Whilst fitting them to the demonstrator Cordite, I have been thinking about the current situation of 'Spyder doesn't have Doors but Cordite does' and of the sales since June, how some Spyder builders have requested Doors and other Cordite builders have mentioned going doorless.
I'd be interested in your views as to the possible stance of supplying both Spyder and Cordite without doors as standard and having them available as an option to both. I'm also thinking of supplying the 'glass' part of the door option as an outer skin, larger than the prospective void, and a separate inner structure for the builder to bond on once the skin has been cut to fit the hole, cut into a previously complete shell from a template. This way the doors will, by default, correctly fit the void and negate the shape changes caused by minor variations from car to car.
I don't know the complexities but I would defiantly say you should have doors as an option. For me, no doors = no sale.
I like the idea of the outer panel separate from the inner. If you go for that option the door/no door debate kind of goes away.
1) If they want no doors then they glass the panel flush into the body work.
2) If they want doors then they make the panel fit the door whole with a nice even gap and bond in the separate inner panel to make it a door.
Everyone happy.
Is the side curve of the Cordite and the Sammio the same? If it is, or near enough, you could get away with the same panel for both and suddenly you have door/no door for Sammio / Cordite.
I know you are not doing the G46 but it is probably worth doing for the G46 too as the doors need 'tweaking' on that too at the moment.
Hi WCA, This is exactly what I was getting at. There's no way I would want to dictate a 'no doors' policy. With this stance, both Spyder and Cordite bodies would be supplied complete for both options so there would be no seams to fill if the doorless option was the intent but the door hole only cut (To template) if the doors were wanted. The outer skin would be marked through the newly cut void and made to exactly fit the hole.
For a production point of view, it means I could have 'ready to ship' bodies for both marques and door skin panels fabricated from the side parts of the same mould that the body came from. The only shipped difference would be an internal door structure and the frames (And I'm even thinking of standardising the frame as a doored one with a bolt in bar to give side support if no doors were wanted.)
Based on what you appear to be suggesting, would it then be possible then to 'retro-fit' doors to a Spyder that has been mostly built - but not yet painted?
Obviously modifying the metal frame inside the plywood sides would be a challenge! I have long regretted that we did not go for making up doors as on Barry May's car.
I would believe so. With the prospect of a convertible frame, the brace strut could be removed and the door void cut out with a new door fitted into it. Bear in mind that this is at present a concept that I'll be looking at over the winter. Currently provided frames would need a lot of modification to fit the new concept(But knowing the ingenuity of some builders, not impossible)
The adaptable frame approach and using a template to cut the door skin directly from the body after it's bonded to the chassis sounds like an excellent solution. As you've already picked up, it'll reduce your production cost and complexity and leave the decision to the builder to have no doors, two doors or even one door, which is something I'd considered to give it a Le Mans look.
I did ask Gary J about doors when I ordered my kit in June 2011, but I have to say, I'm perfectly happy without them. My car is only 30" from ground level to cockpit edge so it's easy to climb over the side, while I've recently boarded a Triumph Spitfire and a Lotus Elise, both of which had doors, and found them harder to get into than my door free Spyder.
From my experience during the Ginetta years doors were always a pain as the fibreglass body flexed and altered the fit - of course they were lightweight racing versions, it may be different in your cars.
Any way - no doors for me please Andy.
I would like a couple of handy lockable lockers to stow spare pants etc.
Slip.
The adaptable frame approach and using a template to cut the door skin directly from the body after it's bonded to the chassis sounds like an excellent solution. As you've already picked up, it'll reduce your production cost and complexity and leave the decision to the builder to have no doors, two doors or even one door, which is something I'd considered to give it a Le Mans look.
I did ask Gary J about doors when I ordered my kit in June 2011, but I have to say, I'm perfectly happy without them. My car is only 30" from ground level to cockpit edge so it's easy to climb over the side, while I've recently boarded a Triumph Spitfire and a Lotus Elise, both of which had doors, and found them harder to get into than my door free Spyder.
You pays your money, you takes your choice.
We are not going to have doors on the G46 and the cockpit edge is 810 mm above GL (approx 32 inches) a bit of a leap but by the time the car is set up they will be nearer 760 mm ( approx 30 inches)
But would like side screens!!!!!!!!!!!!
and as said earlier jumping over is easier to get out of than a cobra 289 with doors
I rather like the wrap-round sidescreens look too. It'd make it almost impossible to climb aboard without damaging them with no doors though. Unless they're hinged so you can swing them out of the way. Hmm...
I rather like the wrap-round sidescreens look too. It'd make it almost impossible to climb aboard without damaging them with no doors though. Unless they're hinged so you can swing them out of the way. Hmm...
Or at the risk of adding complication, retractable, using the mechanicals from the donor doors?
