CR3171 Finally going back together!

[Aussie Mike]

Some of the challenges of fiberglass Cobra bodies. Both driver and passenger doors needed some surgery.

The seam between inner and outer skins on the top of the passengers door had popped. On closer examination it had been bonded and then the seam sanded back. However they had sanded almost through the bond and only a thin section connected the two (which ultimately cracked).

I ground out the whole seam going down through the gelcoat and into the glass. Vee'd out so I could bond the two halves together with some fiberglass reinforced filler. The important thing was to have plenty of surface to bond to and having it well keyed so the filler would adhere properly.



The other issue is how the door fit into the opening. With the door aligned in its opening the top front edge of the door was low. On the drivers side it was so low it rubbed on the edge where the seal sits. To fix it I split the door at the top and wedged the top up to get it to the right position. The passenger door needed to come up about 6mm. Once worked out I Vee'd out and keyed the gap ready to be re-bonded. With wedges in place I filled the gap with fiberglass reinforced filler. Once it had set, removed the wedges and filled the remaining gap.



A bit of a sanding to get the shape back and now it's ready for a coat of filler to smooth things out. Once it's all painted you would never know.



Cheers