AHHHHHH!!! Spider!

petek · #1 (**permalink**) 04-13-2003, 06:22 PM

I was cleaning the Cobra this evening and noticed something, a spider web!

I've attached an image of the spider web. I can't quite feel the web through the clear coat.

Is this sort of thing normal and should I expect more as time goes on or is this an indication of a prep-n-paint problem?

I've noticed that I've picked up quite a few chips in the paint (particuarly on the front edge of the Cobra) and I'm really starting to wonder if I've got a bad paint job or something. I've never noticed any of my other cars picking up dings like the Cobra has!

Help!!!

niles · #2 (**permalink**) 04-13-2003, 06:53 PM

Petek:
Could'nt tell from your post where the spider was??
Is it in a wheel well? if so, that's not unusual and you should coat the body any place that is within range of tire thrown rocks.

gn

petek · #3 (**permalink**) 04-13-2003, 07:42 PM

The spider is on the body above the trunk opening... about where the yellow triangle points in the picture. The chances that something was thrown up and hit the body from under is virtually zero. Too far from the tires and well towards the center of the body.

But looking at the spider, it sure does look like something hit from below ... or the crack started from under the paint.

Aussie Mike · #4 (**permalink**) 04-13-2003, 08:06 PM

Hi Pete,

That looks about the position where one of the trunk hinges would be. Do your trunk lid hinges attach to the body or the frame?

Cheers

petek · #5 (**permalink**) 04-13-2003, 08:21 PM

Hinges attach to the frame. I'll have to crawl under to check, but I'm like 99.9% sure there is nothing at that area of the body to put any stress on the fiberglass. No chassis parts, no hinges, nothing.

I'm going to craw under and see if I can see if maybe, just maybe, something flew up in there and hit the underside of the body.

Thank goodness it's tough to see because the blue paint is somewhat dark. But once you see it... yuck!

Slow Dawg · #6 (**permalink**) 04-13-2003, 08:35 PM

It sure looks like something came up from inside the trunk like the hinge. Or it could be possible the trunk lid opened too far and hit the paint. OR, was that a low spot in the glass and you have bondo there? Just thinkin'. (I know, I shouldn't be doing that!)

Ron

petek · #7 (**permalink**) 04-13-2003, 08:44 PM

Mystery solved, Mike from all the way over in Oz was right.

I went out to the garage and looked. Sure enough the spider was on the area inside the trunk. Open the trunk and d@mn it, the hinge does hit when the trunk lid is opened fully.

First big boo-boo on my Cobra and I did it myself!

On the bright side, when my wife saw the spider all she said was, "Well, in five years we'll get the car repainted." Ok, it's blue now, red later?

Thanks everyone!

agro1 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-14-2003, 02:12 PM

Hey Pete - Was it hard to install those roll bar bezels ? I just got mine from Enzo and am going to have to drill holes in the body

-Any suggestions ? Sorry about the spyder btw...BUMMER...

petek · #9 (**permalink**) 04-14-2003, 02:16 PM

The roll bar bezels weren't too tough to install other than getting my fingers and such up under the body to tighten the nyloc nuts. If I remember correctly I did end up cutting a number of the screws shorter.

What I did was install the roll bar with the bezels and gromets sitting quite high on the roll bar. Once the roll bar was in place and anchored down I lowered the gromets and bezels and used a tiny drill bit in my Dremel motor tool to mark the center of the screw openings.

Then I disassembled everything and drilled out the holes for the screws.

Then re-assembled everything and tightened the bezels down over the gromets ... not too difficult at all.

agro1 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-14-2003, 04:35 PM

Thanks Pete, much appreciated. I also noticed that the screws are a bit long...My girlfriend said I should be happy they aren't too short

petek · #11 (**permalink**) 04-14-2003, 05:41 PM

Any screw cut to length is too short!

dscott · #12 (**permalink**) 04-15-2003, 11:04 AM

Petek, Sorry about the spider. The new hinges for the trunk have a stop built in so this problem won't happen. When I install the roll bar bezels I drill a small pilot and use a stainless sheet metal screw so I don't have to fight the nyloks. It takes a pretty small screw but most hardware stores have them.
Don

agro1 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-15-2003, 11:25 AM

Hey Don - what would happen if someone pushed the car using the rollbar and the rollbar happened to move a bit and in turn, move the bezel ? I think it'd probably crack the fiberglass if the screws were drilled directly into the body. Regardless, that does seem like a good easy way to do it for a show car - but may not be the "best" way...

petek · #14 (**permalink**) 04-15-2003, 12:37 PM

The rubber gromets would allow for the minimal movement in the roll bar w/o cracking the fiberglass. I wouldn't expect the roll bar to move much at all. (I have a different roll bar, full width and anchored to the frame at four points.)

dscott · #15 (**permalink**) 04-15-2003, 01:13 PM

The roll bar is really solid in the car. I've never seen any movement. One good thing to do when using a sheet metal screw for this type of application is to bevel the edge of the hole. I use a small countersink for this purpose. This stops any cracking of the paint or fiberglass. As Petek said there is a rubber grommet which would allow for any small movement.
Don

agro1 · #16 (**permalink**) 04-15-2003, 02:41 PM

Agreed...The countersink is a a good idea. What would you say about using a larger diameter drill bit, making a bit wider hole and using the nylocks with a washer and rubber grommet on the underside - thus the bezel would almost be "floating" in the drilled holes ?

Also, is there anything that needs to be done to the freshly drilled holes to protect them from cracking or allowing any moisture into the paint ??