CMC reinforcement

I'm new at this and considering buying a used CMC. What do I need to be concerned about? Did CMC reinforce the body in any way? Appears Vintage does things correct.

CMC's have a body sub-frame that is almost identical to that found in a Vintage. It does a fine job of holding everything up, but just to make sure the previous owner installed the front support, you'll have to get under the front of the car and see if there is a support from the chassis (right on top of the torsion tube mounts) to the body just ahead of the gas tank. If not - walk awa, as the front clip is probably already fatigued.

Other than that, they're usually pretty good, but remember that the quality of a CMC is more related to the skill of the builder(s) than the body fabrication crew. If anything, CMC bodies tend to be a little thick (and heavy).

If possible, find someone on here in your area who's familiar with CMC's and take them along when you go look at it. Always safer to have an educated eyeball with ya.

gn

CMC's ( most) have vertical door gap issues, bigger on the top then at the bottom indicates rear body sag. Not a big deal as it's a 60 minute fix by drilling out the 8-10 rivets and replaceing them with 5/16 bolts and nyloc's w/ a bit of construction adhesive. ~Alan

Thanks Gordon, would the front support be supplied with the kit or did the home builder need to come up with that item?

With kit.

Tim,
look in my photos and you'll see what I did to address the issue. For the minimal amount of work and material cost I don't know why more people don't reinforce this area. It was a new car after I put those supports in, not a squeak, creak, or rattle anywhere!!!

Pull up the FiberFab/CMC build manual at the Library tab. The built-in frame is very substantial. Many inexperienced builders leave off pieces or fail to read/follow the build instructions (ha, in their quest to complete in the 40 hours the CMC sales brocheur touted). I wouldn't let the mentioned front brace (very simple angle iron and couple bolts dissuade me from a car that didn't have it). There are also fiberglass "splash pans" that get bonded in to increase body strength (either side of front bumper supports and above and below rear muffler.) Rear sag is easily fixed (but it may cause minor stress cracks in gel coat at lower rear of doors. The fiberglass is very substantial (1/4" thick in places) too. Faded gel coat finishes can be brought back to life with elbow grease.

Thanks for all the info, I saw in the CMC manual the detail I should be looking for.

Just FWIW: When I drilled the tops of my front fenders to install Aero mirrors, the damn fiberglass was almost 1/2" thick!!

I think the chopper-gun guy fell asleep when he was doing that part...

No wonder my car weighed more than the others at Carlisle!!

Stay tuned for the next episode.....

"Pearl goes to LA Weight Loss"

Regarding the front support bracket, my CMC body is attached, but the support bracket has not been attached yet. I tried to attach the bottom support but do not have enough clearance, it hits the body without the top support bracket on yet. Do I have to lift the body to attach that piece? I removed the bolts from the frame and may try and lift it. I have a manual (page V5) but not sure if the bottom support holes sit on top of the two posts or go thru. It appears they sit on top. I see the sleeves go thru the two bolts. I am working on the butt sag now too. Thanks in advance.

Gary - was fiberglassing splash pans in on my CMC past weekend so took some pictures of my front support. Looks like you should be able to get it installed. Might help to pull the gas tank.

Thanks for the nice photos Wolf....I check my CMC and I have this bracket/brace. Question: How do they attach the body to the frame, if they leave this brace off?
Paul, Green Valley, Arizona

I just did the foward body brace after the CMC body was set in place.
I drill out the bottom bracket holes so that the bracket sets flush on the upper beam tube, cutting a couple of 1/2 pipe spacers and bolted it to the beam using a couple of washers as needed.
Slide the upper bracket section next to and up against the body and bolt it to the lower bracket.
Drill three holes spaced evenly through the trunk and bolt to the upper bracket using 5/16" carriage bolts and fender washers. ~Alan

Greg... don't forget to bend the tabs over against the nut on the column U bolt retainer strap. ~Alan

DrClock thanks for the explanation AND Wolfgang, the pic's were just what I needed to see what the manual leaves out. The pic's were worth at least a thousand words! My body is attached but the gas tank is not installed yet, so this is an ideal time. So it only takes 40 hours huh?!! Yeah right, not for this guy anyway!! Thanks again!!

Yeah, there's been a LOT of discussion on that 40 hour thing. We've kind-of decided that they slipped a zero there. More like 400 hours!!

Still, folks from on here built a Beck in a weekend so I guess it's do-able with the right kit!

Even the 400 hours is for those that have done a build or two in the past. MY build times are down to about 260 hours but that's after a few more than a few ~Alan

Wolfgang is at about 22 years.

The guy I bought mine from owned it for over 20 years and he was the second owner. I have owned it for about a year and he said it could be done in a couple of weeks......whatever......I am taking my time and trying to do it once and right. Thanks again for all you help and the reality it make take me a couple more years!

I'll bet I have 40 hours pilled up correcting all the mistakes the original builder made. Why is there never enough time to do it right the first time, but there's always time to do it over again?
Paul

My latest kit sat in the original owners garage for 22 years (must have been in the same build lot as Wolfgang's!!) and it stayed in one spot for all of those years. After I bought it, it has now moved twice and over 1,200 miles in two years and STILL isn't much farther along in the build (although it now has an almost fully rebuilt pan!!!! - Probably got 30 hours right there!)

Ironically, the Original Owner had to sell it to move to from New Hampshire to Palm Beach, Florida, to become the new city manager there. I wonder if he knows that his old Speedster kit is now only about five hours away, not 25 hours??

Kinda like a Monty Python skit where the car secretly sneeks away and then, steadfastly crawls overland, through alligator-infested swamps and backyards with trampolines, to get back to it's original guy........

Sounds like the beginning of a movie: "Speedster Come Home"

.......or " The Traveling Speedster ".