A&C Build

[gman]

Drivers door, 10 minutes. Passenger door 10 hrs and counting! Think I figured out the problem. Anybody else have the same problem? It appears to be the door thickness. Getting ready to modify the hinges, any comments? GMAN

[Dan Stryffeler]

You might want to email 'wadesdad' (Steve)... I believe he had the same problem with his A&C, i.e. couldn't close the door with the hinges mounted and couldn't mount the hinges with the door closed.

wadesdad@hotmail.com

- Dan

[Roscoe]

My drivers door went in fine but my passenger door would hit the fender when opened. I do not beleive it is the thickness of the door, it has to do with the cowling. You may want to fool with the mounting angle that attaches to the cowling. Y'know, the piece the hinge bolts to. I had to cut mine a bit. The doors work fine now but I still had to install a stop so the pass door would not hit the fender. I would not fool with the actual hinges.

Roscoe

[wadesdad]

I have the latest body configuration - 2nd out of the new molds.

A&C's door to body fit is excellent, however, the hinge relation to the cowl hoop is pure fantasy. Mine were easily off an inch or more in several planes.

I had a body man hang my doors. Cowl hoop fittings were irrelevent as were the pre-scribed spots in the doors for mounting the hinge plates.

This is one of A&C's shortcomings, however, a bodyshop professional said it was an easy fit. My hinge plates are now welded to the cowl hoop and I have no stops installed.

For any further clarification or questions, please contact me.

-wadesdad

[Roscoe]

Wadesdad,

Sounds like a plan. By the way, what did you use to pin the hinges? Did you use bolts or large pins or what?

Roscoe

[wadesdad]

I used all the hardware they supplied, but the hinge plates that attach to the cowl hoop were cut for body side clearance.
Where they needed to mount was too far toward the outer skin of the car not to cut them.

No spacers were required, he just used C clamps to position the hinge plates, then welded them in place.

It was $225. It works out to a heck of an hourly rate, but I guess I paid for his expertise.


Glad I could help you guys.

[Dan Stryffeler]

Of course wadesdad drives a yellow cobra with an automatic tranny... so his info is always highly suspect

- Dan

[wadesdad]

Dan,

You forgot to mention my "truck motor", wholely un-original power steering, and 4 wheel power disc brakes. Not to mention that the entire power brake system is from a mom-wagon Mercury Villager!

But NO radio -EVER. I have a stereo at home.

-Steve

[Dan Stryffeler]

Didn't want to embarrass you... could have also mentioned the fuel pump episode, but won't - and actually didn't know, or forgot, you had power brakes.

But the doors do actually close quite well.

Dan

[PNJSNAK]

GMAN: Had the same problem. Drivers door fine passenger door!*$+#@?!!!!! Had to walk away for about a week. My so.lution same as Roscoe's. Had to put a stop so door doesn't hit body. I ask Joe at A & C about it. His answer was to put the cowl bar in the center, equally from both sides then try to adjust both doors at the same. Why not just fix the damn problem to begin with!!!! There were a few short comings as Steve said but overall, very satisfied as most of the A & C family would say.

Dan: quit picking on that other YELLOW car builder.
Steve: still mad you went with YELLOW. Only kidding!!!

Jim

[Roscoe]

Jim,
The tolerance is so close that if the cowling is off just 1/4" then one of the doors will hit the fender. My friends A&C had the opposite problem with the driver door driving him nuts. Anyway, all behind me now and 13k on the car. Having a ball!

For my stop I used a piece of self stick weatherstriping. It looks like a Greek Omega hollowed out in the center. I put a piece of 3/8" wooden dowel inside the center of the weatherstriping and stuck it on so the hinge would hit it. Works fine and you'd never notice it.

Roscoe

[gman]

Thanks for the input guys. Just got back to this thread, busy week. All in all I like the kit, but some things drive me crazy. Had an interesting conversation with an ex employee of a&c,s. said he welded their chassis for 6 or 7 years , said he couldn,t get Joe and Sonny to fix all the short comings so he left and now makes his own chassi for a&c's new body. The interesting part was he knew everything wrong with my car right down to some rear end issues I had when I started the build, he knew every detail about body problems too.He had a chassis and body on Ebay a couple of weeks ago. Kept his phone #. I will be builing another car when this ones done.

[gman]

Thought I'd add a note on a different subject,Club Cobra. Never have I experienced a nicer group of guys. Always willing to help. Although I don't post much(can't type), I visit often. Can't wait to meet some of you at DVSF III.Thank's again. Gman

[SSSnake]

Gman,

If we both have finished cars when it is time for DVSFIII we should ride out together. We finished the suspension on the FIA and the engine should be done within 2 or 3 weeks. We are having it built by Jim Evanuik in East McKeesport. I would like to see how that A&C is going together one of these days.

Glenn

[PNJSNAK]

Gman: That wouldn't be Pete Clark at Fastimes in Fredonia, NY would it? Pete helped me a lot during my build. He is very knowledgable about A & C cars. So, is John York at York Sports cars in Ashland, Va. Good Luck with the build. If you got the kit before Jan 2002 and you ordered A & C roll bar, the brackets will not fit. You will have to modify them.
Jim

[JT]

I can consider myself lucky. My doors hung just fine. I attribute it solely to.........dumb luck.