Chapter 14.4 - Door Striker Modifications

[nolastyankee]

Here goes the first try at a post in the new forum...Let's see how it works!

Attached are some photos of the modifications we are making to the door striker plate. After cutting it from the car, it was shortened by 2" to allow it to sit flush behind the door jamb. An "L" was made to tie the striker into the floor, and over into the frame. A forward brace was made to tie into the cowl brace. The last pictures show a flat support that will be blended into vertical section behind the seats to provide side to side stiffness between the braces. Overall the change should give us a nice mounting point for the interior pieces, and will provide additional cockpit rigidity and side protection! More shots to come once both sides are fabbed up and installed.

[RJacobsen]

Brian, The bracing looks real good. I knew you would come through with something special.

[pgermond]

Amazing..... very nice!

[ralphscott]

Really innovative Brian. Looks like you and your Dad have really been talking the build through. Was it hard to fabricate? How does the door latch feel with this innovation. You know the door latches on the Cobra are the same ones I had on my 1953 MG-TD!![:D]

Ralph

[eliminator]

Very nice modification, should be very rigid. Good job.

[nolastyankee]

I wish I could take all the credit for this, but the design was lifted from the Premier cars. The painter doing our body had worked for Premier for many years and we pretty much lifted the best aspects of their design and modified the rest. Interestingly, we started off this project not so much to change the striker, but to get it to fit behind the return in the cockpit. Initially it stuck out as much as 1/4" and was not square top to bottom. After looking at the design, we realized the current striker was only 'glassed in. That's when our anal-retentive-engineering-minds took over!

If anyone building their car is interested, I can probably get some dimensions and drawings together if you want to fab these up.

[traveler]

Brian , I like the idea you have here . I would be interested in getting some dawings and deminsions from you if they become available . I am in the final stages of my build and it would be the perfect time to make this improvement . Please e-mail me at rfindley@oxfordww.com and I will give you my mailing address .
Thanks ,
Rick

[nolastyankee]

Rick,
It may take a week or so, but let me put something together. The body is over in Tulsa, and I'll be going back next week and can put the details together then.

[traveler]

Thanks Brian , I am in Indonesia right now and will be out for a couple of weeks . I would really like to add this to my car . Let me know when you have something and I will send you my address . I hope to have my car running soon . With the traveling I have to do I am only able to spend several hrs. a month working on the car . I see others on the site I know picked up their cars after I did and they have pictures posted taking trips etc. . Knid of makes me a little green if you know what I mean . I guess it will make it all the better when I finally get to turn the key and listen to the roar .

[Russ Dickey]

I wish I could take all the credit for this, but the design was lifted from the Premier cars. The painter doing our body had worked for Premier for many years...

Is that Mark by any chance? If so, tell him that Russ says hello. He is missed here in KC (especially by the lone Unique Cobra owner in the area).

[nolastyankee]

Russ,
The guy doing the paint for us is Don Bevers. We visited him at the Premier shop there in KC to see his work.

Interestingly, KIT CAR ran a piece on Premier several issues ago. Prominently displayed in the pictures of the Premier article was your FIA car.

I take you had them do some work for you?

[nolastyankee]

Traveler,
I was planning to go and visit my car to get better pics and dimensional measurements in the last week or two, but the schedule didn't work out. As soon as I can, I'll commit this to paper and send it your way. The Christmas season and conflicting schedules are not making the trip as easy as I had hoped.

[Russ Dickey]

Russ,
The guy doing the paint for us is Don Bevers. We visited him at the Premier shop there in KC to see his work.

Interestingly, KIT CAR ran a piece on Premier several issues ago. Prominently displayed in the pictures of the Premier article was your FIA car.

I take you had them do some work for you?

Ah yes, the "Kit Car" article. I never mentioned it on this board (or any other), because what an embarrassing way to have your car pictured in a magazine. Covered in dust and under repair. Premier corrected some things that the original builder didn't quite get up to par - and that were beyond my mechancial abilities to repair.

Don is also a great guy and a fantastic painter. No doubt your car will look brilliant when he's done. Unfortunately for Premier (but fortunately for you), he was not the only very-capable-employee that Premier has lost recently. I'm not quite sure what's going on over there. They've shelfed their GT-40 project, and several top-tier guys have ceased working there. The replica business is a tough business to break into.

[nolastyankee]

Russ,
With all the publicity that Unique has gotten in Kit Car recently, I found it funny that they showed up in the Premier article, although uncredited. I think they also showed Chuck's Kirkham in that article too. They featured everything but the Premier cars.

I'm happy to have Don doing our paint work. It is going at a glacial pace since Don is trying to do this project, work, and go to school at the same time. We're making progress but it's driving me crazy!

[traveler]

Hi Brian , I am still in Indonesia and will not be home till next week . I to will be fairly busy since I haven't had much chance to do my Christmas shopping yet . As soon as you get a chance just let me know . I get on this site several times a week so I will keep an eye out for your reply .

In case I am not on again till after Christmas I would like to wish everone out there a Very Merry Christmas an a Happy New Year and may God bless all .

Some day soon I hope to be able to post some pictures of my car .

Rick Findley

[nolastyankee]

Rick,
I went to take some dimensions of the door striker for you and realized that the way this is made it will be nearly impossible to give you good enough details to fab from. Not to mention that our cars are not consistent enough for you to work from specs and have it fit. I took a bunch of pictures and will include in my next body shop thread...Look for it later tonight.

[traveler]

Brian ,Thanks for trying . I will check out your new post . I am about ready to start the car for the first time and install the carpet anyway . This might be a next year project . I am really anxious to get my car running . Don't have much time to work on it as it is . Sometime only 4 to 5 hrs. a month with all the traveling I have to do . I look forward to seeing your progress on yours .

Rick