Body Shift on Completed Cars

[Studebaker396]

A question from a possible future builder of a Type 65 coupe. Been researching a lot of things I had questions about . A friend of mine has built a FF MK 4 roadster. Very high end nice car and runs great. He told me that the way the body is mounted to the chassis, it can shift or move after being completed and used for a while. He stated that he had to redo his gaps again. Stated there were not many attaching points and some weatherstripping used for that purpose also. I'm assuming that the coupe body would mount in a similar fashion. He thought, without a floor as part of the body, that it had moved. Any thoughts on this or is he off-base? Thanks

[michael everson]

Lots of thing contribute to keeping the body in place. Simple things like the rearview mirror help to keep the body from moving side to side. The body can be secured around the hood opening too to help out. Fiberglass bodies can move a bit especially in extreme heat. I haven't seen any move enough that you would have to reset the gaps.

The Daytona Coupe body is probably at least 3 times stronger and stiffer than the Roadster body. I wouldn't worry about it moving too much.
Mike