MadaboutKitcars

Teardrop!!

Mmmmmm Teardrop, a word synonymous with Sammio I think.

Yep, I'd seriously considered hunting out a Herald/Vitesse tow bar so I could pull a teardrop caravan with my Spyder. Ultimately I decided that Travelodge would be cheaper.

You can't tow a travel lodge with a Herald.... well maybe with a 4.11:1 ratio diff.

The donor looks very solid, are you planning another full strip and rebuild or going for the quick build option?

Im very jealous of your workshop, could use something like that myself, especially now the interior is about to go in.

Hi Gaz. This one is destined to be straight out of the box, basic build with just enough refurb to get a solid MoT pass and keep a tally on all costs and times taken. I know it's around 20 miles from you but there are units still available. If you're at all interested I'll send you details.

After having spoken to my local welder, I thought I'd make life easier for him (cheaper for me!) by removing the engine so the car can be tipped and making a start on cleaning the chassis. Engine was out in 20 minutes and the rest of our time was spent with angle grinder and crimped wire brushes. I reckon there's a couple more days of scrubbing to go but if all goes to plan, with welding done on saturday and picking up some POR15 or equivalent at Stoneleigh, we should have a chassis worthy of Sammio by the end of next week. After this batch of photos, I won't bore you with the 'little bit cleaner' set so next shots should be on the rebuild or at least once the chassis is painted:

Engine out:


Chassis flipped:


And back again:


Hope to meet up with some of you over a beer or two at Stoneleigh

Thanks Andy. The distance doesnt bother me too much however Ive just been made redundant so would want to commit to anything just yet until I know where my next job is based.

No worries Gaz and sorry about the redundancy. Let me know if and when you are looking for something and I'll look around for you.

A lot of hard work but 'Betsy's is starting to come up trumps! Still amazed on how good the chassis is compared to the Vittesse! Looking forward to start building her up to a lovely Spyder!

Chassis welding now done and will start painting it after Stoneleigh. Had a word with the local welder who sees no problem in making good the areas of the bulkhead I was worried about. Problem diverted

Very impressed at the weld job! Hope the chassis will look twice as good with 'POR15'. Really can't wait to start building her up now!!

Just had an update from Gary about the Vitesse.
it's now got the body fitted:

so it's starting to come alive.
DVLA is booked for 23rd May, a little longer than they hoped but plenty can be readied before that. It goes into paint the same day so will be ready to come back home around the end of the month.
There is a good chance she'll be making it to the Sammio Meet

well done, making progress then.

It's a shame that you aren't having all the fun of putting the body on and the rubbing down and painting! I can tell you, it is an absolute joy


Seriously though, I think you are missing out on the best and most challenging bit of the build!

Then again, at least you will have yours done in a decent timeframe! I am hoping mine will be ready for the meet in June.

Gary is handling this one as I didn't have anywhere to do the big stuff but now I have the unit I'll be getting dirty with Betsy and after she's done, I'm planning on Cordelia the Cordite

A proper little production line then!

Indeed!

I have been going back through your thread as well as digging up some old names who have posted for a while. Anyway are you having a 'Tailfin'?

Yes, Vanessa will be wearing a fin and a novel idea for a glovebox but otherwise standard Spyder. Betsy will be completely 'no frills' standard.

By way of an update on 'Betsy'. After thoroughly cleaning and spending dirty times with a wire brush, the Chassis has now been coated in Hammerite Waxoyl Underseal:


The engine was similarly cleaned up and given a lick of paint. Now starting to go back together:


Next job will lower the front suspension an inch or so and fit the lowering block to the rear. The bulkhead still has a foot to weld on but once done, that can be fitted too.

good news too is that without everything yet sold on eBay, it now 'owes' me £76.17

Great progress - looks like you're going for a Sammio build land speed record.

Betsy's suspension is now lowered at the front and a 1" block at the back (No point in photo yet as it loks about the same as the last ones). Having gone through the process of lowering a Vitesse radiator, what have others done about the standard 1200 set up? Any trimming needed on the shrouds etc?

BTW, Betsy is now £121 in profit!

You will need to trim the shrouds. I removed the plate that the horns are bolted to and dropped the radiator by maybe 3-4 inches. If I remember I will take some pictures tomorrow in what I think may be my last day of the build!

Thanks Gaz, I can envisage that now but obviously photos will help. Last day of the build eh! So what's next? A Cordite maybe?

It will be a G46 next for me, just have to find a decent donor at the right price!

<Twopennorth>
Thinking outside the box (Mind you, I'm so rarely in it I can barely remember where I put it), my view of the G46 is that it's lovely body which is almost hampered by having to stick to an S5 donor.

Although I'm obviously heading into all sorts of potential heckling, I think that going the IVA direction with a custom chassis and engine of your own choosing would open it up to all sorts of choices.

You've already build an excellent road legal car and although not having to go through the IVA 'hoops', have had to bear the legal side in mind to keep it safe and ensure an MoT pass at the end of it, it's not a massive leap to go the whole way and end up with a car that is uniquely 'yours'. (After all, every one of the 'Lotus 7 Lookylikeys' and high powered climbing frames you saw at Stoneleigh have had to pass)
</Twopennorth>