MadaboutKitcars

Hi Paul, Speedster will be correct dimensions as original but with a few hidden outlaw surprises.

Yes, I saw that refurb thread, very interesting but I still think it should be named Delilah - Why? Why? Why? Delilah, da da da da da da da. etc.

Build thread will have to wait until I actually build it...

Is it finished yet?

If you mean the 356, no, it's still at the gathering parts stage.

It'll be a slow process putting it together - now I've had a chance to take measurements from the bodyshell it seems that what I actually have is a Banham New Speedster body, which was intended to go on a Rover Metro/100 base, so the wheelbase is 150mm longer than it should be.

That means I've got to take 75mm out between the back of the front arches and the leading edge of the doors and another 75mm out from between the trailing edge of the doors and the front of the rear arches. Sounds simple enough...

Oh a Banham New Speedster.. Rare as hens teeth that!

Did anyone ever build a BNS?

Might be wrong but I had my misgivings re cooling, as the intention was for it to be front engined, water cooled Metro but I didn't think it had anywhere near enough ventilation for a standard radiator let alone one from British Leyland!

Good Luck Mr T, watching with great interest.

Hi Andy, I believe a few got built - there's one in the madabout kitcars picture gallery if you look hard enough - and the demonstrator looked pretty good to me -



As for the cooling issue I have a couple of tricks I'm planning to use to ensure it keeps its cool, like an electric coolant pump, a decent sized copper cored rad and 'brake' cooling ducts in the front valance to allow air into the engine bay.

Just need to find the time to get on with it now.

The demonstrator may not be a working car - or only for a few yards! who knows? I remember many years ago seeing a kit car at Stoneleigh and Newark in all its splendour, but with no prop shaft. Feeling mischievous I asked the company director about it, and he said "oh that's only a minor thing, will be sorted soon" Fair enough, but 4 years later it still wasn't sorted, which begs the question why (and the company went into liquidation.. wonder why?)

I built a banham an X99

It was one of my cheaper builds but it was even more cheaply laid up.
I spoke to the laminators and they said they could make them better but they were made to a price point.

You made a great job of the Sammio so im sure you have the skill set to end up with an outlaw 356

I bought one years ago as an unfinished project ...They had quite a few issues . The front wings covered quite a few of the engine bay components , things like the battery and electrics were half covered by bodywork with no real easy solution to how to rectify it ..Many items would be impossible to remove once the body was in place....The 550 I built was not without issues but seemed a bit better thought out ...I got the impression the Speedster was developed very quickly to get it on the market without thinking about or maybe caring about how it would be built ..You would kind of accept that if it was cheap , but they were quite expensive at the time ...

I used the body and put it on a modified Beetle chassis that I seperated from an unfinished Charger kit car !

be
quick buy a cheap chassis
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Beetle-rolling-chassis-1971-/322191045748?hash=item4b04153474:g:42MAAOSwYSlXhlf5

And this -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Beetle-Chassis-floor-pan/282105898352

Useful items for a 250 SWB build now listed on ebay. Seats, indicators, badges, Nardi steering whee (including E36 boss and Ferrari centre cap)l and barely worn 15" tyres all available, listings end next Sunday -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142100079252?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142100078736?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142100078350?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142100078033?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142100077673?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142100077012?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Hows the 356 build going. Did you go for the vw chassis . Was looking at mgf mid engine car. They seem similar size to the metro. And used the same wheel Stud pattern. Cooling might be easier. Though id probably put a Toyota engine in.

I'm going Spitfire chassis and Ford Puma engine. Should be pretty quick.

Good choices!

Mr T I saw this and thought of you

Hows the 356 progressing?



I know this is a 550 but it has similar styling cues.
I like the air intake in the lower valance - if you need more cooling for your front mounted rad.

The low profile modern wheels and stance with classic paint and styling, a new twist to the "outlaw" theme

Wow i like the look of that, any interior shots.

Very nice indeed Roadster.

I'm still at the stage of gathering parts for my 356 project and I'm not going to rush as I want to do everything to a very high standard.

So far I have: a body, two chassis' ('67 Spit & '74 GT6), a Ford Puma 1.7 to donate its engine, fuel tank and loom, an RX8 five speed gearbox and lots of ideas.

Before getting on with the 356 I'm going to strip down and refresh my Spyder as it's getting a little tired here and there after four years of all-weather use. Before respraying it I'll be taking a mould from the (550) dash, which I'll be using in the 356 as I want it to have more of a race car look and feel.

Once I've refreshed my Spyder I'll be getting on with the 356 and it will be heavily influenced by a number of different racing Porsches, 550 and 718 Spyders, for example, and outlaw cars from the likes of Emory Motorsports, including rolling the doors under the sills. Probably.

As it'll have a front mounted radiator I'll be letting a pair of MGF air intakes into the front of the body close to where the brake cooling ducts are on late model 356's.

I've been retired for about six weeks now and I really don't know where I ever found the time to go to work. I've spent a fair bit of time pampering my wife - posh lunches at Sandringham, a surprise holiday to The Lake District, etc., and I've cooked all but half a dozen meals since I retired - , but now the weather's improving I'll be able to get on with the serious business of enjoying myself building cars.

Inspiration:

The 356 / 550 dash is a natural in the S*mmio range , always liked your dash Towed ...

Hi. Could you put up a pic of the side view of your shell. And a possible measurement of the depth of the panel above the rear wing . Eg top of arch to top of wing . Plum vertical. From the centre of the wheel please.

My runabout might work with the rear shell section. Depends on the depth of the wing and how much of an angle it has to sit to line up. Might have to be made wider but nothing wrong with a bit of extra width. Better handling and all that.

Hi Zag, just seen your request as my internet was playing up all day yesterday. I'll do some measuring and post a reply later today.

Thanks that be great.

Okay, here goes. This is about the best side on shot I can get at the moment, and yes, it is doing a Peter Pan in Panto impression -



Close up of the back end shows that there's quite a bit of height above the rear arches -



23cm from the arch to the 'shoulder' of the rear wing -



And 40cm from the arch to the highest part of the deck -



The highest part of the rear deck is about one metre across. Bear in mind that this is a stretched body, a Banham New Speedster, I suspect, that's going to need about 180mm taking out of the wheelbase. That means the gap between the rear of the door and front of the arch will be about 75mm less once I've taken the angle grinder to it...

Hope that helps.