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Mixed results this eve. Bonnet fitted, and gaps on the doors are ok. Time came to cut the bonnet lip back to give clearance for the wipers. My lovely chrome wipers are of course taller than the Mazda ones, which would mean chopping back further than the original bonnet, which would look pants!
Therefore my compromise for now is to fit the original wipers and I will get the steel bits chromed.
Anyway, heres a pic.
I have sprayed the black bit white, and am forming a small lip hence the mess!
The point at which the front of the bonnet is not fair by anymeans. I am thinking how I can fix that without too much filler.
FOR SALE two chrome (well polished stainless) wiper arms and adaptors. Adaptors have been drilled, tapped and tapered to fit Mazda spindles. All new. £25 plus P&P.
SeaNick - I finally got round to "borrowing" my daughter's homework PC to watch your bonnet video.
( My own computer now refuses to play video clips at all these days. )
You are doing a great job and thanks for all the photos and explanations, they are a big help.
Right, had enough, going home now. Spent the last couple of eves working on the front. It now closes onto the catch, which release from inside. Door gaps are okay and nearly there. Started to fit the lower wing sections too, drilling out the broken wing bolts. In between that I have been filling and fairing the bonnet. Thankfully I have now run out of filler. The whole front works well as Chris intends it, but as I have removed the bonnet and vents its been bit of a challenge to get the whole lot to run together as I would like. As well as closing ones eyes and running ones hand over offending areas (!) I also use a batten as this gives you a bigger.....picture!
Off to supper now. Photos when I get home.
Thanks Paul, I enjoy your detailed posts. Keep going!
[IMG][/IMG]Right, had enough, going home now. Spent the last couple of eves working on the front. It now closes onto the catch, which release from inside. Door gaps are okay and nearly there. Started to fit the lower wing sections too, drilling out the broken wing bolts. In between that I have been filling and fairing the bonnet. Thankfully I have now run out of filler. The whole front works well as Chris intends it, but as I have removed the bonnet and vents its been bit of a challenge to get the whole lot to run together as I would like. As well as closing ones eyes and running ones hand over offending areas (!) I also use a batten as this gives you a bigger.....picture!
Off to supper now. Photos when I get home.
N
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I'm not building one, nor do I have any plans to do so - but I just have to post that I can't wait for your updates on this Seanick - the willingness to invent new stuff and depart from the constraints of the supplied parts is brilliant.
I'm not building one, nor do I have any plans to do so - but I just have to post that I can't wait for your updates on this Seanick - the willingness to invent new stuff and depart from the constraints of the supplied parts is brilliant.
Hats off to you!
think there are lots of admirers on here that feel same way....
One of those days when I planned to do so much but achieved so little!
The day was plagued by customers, so did one sand, fol and sand on the bonnet. The top is nearly there, but still needs more sculpting around the front vent.
Returned to it in the quiet of the evening and set about fitting the LHS bonnet catch. Then found the release cable pointed forward and touched the tyre as the catches are not handed. To change the cable mount to vertical I slotted the mount to let the wire cone up a bit then drilled and tapped the mount for an M8 bolt. On the bolt I put si cunifer pipe to act as a roller. Added another cable mount by welding on a small plate and then a nut for the cable outer. Slotted it for the wire, stripped the outer back a bit and hey presto, job done.
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Now I have two working bonnet catches. There is a grommet on the lhs for the bonnet catch on a LHD car so that bit was easy.
Very pleasing to see it pop open like a real one!!!
GreatOldOne and RedRatbike thank for your kind words. Your encouragement helps!!
I hope Chris is taking notes, I might be asking for a flip front on my tribute to the A352 tribute.
Loving the details including the explanation of the problem you hit, some of your thoughts and then the solution. So much more useful than simply showing the end result
The bottom part of the wing bolts on the original mounting points. The section of aluminium took a ridiculously long time to do, but was a pleasant session of metal bending.
That will keep the dirt from the bonnet catch, now need to gutter the water away from the wiper 'bin'. That needs to miss the catches too.
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The mounting flanges are cut from a panel of glassfibre 'I made earlier.
They are attached with a fillet of filler, and I will glass them in tomorrow, forming a return on the top at the same time, and addons a few mm to the edges to improve the door gaps.
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Thanks WCA, I'm sure tribute will find a simpler way of doing this! !
Hope the foot is getting a little better every day.
Chris- my primer is like milk.....long life!! I feel a spray day coming along very soon.
Thats if I dont change my front vents a bit. Im thinking smaller, and oval?
GreatOldOne and RedRatbike thank for your kind words. Your encouragement helps!!
I built a Robin Hood with my father approx 15 years ago so appreciate all the re-engineered bits you have come up with........the build video of the Robin Hood just used to say make a bracket for this etc,..dad's an ex welder fitter years back and I have a city+guilds in mechanical engineering so we were pleased when it passed the SVA with the comment best put together Robin Hood he had ever seen we were well chuffed.still going strong although dad's 73 this week so it may be time for me to get my legacy sooner than he thinks...not sure what the mrs will say ..ha ha.
Was hoping to be able to afford to build a car of my own but the house is swallowing cash so I have to live my dream through you guys doing such a great job building the cars out there....I appreciate them all
Hey Nick
Glad you you kept with the flip front, looking good. Theres a few hours of deep thought in getting that right. I dream of a spray day ! every time I think i Am getting to the point i can start the prep for primer i find another little job to do. Keep going, the sun is coming !
Originally Posted by seanick
You may find you need 60 to 80 hrs on fairing before you hit the trigger on the spray gun. I reckoned my body was getting close, so asked a local car restorer around today for a price to finish mine. He said to take it as it is 4k, and to just top coat it if I sprayed on 6 coats of primer, flatting at coat 3 and six, then took it to him for the final gloss, then 2k !!
At £30 pounds/hr, fair enough. Just shows my standards are way too low, and thats bearing in mind I paint boats for a living!!! He gave me 5 out of ten. Back to the long boards.
He obviously saw what an incredible job you have made in constructing your car and thought it would be worth millions when sprayed. It definitely deserves a good paint job but agree one that suits the age of the car portrayed. A more realistic price should be possible but a 1950s price is too much to ask tho.
I have spoken to the same paintshop that Greyone used today. They said £450 to gloss or £850 ish to do the whole job. I will give the primer a go at least. Its the spray mist dropping onto horizontal surfaces that makes paying for a pro paint booth worth it imho. Maybe I will rig up an extractor........
Yawn....just driven to Wales.
Boats are easy, big flat panels to spray, with vertical sides or overhangs. There fore you get no paint mist settling down from above onto areas you have. just sprayed. All that settling paint needs to be compounded ands polished off which can take ages. With a boat you just paint it and thats it. A paint booth supplies warm air and extracts all the air Bourne spray as you go.
back to the road!
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[/IMG]Right, had enough, going home now. Spent the last couple of eves working on the front. It now closes onto the catch, which release from inside. Door gaps are okay and nearly there. Started to fit the lower wing sections too, drilling out the broken wing bolts. In between that I have been filling and fairing the bonnet. Thankfully I have now run out of filler. The whole front works well as Chris intends it, but as I have removed the bonnet and vents its been bit of a challenge to get the whole lot to run together as I would like. As well as closing ones eyes and running ones hand over offending areas (!) I also use a batten as this gives you a bigger.....picture!
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