MadaboutKitcars

Coming together nicely.



Car working in this heat is bloody hard work!

Good luck, Paul

Looking like its taking shape now. Nice to see my G in the backgroun!...

It must be very exciting making and sculpting your own car. Terribly jealous, it's my every automotive dream. Good luck with it, I'll drop by to cast an eye next time I'm working in Weymouth.

Bonus time

Thanks Triumph this is my second scratch build, my first the original roadster was made of wood formers and expanding foam covered in fibreglass.

Times have changed and now I live in a flat so I have nowhere to build at home and Chris is teaching me the Tribute Method of forming the buck.

Thanks Paul It is hard working out there is the heat, I symapathise with you
I'm burnt dehydrated and everything aches

I had not planned to go back again this month but I was in a rare situation, my other half was visiting her family and it was not my weekend to see my son. So I could please myself and I decided to work more on the car

I had a good journey down and I arrived early with lots of enthusiasm.

I looked at the work I had done previous but the crooked bonnet bulge reminded me of a boxers broken nose. Sure I could straighten it but it wasn't pretty.

So I took my grinder and removed the offending object. This of course left a gaping hole in the centre of the bonnet.

I looked through the bins (I kid you not) and I found a shape that would form the basis of the new bulge.

I ground down the joins in the patchwork and started filling and smoothing.

I worked until a spasm in my hand meant that the cramp could not be worked off and I couldn't hold the sanding block anymore. I managed 6 hours and its a long way from the finished article but its definitely moving in the right direction.

Roadster - Travelling vast distances to work outside makes my driveway look appealing.

Jokes aside, there are some nice curves developing as you look across the bonnet.

Good luck, Paul.

Developing a car on an open forum is a a little daunting.

With my original roadster many designs were scrapped and revised.i only updated the forum when I was a long way through the process.

My current project has been laid bare since its inception.
As my friend Paul L has mentioned once or twice I share Zagmads indecisiveness.

But im happy to say that Zags latest vision really is something unique and deserves a lot of attention when its finished.

My mutant Z300s has "evolved" a few times to say the least but i think the journey is almost over.

Its very different styling a car physically as opposed to sketching. Some things that work on paper are just missing something when you try to execute them.
Some things you sculpt just couldn't have been visualised in the sketch. After many hours sweating and bleeding over the thing it starts to gain a life of its own.
"or maybe it was heatstroke"

The MG TF lamps were left over from the previous version. They will fit and they have a synergy with the rear lamps. But during my toil down at the "dream factory" I started to see a different face on the beast.

I never wanted an old style car but it had to be retro.
I always liked the Weismann - the balance between classic and modern

So by changing out the MG lamps and replacing them with
units that have a hint of the 60's units under covers this is the latest facelift.




Sad as it may be i have already chosen a Tribute badge, the eagle eyed may spot it on the bonnet
The green gold paint is just an experiment.

As always any opinions and thoughts are welcomed.

Roadster – As they say on the Tour de France… “Chapeau!”

Whilst Chris & Dan make all this ‘cutting & shutting’ work look easy, I know it isn’t.

I think your new headlight arrangements will go well with the curves across the bonnet.

I also like the dark strip running along the bottom of the car, it is “slimming”.

I am sure this will be a good looking car by the time you are finished.

Good luck, Paul.

Thanks Paul
Your exactly right the black band at the bottom is to fool the eye to change the proportions of the donor.

Fingers crossed the headlights I've ordered will fit the measurements look good and the curvature should be close.

Hopefully I get back down there in the next couple of weeks

Roadster, it is great that you have shared the trials as well as the tribulations. It is great to see something of how the Tribute range has evolved, and continues to move forward. Without the drive of enthusiastic builders, much of it would not happen I am sure.

Thanks barber

Well as I mentioned with my limited drawing skills and lack of photoshop
I use Microsoft paint.- its very very basic.

But it got the image in my head onto the page.
The trouble is I was eager to see how this translates into the real thing.

So I collected the parts and made a quick visit.
As I said before sometimes building cars like this you find it fights you at every opportunity.

But not this time, the piece in my hand was the right size and the curves match and it feels like it was supposed to be there.

Better still I think it looks better than my drawing suggested.







The black band on the lower section was quickly added to see if it helped reduce the bulk of the z3's proportions.

Another few visits and I think the shape will be done.

Nothing wrong with using MS Paint, it was used for everything I shared with Chris

Much better than anticipated. I rather liked the nineties vibe the MG units evoked, but the quad arrangement is fresher and looks better with the bulge - well done!

The round light units look a lot better than the previous ones.
Little by little its looking better and better.

The new round headlamp setup looks a lot better than the previous lights. It's begining to look better and better.

+1

Thanks for the comments

I can't lie im making it up as I go along but its beginning to show a cohesive design.

I keep forgetting to take photos when im there.

I have this one that shows the earlier mock up to get the headlamps pointing forward,
It also shows my xk180 style grille in place.



The views I wish I had captured is from behind, showing the curve of the front and rear wings tapering in at the door skins. Its a real coke bottle type shape.

And the view down over the bonnet and wing standing beside the door. The curves all sweep naturally down to the leading edge.

Still a lot of filling and sanding to do.
At home im still working on the roof and the side and bonnet vents.

Roadster - I keep meaning to ask..... Is there a build thread for your green roadster in your avatar?

Looking good I do like the twin round headlight look.

My compliments

Dave

Michael the roadster build thread is under the Sammio builds but it was years ago and may be a long way back.

I had earnt some brownie points for taking the other half to Devon for the weekend. So I detoured on the way home and emptied a small can of filler onto it.

I was only there for about 40 minutes and I didn't realise how many vistors look around the place after hours.
The other half gave her approval on the way its looking and took some pics while I fought with the filler before it dried.



The curves are shaping up nicely, but lots more filler required



First time I have managed to get a side on view,
The bumper has been damaged slightly where it was stored and couldn't support the weight of the clamshell. (It can be repaired before the mould is taken)
It will make a pretty convertible but im hoping to get the roof on mine.

The driver's side is definitely getting there.


I often wondered about the security at Tribute HQ.

Perhaps growing up in a rough part of West London makes me think anything not nailed down would be stolen.

Good luck, Paul.

No vist to the workshop this weekend but I still managed to get some work done.
The hard top has been coming together in the living room.
I started with the 2 glass panels and the shape derived from those parts.

I have been measuring as best as I could but there was no way to tell how I was doing. So I lugged it downstairs. ( I live in a flat) and for the first time I could guage how I was doing.



The front located on and the catches, lined up and locked on.
The rear however needs a little adjusting. Its sitting about 8mm too high and this is leaving a gap on the trailing edge of the side windows.

This in turn has resulted in the rear window isn't sitting as I intended.
But nothing that cant be adjusted and re- glassed.

Considering the heath robinson way its been made i am quite happy.
After all so far it has cost me £60 and it transforms the visibility compared with the soft top up.
Sunroof panel fits snuggly in the boot when not being used.

I will soldier on.

As Paul stated last time the drivers side is taking shape.
So another visit to the paint program to mock up the overall shape.
Im planning on taking the lamps apart and blacking out the surrounds. It will tie them into the rear lamps and disguise their origin more.

Still massively interested in the hard top development. It is looking good and the functionality seems ideal. Having little hair, I don't really need the "wind in the hair" experience, but the glass top appeals. And so much cheaper than the Z3 £800 jobby.

Visited Chris and Dan yesterday.
As always they were flat out with more projects.

I started out checking what the blacked out headlamps looked like.





They are still a work in progress as I have ordered led rings from Hong Kong for indicator and sidelamp.

I carried on shaping the offside front.
I was using a sanding block but Chris recommended an angle grinder and a flexi sanding plane.
This allowed my productivity to increase tenfold.

Within 3-4 hours the contours were blending in nicely and the curve now flows uninterrupted up into the wings, mimicking the bonnet bulge.

With the midday sun baking me and the car, trying to get the filler on before it set was getting troublesome





I have a few more days off work so I intend to get back and spray some primer. Once its in one colour and im happy its time to get the near side to match

I presume that the flexi sanding plane is for dealing with the filler. Would it be sensitive enough to deal with Fatboy's orange peel paint? 60 hours down to around 6 would be a result.