MadaboutKitcars

Probably too late now but in the future - for brooklands aeroscreens try this guy http://johnkimble.co.uk/ - I got mine from him

Winging it...

Yesterday I decided to make a start on the wings, once I'd drilled and trial fitted the backing plates for the aeroscreen supports. This didn't take long and the mountings are now very rigid. I'll cut the heads off the bolts at a suitable angle and Locktite them. Fingers crossed!

Car Photographer: John Kimble's website picture doesn't include the mounting plinths. Are they similar?

The rear nearside wheel was nearest to the bench, so I started there. Trying various combinations of wood blocks with the wing balanced on top, I hit on a visually satisfactory position. Substituting the first mounting bracket, stuck flush on the body with a loop of gaffa tape, enabled me to mark the necessary holes.



Bolting it in place with its backing plate inside, I re-balanced the wing, taking both side and down the garden views to ensure accurate positioning, and marked and drilled the fixing holes. It took about half a dozen small adjustments before I was happy with its alignment.



Offering up the second bracket I realised that it was overkill, as the first was more than capable of supporting the meagre weight, so decided to go down the Maggie Shapland route and have a locating bar at the very bottom, with the front end, which is only millimetres from the body, bolted thereto.



These will have to wait until after spraying, as they won't be easily removable. Pleased with progress, but with frozen feet, I called it a day.

This morning, browsing Kit Cars on Ebay, I came across f:0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">this from our favourite comedian. You may recall that the guy who delivered my chassis was on his way to collect one he'd bought for £120......

Regards, Mick

This morning I managed a quick session before the rain became too depressing. Using the same procedure as for the off side, I fitted the other rear wing, once again having to take it off and re-mount it a few times to get it to sit correctly. I'm even more happy than before that I fitted 15" wheels as 13" would be lost under those wings. It's apparent from the different angles of the supports just how asymmetrical the body is. Lurking on the chair may be seen the seat foam.



I ventured back out this afternoon once the rain had stopped and made a start on the front near side, but fading light put a stop to it after about an hour.

Regards, Mick

Another few hours today saw the third wing in place, again after much to-ing and fro-ing to make ever smaller adjustments to the bends in the stays. Once happy with it I started on the last one, making sure that it sat symmetrically with its opposite number. I finished the front bracket and got part way through the last one when fading light stopped play.



Tomorrow's forecast looks promising, so the wing saga should be completed AM: I can then move on to cutting and sticking the foam to the seats, and perhaps stapling on the vinyl.

Regards, Mick

What about something like this https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/Metric-Nuts/Sleeve-Nut-Raised-Slotted-Countersunk-M4-A2-Stainless.html?google_shopping=qty_A2_Nut_SleeveSlotRa_M4=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA0O7fBRASEiwAYI9QAvoscEulxThWefQ23GPO-Yys67bFKO6hPWScItcEOFAM1iz_wWkEDRoCG3cQAvD_BwE

Or wheel spoke ferrules

Alec

It's beginning to look like a car...


Thanks for that, but the shape of the casting precludes any stock fastening sitting nicely.

Yesterday, as planned, I finished off the front off-side mudguard mounting. It proved even fiddlier than the other three, but with plenty of swearing it eventually sat satisfactorily. Wheeling the beast, now looking the part, right out of the cave was confidence boosting. I had a brief daydream of a Christmas Day blast which reality soon popped. Maybe 2019?





The seats were next on the agenda. I used the plywood+foam+vinyl method on both my Pre-Lit Westie and Mk1 Marlin Roadster with acceptable (and inexpensive!) results. However, both those had square tops to the back which made neatly stapling the vinyl straightforward. I think I'll ask my seamstress friend, who made my A352 seat covers, for advice on a tidy solution to the curved top. I made the first rough cuts of the firm 3" foam, sat it all in place, and inserted myself. It's never going to have Rolls Royce comfort standards due to the cramped cockpit, but I found it acceptable. The newly cut foam looks very untidy but the vinyl smooths a multitude of sins.





I dug out my roll of vinyl, spray adhesive and vinyl glue as well for a quick pose, then called it a day. Looking at the weather forecast for the rest of the week, I think operations will have to be suspended.

Regard, Mick

You can use a belt sander to smooth the foam. Very easy and quick to do and makes a big difference to the finished appearance.

Tiny Steps...

After a break of a week, during which one of my sons came to stay (and the weather was awful!), I got back down the cave yesterday. The rain meant that the long awaited body-off session was impractical, so I decided to knock off the last wing-related tasks.

Shamelessly plagiarising Maggie Shapland's rear steady bars, I cut, drilled and bent two lengths of my much-used aluminium strips to suit. As attachment with Dreadnought rivets will be post-paint I stuck one on with gaffa tape loops to show the fitment.



Turning my attention to the front ends of the rear 'guards, I decided to bolt them through the body sides using M6 button heads with rubber fuel hose spacer sleeves and small ally angle brackets 4mm rivetted to the wings. This again required a bit of removing and replacing but I was pleased with the result. Yet another crap photo' alert!





The depressing weather then had me scurrying indoors, happy to have nibbled away another tiny part of the build.

Regards, Mick

Rain Stops Play - Almost

Despite wandering down to the cave every morning since my last post, I've not achieved much, the sound of the rain beating on the corrugated iron roof being hardly inspirational. I did notice that, with the strong wind, water was finding its way into the back of the project through the holes and some even being blown into the cockpit. I first stuck small strips of gaffa tape over the holes, then bungeed a groundsheet over most of the back end.



As the dry front end was still accessible, I decided to address the problem of cutting the body and bonnet for the twin SUs and their filters. I'd replaced the chunk cut out by a previous owner to clear the DCOE which it came with, now sold. It was obvious that major surgery would be required, even if I had inlet trumpets rather than filters. I trawled through my collection of Monaco pictures, once again alighting on that of Maggie Shapland's, which is powered by an RS2000 engine with a DCD Weber, whose filter pokes neatly though the upper surface of the bonnet.



An internet search revealed that a suitable manifold is available . I e-mailed Moss, whose web site shows a picture of this installation, but, after waiting a frustrating week without reply, sourced and bought one from a Weber factors in California. Serendipity then came to the rescue yet again, in the shape of a 28/36 DCD jetted for a pre-crossflow 1500 Ford. No bids were placed, so I contacted the owner with an offer, which was accepted, and drove the 30 miles up to Worcester and collected it from another rabid geriatric petrol head. Crap photo' alert!



Remembering that I'd neglected to make provision for a throttle cable in my transverse pedal box support. I removed it after carefully marking where the cable hole was needed, and drilled it with a 2.5mm bit. The housing for the outer will have to be from a couple of thicknesses of ally rivetted to the top of the support. Once my Ebay cable arrives, and I've measured the ferrule, I can do this.

That was it for the week. With a decent forecast, albeit cold, for the next few days, I'm hopeful of more progress .

Regards, Mick

Why not, if the sun's out?

I hadn't planned on doing any work today, but the sight of the blue sky and sun lured me down to the cave. What to do? I'd removed the twin SUs in the week and, on replacing the bonnet, remembered that the radiator filler pipe and cap would also necessitate bonnet surgery. I 8mm drilled the corners of the hole outline, and jigsawed them together. Replacing the bonnet showed that my measurements hadn't been too bad. This picture also shows the partially repaired DCOE butchery.



I offered up the GRP air scoop which came with the kit - way too big - and briefly considered cutting it down before deciding to make an ally cover. I remembered doing similar in '91 to the bonnet of my Dutton P1, my third kit car.



I seem to have gone a bit mad with the rivets!

Using the tried and tested CAD method, I mocked up a cover, transferred the outline and marked the fold lines on an ally sheet offcut. Having cut it out, getting the folds right proved a bit of a challenge, but perseverance paid off. I then realised that I'd made it shiny side out, which I decided would have to do. I might distress it sometime, if the mood takes me. As it won't be rivetted together and in place until after painting, I put it in the shed with its other 'to be fitted later' ally brethren.



Happy to have achieved, I called it a day.

Regards, Mick

The list gets a little shorter.....

This last week or so I've nibbled away at the remaining tasks. I had help one day, removed the body and mounted the radius arm brackets at long last. The next day I spent a good while carefully measuring and re-measuring for the location of my handbrake multiplier bracket, and drilled its mounting holes. However, even with the car up on axle stands I couldn't fit it, access is just too limited - it'll have to wait until the body's off again. I neglected to take pictures of these operations.

Armed with a picture of a Monaco, I made the trip over to see the guys who'd sprayed the A352 and explained that I'd deliver it with the wings and bonnet etc. dismantled. We danced around a price and agreed 1st March as a start date. Cool!

I made a few on line purchases for my new Weber installation: manifold gasket; base gasket; air filter gasket. These have now all arrived, as has the throttle cable, whose locating hole in the transverse support I also drilled. Again no pictures.

On Thursday at about 0830 the nice lady from UPS delivered my manifold, posted in California on Tuesday. Amazing service! It's a beautiful casting, I'm absolutely thrilled with it .





I now need an air filter so that I can trial fit it all for bonnet surgery. They're very expensive new so I'm hoping to get lucky on Ebay......

Regards, Mick

I managed a quick session in the cave this morning, with one eye on the weather as I wanted to take the A352 for a spin before condemning her to another week under the soggy 'waterproof' cover. I first unbolted the exhaust manifold, removed the old gasket, cleaned the mating surfaces and ran a die up the studs. I fitted the new gasket, replaced the exhaust manifold, and offered up the new inlet one. It fouled the exhaust flange very slightly but the merest bit of dressing with a flat file soon had it sitting nicely. As it'll doubtless have to come off at some stage, I only very gently nipped up the nuts. With the base gasket in place I fitted the DCD, again only nipping up the bolts, and made the first cut of the card template I'll be using to mark the bonnet for surgery. Shaky photo' alert, as ever.





As it was then A352 o'clock, I called it a morning.

Regards, Mick

How come the Yanks can supply new manifolds for an old British designed engine ? I would have thought that would be from a specialist UK supplier only.

45% of all Spitfires, 141,449 of 314,332 made, were exported to the USA. As I mentioned above, Moss, the only UK supplier I could find, couldn't be bothered to answer my e-mail query, hence my US purchase.

Regards, Mick

Overkill? Probably.

Ever since trial fitting the steering column and wheel I'd been wondering how best to move the wheel back for a more comfortable driving position and to ease entry. I'd considered having the column cut and shut but decided on a more DIY approach.



I'd searched for a more compact boss but everything available included the horn operating bits and were too deep. My horn button is on the dash so I decided to modify the existing boss. I measured the depth of the metal at the base which was sufficient for my idea, and got a local bloke to cut the whole dished section off on 'his' lathe to leave a plane surface for my adaptor plate. £10 cash as a foreigner . I then cut a disc of 3mm steel plate to the diameter of my steering wheel's centre, firstly as a polygon with my disc cutter, then trued with a grinder wheel. I then drilled the six peripheral 5mm holes using the steering wheel as a jig for marking their centres. I used these holes to mark the centre of the plate for the boss attachment holes, and drilled them at 4mm. Once I'd drilled the centre to accept the column, I assembled it all and secured it upright with a bespoke plywood support. I then drilled 4mm holes through the ally boss and tapped them to 5mm.



All that was then left was to open up the inner ring of holes to accept the 5mm screws and assemble.



I'll have to cut off the protruding threaded portion of the column, and fashion something to conceal the nut. I'm fairly certain I'll never see another like it, but once painted, perhaps with subtler fixings, it'll pass muster.

The nice people at Flickr wrote to me the other day to let me know that, as long as my photostream contains fewer than 1,000 images, it will remain FOC. Excellent!

Regards, Mick

Oh I do love to see the art of the true 'Special' builder is alive and well. Respect.

Mick – I get the impression that nothing fits in/to a Monaco without modification!

But it certainly looks like you are getting there.

Good luck, Paul.

Mick , Why not turn a boss to cover the screws. With care a big woodscrew with the head cut off in the center of a circular piece of hardwood held in a drill chuck in a vice. With care a nice domed boss with a dummy horn push can be made . Then lots of Black paint and held on with double sided sticky. or even 2 screws from behind. CBS has ahorn push #HPUSH on p42 of issue 32.

The Easy Option x 2

I wandered down to the cave the other day to address the problem of enabling cable operation of the DCD. I decided that I could probably cobble together something that would work. Some sort of cable locating bracket would be needed so out came the cardboard and scissors and, half an hour later, my demon design had been transferred to aluminium angle and mounted on the carb. The inner cable's clamp would have to be a drilled bolt, free to swivel as the cable moved.



I then decided that my puny effort was, in fact, rubbish, and went indoors to see what was commercially available. An Ebay search turned up this spiffing item, reasonably priced at £29.99 inc. postage, which arrived the very next day. Excellent!



Dpaz, sadly, I don't have a lathe, but I do have the perfect steering wheel centre which hearkens back to my kit car spiritual roots. This has graced quite a few of my creations over the years and will suit the Monaco admirably.



The DOC logo was designed by a very good kit-car friend of 35 year's standing who lives locally. He has a Dutton B Type I sold him in '93 (£50!) awaiting his retirement for rebuilding with a Lotus 907 dual overhead cam, 16-valve all-alloy engine. The 144 BHP should ensure decent performance.

Season's Greetings, Mick

2019 begins....

After a most enjoyable and lengthy midwinter break, I at last motivated myself to wander down to the chilly cave hoping that I could find something simple on which to break my 2019 duck.

I'd realised some time ago that there was no rear access for the number plate and light; reversing lamp and GB plate fixings without removing the body, far from ideal. My first thought was to make an access hole in the plywood floor, but I soon rejected this because of the contortions which would be required to use it. Next thought was maybe a hole in one body side with a removable ally plate over it? Ugly, but do-able. It then dawned on me that there was going to be an ally plate on the rear body anyway - the number plate - D'Oh!.

A little head scratching and Rivnuts sprang to mind. I marked and cut out the hand hole, then cut two short strips of 3mm ally, fitted the nuts and drilled 4mm rivet holes either side of them. Correctly spaced number plate bolt holes had been drilled long ago, so I fixed my strips on back to front to make sure everything lined up properly, drilled through them and countersank the outside of the resultant body holes. I luckily had a few suitable rivets left over from fitting the fin on the A352, I re-bolted the mounting plates to the inside and four pops later the job was done.



As I was fitting the number plate the noonday sun crept over the house roof for the first time after the solstice, lighting a small strip of the cave, a heartening sign of happy building days to come.



I quit while I was ahead.

Regards, Mick

If only...

I didn't have so many cars on the go .

I'm sure that f:0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">this could be successfully mated with Herald underpinnings resulting in a gorgeous evocation for pocket money.

Regards, Mick

I was a bit tempted to rebody my Locust, the body of which is OK. Best Beloved pointed out I have a S1 Landrover that needs a clutch a Marlin tha needs tidying a Locust ditto and no money also a wrenched shoulder that has had me out off action for 2 months! Ah well back to the dreaming board

Slow Winter Progress

Over the last few weeks I've done a few small jobs here and there on the project, none of which has warranted a photo' until last week, when I decided that, although the pedals were operable, their action could be improved by both shortening and offsetting them. I measured the clearance available, removed them, made the necessary cuts and bends and whizzed them over to my welding friend of almost 40 years who stuck them back together for a tenner. Top bloke.



The angled clutch and brake pedals look a little awkward, but they'll definitely be a lot easier to use than before.

Regards, Mick

Light at the end of the tunnel............

Yesterday, after what seems a marathon 25 months, the Monaco (in the shape of dismantled body parts) at last went for paint. My very good kit car chum of some 37 years stepped up to provide transport to the spray shop (read 'barn').



The hi-tech nature of this sortie is evident from the photo' . Spray dude hadn't previously seen the project, only a picture, and showed enthusiasm for it, just as he did with the A352. He said he'd "turn it round quickly" so I'm hoping that final assembly isn't too far away, followed by a V627/1 application. Triumph Monaco perhaps?

Regards, Mick

Then the fun starts, after paint rebuilding & registration and it's on the road. We hope for a sunny Summer. Good luck!