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Oxford. I have for the first time read the first page in your thread, and understand the "obsession bit" a little more.
At first I could not understand why the Towed had said his build took two years, (longer than he had anticipated), and wondered why.
I suppose my build has been on the go now for about a year, and like yourself and Towed, I realise I have become "obsessed" and that is why it takes so bloody long!
Everything has to be "just right" and exactly "spot on" and of course, this all adds extra time to the project.
I am now wondering if I will complete mine this year!!!!
Eveything I do seems to throw up more problems which then puts the completion date further and further away.
Good luck with your build, it appears to be going well!
I envy your lovely green painted chassis, mine, although not rusty, looks crap by comparison!
Gary, Swifty, Scottie - thanks for your comments; they all help to keep up morale.
Scottie - yes, what started out as a pragmatic "get it on the road" build quickly changed to a "I will probably keep this car until I die so I may as well have it exactly as I want" build. And, as a result, I enjoy just about every minute that I am down at The Glade.
Yes, it can be bloody frustrating, but it is such a great contrast to everyday life.
I would like to have it completed for my 50th - late 2015 - but who knows.
A friend of mine came down to see it yesterday and uttered the that great sentence......."when you build your next one......"
This green one is meant to be a quirky English take on a 50s racer. If I were to make another I think it would be as close to an Ox-blood D24 as I could get.......131 Mirafiori twin cam and gearbox and lots of body detailing. Now, that would become an obsession.
Keep up the great work. I've always loved the SS and yours will be stunning when finished.
Thurcroft, thanks, but I'd not done any GRP lay-up before. I got my ideas and techniques from Seanick (see Tribute threads) and Mac, a book, and YouTube. The other trick is to buy lots of materials so that you can do whatever you want when you want.
Thurcroft, thanks, but I'd not done any GRP lay-up before. I got my ideas and techniques from Seanick (see Tribute threads) and Mac, a book, and YouTube. The other trick is to buy lots of materials so that you can do whatever you want when you want.
Never-the-less it looks a neat job.
I'll call in soon and have a good look over a cup of tea and a Hob-Nob
Why does life get in the way of car building? Not as much time as I would have liked this week but I managed to sneak a few hours this morning.
The nice thing about this type of build is being able to swap between mechanicals, fibreglassing and metalworking. This morning I fancied metal, so I started on the hinge and frame for the rear end.
A length of 6mm strap across the back. This will be strengthened with a spine later.
I'm using some gate hinges which will allow vertical adjustment......and the race cars of the 50s were a mix of "high tech" and agriculture. I will cut these to a more sensible length when I know how much adjustment I need.
A bit of cutting and drilling to produce four brackets.
A little bit of welding and stage one is complete. It is square and true, even if the picture suggests otherwise.
The frame to support the deck should be easy (famous last words).
The hinge point will be very close to the under-edge of the rear deck which should mean that it doesn't foul on anything. The removable pins are ex-MOD and look the part. I will add spacers for lateral adjustment.
And, before anyone mentions it, I do have big concerns as to how I might get the deck to clear the exhausts. It might be that the deck is just removable rather than "flip".
some nice touches being applied to your car. I dont read all the forum but I always find time to checkout your updates.
Looking forward to seeing it all together.
I would have liked to go for a big tank but I am struggling with space - I want to site the battery behind the bulkhead and have access to everything. With a 1300 lump I reckoned that 4.5 gallons should last nearly two hours at motorway speeds, and I would need a break by then. I will have a can in the boot, that's for sure.
It is so frustrating not having as much time as I would like to work on the car, but I have to remind myself of the Sammio mantra - all progress is good progress.
I knew I would have only a couple of hours so I made the fuel tank holder. I shall make the straps this week.
I have some 5mm fuel-resistant nitrile rubber sheet on order to act as a cushion.
The piece of wood is not structural! It's just to get the height roughly right.
