MadaboutKitcars

Oops. Posted the image thumb. This should be a bit bigger.

I have just got the badge that I designed back from the manufacturers in China. I'm really happy with the quality :-)

I like that a lot , the front looks great . Did you start with an existing bonnet or is that all hand created ? The curves are fantastic.

To make the plug for the mould it actually took 4 different bonnet/bumpers. And a lot of filler and hand craft.
Before the crafting took place the bonnet looked like a jigsaw of different components from different cars.

Thanks did the kind words. I hope to have a finished car for stoneleigh 2014. :-)

Here is the latest update of the work that's going on the rear.

nice!

just noticed the number plate? whats the deal there?

It's an Australian number plate. I'm trying to get the apature to fit UK, USA and Aussie plates. Also the southafrican ones and motorbike plates should fit in a treat.

I'm based in the UK. In Buckinghamshire.

oorward thinking that regarding other markets and numberplate sizes

ha ha i amended my question after i saw you are in aylesbury...

are there going to any vents in the rear wings at the back?

Hi there,

I have been following your Bertini GT project since I first read about it several months ago and I am really impressed with what I have seen so far.

I designed something similar (a BMW/250 GTO/Lyonheart K mix) some time ago but it never got past the Photoshopped vision I had, but you have gone further and are building your dream car which is really great. One of the things which I like about the Bertini is that its a mixture of many other great cars without it been a direct replica of anything. That Jaguar concept inspired front end really looks the part and that rear end is progressing nicely, although slightly different to what I imagined at first. I thought the lower rear bumper/exhaust section would resemble the Lyonheart K. (another fantastic car). Even so, its still looks great.

One thing which I´m not too keen on are the rear lights units. You mention on your FB page that they are Porsche 996 units cut in half. If you are planning to sell kits outside the UK (I´m sure you will have many clients) you may find that cut-up or modified light units are illegal in some countries. Its always better to use unmodified light units as this has the advantage that if they get damaged the owner can always get a new light unit off-the-shelf. Have you thought of using the latest 2013 Porsche 911 LED lights or the Lancia Thesis LED units ? They probably cost a bit more but they would look awesome, and a car like the Bertini should have the best. I think you also mentioned somewhere that the front headlights are Fiat 500 units ? Here the ultimate would be these same Fiat units with the DRL,s and Angel Eyes (as seen on Ebay).

Will you be having any optional extras such as bonnet or front side vents ? Maybe in the future you could also offer a Coupé style hardtop (something similar to the Zeintec Porsche Boxter hardtop) so owners could have a coupé in the winter and a convertible for the summer.

I just can´t wait to see the finished car, its going to look stunning. I hope you put lots of pictures up on your website and if possible some videos so that all of us that live outside the UK and won't be able to see the car at a car show can get an idea of how it will be.

If everything goes as planned I´m sure you have got a winner there and you will sell many kits in, and outside the UK.

Best of luck. :-)

Thanks for your comments I was planning on having the Alfa GT rear lights for the project however they didn't look as good as the 911 lights cut down when actually in the back of the car.
The new 911 and 997 real lights are slightly the wrong shape and I'm hoping if things really take off to get the rear lights custom made and manufactured by companies such as hella.
The cutdown 911 the lights do not actually cuts through any light clusters merely the lens which connects them so the light clusters operate perfectly as they would before. there is no modification to the reflection or beam direction. all that is being removed is the top section of indicator and the indicator can be remounted.
Regarding the coupe and hardtop it's something that I've definitely got planned for the future I wish to have a coupe version of the car made in the year following its launch and also intend to try and manufacture a hard top for the convertibles with a fastback style.
I imagine that a lot of people who buy the kits will want to do certain modifications for themselves such as bonnet vents and vents behind the rear wheels. They may also have ideas regarding position and placement of exhaust pipes. With this in mind the rear diffuser will have no cutouts done for exhaust pipes as in the picture above.

I really can't wait to get the project finished so I can get a video and promotional pictures made :-)

I think those lights look very good. The back end reminds me of the Jag F type. How would lights from that fit the style, I wonder.

The F type lights don,t look too bad but personally I think they make the Bertini look too Jaguar-ish !

Here is a selection of different light set-ups. Take your pick, although if Mr. Cherry is going to have some custom made units for the car they will probably look awesome.

Sorry, the photo didnt appear.

Here is the link. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/33/ra9o.jpg/

I'm loving the enthusiasm, I have tried a number of those lights already and unfortunately some of them are just too big. The Laguna Coupe lights are far too big for the back and meet almost in the middle. I initially really liked them but it just didn't work :-(

I like the Ftype ones. But they are pretty recognisable, expensive and do make the back look like a fake FType. (Not a bad thing at all!!! But not quite what I'm after).

There are also additional considerations such as the number of different lights in the rear cluster many of them are lacking things like indicators, reverse lights, reflectors, brake lights and taillights and some just have a combination of a few of them. which means you need to find additional lights which can make the back look untidy. this is the main reason I went to the porsche lights as they have majority of the bases covered. The latest 911 lights unfortunately have to be at a certain angle therefore it disrupts the lines as they are slightly upswept.

After trying the Laguna lights I then tried the alpha GT lights but these lack rear fog lights and reversing lights and they also lack reflectors so in essence they're really just a tail break and indicator which means I have to find three additional lights in the back this is what I scrapped that idea and went with the Porsche 996 ones.

I have not seen the lancia lights before so will look into them for a possible future revision.

Thanks again DSG4ME. I love it when people get involved and give me ideas.
:-)

I have spent so long looking at the back of cars trying to figure out what lights to use.

I have just had a shed load if Bertini badges delivered from China (300 to be exact!)

Now I just need to sell 150 kits lol ;-)

On your lights issue, smaller numbers are viable through other suppliers, but remember the biggest issue is 'e' mark certification and testing, you should also check what some of after market manufacters can do, one or whether you can make a compasite lamp by using one of the SVC part units, and maybe a modified reflector or suchlike that fits next to it. testing alone would be in the many thousands of pounds.

I think Ozzie Dave has a point there about having some special lights made if you don´t find suitable units. It would cost a fortune to have them made, plus type approval, testing. etc
I have looked around too see if there is anything similar to your Porsche units and there isn´t a lot on the market. Maybe 1990,s Alfa units or 2006 Honda Accord ???

Have you thought of making your own custom units using off the shelf lights (E marked). This was popular a few years ago with Pontiac Fiero based kits. (like in the first photo)
You just make the lamp surround in fibreglass/plastic and add lights of your choice. And some smoked glass/perspex to cover them.



Brytec has some nice looking LED tail lamp units which I think are not too expensive and are just another idea.



I´m sure you already have a good idea what the rear will look like. Can´t wait to see the next development of the car.
Those badges look very good, I hope you do sell many kits. :-)

lighting

like the top one, make a GRP housing for it, one that could have a perspex cover fitted over the top that follows the curve of the car should the user wish (yes then it can be done after regestration). far lower cost and no issues with legality. In certification the lights are tested for beam dispersion I believe (which really is stupid if made of lots of leds as it should not be required) but its a way around the issue and a significant saving.
I would be surprised if cut down lamps passed as they would have been 'modiefied', from when they had their original certification.
Please dont take this as a critisim as its not meant to be, it looks great, its just trying to get something done when there may be a far cheaper option, and a cost like that could be recouped over a number of units, but why not turn it into profit earlier(as long as its not too bigger compromise).I did certifications on a charger cost over 8K, after making 500 units decided to change and required new set of certs, solution change a plug and the charger cost me $3 with certs already done by someone else!

Cheers for the replies guys. I think it will be fine in the UK. As it just needs to pass the MOT. I'm not aware of the US or Aussie regulations. But I have a few contacts in both countries and will check it out. I'm running with the 996 rear lights for now. Hopefully they will be fine as the cluster is unchanged apart from the top indicator.

The rear is now filled smoothed and ready to have the moulds and mouldings made.

Hi there,

Now that smoothed out rear is looking good. It kind of reminds me a little of a modified Z8 special. It also looks very wide. The light units look good.

I suppose there,s not long left to see the ´finale´. :-)

I was defiantly influenced by the Z8, F type, E type and eagle speedster rear ends.
The Porsche lights really help the back look wide. A look I really like.

I should have some finished mouldings and the mould done for the rear around Christmas. The first finished and fitted kit fully painted around mid February.

It needs to be totally done by mid February to ensure I can get it in a feature for a kitcar magazine before the stoneleigh show.

Here is a Bertini GT25 article in the news section from the November issue of KITCAR magazine.