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I am still wondering whether to keep the original Z3 glass (which is self supporting) and make the door aperture to fit the large radius rear edge curve like the hard top. Any opinions?
In my opinion it would be a lot easier to keep original glass and alter the door aperture to take the glass.
Have you considered using the door glass from the Z3 coupe, the doors themselves look the same so, with luck, it could be a straight swap. It doesn't have the curve on the rear edge so it looks more like the 275 GTB glass.
... unless he is a second hand car dealer it seems, sorry you had the same experience. I must say I was a bit unsettled when talking to him on the phone, which is why I phoned him again before setting out. It has cost me a train ticket and insurance premium so I am a bit sore. Better luck next time!
I considered buying a shell when one was advertised on Ebay a while back but I need to see how the panels are fitted and various things like hinges so I will be buying a runner.
I considered buying a shell when one was advertised on Ebay a while back but I need to see how the panels are fitted and various things like hinges so I will be buying a runner.
It is good to have everything in place on the car to check clearances if you don't have another Z3 to hand for reference.
I have found another MR2, fingers crossed it will still be there when I go to collect. Maybe even paying a deposit doesn't mean anything nowadays?
I have found another Z3 and negotiated a sale but just before going to pick it up I found it was recorded as a total loss! The present owner had received a cash settlement from the other driver's insurance after being hit while parked (after advertising the car) and they had wrongly put a total loss marker against it but admitted their error and removed it, but too late for me to travel and collect it. They have offered to re-imburse me for my expenses (amazing!)
The other part of the story is the appalling new DVLA online taxing system which does not recognise that a vehicle is SORNED when you re-tax it and insists that you pay all the back tax. The new owner normally has to pay for a whole month and the seller only gets back any unused WHOLE months - nice little earner for the Government! I decided that I would wait to the 1st of next month (which happens to be a Sunday) to collect but you can't pay for tax in advance and it still insists you pay for the whole month and when it runs into any difficulty it says go to your nearest Post office (on a Sunday?). What a mess! I spoke to my local Postmaster and he said yes it is a mess but keep all the documents with you when you travel and come to me on the Monday. If I get stopped or flashed I MAY get off with a warning.
I have managed to strip my Z3 but Haynes manual doesn't tell you "do this first" and misses some vital bolts that you can only find when the panel doesn't move. I have taken pictures of progress and will put some text together to help anyone else in the same boat.
Did someone post a comment about Ferraris having a happy face?
I am now offering up panels to see how they have to be modified to fit. These panels are held in place with sticky tape to give me an idea how it looks.
No this shows the wheel arches in their proper place on the panels. I made some arches and tried them with the nose section moved forward but it looked wrong. I will post some pics later.
Ill health has taken me out of action for a week but I will be stitching the front half together next week, checking for clearances and working out attachment points. I will put up some photos when I can.
I have been guided by Tribute Automotive's thread on Geoff's 250 GTO and wondered if it would be easier to remove the Z3 door skin before adding a new fibreglass skin. I have managed to cut out the area around the door handle and leave all the mechanism in place except for the plastic outer handle which would foul the new skin. I then pop riveted an extension plate to the handle pivot so that I can use a replica push button handle mounted higher up.
Turning my attention to the glass and bearing in mind that the 275 glass is flat whereas the Z3 is curved in both directions I wanted to see if flat glass could be accommodated within the Z3 door carcass. The two problems are first to move the bottom of the guide out sufficiently to get it to line up with the top of the Z3 screen and second to match the curvature of the quarter light. At the moment I don't think that is possible. On the other hand if I go for curved glass, the problem then becomes how to match the 275 roof line. Hmmm (thinks).
This photo shows a piece of 2.5mm acrylic plastic left over from glazing the garden shed held in place by the standard curved guides (and a piece of steel bar to stop it sagging). You should be able see how it is tight on the inner frame of the door at the middle but free at the ends. I will have to confirm if a curved rear guide will work when I fit the door into the new door aperture and hope I can get away with curvature in one plane only with thicker polycarbonate. The steel U profile will be used to replace the standard rear guide and to make up a full frame to match the 275 door aperture.
Just a thought as I have done a fair bit of messing recently with window motors, the glass in my dads pilote motor home is flat the motor died and pilote wanted hundreds so a trail round a scrappies and transit looked promising stripped it out but transit is cables pullies and outer channel does the support, the type I wanted was the self contained upright steel profile motor at the bottom, pulley top and bottom and the glass holder slider runs up the profile the upright is curved for curved glass much more than you would think on a lot of cars, anyway what we settled on was fiat multipla almost flat only 4 connectors and stoutly engineered so we could fabricate a fixing plate job done works well and £35 inc new switch, the Doblo is similar but slightly more shaped , have a look at some pics on eBay it may just give you options, following on from this I have used a rear Peugeot 307 estate one straightened out by standing on it to raise my LCD TV out of the work top in my folding camper restoration. Ed.
I'm back in action now and have bonded the panels together and put the whole nose section on to the car to check for clearance and fixing points. These two photos show the decision I made to have the bonnet lifting from the rear in the same way that the Z3 does. So the 275 engine cover will be bonded in place and the wing will be cut in a continuation of the line across the front and round the head light, down to the edge of the wheel arch with the angles all worked out to give clearance for the action of the Z3 hinges. The rear edge of the bonnet needs to be lifted slightly to give the right line and a splash will be taken from the Z3 bonnet to give the correct profile around the windscreen.
It is a problem. The front has to clear the radiator at the top, which on my 2.8 incorporates air conditioning and at the bottom it rests on the standard plastic under tray. My car is also fitted with the smaller option 16" wheels which will make a slight difference if you use 17". Also, the rear edge needs to be set slightly higher to get the line right.
Tragedy!!! I have just come out of hospital after suffering a brain seizure, which means I have had to surrender my driving licence for a year. So I will also have difficulty getting to my little workshop which is a mile and a half away and not on a bus route.
The rest of the problem is that my recent memory has been wiped and I will even have to read through my own postings to find out what I have been doing and what remains to be done. Don't hold your breath!
George
