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This is a read-only archive of the old Madabout Kitcars forum. New posts and replies are no longer possible, but every thread is still here to browse and read.

Geoff's 250 SWB Replica Build

7 Nov 2013, 9:47pm
casamolino wrote:
Looks like another Silver Z3 ready to go under the knife! Geoff .



Geoff, the Cobra has landed! Progress to follow.......
9 Nov 2013, 8:23am
Morning Chris yes it did throw it down on the walk to the station and i am pretty sure i never asked for a Cobra , :faint: Geoff .
9 Nov 2013, 10:05am
im really looking forward to this build!

ive rolled with the evolution of the cars that you have produced Chris.
im torn between Geoff or Joes build, im a sucker for a coupe or fastback with classic lines.
i'm going to take the plunge when both cars start to take shape.
9 Nov 2013, 6:25pm
casamolino wrote:
Morning Chris yes it did throw it down on the walk to the station and i am pretty sure i never asked for a Cobra , :faint: Geoff .


You must of been soaked. I know you said you enjoyed walking but that can't have been fun!

I think the cut and shut Cobra panels will be a quick start to the rear end of the SWB when combined with the MX250 kit. Some parts of the front end can be utilised too, headlight mounts etc.
9 Nov 2013, 8:03pm
:drum: Will you be stretching the kobra profile lines across the boot. Light pod area looks good nice and sleek. Any pics of those bits.
9 Nov 2013, 8:06pm
:icon_biggrin: like pictures me. Helps the imagination
9 Nov 2013, 8:26pm
zagmad wrote:
:drum: Will you be stretching the kobra profile lines across the boot. Light pod area looks good nice and sleek. Any pics of those bits.


The Cobra bits will help with your rear end (oh er!) as well
10 Nov 2013, 12:05pm
had an idea to get the door line you wanted. bit complicated but possibly doable will involve parts of arch and door panel fitted to the door so that the bmw door opens as it did normally and a false raised panel further back. eg extend a panel over the door sinking part of the arch and put it on the door. giving illusion of the door opening further up with the angled panel.only thing is when you open the door you will have the panel on it. other alternatives doing the same but when you open the door you have to lower the window all the way down . extended fixed panel going left to right that sits on the door frame. sorry got bored. :playball:
14 Nov 2013, 4:49pm
Very much looking forward to this one........ Don't rush it though chaps, it needs to be good! Joking aside, having worked for a manufacturer in the past, any error in the mould is then a bug forever!
Could be a market winner this one.
Please don't have any spacers on the wheels as I and my insurers don't like them!!!!
15 Nov 2013, 8:23pm
Or just fit wide wheels. Or steels with wire wheel look covers like the ones hanging in the reception office. Nit sure if it means the steel wheel will need to be a positive or negative offset. Or some terminology like that. Then bolt through the covers like some fiat/honda's do to hold them on. Yeah, i know too much time on my hands
15 Nov 2013, 8:32pm
Ref the spacers.... It would be ideal if it didn't need spacers WITH STANDARD WHEELS. We all know it's possible to get different offsets, but can get silly cost wise. Starting with the standard wheels without spacers make a low-cost build all the more likely. I'd think it would look great with some steels.:smile:
15 Nov 2013, 9:23pm
Whilst I agree that not wasting money is a good thing, I think that building a tribute to one of the prettiest cars ever built shouldnt be a penny pinching exercise. The most important thing, and one that Chris is very, very good at, is to make the proportions and relationships between design elements work well together. Sometimes these elements need to be exagerated to give the right effect in the tribute due to constraints in the donor vehicle's design. I believe one such will be the rear wings and using Cobra or GTO wings will be a good starting point. Personally, I plan to use deep dish wheels on mine - just like the original, so I expect pronounced haunches just like Pinninfarina draughted
15 Nov 2013, 10:29pm
I agree it would be good to get the body looking as 'correct' as possible - however consider also that changing the offset of the wheels (whether by wheel design or spacers) may not have a dramatic effect on the rear axle the same can't be said of the front! Changing front offsets may ruin the handling of the donor car/ your exotic creation!
19 Nov 2013, 10:13pm
Z3 stripped of its outer panels





Cobra rear end tried for size.





We will be using just the first foot of the panels combined with the MX250 rear wings and roof.
19 Nov 2013, 10:41pm
Cobra rear

Tribute Automotive wrote:
You must of been soaked. I know you said you enjoyed walking but that can't have been fun!

I think the cut and shut Cobra panels will be a quick start to the rear end of the SWB when combined with the MX250 kit. Some parts of the front end can be utilised too, headlight mounts etc.



To me the arches look incorrect, and it almost looks like cutting the extreme rearmost part off and turning it upside - down would do it! Also need widening at rear (ie arch is 'flatter' when viewed in plan than cobra one.) Just my opinion , but only looking at photos - reality can sometimes be a lot different.
20 Nov 2013, 5:28pm
Bl**dy H*ll Chris you could have warned me, only just got home from work and havn`t had any wine yet , Geoff .:icon_biggrin:
20 Nov 2013, 5:36pm
:first: This is where the magic happens and Chris turns it into stunning kit . All you have to remember is that its based on shapes. Some bits stay and others go. Quite fun watching the builds coz it looks like the car cracks and then rebuilds itself into the right shape. Quite a unique process. Wheel arches can be moved up and down, forward and back in the wing.
20 Nov 2013, 5:56pm
Chris is quite good at cutting things up, sticking them back together and making them look right. Who would have thought the top picture would look like the bottom picture?

Before


After
20 Nov 2013, 6:07pm
Nick , Photoshop is a wonderful thing , Geoff .:icon_biggrin:
22 Nov 2013, 8:31pm
Mitchelkitman wrote:
To me the arches look incorrect, and it almost looks like cutting the extreme rearmost part off and turning it upside - down would do it! Also need widening at rear (ie arch is 'flatter' when viewed in plan than cobra one.) Just my opinion , but only looking at photos - reality can sometimes be a lot different.


We have removed the rear of the "buck" body work from the TVR wedge that was used to produce the panels for Alex's Tuscan GTO build. Combined with parts of the Cobra it will be a good start.

23 Nov 2013, 9:30am
Chris a box of bits will be on there way Monday , Geoff .
25 Nov 2013, 1:27pm
Following this thread with a great deal of interest as I really like the 250 swb shape. Have you come up with a suitable rear window glass yet? I was thinking the MGB GT or VW Type 3 fastback screens might just fit the bill -





Can't wait to see this one take shape. I'm not a fan of the GTO shape, but where the swb is concerned, if it looks as good as I hope it's going to, perhaps I could be persuaded to start another build...
25 Nov 2013, 6:05pm
Mister Towed spot on , MGB glass it is , Geoff .
25 Nov 2013, 7:32pm
casamolino wrote:
Mister Towed spot on , MGB glass it is , Geoff .


Just thinking out loud, wonder if the panels could be made to fit an mgb gt body for a tax free classic donor?

After all, they're still pretty cheap when they have rusty body panels and can be converted to V8 spec relatively easily for those that must have powerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
25 Nov 2013, 7:39pm
:plane: Convertible might be easier. Roof wise.lower period windscreen.