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IanA's Z300S Barchetta Build

17 Jul 2014, 9:24pm
Make sure you spray the front bumper bar balck so it doesn't stand out through the front grill.

Perhaps widen the stirpes
17 Jul 2014, 9:39pm
WorldClassAccident wrote:
Make sure you spray the front bumper bar balck so it doesn't stand out through the front grill.

Perhaps widen the stirpes


Yes- twigged that matt black spray requirement already- the expanded metal grille I have to go in there is quite expanded but will try it anyway before getting anything with a smaller mesh.
No problems with overheating in this weather I suppose???
18 Jul 2014, 8:25am
Driving up to Stevenage and back without issues. Mixture of fast motorway and then sat stationary in traffic on the motorway.

Biggest problem was other drivers slowing down to look at the car
18 Jul 2014, 10:31am
Agree on your stripes - most Cobras and others similar have much wider stripes. On this example they look to be about 6" wide with an inch gap



18 Jul 2014, 11:44am
An alternative to the Cobra approach and one that may look more 1950s is to think about Golden Ratios. See -

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

A 5 - 3 - 5 stripe/gap sequence will be close enough, and very pleasing to the eye. Your current configuration will make the eye want to check that the gap in the middle is the same width as the stripes.
18 Jul 2014, 2:13pm
So, if you have any tape left over you might as well try try making them wider towards the middle.
18 Jul 2014, 10:49pm
WorldClassAccident wrote:
Driving up to Stevenage and back without issues. Mixture of fast motorway and then sat stationary in traffic on the motorway.


I was surprised when I first saw the size of the viscous fan on the engine AND the electric one on the rad. I'd never compared the size of the original intake with that on the Z300S so glad to hear it's all adequate.

Biggest problem was other drivers slowing down to look at the car


Slowing down? You obviously weren't driving fast enough then. Although I do remember that part of the A1 as being prone to 100mph cruisers in the morning and then seeing the Talivans on bridges when coming back- so it's obviously closely monitored.
18 Jul 2014, 10:58pm
oxford1360 wrote:
...Golden Ratios...http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio
A 5 - 3 - 5 stripe/gap sequence will be close enough, and very pleasing to the eye.


I'm familiar with the concept and yes it does make sense but the point of the red stripes on a white car is to emulate the Maser A6 GCS pictured earlier.
I come back to the issue of scale meaning that the 4"+4"+4" is altogether too narrow on the Z300S. Also, I wouldn't want a casual observer to confuse it with a Cobra.

I measured the centre line down the bonnet but the stripes are not symmetrical on the bonnet bulge so I may be trying out 5" tape sooner rather than later.
19 Jul 2014, 8:34am
Now people have said your stripes don't look quite right I went back to the picture on page 1 of the original and they don't look quite right either.

Maybe you could ask the owner to put some wider stripes on his car too?
19 Jul 2014, 10:15pm
WorldClassAccident wrote:
Now people have said your stripes don't look quite right I went back to the picture on page 1 of the original and they don't look quite right either.

Maybe you could ask the owner to put some wider stripes on his car too?


Yeah right, I'm sure that Bruce would be up for changing his 1954 Maserati A6 GCS paintwork if I pointed that out to him..
21 Jul 2014, 9:58pm
Too quick flash

Z300S Barchetta #4 has LED front and side indicators and as a consequence exhibits a very fast flash sequence. A MOTable offence probably.

So- I eBayed and fitted a "25W Car LED Turn Signals Indicator Light Load Resistor Flash Rate Fix Relay" in parallel with each of the front indicators and that returned the flash rate to normal. They are just resistors, not relays.

Only problem is that the resistor blocks run very hot so for now they are out in the air flow behind the round vents on the front. Long term it may be an idea to mount them actually on the expanded metal. They get too hot to mount on any plastic part. Of course they can be wired in at any position on the circuits but it was most convenient to mount them using the existing connector break at the front.
21 Jul 2014, 11:03pm
Can't you just mount a normal light in series but place it inside the body work. This will slow the exterior bulb and give your engine a disco experience whenever you turn a corner?
22 Jul 2014, 10:13am
Yes I'd considered that as well, but in parallel. I'm not totally happy with the front indicators anyway. They have a nice low profile but don't reflect in the headlights enough. I have obtained some small lenses and some 21w capless bulbs so may end up incandescent rather than led anyway.
24 Jul 2014, 9:00pm
Exhausted?

Always wanted to do this:



ever since i had a Lotus Seven S1 with similar. But real.



Should fool the casual observer:



and will all be in matt black of course.
24 Jul 2014, 9:05pm
And would be quite easy to double up.
24 Jul 2014, 9:22pm
Needs to match the bore on the real pipes. Looks a bit like a hoover adaptor in the smaller size. love the idea though and better than my attempts at fake side pipes
24 Jul 2014, 9:33pm
Would have made it larger but used the pipe I had lying about in the garage and didn't want it to be too heavy an ornament either.
24 Jul 2014, 9:49pm
Not meant as criticism, perhaps just bigger tubes at the end next to the real pipe?
1 Aug 2014, 6:04pm
More Flash

The original front indicators with their bright LED elements were very neat but just didn't seem prominent enough for everyday driving.
So I bought these:

they are incandescent but still low wattage so I've left the ballast resistors in circuit.

For 2014, I see that Bruce has mounted repeaters on the front edge of the wheel arch - could be a home for my now redundant ones.

1 Aug 2014, 6:07pm
WorldClassAccident wrote:
Did you mention his stripes look wrong?

Not yet- I want some hi-res pics of those Mille Miglia number panels first!!!
10 Aug 2014, 7:12pm
2014 Historic Specials day 10 August Burford, Oxon.

Pretty damp down at the Cotswold Wildlife Park today so not a great turnout...



The pics from both the 2012 and 2014 shows are here
13 Aug 2014, 9:00pm
Still not heard from the DVLA but the insurance company called today and they are dumping me with 7 days notice- "we don't insure modified cars".