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IanA's Targa Florio Special Build

29 Jul 2021, 1:59pm
Exhausting?

Another piece in the appearance jigsaw.
I assembled this from the parts and got it TIGed locally by an absolute ace. Needed a slight tweak to get it to the right position laterally but all on now. The hangers need trimming and I may remove them and spray matt black to hide them a bit.
Soundwise- a bit boomy in the mid-range but certainly liveable with the hood down- so for me- most of the time.
29 Jul 2021, 3:41pm
Looks good too Ian ! Probably saved 20 KG's in weight, the standard box is so heavy ! Did you remove the solid steel lumps behind the bumper, I did when I built mine last year. No idea why they are there, probably minus another 20 KG's with them gone 1
30 Jul 2021, 1:37pm
Lucky@LeMans wrote:
Looks good too Ian ! Probably saved 20 KG's in weight, the standard box is so heavy ! Did you remove the solid steel lumps behind the bumper, I did when I built mine last year. No idea why they are there, probably minus another 20 KG's with them gone 1


That silencer I removed weighs 12.5kg. The one from my 2.8 weighs slightly less...Neither cars have the anti-resonance weights. I have had them on other convertibles, presumably to damp body vibrations.
31 Oct 2021, 6:28pm
Unfettled and ready for paint.
1 Nov 2021, 3:25pm
Professionally prepared, primered and awaiting top coat.
Apparently my trial aerosol gloss on the lower edges of the doors was a waste- it all had to come off.
8 Nov 2021, 5:46pm
The expensive bit.

Fettled just enough to get it home in the rain.
8 Nov 2021, 6:37pm
IanA - Got to love reflections of clouds overhead in fresh paint. :cool:

Very nice!



Good luck putting everything back together.

Cheers, Paul. :)
8 Nov 2021, 7:42pm
Thanks. Yes it's a nice job and I'm very pleased with it.
The tractor in the other pic is painted to the same standard and wins prizes!!!
8 Nov 2021, 8:14pm
Looks great Ian, the gloss finish sets it off well ! Some photos please when its all done !
9 Nov 2021, 9:52am
IanA wrote:
The tractor in the other pic is painted to the same standard and wins prizes!!!


Er, looks like a McCormick International B250...according to tractor nerd that I might know. Could be a B275...

Paintwork looks great on both. More pics.
9 Nov 2021, 2:02pm
Very impressive, brave to paint a GRP car black but it looks as if you have pulled it off.
Black makes a great background for chrome, Spursfanin a coupe had a pair of chrome door handles for sale recently, add a set of chrome wires for maximum bling.
9 Nov 2021, 5:36pm
Jaguartvr wrote:
Very impressive, brave to paint a GRP car black but it looks as if you have pulled it off.
Black makes a great background for chrome, Spursfanin a coupe had a pair of chrome door handles for sale recently, add a set of chrome wires for maximum bling.


Yes Jag, my man did a super job. You were right about the benefits of a pro job. The chrome outer door trim tabs broke up whilst I was refitting them...
Chrome wires would take more cleaning/polishing than I'd be prepared to give them. That's why my Z300S has stainless. I'll be keeping the alloys. Although I do have a spare set of painted wires...
9 Nov 2021, 5:41pm
oxford1360 wrote:
Er, looks like a McCormick International B250...according to tractor nerd that I might know. Could be a B275...

It's a D250 Diesel, built at the Jowett factory. Are you off to the Newark Vintage Tractor and Heritage Show on November 13 and 14??? 900 tractors expected!!!
It'll be there.
9 Nov 2021, 7:39pm
Chrome powder coated wired look very good and need no maintenance,
My chromes wires were given a couple of coats of polish when they were fitted about 4 years ago, it lives outside and all I have done to clean them is snow foam and a hose. The most important thing to fit is EBC green stuff pads, they contain no metal, it is the metal particles in the pads that sit on the wheels and rusts, when it rust the rust transferes to the cjrome.
9 Nov 2021, 7:51pm
Jaguartvr wrote:
My chromes wires were given a couple of coats of polish when they were fitted about 4 years ago, it lives outside and all I have done to clean them is snow foam and a hose.


Sounds like my kind of finish- local supplier?
10 Nov 2021, 3:25am
Wow!

Stunning - especially for GRP. You must be stoked!
10 Nov 2021, 9:34am
Hi Ian
I imported 5 sets but they have all been sold but have another batch of 20 wheels and spinners that should be here by March, the lead time at the moment is 8 months! The last ones were £1500 a set of four including hubs and spinners. These will be a bit more due to the massive rise in shipping costs, my shipping costs won't be known until they ship.
The wheels and hubs have been made solely for the Z3, 15x6 so you don't that ridiculous hot rod/muscle car look at the back. They sit inside the wheel arches on all 4 corners and don't catch on the arches. The hubs can be removed at the side of the road using a standard wheel brace and the bolts that hold the hub on are used to attach the original space saver wheel. I hate going on a long journey without a spare wheel, the last 2 pictures I had were caused by potholes which damaged the side walls, both tryes couldn't be inflated using sealant and both had to be replaced.
I also have some billet CNC'd triple eared spinner removal tools, you can remove the spinners with a long bar and a socket easily and without damage. The spinners are stainless so won't be marked by the alloy removal tool.


If you already have some wires then the cheapest option is chrome powder coating, it is quite stunning when done to a good standard, it also is tough and hard wearing,
10 Nov 2021, 1:26pm
Tru Wire?
11 Nov 2021, 10:27am
I'm not familiar with Tru Wire. I had these made in China, It was a bit of a leap of faith to spend so much money on something that could have been poor quality or even worse not fit due to my measurements.
When they came in I took them down to my tyre guy to put them on his balancing machine to see how good or bad they were. As luck would have it there was a mobile tyre fitter is who fits all the tyres for southern classics who specialise in Jags, Healeys etc and is an expert on wire wheels. After he had run them all up he asked me where I had got them from as he said they were probably the best set of wires he had come across, wires alays are slightly out of balance and true but these were as close to perfecr that he had come accross. Breathed a deep sigh of relief, next unknown was how good was the chrome, mine have been fitted for over 3 years, never garaged and used in all weathers. Up to now there is not a single speck of rust on them.
One thing the expert was very impressed with was the "drive pegs", these sit around the hub and on the inside of the wheel, much stronger than splines and will take much more power.
The whilst being heavy compared with alloy wheels are about half the weight of MWS bolt ons.
11 Nov 2021, 2:34pm
I have Tru-Wire wheels on my Tribute 250 SWB. Identical to yours, even the packaging. China made also. My tire guy also remarked on the balance and overall quality. 72 spoke 15x7.
12 Nov 2021, 12:40pm
New appearance, new identity:






12 Nov 2021, 1:28pm
Looks great!
12 Nov 2021, 4:04pm
Grassbanks is doing a stainless steel grill surround, I don't know how much but it won't be cheap. On the DNA's the stainless steel surrounf=d makes an amazing difference. Now you have spent all that money on the paint you can't be a "Cheap Charlie" on the shiny bits:tape2:

Did I mention the interior yet?
12 Nov 2021, 4:57pm
Jaguartvr wrote:
Now you have spent all that money on the paint you can't be a "Cheap Charlie" on the shiny bits:Did I mention the interior yet?


Now that I have spent all my money on the paint it will stay as it is for a while.
I particularly enjoy the interior as it is. I've never planned but to keep it standard.
13 Nov 2021, 12:50pm
I know what you mean, BMW spent millions developing the interior and people rip it out and fit seats designed 70 years ago for an MGB. Sheer madness and nowhere near as comfortable, but they do look good!