8 Oct 2012, 10:03pm
I was thinking that, seems to have a lot more time off than me!!
Mister Towed's Tai Chi build
9 Oct 2012, 6:34am
Im saying nothing. 
9 Oct 2012, 7:45am
Now now guys, give a man a break. 
My mantra has always been 'work hard, play hard' which is pretty much how it was 24-7 in the forces. My current shift pattern as a bobby is six on, four off, two 'earlies' and four 'lates' and I'm two thirds of the way through this weeks shifts. Starting last Friday I worked 6am to 6pm, then 7am to 7pm Saturday, followed by 4pm to midnight Sunday, then 2pm to 10pm yesterday. Today and tomorrow are both 3pm to midnight shifts, then I've got five days off due to the job owing me a day off that they cancelled at short notice so I could Police the Olympic torch relay as it came through Sandringham back in July.
While I'm at work it's pretty much non-stop. Just watch Channel 4's emergency 999 series if you want a taste of what we deal with on a daily basis.
So, when you're sitting round the tv with your family enjoying a beer this evening just bear in mind that I'll be trying to reason with an inebriated Vicky Pollard who's dialled 999 because she's been dissed by a m8 on facebook. Emergency my arse.
Anyway, glad you're liking my car...
My mantra has always been 'work hard, play hard' which is pretty much how it was 24-7 in the forces. My current shift pattern as a bobby is six on, four off, two 'earlies' and four 'lates' and I'm two thirds of the way through this weeks shifts. Starting last Friday I worked 6am to 6pm, then 7am to 7pm Saturday, followed by 4pm to midnight Sunday, then 2pm to 10pm yesterday. Today and tomorrow are both 3pm to midnight shifts, then I've got five days off due to the job owing me a day off that they cancelled at short notice so I could Police the Olympic torch relay as it came through Sandringham back in July.
While I'm at work it's pretty much non-stop. Just watch Channel 4's emergency 999 series if you want a taste of what we deal with on a daily basis.
So, when you're sitting round the tv with your family enjoying a beer this evening just bear in mind that I'll be trying to reason with an inebriated Vicky Pollard who's dialled 999 because she's been dissed by a m8 on facebook. Emergency my arse.
Anyway, glad you're liking my car...
9 Oct 2012, 7:55am
Nice work mr towed , getting the hang of it mate, want a job ?
Thanks for the offer of a job MM, it'd be a hell of a commute for me but I'll think about it.
9 Oct 2012, 8:05am
Well spotted that man. In fact, the body on mine is slightly convex all the way across the back of the cockpit. It's not really an issue though as it's a constant and fairly gentle curve, and once my edge panel is padded it'll look fine (imho).
The reason for building up the passenger side is that the dip on that side is quite sudden so it'd be obvious that there's something wrong if I just shaped the panel to fit.
I like the idea of padding the whole top of the cockpit, but, as has already been pointed out, that'd be pretty difficult to get right with the head fairing in the way. Wouldn't be too difficult on a humpless body though.
I think one thing to come out of my efforts at trimming the cockpit so far is not to leave it until after you've sprayed the car. I would've been really unhappy if I'd finished the spraying then found I needed to build up the body to get the trim panels to fit, so it's worth planning what you want at this stage of the build.
Hoping to get the cockpit side sanded down fully tomorrow morning and crack on with preparing the body for paint, but these 'little' jobs sure do seem to eat up the available time...
The reason for building up the passenger side is that the dip on that side is quite sudden so it'd be obvious that there's something wrong if I just shaped the panel to fit.
I like the idea of padding the whole top of the cockpit, but, as has already been pointed out, that'd be pretty difficult to get right with the head fairing in the way. Wouldn't be too difficult on a humpless body though.
I think one thing to come out of my efforts at trimming the cockpit so far is not to leave it until after you've sprayed the car. I would've been really unhappy if I'd finished the spraying then found I needed to build up the body to get the trim panels to fit, so it's worth planning what you want at this stage of the build.
Hoping to get the cockpit side sanded down fully tomorrow morning and crack on with preparing the body for paint, but these 'little' jobs sure do seem to eat up the available time...
Found this pic on my blog.
9 Oct 2012, 8:14am
Nice swerve back to topic there, well done. And nice car, do you know what it is?
The stitching could be a little finer on the edge cover, but it's an idea worth looking into.
What I might do is keep a couple of pairs of doe-skin gloves handy (pun intended) and always put them on before climbing aboard.
Right, sitting here typing isn't getting my car finished. Once more unto the garage, dear friends, once more...
The stitching could be a little finer on the edge cover, but it's an idea worth looking into.
What I might do is keep a couple of pairs of doe-skin gloves handy (pun intended) and always put them on before climbing aboard.
Right, sitting here typing isn't getting my car finished. Once more unto the garage, dear friends, once more...
9 Oct 2012, 8:25am
T, its an Osca from 1954 built by the Maserati bros. I think they were bought out, so started new company.
9 Oct 2012, 9:30am
I recognise that sticth pattern, was that car owned by a Southampton surgeon?
9 Oct 2012, 9:32am
Very Bloated, Like A G46...
9 Oct 2012, 9:49am
It looks a lot better in the flesh rather tahn the photos - Like a G46 ;-)
9 Oct 2012, 1:26pm
Busy sanding then making cardboard templates for the 'door' trim panels today -
Mor l8r...
Mor l8r...
9 Oct 2012, 1:40pm
Neat work. Just spotted your choke location. Officer, I'd like to report myself for theft of an idea. I believe that, as of today, you are able to defend your ideas more robustly, and beat me to a pulp. Or else you can sneak round and cover my engine in overspray.
10 Oct 2012, 7:47am
Neat work. Just spotted your choke location. Officer, I'd like to report myself for theft of an idea. I believe that, as of today, you are able to defend your ideas more robustly, and beat me to a pulp. Or else you can sneak round and cover my engine in overspray.
Ha ha. Feel free to copy the choke pull location - the international patent is still pending.
I put it there because I'm trying to keep my dash as uncluttered as possible and I noticed that there's a surprising amount of space under the gear selector rod. It fits perfectly and I like the random placement of it. Ergonomics was an alien concept back in the fifties after all.
11 Oct 2012, 2:38pm
Popped into Brockwells yesterday to drop off my cockpit edge trim. They're very busy, because they're proper craftsmen, but they've now made a start on my seats -
While there I discussed my options for side panels. I had originally intended to use the grey automotive carpet off-cut I picked up from ebay to do the whole of the inside of the cockpit, but they talked me out of it last time I visited by mentioning that carpet burns your skin if you rub against any of it while driving.
So I made up some cardboard templates ready to cut hardboard panels from and looked into trimming them myself with ready fluted vinyl. I thought I'd ask for a quote from the Brockwell brothers to see how much I could save by doing it myself. Answer? Nothing - their price to trim my self-cut side panels in fluted black leather to match the seats was just too close to what I'd have to spend on vinyl alone to refuse.
Which found me at their preferred timber merchants yesterday buying an 8'x4' sheet of oil tempered hardboard (which won't absorb moisture and warp, aparrently
). This was the grand sum of £10.08 but I had to cut it in half myself to get it in my car. Half an hour today cutting the panels from the cardboard templates and my side panels are ready for trimming. I'll probably deliver them tomorrow, so I thought I'd have a stab at cutting the carpet for the rear bulkhead with the side panels screwed into place -
I'm very pleased with the way the interior's turning out. I'm going to be spending a lot of time inside the car and I want it to look and feel just right.
More tomorrow, hopefully.
While there I discussed my options for side panels. I had originally intended to use the grey automotive carpet off-cut I picked up from ebay to do the whole of the inside of the cockpit, but they talked me out of it last time I visited by mentioning that carpet burns your skin if you rub against any of it while driving.
So I made up some cardboard templates ready to cut hardboard panels from and looked into trimming them myself with ready fluted vinyl. I thought I'd ask for a quote from the Brockwell brothers to see how much I could save by doing it myself. Answer? Nothing - their price to trim my self-cut side panels in fluted black leather to match the seats was just too close to what I'd have to spend on vinyl alone to refuse.
Which found me at their preferred timber merchants yesterday buying an 8'x4' sheet of oil tempered hardboard (which won't absorb moisture and warp, aparrently
). This was the grand sum of £10.08 but I had to cut it in half myself to get it in my car. Half an hour today cutting the panels from the cardboard templates and my side panels are ready for trimming. I'll probably deliver them tomorrow, so I thought I'd have a stab at cutting the carpet for the rear bulkhead with the side panels screwed into place - I'm very pleased with the way the interior's turning out. I'm going to be spending a lot of time inside the car and I want it to look and feel just right.
More tomorrow, hopefully.
11 Oct 2012, 3:40pm
"that carpet burns your skin if you rub against any of it while driving. "
Exactly what are you planning on doing in your car?
<nudge><nudge><wink><wink><say no MORE>
Exactly what are you planning on doing in your car?
<nudge><nudge><wink><wink><say no MORE>
11 Oct 2012, 3:42pm
"that carpet burns your skin if you rub against any of it while driving. "
Exactly what are you planning on doing in your car?
<nudge><nudge><wink><wink><say no MORE>
Exactly what are you planning on doing in your car?
<nudge><nudge><wink><wink><say no MORE>
Wouldn't be the first time...
11 Oct 2012, 7:56pm
Wild Sammio donor available in Bucks -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIUMPH-HERALD-V6-PROJECT-/120996729942?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item1c2bf79456
Looks like a bargain to me, the restored chassis is worth that alone...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIUMPH-HERALD-V6-PROJECT-/120996729942?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item1c2bf79456
Looks like a bargain to me, the restored chassis is worth that alone...
11 Oct 2012, 9:15pm
It's been on ebay before for about the same money and didn't sell.
Chassis is chopped about quite a bit to fit the engine and I don't like the look of the offset in the area where the front outrigger attaches. It wont be compliant with the rebodying rules and the engine makes the modifications rather obvious. You could register with a standard chassis and swap later, but that's really pushing it. As a Herald is would need an IVA inspection these days because of the chassis mods.
You'd probably need to modify the bonnet because it will clash with the outer edges of the heads/cam belt covers. The engine is just too tall in that area. I'm struggling with that on the Mazda engine which is a bit smaller.
Chassis is chopped about quite a bit to fit the engine and I don't like the look of the offset in the area where the front outrigger attaches. It wont be compliant with the rebodying rules and the engine makes the modifications rather obvious. You could register with a standard chassis and swap later, but that's really pushing it. As a Herald is would need an IVA inspection these days because of the chassis mods.
You'd probably need to modify the bonnet because it will clash with the outer edges of the heads/cam belt covers. The engine is just too tall in that area. I'm struggling with that on the Mazda engine which is a bit smaller.
12 Oct 2012, 5:48pm
Exciting day today. First, this came in the post -
Then I get a text message from the trimmer saying my seats are ready for collection, so I rushed straight over to King's Lynn to pick them up, pay for them and drop off the side panels for trimming.
So, this is the picture I gave them to work from, but bear in mind that my Dax Cobra seat shells are a different shape to the Porsche ones pictured -
And this is how they turned out -
I am absolutely delighted with the job they've done for me. They are really comfortable and look stunning. The black leather is soft and supple and they even smell great. I tried to put them aside in a spare room in the house until the paint's done, but I couldn't resist a trial fit in the car -
The trimmers thought the shells were excellent quality and perfectly symmetrical, by the way, which made their job easier as they were able to make two identical covers.
At the moment the driver's seat sits a little higher than the passenger's due to it needing a couple of spacers to clear the edge of the lowered floor pan on that side. I'll take the angle grinder to the floor tomorrow though as I want them both the same.
The other job I started on today was to box in my seat belt mounts and install a guide tube for my handbrake cable. The tube and bracket that I've fitted were cut from a clothes rack that my wife, ahem, no longer needs...
Oh, did I mention I paid for my seats? I do recall saying I'd ask people to guess how much Brockwells quoted.
So, how much do you think I just paid to have my two Cobra shells professionally trimmed in black leather? Or to put it another way, how much would you be prepared to pay?
I'll tell you on Sunday evening so start posting your answers.
There's no prize available, I'm afraid, just that warm glow you get when you're the one that gets it right or is nearest to it.
Good luck everyone
Then I get a text message from the trimmer saying my seats are ready for collection, so I rushed straight over to King's Lynn to pick them up, pay for them and drop off the side panels for trimming.
So, this is the picture I gave them to work from, but bear in mind that my Dax Cobra seat shells are a different shape to the Porsche ones pictured -
And this is how they turned out -
I am absolutely delighted with the job they've done for me. They are really comfortable and look stunning. The black leather is soft and supple and they even smell great. I tried to put them aside in a spare room in the house until the paint's done, but I couldn't resist a trial fit in the car -
The trimmers thought the shells were excellent quality and perfectly symmetrical, by the way, which made their job easier as they were able to make two identical covers.
At the moment the driver's seat sits a little higher than the passenger's due to it needing a couple of spacers to clear the edge of the lowered floor pan on that side. I'll take the angle grinder to the floor tomorrow though as I want them both the same.
The other job I started on today was to box in my seat belt mounts and install a guide tube for my handbrake cable. The tube and bracket that I've fitted were cut from a clothes rack that my wife, ahem, no longer needs...
Oh, did I mention I paid for my seats? I do recall saying I'd ask people to guess how much Brockwells quoted.
So, how much do you think I just paid to have my two Cobra shells professionally trimmed in black leather? Or to put it another way, how much would you be prepared to pay?
I'll tell you on Sunday evening so start posting your answers.
There's no prize available, I'm afraid, just that warm glow you get when you're the one that gets it right or is nearest to it.
Good luck everyone
12 Oct 2012, 7:15pm
£125 each, plus materials plus vat?????
12 Oct 2012, 7:18pm
£125 each, plus materials plus vat?????
Erm, what I'm looking for is the all-in figure for labour, materials and vat.
12 Oct 2012, 7:35pm
Oh buxxer, now I have to guess the price of leather, and calclulate how much per seat....
Let's guess at Ihavenoidea £50 of materials per seat, so thats £175 each, £350 the pair plus VAT....70 quid....Grand total 420. ??? Any good?
Let's guess at Ihavenoidea £50 of materials per seat, so thats £175 each, £350 the pair plus VAT....70 quid....Grand total 420. ??? Any good?
12 Oct 2012, 7:38pm
We'll have to wait and see...
12 Oct 2012, 7:41pm
Meanie.
Of course if my guess is too high I am basing them on inflated south coast prices...and if to low....you were done mate!!
Of course if my guess is too high I am basing them on inflated south coast prices...and if to low....you were done mate!!
12 Oct 2012, 7:43pm
Meanie.
Of course if my guess is too high I am basing them on inflated south coast prices...and if to low....you were done mate!!
Of course if my guess is too high I am basing them on inflated south coast prices...and if to low....you were done mate!!
Ha ha. I've got to say, there was quite a difference between the highest and lowest quotes, but I didn't necessarily go for the cheapest option. They are leather, after all...