MadaboutKitcars

£350 for cash?

Mr T - As others have said, your build is all coming together very nicely.

You make a good point about not wanting to make bodywork changes after painting.
By the same logic, would it be worth getting the car MOT'd before the painting it too?
Again, just in case you needed to change something in order to get a pass, just a thought.
Having said that, a uniform primer/base coat would present a good image to a tester.

As for yours seats (again very nice), well my donor came with these leather covers...



They were custom made many years ago and cost over £400 back then.
So if you have spent less than £300 you have got a great deal.
But if you have spent £400 odd, then that seems reasonable too.

If they are happy making the covered head rests I might get their details from you.

While I'm here, can I ask you a few more general build questions?
Can you recommend the products & suppliers you used for bonding & fibreglassing "stuff"?
Also, could you give me a rough idea of the quantities you needed / used?

Finally, have you had any issues bonding / fibreglassing onto a painted surface (e.g. frame)?

Thanks a lot, Paul.

Hi Paul, liking the Spitfire seat covers - I'd have gone for Spitty seats if they'd fit, but I believe they're too big.

As for the bonding paste and fibreglass supplies, I went to Glasplies on Gary J's recommendation -

http://www.glasplies.co.uk/default.asp

I got through a 2.5kg tub of bonding paste and I could probably have used a bit more. I wasted some of it though because I didn't know it needed catalyst to set

I bought a 10kg roll of 600gsm chopped strand glass mat (loads left over) and I've got through about 10kg of resin so far. I did make my own lowered floor pans with it and wasted a load in a failed attempt to fibreglass the entire inside of the cockpit though.

I haven't bonded anything to my chassis, but I'd suggest keying a painted surface with sandpaper before bonding or glassing anything to a painted surface.

Good luck!

Thanks for the information and details Mr T.

I must confess I was gutted when I found out the Spitfire seats wouldn't fit.

Cheers, Paul.

PS
Has your wife found all her clothes piled up at the bottom of the wardrobe yet?

No, and she's not going to either. After all, I've got to wipe up oils spills with something, haven't I?

I've listed my Vitesse 3.89:1 differential on ebay if anyone's looking to give their Herald based Sammio longer legs and better fuel economy -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140867195268?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Diff now sold.

Something had been troubling me about my bonnet for a while now.

Every time I looked at it I could see that the front wheels weren't centred in the arches. The gaps at the front were bigger than those at the back, while the bonnet also seemed to sit rather nose high for my liking.

Seeing the pictures of Phil J's cars, which both have nicely centred front wheels, made me decide to do something about it.

So, this morning, I took a few measurements and worked out that the bonnet needed to go back an inch and down about an inch at the front. So, I took a deep breath and chopped an inch off the back edge of the bonnet -





That's taken the look of the bonnet from this -



To this -



It's looking much better now, but it still needs to go down about half an inch at the front. That's opened up a couple of new problems though: I've had to clearance the inside of the bonnet for the front carb dash-pot to clear but the dynamo is going to need to be moved down and the front of the bonnet now rests on the Honda radiator, so that'll need lowering too.

Ah well, one step forwards, two steps back...

That looks good I have the same issue, maybe worse now I have shunted the bonnet forward, my only concern would be the size of your trailing edge on the wings...
Pops

Good going matey, you're going through exactly what I did! Just don't get down heartened it'll be worth it

Yep, the bottom corners are turning out to be pretty slim. Shouldn't be an issue though...

So, after an overwhelming response to my how much did my seats cost to trim? competition, I've sifted through the almost three answers I received and can announce that the winner is...

Gary H. Bang on the nose at £350 for the pair.

The quotes I got varied considerably - the highest was £800 to do them in vinyl, and that was looking like the ball-park figure for leather until I visited Brockwells on Phil J's advice.

I couldn't be happier with the quality of the workmanship, and, although everyone that had a guess got it pretty much right, I still can't believe the price I paid. When compared to off-the-shelf seats that are available, and one or two other trim jobs I've seen that just wouldn't work for me (tan leather bolsters spring to mind ), I think they were an absolute steal at the price.

Brockwells also retrimmed the head fairing pad and did my edge finishing strip in matching leather for a total of £50, while the fluted leather side panels weigh in at another £100.

So, my total cost to have a bespoke, black leather interior stands at £640. That includes the seat shells, oil tempered hardboard, trimming costs and an off-cut of flint grey automotive carpet.

I can wholeheartedly recommend the Brockwell brothers as good old fashioned craftsmen. They work out of their premises next to the college of West Anglia on Tennyson Avenue in King's Lynn and are definitely worth a visit when you want a top quality job doing at a great price.

Their number is 01553 764582

That was a bargain, we will have a pint one day... Front end does look better. carry on the good work.

Mr T - That is a good price for the seats.

Can I ask the "I know nothing" dumb question about the wheel arches?

Could you have built up the arches to match the wheels instead?

Cheers, Paul.

Hi Paul, it wouldn't really be practical to completely change the shape of the wheelarches, although they do need a little work to get them a bit rounder. I'm afraid it really is a case of biting the bullet and changing things under the bonnet to make it fit properly.

If you look at the two cars Phil J's built already, you'll notice that, in addition to a lowered radiator (Ford Escort if memory serves), he's added a scoop to clear the top hose, a blister to make space for the front carburettor dash-pot and moved the dynamo down to the bottom of the engine to stop that fouling inside the bonnet too. That would appear to be the minimum number of modifications necessary to get the six cylinder engine to fit under the bonnet with it low enough for the front arches to look 'right'.

I'll be taking a look at my radiator and dynamo over the next few days as they're both going to need lowering to get the bonnet where I want it, even with my multiple scoops. Hey ho, these things are sent to try us...

I suppose I could've opted for a pair of these -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Corbeau-Classic-Black-Leather-Racing-Car-Seat-Bucket-/190575283611?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2c5f2c0d9b

If I'd wanted to spend double on my interior and not have the style that I wanted.

Was that £350 net or inc?

That was the total, inc. vat. I don't do the discount for cash, wink wink, thing as I rather want to keep my job and defrauding the exchequer would be a sure-fire way for me to get sacked.

So thats 350 excluding, nudge nudge wink, say no more!
Just feebley trying to prove I was sort of right too.
By my figs they put one together in 5 hours? Speedy work.
They look great, a bargain, especially in leather. :-)

Thanks, I love the way they've turned out and they really suit the car.

The Brockwell brothers are very busy because they have a well-earned reputation and like to turn jobs round quickly. There was a delay of about three weeks before they got round to starting my seats, but then they were ready in two working days.

When I complimented them on the speed of thier work they did mention that the longest they've had a customer's seats is seventeen years, but, based on my experience, that's likely to be down to the customer, not the Brockwells.

Thats what i think i will end up doing, form the curve from the trailing edge with some flat bar curve it to match the corrrect space at the front then glass in the space, sounds simple

That could work, but it would leave the front wings rather high. Take a look at my 'before' shot above and you'll see what I mean.

Height isn't an issue on mine, I have around +-5" clearance from the front of mine to the road, guess thats a lot to do with the smaller engine..
- Will post a side shot later so you see what I mean
Pops

Dynamo mod recommended by Phil J now completed to clear the bonnet. It only took an hour as it's just a case of rotating the dynamo on its bottom mounting points and relocating the top mount somewhere underneath it -







I've also cut down the radiator mounts to lower it by another inch, again to clear the bonnet. Everything's now coated in Hammerite so I should be able to get a bit more done tomorrow when it's dry.

Looks good, thats me away for another month so keep the updates coming so I have something to read..
Pops