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.
if it take years to do and u r enjoying it, that's all that matters.. then the fun with start ....and when u look back you have done it all your self ....and thats just great as a lot of guys have no idea how to change a plug ... let alone build a car well done dave
That's a coincidence. I went through your thread from Page 1 on Tuesday because I realised that I had joined the forum when you were on about Page 25.
As you say, when progress isn't as swift as you would like, it is worth reminding yourself what you have done (and learned) whilst doing a full-time job and dealing with life in general.
Thanks for the support guys, it's much appreciated. I'm also glad I've been able to help a few people along the way. Should be more progress from me once the snow clears...
When I was toying with the idea of fitting larger brakes on mine from the outset (I have a spare set of Vitesse uprights and calipers), a friend said, "Don't. If you do it now, what will you have to do when the car is finished? This is a life project, there's no need to rush." He is right.
Yep, that looks pretty good. You'd just need to source or fabricate a front bulkhead (could a Cordite one be made to fit?) and find a propshaft and you'd have a really good basis for a Spyder. Nice one.
I've just cut the bulkhead off the shell I'm using for Navigator demo 2. If anyone wants it I'll let it go for very little plus delivery. PM me if you want it.
It's a bit of a risk as they've only got one sale under their belts and it's likely to take about three weeks to arrive, but even if the revenue people put vat and import duty on it it'll still be under fifty quid.
Sole reason for buying this is that I've knackered my standard Civic vti radiator. While I was making the bonnet hoop I managed to thump a three metre length of strap iron into the core near the top.
Two bottles of 'rad weld' haven't stopped it leaking when it gets up to temperature and now it's scrap
You can see the problem in this pic - the dark vertical line about four rows wide near the middle of the radiator is coolant seeping out.
A standard replacement would've been £40, but seeing as upgraded alloy ones have been selling on ebay for around £50 I thought I'd hold out for one of those. I'll let you know whether it's a worthwile buy when it arrives...
be nice to see it when it comes... not a lot going on here as. work.. work.. work..getting a bit p/off now.. back in at 12 to day for more gritter driving ...get this out the way then back to work on cars.. hay then goodwood
be nice to see it when it comes... not a lot going on here as. work.. work.. work..getting a bit p/off now.. back in at 12 to day for more gritter driving ...get this out the way then back to work on cars.. hay then goodwood
You're doing a great job keeping the main roads clear round here, Phil, so thanks for that and keep up the good work.
I've just been outside and cleared the snow and ice of our daily drivers as my wife has to work this afternoon too and I wanted her to have the choice of her car or mine.
The real irony is that my Spyder is sat in a nice, dry garage, wearing brand new winter tyres. I chose them because a/ I liked the tread pattern, and, b/ because I've always found mud & snow tyres to be really grippy no matter what the road conditions - wet/dry/ even lanes covered in muck by Norfolk's land-owning Gentry. They just wear out faster than summer tyres, but that's not really an issue with these cars.
Anyway, can't wait to get my car on the road and really looking forward to Goodwood.
Wife went to work at one-thirty, so I thought, sore throat be-damned! and went out into the garage to start tackling one of those little jobs that's been annoying me for a year or more, the side mirrors.
I don't know if anyone else has had issues with the location of their 'door' or wing mirrors? I have a vague recollection of Dave C possibly saying his were useless. I tried mine in several different places: on the 'door' tops; ahead of the fly-screen; a little way down the side of the body. No matter where I put them I couldn't get the required rear three-quarter view I wanted. the driver's side one usually gave me a great view of my right shoulder while I generally couldn't see anything at all out of the passenger side one, even if I could see the mirror, which I usually couldn't.
So, as I actually want to be able to see cars coming past me before I change lanes on the motorway I decided I needed to do something about it, and it occurred to me that if they were a bit higher they might actually be of some use. So, an hour with some sheet aluminium and a tape measure and I now have a 'streamlined' alloy pedestal for the driver's mirror that raises it three inches and puts it where it'll actually work as advertised.
I'll be making another for the passenger side tomorrow and I'm expecting them to blend in with the body pretty well once the silver paint's applied and the protective plastic is taken off the aluminium to leave it shiny.
I'd be interested in people's thoughts on this one, anyone got a better solution?
I think that that is rather reminiscent of the way that they would have solved the problem in the 50s. We know how the D24 grew various bits and bulges as time passed.
As you were describing it in the text I was thinking that it might look odd, but from the pics, I totally agree with you. And, once the silver paint is on it will look very functional.
Most importantly of all, you will now see what is behind you. Nice job.
That's the cheap nasty steering wheel that came with the donor. It's gone back on because I did a bit of fibreglassing round the edges of the cockpit the other day and didn't want to get resin on my shiny wooden one.
They ally mirror pedestal is really growing on me too, I wasn't too sure at first, but the more I look at it, the better it gets. Can't wait to make the second one now...
I ended up positioning mine so that they looked nicest which meant that while I did get the drivers side useful, the passengers side was there largely just for decoration!
That said...... I found that when driving I normally just looked over my shoulders anyway, especially on the motorway!
I'm not sure about boxing them in, perhaps mock it up with cardboard just so you can "compare & contrast"