8 Jul 2013, 4:35pm
come on then, more than an hour has passed and we don't have the follow up report!
Mister Towed's Tai Chi build
8 Jul 2013, 4:43pm
He'll be miles away, legally, by now. Wind in the skull and flies in teeth. Loving it 
8 Jul 2013, 4:46pm
Come on, you've got a smartphone, we should have a video of the inspector issuing the test certificate...........
8 Jul 2013, 5:20pm
8 Jul 2013, 5:24pm
you look much much better in the shot where your wearing a wig!
Well done, im jealous! now you can start the never ending tinkering phase :-)
Well done, im jealous! now you can start the never ending tinkering phase :-)
8 Jul 2013, 5:26pm
Outstanding! 
Well done Mister Towed, your car is a credit to you and looks the absolute business.
I expect the grin will stay on your face for a long time to come.
Enjoy the fruits of your labour, Paul.
Well done Mister Towed, your car is a credit to you and looks the absolute business.
I expect the grin will stay on your face for a long time to come.
Enjoy the fruits of your labour, Paul.
8 Jul 2013, 5:26pm
Mighty cool. Well done. That's a proud smile.
8 Jul 2013, 6:29pm
Italiano
Towed
I am lost for words as you have badged it as a Lancia! and my wife is Italian she sends you this message
"che bellissma macchina d'argento"
Bravo sir bravo!
Towed
I am lost for words as you have badged it as a Lancia! and my wife is Italian she sends you this message
"che bellissma macchina d'argento"
Bravo sir bravo!
8 Jul 2013, 7:16pm
Whoo hoooo!! Congrats matey, and just in time to enjoy all the sun
Plus maximum respect to you both for getting dressed up for the first run out!
Plus maximum respect to you both for getting dressed up for the first run out!
8 Jul 2013, 8:16pm
Thanks for the compliments guys
Viatron - the tinkering starts tomorrow with a session on the rolling road dyno to set the engine up properly.
Paul - that silly grin is here to stay. I can't believe it, a British man wins Wimbledon and I get my Spyder road legal within 24 hours!
Oxford - your turn will come before you know it, and everyone else will be as green as your chassis with envy
CT - tell your wife 'dirle grazie.'
Dave C - dressed up? That's what we always wear when we drive fifties racing cars
So, once it's been on the dyno I'll be popping into Brockwells to sort out a tonneau cover, then down to JD signs in Southery to order the racing roundels. I also need to get the wheel alignment sorted. Then I'll start a proper running report.
Early signs are very promising - with the driver's seat cushion now lowered it's a real blast to drive - it sounds fantastic and gets loads of attention. I've even had a young chap offer me a straight swap for his '13 plate Astra, which I politely declined. The engine pulls like a locomotive even before it's been set up properly, the brakes are strong (servo'd) and the clutch, gear change and steering are light and precise. After putting a few miles on it this afternoon to get used to it I'd say it's no harder to drive than my ForFour.
More tomorrow
Viatron - the tinkering starts tomorrow with a session on the rolling road dyno to set the engine up properly.
Paul - that silly grin is here to stay. I can't believe it, a British man wins Wimbledon and I get my Spyder road legal within 24 hours!
Oxford - your turn will come before you know it, and everyone else will be as green as your chassis with envy
CT - tell your wife 'dirle grazie.'
Dave C - dressed up? That's what we always wear when we drive fifties racing cars
So, once it's been on the dyno I'll be popping into Brockwells to sort out a tonneau cover, then down to JD signs in Southery to order the racing roundels. I also need to get the wheel alignment sorted. Then I'll start a proper running report.
Early signs are very promising - with the driver's seat cushion now lowered it's a real blast to drive - it sounds fantastic and gets loads of attention. I've even had a young chap offer me a straight swap for his '13 plate Astra, which I politely declined. The engine pulls like a locomotive even before it's been set up properly, the brakes are strong (servo'd) and the clutch, gear change and steering are light and precise. After putting a few miles on it this afternoon to get used to it I'd say it's no harder to drive than my ForFour.
More tomorrow
8 Jul 2013, 8:21pm
I think Ribbl now do rondels and numbers
8 Jul 2013, 9:34pm
I get back to (semi) civilisation after a week in the bush to find that a British man has won Wimbledon; Abu Qatadi is in Jordan; the Church has apologised for child abuse and now Towed's car is road legal, surely this is all some crazy dream and those mushrooms weren't edible after all!
Congratulations! I hope the weather in the UK is good enough that you can enjoy it for a while, its turned out to be one of my favourite Spyders!
Congratulations! I hope the weather in the UK is good enough that you can enjoy it for a while, its turned out to be one of my favourite Spyders!
8 Jul 2013, 9:36pm
Inspirational build
Towed, Truely inspitational.
A bit like Andy Murray, you have set a high standard for those to follow.
The Silverstone track awaits......
HM
Towed, Truely inspitational.
A bit like Andy Murray, you have set a high standard for those to follow.
The Silverstone track awaits......
HM
8 Jul 2013, 10:12pm
Thanks guys, I still have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.
I know people sometimes go on about fulfilling their lifetime's ambition, like Andy Murray wanting to win Wimbledon for, what, about a decade? but the desire to build my own silver sports racing car has been burning in me for more than thirty years. And now I've done it. Wimbledon, Shrimbledon.
I know people sometimes go on about fulfilling their lifetime's ambition, like Andy Murray wanting to win Wimbledon for, what, about a decade? but the desire to build my own silver sports racing car has been burning in me for more than thirty years. And now I've done it. Wimbledon, Shrimbledon.
9 Jul 2013, 6:55am
Congrats mr T job well done, now enjoy
9 Jul 2013, 7:22am
Brilliant work, T. Hurry up and make the most of this weather.... Pics and vids, please.
1,000 posts and I've barely started!
1,000 posts and I've barely started!
9 Jul 2013, 7:30am
Truly wonderful result Towed, our heartfelt congratulations on your fantastic achievement. Enjoy the moment in this perfect summer sun.
9 Jul 2013, 7:32am
A little bit at a time Gary and you'll be on the road before you know it.
Pops, the offer still stands - if you're ever back in West Norfolk I'll take you out for a cheer up blast. It's a great way to put a smile back on your face and forget the stresses and strains of modern life for a few minutes.
Hoping to take a bit of video of my car on the dyno later.
Pops, the offer still stands - if you're ever back in West Norfolk I'll take you out for a cheer up blast. It's a great way to put a smile back on your face and forget the stresses and strains of modern life for a few minutes.
Hoping to take a bit of video of my car on the dyno later.
9 Jul 2013, 7:41am
looks brilliant, welldone :-)
definitely one of the best dash's i've seen so far
definitely one of the best dash's i've seen so far
9 Jul 2013, 7:52am
Top Job Mr T 
now must push on with mine before envy sets in
now must push on with mine before envy sets in
9 Jul 2013, 11:06am
Does anyone know the maximum file size picture that can be uploaded to the Madabout Picture Gallery?
I'd like to add a few more finished Spyder pics to the Sammio album, but I don't seem to be able to get them to load.
From memory, I had to shrink the file size to upload the one I have managed to post, but I can't find the link to the advice I got about a year ago.
I'd like to add a few more finished Spyder pics to the Sammio album, but I don't seem to be able to get them to load.
From memory, I had to shrink the file size to upload the one I have managed to post, but I can't find the link to the advice I got about a year ago.
9 Jul 2013, 6:02pm
So, the best laid plans of mice and men don't always come to fruition. My plan for today was simple - deliver car to tuner uppers at 9am, watch, assist and video car on the dyno. Pop into Brockwells to get a quote for a tonneau, quick lunch in King's Lynn then home via JD Signs in Southery to discuss the roundels I want.
Set back number 1 - the chap who runs the dyno had a bit of a family crisis he needed to sort out so my car had to wait. Until after 3pm
But hey, the best things in life are worth waiting for, and I got to reverse it onto the rolling road and do the first couple of runs. It does feel really odd winding the car up to nearly 100mph at a standstill.
The good news is that the speedo reads pretty much spot on. Having fitted a GT6 3.27:1 differential I also sourced a non overdrive GT6 speedo to match. My 175/70/14 tyres obviously have a larger rolling diameter than the standard 155/80/13's - about 10% - but this just seems to have taken out the traditional 10% over read that most car speedos have as a sort of safety net to protect the driver from speeding fines.
Bad news is that the tacho has a mind of its own. The videos show it reading over 2,000 rpm at an actual idle speed of under 800, and it winds itself off the scale at mid revs. I'd already fitted a new cable, but does anyone recognise the symptoms? Worn out drive in the distributor or worn out tacho? Got to be one of the two. Or both.
Anyway, here's what you've really been waiting for, some video -
It was then time for the professionals to take over (as they've got rather less mechanical sympathy than I have and wouldn't be quite so reluctant to rev the t*ts off my engine -
Which is when setback number 2 became apparent. To cut a long story short, the clutch and/or the crankshaft oil seal failed, leading to massive clutch slip and close of play for today.
So, car limped the seven miles back home on a light throttle (shouting at people ahead who kept slowing for no reason leaving me having to gently wind the revs back on to pick up speed again) and a new clutch kit ordered.
Plan for tomorrow - take wife out for lunch as promised, but in the Smart not the Spyder
Plan for Thursday - engine out remove clutch and flywheel and see what's what.
Hey ho, these things are sent to try us.
Set back number 1 - the chap who runs the dyno had a bit of a family crisis he needed to sort out so my car had to wait. Until after 3pm
But hey, the best things in life are worth waiting for, and I got to reverse it onto the rolling road and do the first couple of runs. It does feel really odd winding the car up to nearly 100mph at a standstill.
The good news is that the speedo reads pretty much spot on. Having fitted a GT6 3.27:1 differential I also sourced a non overdrive GT6 speedo to match. My 175/70/14 tyres obviously have a larger rolling diameter than the standard 155/80/13's - about 10% - but this just seems to have taken out the traditional 10% over read that most car speedos have as a sort of safety net to protect the driver from speeding fines.
Bad news is that the tacho has a mind of its own. The videos show it reading over 2,000 rpm at an actual idle speed of under 800, and it winds itself off the scale at mid revs. I'd already fitted a new cable, but does anyone recognise the symptoms? Worn out drive in the distributor or worn out tacho? Got to be one of the two. Or both.
Anyway, here's what you've really been waiting for, some video -
It was then time for the professionals to take over (as they've got rather less mechanical sympathy than I have and wouldn't be quite so reluctant to rev the t*ts off my engine -
Which is when setback number 2 became apparent. To cut a long story short, the clutch and/or the crankshaft oil seal failed, leading to massive clutch slip and close of play for today.
So, car limped the seven miles back home on a light throttle (shouting at people ahead who kept slowing for no reason leaving me having to gently wind the revs back on to pick up speed again) and a new clutch kit ordered.
Plan for tomorrow - take wife out for lunch as promised, but in the Smart not the Spyder
Plan for Thursday - engine out remove clutch and flywheel and see what's what.
Hey ho, these things are sent to try us.
9 Jul 2013, 6:48pm
No real problems - just teething troubles...sure you'll get it sorted.
10 Jul 2013, 6:39am
bummer, I feel your pain! oh well just looks like the slide from build to tinker has happened a bit quicker than planned then? Engine in and out in a day?
10 Jul 2013, 7:21am
bummer, I feel your pain! oh well just looks like the slide from build to tinker has happened a bit quicker than planned then? Engine in and out in a day?
I'm allowing two.