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This is one of the wonderful things about this stage of a Sammio build... It's kind of like having an extended Xmas with 'presents' arriving at regular intervals
Unfortunately he's grounded at the moment so he can only look at them and not play with them!!!!
I borrowed a rear suspension bit from an SE6 so I could fit the only size of bushing available. This allowed me to get the rear suspension back together. It was worth busting my knuckles stood in the rain nicking it off an upturned SE6.
Once the suspension was reconstructed I could fit the fuel tank and then run the fuel line forward, fit the new electric fuel pump, fit the fuel regulator, filter and reach the carb.
At this point I hit a snag. I connected the fuel pipe to the little brass(?) tube. I then realised I hadn't slipped the fuel pipe clip on so pulled the pipe to remove it and the pipe pulled free but with the brass tube pulled out of the carb.
A bit of Googling and it turns out the early carbs did this but normally when they got warm and sprayed petrol over the engine. There were quite a number of car fires on the early Essex engines. apparently the solution is to drill and fit a self tapping screw to hold the brass pipe in place. One for tomorrow.
Having spent the whole day down the garage I was sure there was more to type.
Wiring loom has arrived so will spend this evening staring at unfathomable diagrams and pretty coloured wires on the living room floor.
Updated the build site with general progress. i am getting lazy and only updating it about once a month now although I haven't been making great progress because of the rest of my life getting in the way.
I am quite pleased with the before and after pictures of the tacho (ignore the camera shake if you can)
Gary - If you read this can you PM or email me please. I have nearly fixed my truck so hopefully I will be able to get down to you in the next could of weeks to pick up the body. I just want to know which weekend works best for you. Cheers
I was inspired to clean when I saw the price of a new set of Smiths dials!!!
I also like the way the speedo and tacho contain the ignition, main been and trafficator lights. much less mess on the finished dashboard and every car should be fitted with Trafficators.
Yep, it keeps it simple. What i saw on one old car, is having the tach on it own on the passenger side fitted into a pod just below dash? I may do that for effect. I won't be chasing the revs to change gear.
'I haven't been making great progress because of the rest of my life getting in the way.WorldClassAccident
I know the feeling which is why I have only removed the sold parts from my donor and not started in earnest. At the moment I am working my way through a long list of DIY jobs. My fault for buying a property to extend and restore instead of one which would have allowed me to get straight into the garage and concentrate on hobbies. At the moment other peoples builds are motivating me to get things finished.
Gary h: I think thats a speedo with trip and mileometer for the navigator. Racers normally have the rev counter in front of them and the speedo to one side as the revs their pulling is more important to monitor than the speed they are travelling. Although in your picture they look as they are both speedos.
I think they stuck the rev counter down there as part of the modernisation so they didn't have to change the original dial. Adds functionality but is easily reversible when they come to sell.
Yep, it keeps it simple. What i saw on one old car, is having the tach on it own on the passenger side fitted into a pod just below dash? I may do that for effect. I won't be chasing the revs to change gear.
You've got it the wrong way round.
The tach is in the instrument cluster.
For road use a speedo with odometer and trip counter has been fitted under the passenger side dash.
I painted the bottom of the old Scimitar tub with black rubber to hide the white plastic and possibly offer sound proofing not rust proofing.
I am now thinking of coating the inside with a colour to get rid of the hideous green but that brings back the "What Colour" dilema...
Zinc Chromate Green! lane:
Seriously though it is a vexing question. I guess it depends on your taste and the 'style' of the car.
If replicating an old 1950's car and the external colours is BRG/Ecurie Ecosse Blue/Burgundy/Red/Yellow then inside would perhaps look better with a neutral Aluminium/Silver and / or Black.
If a modern 'fusion' look then anything goes: Porsche Lime Green and Tangerine interior perhaps....
My current thinking is deep burgundy bodywork with predominantly light wood and tan leather interior. Probably body coloured doors with tan leather caps and the floor and foot wells black.
The 'engine turned' alloy dash was 'the thing' in the early '30's (Bugatti etc) and was part of the Art Deco scene - it works better on some cars than others (IMHO).
Gary warned me that silver can be a git to spray. Apparently it is sensitive to direction of application.
Hmm, at Stoneleigh Mike said silver takes the most prep as it shows every defect. Bearing in mind I've never sprayed anything other than with rattle cans before I thought 'how hard can it be?' Thing is, if anyone points out defects in my paint finish (which there will be) I'll just show them a picture of that C Type Jag cockpit and point out that these cars were built to race, not show and shine.
Agree about the dash, a bit Pebble Beach show car, although I would still find space on the drive if I was given it.
I'd have a struggle of conscience if I was given the 328 as a gift - OK, it's a beautiful car, but I'd have to hide it in the garage as it's a BMW and I don't want my neighbours to think I'm a wnker.
If you want to go for the aluminium-bodied racer style look you can always spray two coats of silver that are different shades (slightly darker one underneath). Then go at it with some wire wool and it will look like the BMW above, and you don't have to worry about imperfections in the body because they were caused when Phil Hill nudged your father at Sebring in '59.
Pic of Phil below. Unfortunately, the photographer did not develop the rolls with the pics of the Sammio as they were lost in a pit fire later that day. http://www.jimmygibsonphotographer.com/shop/view/72
If you want to go for the aluminium-bodied racer style look you can always spray two coats of silver that are different shades (slightly darker one underneath). Then go at it with some wire wool and it will look like the BMW above, and you don't have to worry about imperfections in the body because they were caused when Phil Hill nudged your father at Sebring in '59.
Pic of Phil below. Unfortunately, the photographer did not develop the rolls with the pics of the Sammio as they were lost in a pit fire later that day. http://www.jimmygibsonphotographer.com/shop/view/72
Yes, I do write fiction in my spare time.
You could of course bash out an alloy body....
I remember my father telling me that he was near the pits the day of the fire and noticed the photographers bag alight. He said that a carelessly discarded Woodbine had ignited a spirit soaked rag in the pocket of a passing Italian mechanic, who was returning to the pits after lunch, with a large salami. Upon noticing the build up of heat, shouts of panic and the smell he hurriedly removed his overalls (causing some embarrassment to the ladies present) and discarded these next to the photographers film stock, causing ignition of the the cellulose film.
My father said he was glad my mother had not been present as she would have been shocked at the singeing of the mechanics salami. More importantly he said the Sammio Spyders were pushed clear but the two prototype G46 models that were there for testing (which on the track had shown great promise over the Jaguar, Aston Martin and Ferrari entrants) were caught in the conflagration. The mechanics had used a Pyrene extinguisher in an effort to save the cars but for some reason this made things worse.
Although the cars were almost completely destroyed a small piece of bodywork survived and rumours spread that it was not aluminium or magnesium as suspected but some newer, thinner 'Bakelite' type material.
A search for photographs of the G46 prototypes running on the circuit continues but as there were only a small number of professional photographers present on the day it is possible that images may be obtained from members of the public and an appeal will be made via the programme at the next Holton Heath circuit race meeting.
Stop Press: There have been rumours that Sammio G46 cars had been seen in action on the Continent and had been raced for some time at different circuits, under assumed names, in order to complete testing prior to a possible Le Man entry in the future. The lack of badging on these mysterious cars has no doubt made it easier for the entrants, who are believed to be Ex-works.
lane: 
nker.