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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.

Geoff's 250 SWB Replica Build

5 Jan 2014, 4:27pm
Scottie22 wrote:
Hi,
Ref the airbag, if you re-body the car, I suppose it follows that you register it correctly and call it whatever.

Then, when you come to insure it, the company usually will give you a form to fill in ,or ask you verbal questions.

Make sure they know it has no airbag, there may be no need to invite trouble and tell them it's been removed, if you see my drift?


Speak to 'A' Plan specialist insurance brokers, they actually knew what I was talking about when I contacted them about insuring my self built pride and joy.

I also paid £93 for a year's fully comp when I renewed with them on my 2 litre spyder, down from £99 the previous year. :party:
5 Jan 2014, 5:11pm
Scottie22 wrote:
Air bag can be removed easily enough (disconnect the battery first, or it may activate upon removal l!)

But there may be problems with zealous Mot people, and perhaps issues with the ECU which may notice it's missing.

I did exactly this with a car of mine with no such issues, bit it may not work for everyone.

Best to research this in-depth first. Hope this helps.

Good luck with whatever you choose.


Some airbag electronics store a charge (capacitors?) and the recommendation is to leave a while (30mins?) after disconnecting the battery before attempting removal. You may have to put in a dummy resistor (called a squib I believe) in place of the airbag so that the ECU is ok.
5 Jan 2014, 5:21pm
Geoff, as previously said I love what you and Chris are doing with this project and following it closely.
Have you got any update pics that you could load on this site.
Have you started thinking about the front grill, lights, and will you be looking at a way to put chrome around the windscreen, rear glass and doors. Also fuel filler cap and any chrome bumpers or over riders?
Keep the good work up.
One thing on the air bag. I removed mine from my DNA430 and was OK with insurance. You will need to blank the warning light on the dash as otherwise this will be an immediate MOT failure. If it's not on, they will not check it. Hope this helps
5 Jan 2014, 5:32pm
It is 5 minutes between disconnecting the battery and removing the airbag on a Z3 accoreding to the YouTube I saw.
6 Jan 2014, 10:08am
Rudycob1 wrote:
Geoff, as previously said I love what you and Chris are doing with this project and following it closely.
Have you got any update pics that you could load on this site.
Have you started thinking about the front grill, lights, and will you be looking at a way to put chrome around the windscreen, rear glass and doors. Also fuel filler cap and any chrome bumpers or over riders?
Keep the good work up.
One thing on the air bag. I removed mine from my DNA430 and was OK with insurance. You will need to blank the warning light on the dash as otherwise this will be an immediate MOT failure. If it's not on, they will not check it. Hope this helps


Morning Rudycob1 answers to your questions would be ,
Grill will probaly be made up by a friend of Chris , if not certain Peugeots have something that looks the part!
All lights bought (old style) sealed beam headlights and Carello side and indicator lenses to be attached to Lucas holders , plus my pride and joy expensive *Original* front wing repeater indicators


WCA has already spoken about the chrome and i will probaly follow suite and use chrome wrap and see what happens , no bumpers or overiders for my *race * look , there are people selling resistors on Ebay that are supposed to mask the removal of the Airbag which may be the way to go rather than removing the dash to work on the bulb!
I am hiring a van and driving down to Dorset on Wednesday to pick the bits from the Z3 that wouldn`t fit in my Alfa 159ti , bonnet etc so will take some more photos then , thanks Geoff .
6 Jan 2014, 9:24pm
Geoff
Really like what you are doing with this.
Look forward to more update pics.
There are aftermarket chrome windscreen surrounds available for the Z3 if that's of interest to you.
Chrome wrap is OK but will not give the 3D effect. I have been looking into this and was wondering if there if a flexible enough chrome strip that can be used around the windscreen and rear screen and a wider moulding to put around the door frame. I suppose this will be trial and error.
Love those side indicators.
6 Jan 2014, 9:37pm
If you like the side repeaters, I have similar in clear glass. Check my thread and pm me if you want them
7 Jan 2014, 1:05pm
Cheers Nick i am sorted for the rest of the lights , Geoff .
8 Jan 2014, 8:32pm
Geoff's SWB is coming together nicely. The rear end is nearly all there, next stage will be to glass all the parts together and start filling and shaping.



Having brought the front end up the windscreen by a couple of inches has removed the clearance issue over the top mounts on the front suspension struts and has the bonus of improving the side window opening too.



The Z3 doors aren't a bad shape when viewed from the side but belly out in the centre, this will be sorted by adding new door skins.



The rear valance seemed a bit deep and bulky, so it was unscrewed and pushed up 1.5 inches. Much better.

8 Jan 2014, 11:34pm
Really looking good. It's starting to take shape. The glass works well and looking forward to seeing the rest of it coming together.
9 Jan 2014, 9:51am
O my god i started off with a Z3 which then turned into a AC Kobra Coupe and know the MG *Leyland* never built:roll: i visited Chris yesterday to pick up the large bits off the Z3 , 540 miles round trip in an excellent hire van from Enterprise on £83 worth of diesel , know to put some adverts on Ebay , Geoff .
9 Jan 2014, 4:38pm
Rear view

Very nice! Wonder where Chris got his inspiration from...........[IMG][/IMG]
9 Jan 2014, 4:43pm
Scottie22 wrote:
Very nice! Wonder where Chris got his inspiration from...........


Oh dear, don't start that again.

With Tribute's history with B*nt*y I think the purveyors of expensive gentlemens' (and footballers') carriages paying attention to Chris's current work could cause a few, erm, issues... :rant:

Don't mention the litigation. I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it.
9 Jan 2014, 4:47pm
Litigation, is that a new kit car or something?
9 Jan 2014, 6:21pm
Did not realise Chris had finished the build, bit naughty putting that badge on it though!
9 Jan 2014, 6:42pm
Scottie, please remove the B*ntl*y pictures ASAP. Thank you.
9 Jan 2014, 8:20pm
:drum: :peep: :tea: er at this stage could i ask what people think of the lancia aurelia coupe. period gt car. and in fibreglass the shell would last longer than the original :-) if I knew how to upload pics id show you a racy red number but I don't. Sorry Chris, couldn't help it, but they look so nice. would work well off the kobra kit front and a shortened back end of the 250 swb.
9 Jan 2014, 8:28pm
:lol: don't worry didn't mention b$%£ly or mer"£!des or ro$%s ro&ce gt cars.
9 Jan 2014, 8:31pm
also known as a lancia aurelia b20
9 Jan 2014, 8:56pm
zagmad wrote:
also known as a lancia aurelia b20


Did someone say Lancia replica?



So far so no contact from the Cosa Nostra. :twitch:
9 Jan 2014, 8:57pm
Give it time..............
9 Jan 2014, 9:20pm
:pop2: well with my hunt for cars that would work well off the 250 kit I came across the lancia aurelia. Chris thought it looked like a certain car that is no more or mentioned above should I say. its a bit like lancia's version of db cars. a mix of db4 and db6 and a riley elf/alfa front end.
10 Jan 2014, 12:24am
Lancia B20

Lancia B20. Good enough for Tin Tin, good enough for me:


and reputedly Bracco's Mille Miglia car complete with a roof chop


Do you think you can put the chopped version over a Z3 Chris?
10 Jan 2014, 8:33am
the wing itself sits quite high above the arch so might be able to raise the fibreglass shell to give the lowered screen look. but would also have to raise the points where the bmw bonnet pivots from to get clearance. the roof on these is also quite high so that would also help to balance that out. giving you the simon cowell affect. its got quite short overhang at the front and back so less material required . some steels with caps would look nice.