MadaboutKitcars

Right, this is me throwing my hinges in the bin and using your sexy new design instead........ good work that man

Thanks Chris, need to do a final fit first but there is so much lift initially it should be fine. May get that done sunday eve, so hang on to your hinges until then !!!

Did you go to the Brunel school of bonnet hinges. They are Ace.

While you are at it how about engineering a quick release mechanism into it for complete bonnet removal

Thanks Peeps, yes I think Brunel was pretty cool! They are pretty strong. I could get air lifted bout by them if need be. I have drilled them out a bit to save a few grams.....
Fitted them this eve.
Good idea John, all I can come up with is either wing nuts on the mounts or it would only be two nuts per side to split the hinges. I might weld up two of the bolts. Good idea!

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Chopped out the middle of the bonnet inner molding (sorry Chris) to get clearance over my suspension brace, but also to use sections if the molding to add new hinge mounts further out....[IMG][/IMG]

...

Tomorrow Ill glass those new bits, glassing over some 6mm plate to tap into.
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I was thinking Classic Saab 900 hinges might do the trick but the red hinges might just be fromm a Saab

Thanks, those saabs do have wacky hinges, but to ne honest I am (honest!) Enjoying re-inventing the wheel!

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[SIZE="3"]Fitted an 8" strip of 4mm steel into the new bumps for the hinges. Bedded them on filler, then glassed over the top with 6 layers.[/SIZE]
[SIZE="3"]Glued the inner and outer skins of the bonnet together with a polyurethane constructional adhesive. Hope its the right shape! Had some foam so filled the voids in a bit.[/SIZE]

Have you stolen every clamp in existence?

Um....we have more...these are the small ones....can probably manage about 130, plus sash cramps....

You have almost enough clamps to build a boat!

Sink one I think!!!!!!

Not mine!
http://www.sailingscenes.co.uk/watermark.php?i=43902

http://intheboatshed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Ocean-Pearl-250611.jpeg

At last, an excuse for a BOAT pic!!

Wipers

Still loads to do until I glue the front on. Had a go at the wipers today. Although Tribute suggest extending the spindles, I had a hope that they may just move up. The linkages have lovely ball joints, but seeing as access is reduced I do not want to compromise Mazdas reliable components then not be able to get at them. Chris at Tribute designed the body to cover part of the glass to reduce the area of the screen and increase the length of the bonnet. Far more correct for the right look so I decided against cutting it back to the original bonnet line.

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So I made up a couple of 2mm stainless steel mounts that move the spindles out about 34mm. When fitted some of the original mount needed to be massaged down a bit to give clearance, but overall so far so good. A bit of the water cover on the fan needed bit removed, plus the flange for the PHD wiper position.[IMG][/IMG]

Refitted the body and popped the holes through.

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Just need to decide now to either fit the converters to old style wiper arms or stick with these and get them chromed.

I may need to mould in a recess. Here is the corner of a paint tray which would make a perfect mold (mould?). May do that tomorrow. Workshop was getting chilly this evening!
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Picked up my latest EBAY purchase...a Japspeed exhaust in stainless steel. Retails around £600, I paid £50

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Found some nice stainless wiper arms, 15 1/4" long, new old stock, ex Daimler!
my spindle adaptors arrived too, so I bored out the hole to 7mm, then tapped it out to 8mm to match the threads on the Mazda spindle. To match the flairef base on the spindle I stuck the adaptor in the lathe and flared the base to match.
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Here they are fitted.....[IMG][/IMG]

Both arms need a crank on the end, and one extending by about an inch to match the old Mazda ones.
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Need to mould in a 10mm recess tomorrow!

Glad to see you haven't moved the car outside yet to make way for boring boat related work.

Good work on the wipers. That exhaust was a steal!!

It is getting close to being kicked out....should have put a,boat in its place this week..... anyway, never mind the customers, this is more important! Need to do more in the eves, but after a day in the cold workshop I have had enough!
The exhaust came from a chap who clears self storage units. People leave stuff behind and he ebays it. He had no idea what it was for, so it was badly listed

Cheap exhaust Nick ! How many hours did it take you to find that ?

A friend sent me the link. He always searches for badly listed items. Kind of searching for what you would not list it as!
I will lose the 4" exit though!
Re colour, am steering towards Dove Grey(thanks garyh)!

Jap speed is a freudian slip don't you think. Thought you would be more of a shark grey than a dove !

Thanks Peeps, not sure about the froid bit, but sharkskin grey is what my boat is painted. It like a light green!

Finally made some progress today. Made up two bits of ply to go in the nose cone. They will duct air into the radiator, plus as they slot over the abs bumper they will support the front as well. Here they are just pugged in.[IMG][/IMG]

I also wanted to improve how the front wing runs into the front valance, losing the corners and also adding an upstand to add support and strength. I cut away the flange, tapered the glass and screwed on two pieces of plastic sheet. More plastic on edge plus some tape and we now have a former for some [IMG][/IMG]glass.

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If I have enough drive I may go back down to the workshop this eve and glass it in, once the kids are in bed!
I also taped in the small divits for the wipers. Just using corners of a small paint tray as in duty moulds. The grey stuff is gell coat.
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Great work you are an insperation.

Are you in the workshop Nick? Cold today isn't it!!