MadaboutKitcars

RedRatBike - I hate to say it, but my driveway sounds more appealing than a lock up without power.

Although, obviously, not as appealing as a huge garage with power, heating, a car lift, etc.

Having said that, I'd actually settle for a just a driveway that was flat and level.

Enjoy the TT.

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Quick Catch Up:
Wednesday Morning - A misty rain had prevented me from sneaking in some work on the car.

Wednesday evening - I had arrived here, in advance of a full day's work on Thursday.



This was the first time I'd seen the Cardiff Bay development & it is very impressive.

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Saturday - Part 1:
A very slow start to the day, as the rest of the family are all ill, and I feel like I'm running on empty.
( So it is quite likely that I am fighting what ever bug has confined everyone else to the sofas. )

Started with a very simple job of tightening up the last two fixing bolts for the headlight bowls on both sides.
( I'd only tightened up two on each side originally, but the lights are now staying in place until the MOT. )



Then the rest of the day was spent getting more fibreglass matting on in a number of areas.

I opened up the joins along the bonnet return lip.







Cleaned up the inside edges of the two pieces I bolted into place on Tuesday.



Sanded down any excess bonding paste from the plywood panels next to the bulkhead.
( As it is easier to reach this area now, before I extend the side of the body shell. )



Added an extra bracket along the body shell extension piece.
( This is where the clamp originally held the panel in place. )



End of Part 1…

Saturday - Part 2:
I then added the first round of fibreglass matting to these areas.
( See photos below, after round two. )

I also added some matting on the outside edge of the front wheel arch.
( Over any low spots remaining from the initial repair work. )



Once this was all set, I could remove the fixing brackets and tidy up the screw holes.



At this point, I still have two small sections of the original arch left over.



So one was trimmed down a bit and fixed into position underneath the existing body shell extension piece.



I ground out the join on the outside of the bonnet.
( Note: I've already done two small sections of this join. )



After yet more fibreglassing, these are the areas I was working on.









Again, I just can't get a photo of the inside of the body shell extension piece.

But this is what the arch is looking like now.



Let's be honest, it is still not looking very nice is it?

But with a bit of luck, some fibreglass filler will be going on a section of this tomorrow.

So until then, take care, Paul.

Coming along nicely!

You have been looking at it too long Paul

I think its coming along nicely, ive seen your other mods and they all look like this before just before you finish them.

Been following this thread everyday since I found it a few months ago and now get withdrawal symptoms if there isn't any updates for a few days.

Then when there is, it's always uplifting to see how much you have done. It's always great to read and gives a little boost for me to pull my socks up and do more work on my car project.

Great work Paul.

Molleur, Roadster & WelshOne - Cheers chaps.

Even though it does feel like slow progress, I know this is definitely heading in the right direction.

And Roadster is right, all my other Frankenstein modifications looked terrible at this stage too.

So the good news is that, hopefully, by the time this area is finished, casual observers will assume it always looked like that.

Which is one of the main reasons for covering all the work I do in great detail in this build thread.

As part of me is really gutted that this project has taken me over 4 years and counting.

But whenever I go back through this thread, the sheer volume of work I've completed to get to this point defies belief.

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Sunday Service - Part 1:
My wife's brother & his wife will be coming to visit us in a few weeks time, so my domestic chores list is growing fast.

So I was in the garden first thing in the morning, picking jobs that didn't require the use of "noisy toys".

A bit like the front wheel arch, sometimes you need to make a mess before things improve.









With a decent start made in the garden, I could then play (quietly) with the car for a bit.

I sanded down the front half of the wing and then cleaned it.



Mixed up some fibreglass filler and applied it.



Then it was back into the garden for some more pruning/weeding.

Back at the car, the filler was sanded down.



Obviously, this makes a HUGE difference to how the arch repairs look.

The "bandages" were also removed from the last bit of bonnet work I did.



End of Part 1…

Sunday - Part 2:
More gardening and then it was time to make some noise as I ground out the bonnet joins.



I also measured up and cut out a small section of fibreglass to act as a filler piece for the body shell extension.

Which was fixed into position with the main arch extension piece like so.



One fibreglassing session later and I'd started to build up the bonnet joins.



I'd also added some matting behind the body shell extension, which is very hard to reach/photo.



While that was setting I mowed the grass and it always looks "crisp" when the edging has been done.



Unfortunately, the edging only goes a bit further than what you can see, I still have most of it to do.

Anyway, that is enough gardening for one update and I've leave you with my work in progress.



Notes:
- The car is still "tilted", so the arch will be closer to the wheel when I'm on the road.
- I still need to add fibreglass filler to the return edge which should smooth the curve out a bit.
- The rubber bonnet seal is not in place and this will "lift" the bonnet up slightly.

My current plan is to finish off the body shell extension before adding the final section to the end of the bonnet.

As I want to add a horizontal section to connect the extension to the Spitfire bulkhead.

This will hopefully add some strength/support and provide somewhere to "locate" the side of the bonnet.

But I'll worry about that another day, so until next time, take care, Paul.

Bank Holiday Monday:
I felt very old and creaky this morning, as yesterday's combination of gardening & car work had really taken it out of me.

So after a very slow start to the day, I was back in the garden in the morning, but got to play with the car in the afternoon.

Removed most of the brackets from the body shell extension piece.



Then re-fixed one of the brackets back into place with some modelling mesh to form the basic shape of the bottom corner.





Cleaned up any stray fibreglass matting from around the fixing screw holes on the inside & recovered the outside in parcel tape.



Countersunk the screw holes & cleaned up the joins on the bottom edge of the bonnet.



Before shoving some fibreglass filler into the holes.



And along the joins in the return lip of the bonnet.



When the filler was set hard enough, it was sanded down.





Unfortunately, the wind was blowing so strongly, that I couldn't do any fibreglass work.
( As the matting would end up all over the driveway, the street, next door's garden, etc. )

As it was, I didn't need to sweep up, as the wind had blow the dust all over the neighbourhood.

So with the sky looking like this, I decided to call it a day.



As it currently stands, at least the front arch is still looking round(ish).



Until next time, take care, Paul.

Tuesday Thoughts:
It is far too wet outside for any car work this evening.

But I picked up this month's Complete Kit Car on the way home, which feature's Swifty's build.



I was also re-reading Swifty's build thread last night, as I was checking how he did his body shell extension work.

As I remembered Mac made the extension out of aluminium and joined it to his body shell.



Whereas, Swifty re-used the section of the bonnet and did the extension work first.



Before following that will the reshaping of the arch work.



Unfortunately, I was not able to follow this approach due to my previous scuttle reshaping & bonnet lengthening work/butchery.
( Which is why I've needed to add "in fill" panels to bridge the gap between the arch and the body shell. )

However, I did notice that Swifty initially had an issue with the alignment of the outside edge of his bonnet.



I am facing a similar issue on mine, so it was reassuring to see that it clearly took a bit of effort to sort this out.



Especially when the finished car looks so spectacular.



So despite the fact that my front arch re-shaping work is slow progress, I should get there in the end.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy…

Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high.

Or, if you're livin' in NW London, the first days of meteorological Summer are grey & horrible.

Still, at least I managed to get a bit of car work done today...

I had to go back and re-fill one of the fixing screws holes, which required a very small amount of filler.



Sorry the photo is blurred.



At least it didn't take long to sand it back when it had set.



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This is the gap I currently have at the corner of the bonnet.



There is also a small gap at the bottom edge of the bonnet, compared to the body shell.



But re-reading Swifty's build (see previous post) gives me hope this can all be fixed in the end.

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I had to set up a mini wind break before I could do any fibreglass matting work.



I covered more of the inside edge of the body shell extension, including building up the new bottom corner section.



I also added more matting to both the joins and the outside surfaces of the bonnet.



End of Part 1…

Summertime - Part 2:

These are the bits I've bought to help me secure the sides on the bonnet.



I've had the bonnet straps for a while, but only ordered the Spitfire bits the other day.

Swifty used a very neat arrangement to keep his bonnet in line with the body shell extension.
( Unfortunately, this seems a bit beyond my skill level to copy. )





Although, when I checked back to see what Mac had done, his bonnet appears to just rest in place.



So far, my basic plan is as follows…

Add a fibreglass horizontal panel here, to join the top of the body shell side extension to the Spitfire bulkhead.
( And the panelling work that already joins the side of the bulkhead to the body shell. )



Then the locating hole could go somewhere like this.



With the corresponding locating pin fixed to a return lip at the bottom of the bonnet edge.

I will also need to add a small extension piece to the wheel arch return lip to join that to the Spitfire bulkhead too.



However, there is still quite a bit of repair work to do, before I need to worry about how all this is going to work.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

Thinking Out Loud:
Regular readers will know that whilst I often quote KISS, I rarely manage to demonstrate the concept in practise.

Although, since the car was returned by JY Classics, I have really tried hard to focus on just the tasks required for an MOT.

Now some might argue that re-shaping the front wheel arches is not strictly required for the MOT, as it should pass with wonky arches.

But this arch work is actually linked to completing the under sealing work on the front end of the car (the back half if already done).

And I think/hope the Tetroseal will give a good impression during the MOT when the car is inspected from underneath.

However, I am now going to adopt a KISS "Plan B" when it comes to securing the sides of the bonnet.

Pre MOT
- Fix the bonnet straps in place.

Post MOT
- Add the locating pins and cones (if required).

I decided on this approach after having another look at Mac's build.

This photo of his car was taken after it's first MOT and the sides of his bonnet line up nicely.



As long as just using the straps will get me through the MOT I will be happy.

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Still Shufflin' Along:
I was able to work from home today, so after an early start, I got get some car work done in the afternoon.

Finally removed the "bandages" from the body shell extension and, obviously, it is not pretty.



Then removed the final fixing bracket and modelling mesh from the bottom of this section.

Unfortunately, it was at this point I realised I'd forgotten to add parcel tape to the mesh.

So it took a bit of effort to remove it.



Ground out the joins.



The bottom corner is a long way from being finished, but at least I have a starting point.



There are a lot of small / fiddly pieces to work with.



So I can only do a small batch in one go.



But I did managed to get some more matting on the inside of the extension too.



The sky wasn't looking too promising.



So I didn't want to push my luck and called it a day at that point.

So I'll leave you with this photo of how far I've managed to get.



Whilst this has turned into a much longer job than I was expecting, at least I am getting there.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

"Whilst this has turned into a much longer job than I was expecting, at least I am getting there."
I think deep down you always knew the front was the harder task
But with the knowledge you've gained along the way nothing can stop you now.
The final shape is there, the end is in sight
The forecast for Sunday is looking good, Id love to pop by late afternoon. Pm me if its ok

Roadster - Cheers, looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

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Keeping Up Appearances...
I really wanted to make the front arch look a bit more respectable before Roadster gets to see it in person.

So I started the day by tidying up any stray bits of fibreglass matting from yesterday's work.

Then I ground out the last two joins on the return lip of the bonnet.



Counter sunk the screw holes on the body shell extension section.



There wasn't much fibreglass filler left in the tin, so I mixed it all up.



The first bit was stuffed it into the screw holes.



Whilst what was left over turned this.



Into this.



While that was setting, I cut out the horizontal panel for the top edge of the body shell extension.

Although, I had to made a few tweaks to the panel before it would sit nicely in position.



With the filler sanded down, I was left with this.





Note: I've left the bottom of the bonnet edge rough, until I add the final section of fibreglass.

Then it was time to added the fibreglass matting across the joins on the body shell extension.



Plus filling in the joins on the bonnet.
( Sorry, yet another blurred photo. )



And finally, to start fixing the horizontal panel into position.



End of Part 1...

Saturday - Part 2

Now while that was setting I turned my attention to the ignition.
( As the last time I tried to start the car, the ignition light didn't come on and the car wouldn't start. )

So I put the key in to see what would happen this time and the light came on.

Then I removed all the dust sheets from the engine bay and tried to start it…

And it fired up first time, oh happy days.

Obviously I then drove the car back and forth across the driveway a few times with a big grin on my face.

Unfortunately, there is definitely an electrical gremlin in the works somewhere.

As today the temperature gauge was working, but not the fuel gauge.



Then I pushed my not road legal car into the street…

Where I could take a photo showing the wheel arch not under the influence of my sloping driveway.

Before:



Today:



Then I pushed the car back into the driveway and sanded down the fibreglass matting.



The new tub of fibreglass filler is a bright green.



I quite like the look of my two tier horizontal bulkhead.



The old filler tin made a good bin to sweep the filler dust into.



This is what the side extension looks like now.



Leaving the whole thing looking like this.



Still a lot of work to do, but it is finally getting closer.

Until next time, take care,

Paul.

PS

RIP - The Greatest

Looking good Paul
You have had one of those joyous days where at the end it is clear to see what you have achieved.
I hate working for hours with little you to show for it.

I would guess your electrical gremlin is an earth issue and the instruments are fighting for it.

It will only being a flying visit tomorrow as I have the family in tow but im looking forward to it.

Roadster - No worries on the visit, whatever works for you is fine by me.

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Ying & Yang:
The weather forecast for yesterday included rain in the afternoon, so I wasn't expecting to do as much as I did.
( And picking up on Roadster's point, it was a very productive day too. )

Today is meant to be glorious weather, but I have to focus on domestic chores ahead of my wife's brother's visit.

So just in case I don't get a chance to do any car work, I want to quickly reflect on where I've got to...

I took these photos of Ribble's original Cordite demonstrator at Stoneleigh in May 2013.



I measured the gap between the tyre and the at over 11 cm / 4 inches.



Note:
The demonstrator's bonnet was fixed into a high position and the bonnet access panel still fouled the radiator cap (just).

I took the brave/foolish step to abandon the traditional Cordite build approach for my own Frankenstein Hillbilly one.

Today, my 'higher than standard' scuttle, together with my 'longer than standard' bonnet, have transformed my car.

My front end sits much lower that the demonstrator and yet it also has a full 90 degree flip up front.



Note:
Even today, I still get a kick out of the fact the bonnet opens on hinges I made myself.
( With full credit to Mister Towed for the "scissor" hinge design. )

My front wheel arch / body shell side extension work is already a HUGE improvement compared to what I started with.
( And after the final round of filler work, it will be less "wobbly". )





When this arch work is finally finished, my car's transformation from a Sammio Cordite/Ribble Navigator into a Triumph Swordfish 1500 will be complete.

Cheers, Paul.

Paul, you seem to have the kit car "Silence of the Lambs" syndrome - "He puts the filler on it's skin and then he sands it off again". ;-)

I thought I'd slapped a lot of filler on mine but you've taken it to another level. Looks great though.

Fatbloke - Well, I am certainly not doing extra filler work for pleasure.

Thankfully the fibreglass work underneath provides all the strength, with the filler making it smoother (ish).

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I'm knackered…
Made great progress in the garden, but it was seriously back breaking work.

My wife & eldest daughter had pressure washed the patio & garden path, so I had some pointing to do.



Managed to find my cement working set up at the back of the shed.



I patched all the missing pointing, although at some point some slabs need to be lifted and relaid.



It was so hot today, that it didn't take long for that to set and get the table back in position.



Next it was time to tackle this corner…



And in best Blue Peter fashion, here is something I painted earlier.



A bit like the front arches, sometimes it gets worse…



Before it gets better...



Although, also just like the arches, there is still a bit of work left to do.



Hopefully, I can get the last few garden jobs done before next weekend.

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Roadster's Visit:
Great to meet Roadster in person and chat about our builds & the forum.

Although in true gremlin style, the ignition fault was back and I couldn't start the engine.

So I will have to spend some time tracing this problem & fixing it once & for all.

I think he will be able to confirm that my over-engineering approach has resulted in a very "solid" car.

But the really good thing was getting an independent view on the overall build.

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Another photo of the original Ribble Cordite Demonstrator caught my eye this morning.



As this is another area where my scuttle design is a bit different to the original.



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We made the most of the great weather to have a family BBQ this evening and I am now going to put my feet up.

The physical effort I've put into both the car and garden over the last few weeks has taken its toll.

So I'm off to have a cold beer and a rest.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

Good to meet you too Paul
After so many years supporting each other on here

No 2 Sammios are ever the same but Paul's approach to every obstacle has resulted in a very solid body/chassis unit.

I have seen a number of Sammios in the flesh, being about when Gary first started. This one is very sleek and the stance is low.
No vents in the bonnet and the combination of lower front end position and the bigger scuttle area. The rear is much lower and wider than the others.

There is not much Cordite that hasn't been modified so the its almost a completely new model.

It will be interesting to see it with the other finished examples

Roadster - Thanks again for making the effort to visit and say hello, I'm really glad you liked it.



One day I will appear as d'Artagnan next to Norfolk's Three Musketeers, one day.

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Monday - After work I had no energy to do any work on the car, or in the garden, so I just rested.

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Tuesday - Vistor #2:
A bit like buses, you wait 4 years for one forum visitor, then 2 turn up in 3 days.

Jokes aside, Jones was today's guest of honour and it was great to meet him too.

Had a good chat and thankfully the engine started today, after I randomly wiggled some wires.

It seems that "solid" is a recurring theme for anyone who gives the car a bit of a shove.

I look forward to the day when myself and Jones both have MOTs under our belts.

But I'll leave you with a rough idea of where the bonnet strap will end up.



Until next time, take care, Paul.

Close, but no cigar…
I've got a few days off work now, but spent the morning in the garden, which is now done.
( Well, at least it is done enough for our guests arriving on Saturday. )

But the really good news is that I'd earned enough brownie points to switch to car work.

So gathered what I needed from the Summer House, but only got as far as the porch before it started to rain.



Switched to some internal domestic chores instead until the sun was back out and the clouds were gone.

Just before I went out the front, I remembered there was bonus brownie points available if I painted the patio door threshold.
( Which my wife has been sanding, filling and priming over the last few days. )



Unfortunately, just as I put the lid on the paint tin, I felt a drop of rain, looked up and saw this bearing down overhead.



By the time I got everything inside, all hell was breaking loose outside.
( Note the off cuts of fibreglass under the car I was planning to cut up for the bonnet. )



It looked even worse out the back.



Still, at least you can get a good view of all the edging work I've been doing.

Plus, if I'd actually removed the covers from the car to start working on it, it would have quickly filled with water.

As it is, it is still absolutely lashing down down.

So I'll do some more stuff indoors for the rest of today and hopefully get a long session on the car tomorrow.

Until then, take care, Paul.

Big Thursday - Part 1:
Finally, here is a post that actually includes some work on the car…

Once again there was no problem with the ignition as I started the engine and went for a spin.
( OK, I know it is only a few feet forwards and backwards. )

But here are a few seconds of "Driver's Eye" view:
( Although seats will be a little higher when they are bolted into position. )

https://youtu.be/4CaUHkr_fxQ

Note:
The loud rattling sound is the bonnet due to the fact the rubber seal for the scuttle is not fitted.

Anyway, that will be the last drive for a short while, as I want to finish off the inside of the passenger side.

So I jacked up the car, left it on blocks of wood & removed the wheel.





I have one last bit of the original arch left to play with.



And this is the gap I need to fill in.





Made an oversize template for the bottom edge.



Then trimmed the small return piece for a best fit and adjusted the cardboard to match.



Ground down the protruding edge of the body shell extension until it was level with the horizontal panel.
( Edge is on the right side of the photo. )





With the final bonnet piece cut out of fibreglass, I marked up & trimmed the bottom corner.





Hopefully the rounded edge will look nicer when the body shell is built up to match.

End of Part 1…

Big Thursday - Part 2:
Then the two pieces were fixed into position and to each other.





Given all the angles involved, I will be grinding down the outside of the corners to get a nice "flow" across the join.

Unfortunately, there is still a little bit of flex in the bottom edge of the bonnet, which makes it harder to line things up.

So I mixed up a small quantity of bonding paste…



To fix a length of rope along the inside edge of the bonnet's curve.
( I will then cover the rope with some fibreglass matting. )



I also fixed another length of rope along the inside edge of the body shell extension.



Again, hopefully, this should reduce any flex in this area too.

The first round of fibreglassing covered the following areas:

The top edge of the horizontal panel.



The underside of the same panel along the joins.



Starting to build up the "curve" on the body shell to match the bonnet.



The corner of the scuttle.



And the inside of the pieces added to the bottom edge of the bonnet.



In the winter, the sun rarely reaches the driveway, but today I'm working in a sun trap, which was HOT!

So the 'pot life' of the resin is short and this creates a mad rush to get everything in place.

End of Part 2…

Big Thursday - Part 3:
Still, at least I didn't have to wait too long before I could remove the brackets from the bonnet.



Recover the outside with parcel tape.



I ground down any stray bits of matting around the fixing holes, but needed some shade before the next layer of matting went on.





This round of matting went on the bottom edge of the bonnet.



And the "curve".



Note:
I should point out that in between all the car work listed above, I was still working my way through a long list of domestic chores too.

Once that was set solid, I trimmed off any stray matting, before grinding out the "wounds" on the Sunny Side of the bonnet edge.
( I also counter sunk the fixing screw holes. )



Then I mixed up some fibreglass filler to fill in the holes.



And cover parts of the body shell side extension.



I wasted a chunk of filler and the stuff I applied is very messy as the heat meant it set before I could finish applying it.

So I had to mix up a small second batch to finish the job.

End of Part 3…