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We have been asked to build an A352 with D Type features, reverse engineering if you will, on a Spitfire base for a customer in Denmark. He has already delivered his LHD 1500 Spitfire to Gary's "Mid Century" workshop for conversion to 6 cylinder power and RHD, with the modified body shell following from the Tribute workshop next week.
The body will be changed to a flip front in place of the normal A352 bonnet opening and the large boot lid closed back up to a D Type style spare wheel cover.
Work in progress, with shell fitted to our rather scrappy Spitfire "workshop jig" shell:
The old GRP Spitfire/GT6 bonnet has been canibalised for its inner structure to mount the new flip front to.
I have the Donor at my workshop and the transformation is under way ...
The customer drove the car to me a week and a half ago and it looked like this ...
The fuel tank has been moved forward to give it a better line for the fuel cap location and a harness bar incorporated into this framework too ...
The RHD conversion is about 90% done also ...when I receive the D type dash , I can finish the wiring , but pedals , steering , battery box etc are all swapped around ...
As you rightly say , Paul , the owner wants a more British feel to his car but wanted to start with a car thats already in the Danish system rather than the expense and aggro of buying a British car and trying to establish its paperwork in Denmark after the conversion ....
The GT6 engine and gearbox I got earlier in the year from Adam is destined to go in this car ...Its pretty much back together , just a couple of missing parts to locate and a new thrust bearing carrier on its way to replace the damaged one and she should be going in the car ...
Call that a scrappy shell? It looks better than mine!
Good to see another A352 D Type evocation under construction with the same mods as mine - letter box boot, flip front and six pot engine.
Mine also has the cockpit divider and fin, will this?
Regards, Mick
p.s. Is that red shell going to have a white cross over it................................................
It will have a removable rigid cover over the passenger area that will incorporate the central cockpit divider. Rather than the classic D Type rear "wing" it will have a head fairing with fuel filler accessed via a flap.
The car will be painted green I believe, once it gets back to Denmark.
I might be interested in the Slotmags if the chap decides to sell them, Gary.
Sorry mate but someone bought them... I put them on a facebook Spitfire page and they were snapped up ... The customer has asked me to offload a few bits that can put a few quid in the pot towards the build .....
They were secured about 4 days ago and collected today ....Sorry ..
... the owner ... wanted to start with a car thats already in the Danish system rather than the expense and aggro of buying a British car and trying to establish its paperwork in Denmark after the conversion ....
Bit of progress today ....Engine and gearbox in , slight mod on the gearbox mount , bit of bulkhead and floor trimming to clear the starter motor and overdrive unit and she's in place !
Chris delivered the bodyshell today and gave me an hour of his time to ensure that the shell fitted as it should ....there were a few differences on this one , its been extensively welded and repaired at some time and we aren't convinced its totally as the factory intended ...I have had similar issues with Heralds so no surprises ...but after some jiggling , we were happy with its first fit ...
I mounted the flip front before I came home , but no pics as of yet ...
internal bulkheads were glassed into the boot area ....always interesting glassing panels in an area you can just about get your head and one arm into and just about reach the panel !! But a massive improvement on rigidity on the rear , so worth it !
rear light units , boot hinges and D type style latch and handle fitted too ...
headlight buckets were bonded and glassed into place , holes cut and buckets fitted ...hopefully got a plan for front indicators tomorrow ..
