Yes you should go for it from the bits I have picked up along the way, dont do it in full sun it will set while your working on it . two thin lairs of CSM is better than one thick one because it wets out easier and holds the shape better. if its very cold add more catalyst.if it goes wrong dont panic let it set cut it out or sand t back and start again.
bit of progress hit the local old fashioned iron mongers in search of door hinges and found so that with a bit of work made puka job of it . top tip you can not see were to mark the bolt holes when the door is on so use some clay or putty to leave a mark to drill. I am leaving the final tweaking till its sat on a chassis
bonnet hinges welded in place and reshaping around the front end coming together the bonnet now sits about 1" higher than before
not so happy with the seats I bought for the other car they look brill but have got to be the most uncomfortable seat I have ever sat in. So fiberglass out time to make some seats this is the inside view of the seat I have made ,tomorrow I will try it out making a copy right side out
made me some seat shells two for the speedster and one for the other tribute build I am working on. gel coats a bit thin but they are getting covered so hay oh
my chassis will be here Saturday along with the wheels so looking forward to build the frame up next week and getting it on wheels whoop whoop
picked my chassis up the morning that can only mean its chassis build time lol 60mm box section think that should be enough
test fit the car tomorrow going to hang the inner frame I made under the chassis rails I've just fitted. hoping that should be about right for looks and ground clearances
thanks Mister Towed work will come to a stop soon my caravans opening so gone fishing will be on the garage door lol. Must admit no I have not got as far as were to put the seats made the seats tho so that's a start . I've got some 3mm ish fiberglass flooring sheets that come off the fire escape that I made the frame from. so that,s going to be the car floor been fiberglass it will tie into everything with a bit of work. Once that's in I can work on seat frames. windscreens on order along with a list as long as your arm coming from Vintage in the states just about got over the shock off cost
Huston we have a car on wheels hanging the frame from the underside of the chassis worked a treat I just need to nip the ends off the steel work job for tomorrow. The front of the chassis tucked tight into the front of the body allowing me to glass it in so it dose not move. I extended the rear chassis all the way to the body and run a length of box across the rear end. this gives me support for the boot floor but more so to give us some protection from the rear end also glassed it to the body. headlight buckets hit the crash rail on the chassis so going to have to trim the last 2" off both ends to fit the lights. relay need to find a mx5 so I can work out the inner working seat pedals etc but the boot can all go in now.
The door gaps look better now the body has support at both ends as well as the middle. The bonnet fits and looks so much better now I have lifted and brought the front out a little . I think its a bit to flat across the back of the seats so need to have a good look at some picture see is I need to raise it a little. should be seeing some primmer soon whoop whoop
did the google bit and found the external dimensions of an mx 5 engine 600mm high from bottom of the sump too the oil filler cap. that should just hang passed the cross member by about 2" and clear the bonnet. the new wheels lift the car by a good 3" so the should cover the low sump. not sure about how the gearbox will fit tho but I should have the mx here by the end of the week so we will no if I need to get the grinder out again. today's works start on the floor I recessed the seat bit 60mm at the back but even before with the seat on a flat floor it was good for seeing over the bonnet and head height.
lol yep going fishing this weekend so will not be on the cars. I looked at the floor pans and thought maybe I should lower the front too. But that's an easy alteration to do when they are fixed at the mo I can lift them out until I know what pedals I am using they can stay as is. I looked at beetle pedals but the driving position is much higher . pedal boxes are very expensive for what they are. I picked up a good 1600cc mk1 mx5 so weather and delivery permitting I will be shoehorning the engine in before fishing wish me luck
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what's 40mm between friends car should be here for 1ish tomorrow if the weather holds out it will be out the car quicker than I can fit it.I will at least be able to say yes or know to it fitting without making changes to the body
quick update we have an engine what a bugger to get in fouled on everything but its in and sat on engine mounts. Need to refit the alternator it will need ether a belt tensioner at the other side or fab a new bracket. more to follow latter
whoop whoop look what's just arrived for the US of A . we now have door handles lights hinges badges bonnet handle and a complete windshield frame. dose not look a lot for a grand still arrived in less than a week. need to by a screen now so I can set the frame to it and finish the dash.more spending oh and a petrol tank the mx5 one is bloody massive lol takes up most of the boot .
bit of progress this week foot pedals fitted, I've cut some steel plate out with the plasma cutter to hold everything in place welded some 30mm box section to it and in turn welded that to the chassis then fibreglass it in so its going nowhere. when the engine is next out I will glass it in from the back and make everything pretty on the engine fire wall side. after setting the pedals I dint like the foot potions so I have also sloped the floor off in the foot well that works better. also fitted the handbrake and steering column.back of the passenger fire wall has loads of room none at all on drivers side so I will make up a shelf for the battery etc. need to find a petrol tank so I can Finnish the boot off. next weeks job after fishing weekend.
finally got a petrol tank so set about making a cradle to hold it in while trying to keep it low in the boot. the boot is a good size in these because it should be the engine and I want to keep as much of it as possible.
Now the tank is in I can start forming the boot floor and walls, from the inside its starting to look like a car.
made a center tunnel to cover the gearbox and split it so it easily comes out easy also formed the rear seat still needs a lot of work . and yep I do need some more fiberglass
Cardboard and lino are out so it must be time to start on the boot,the hover box has a glossy wax coating brill for glassing it dose not stick. bit of very basic framework to hold it all in place 3 lairs of 600 csm and a lair of woven and we have part of a boot and wheel arches.
I am going to run out of resin already used my 5th tin this year, plan is to get as much as I can in with just one lair of csm then when I have more resin thicken it all in one hit
ainkiller:
I have made a fiberglass cover for the tank to protect all the vitals loads of tape and cardboard should just pull off when its all hard. just need to trim it down and tech screw it in place so I can always get at the tank.
car will have a lovely rear end when its all finished lol;
I needed an ignition switch but it was just as cheap to buy a complete power steering column off a corsa so we now have power steering. Need to change the steering wheel but not sure stock bug or chrome and wood.
good week on ebay bought a set of wheel adapters 40quid so I can look at getting the wheels on. Plus a full roll of core mat and two 25l tins of resin 90 quid always worth scanning fleby for anything close. should have my ZGT for September so that will be a busy month for now going fishing so no action till then.
yep electric power assistance they sell controllers on flebay around £15 from memory its like a volume button more power more assistance. all lines up bang on using part mx5 in the middle. I fitted one on my Chevy they work a treat and are as cheap as chips
evening all well I am back off my hols my Zgt is going to be a while yet so some more time on the speedster. wheel spacers have arrived so I fitted the wheels I must have done something right they are bang on for distance from the arch both sides. I am not 100% happy with the area in blue I made it flatter first. Then changed it to what you see still not 100%
so now wondering should I go whole hog and put a roof on it. it would make it more usable and they are just as cool with a roof ,,,any thoughts anyone
