Hide from you lot how can I :P
Thanks Paul for the link, I like it.
Ive quickly tried to tidy up my collage of bits of paper.
Its quite a long way from where I started.
Influences in the mix include
Aston DB10
Exagon Furtive
Bauer Catfish
Shelby Cobra concept
Jag E type lightweight
My son and I have been visiting exotic car sales and borrowing ideas.
His input has been priceless
Picture the scene we are looking at an Aston Martin derived Mansory Cyrus.
Completely carbon bodied and bespoke styling -
http://astonmartins.com/car/mansory-cyrus/
He looks at me and says "I think its trying to hard"
So ive taken that on board and I have tried to keep the shape pure.
At the end of the day its just a modified nose on a z300 but the rear has had a slight update
Over a 100 new views and no comments.
Not sure if that's good or bad
The majority here love classic style
or
Maybe is a child that only the parent can love
Thank you for your comments
Mr T - you could have a point, by trying to use current styling cues I run the risk of it looking like something mainstream.
The previous incarnation was not but I felt the front and rear were not gelling
Barber - welcome to the forum and thank you for your honesty
I always intended to work from the z300 kit
Its strange but the photos you see of them don't do them justice.
The rear end is a series of curves that come from the D type that formed the basis.
The rear arches are wide - about 3" over the z3 narrow body.
I have 17x10 rear wheels but I may still need a spacer to fill the arch.
I admit that due to my lack of digital photo editing skills my picture may not capture what im aiming for.
The legend that is DSG however did produce this for me
Somewhere between mine and his there is the finished idea
Thanks JagTVR and Nick the z300 was your vison and I admit when you went short nose I thought it might not work. But in the flesh there is no doubt.
Im sure the Kobra front would work too.
The plan is like this.
Money is getting tighter for most of us. I can't afford to have a toy so the car must be useable all year round.
I love the convertible but with the roof up its not great to drive.
I have done about 4000 miles in the donor.
So I designed a hard top that doesn't loose all the benefits of the convertible.
I found a huge glass sunroof, but it still fits in the boot.
I chose a curved rear screen to match the z300 rear.
This is currently being made at home with me.
Chris has the rest of the kit at his and he is patient and supportive with every change of direction
The first change was to find modern lights to fit the curvey rear and then everything developed from there.
The design elements come from these
Those of you who watched my last build (seems an age ago) know that I built outside in the front drive.
It inspired Paul L to take on his adventure
This time I don't have a drive, which is one of the reasons I didn't start from scratch this time. So after a chat with Chris a modified z300 was the way forward.
But I find it hard to be 150 miles away from the project and I have visited and worked in Tributes workshop on a regular basis. Chris is more skilled than I and he will produce the finished article.
So what to do - idle hands and all
Well for a while I drew design after design which didn't help as I diluted the original design.
After getting stuck in traffic in the Z3 in torrential rain I had plenty of time to look around.
The rear window is tiny, it feels dark and cramped.
Maybe a targa is the answer but the more joins the more a chance to leak.
So a fixed hard top with a large tilt and removable glass panel is the answer.
Im making the buck in the front room, it got a way to go yet but the shape is almost there.
Spot on Zag
The headlamps are puma and are dirt cheap these days
They are not a bad shape and feature projector lamp units.
Not so many pumas about now so not such a give away.
I have most of the other parts ,like you I have been collecting
The grille is Ford but from Asia and I might modify it to loose its origin even more
Rear lamps are also Puma but I have modified them = opened them up and changed the lenses fitted LEDs
Not exactly like the picture but then again they never do
But the inspiration is there.
I might have to rethink the puma headlamps
The shape is more viper than Aston
After yesterdays progress on the front I can see the shape emerging.
My original collage of cut paper didn't represent the rear of the Z300.
Thankfully WCA used to post pics on his post and any other post he could
So I printed a suitable pic and cut the bits I wanted.
I used paint to change yesterdays pic to a solid item.
The puma lamps are giving me a headache. my front end is just as curvy as the rear but the puma had a squarer profile meaning the lamps don't flow into the wings as I would like.
Quick flick through ebay for cheap suitable headlamps and I came up with these. (I really like the front and rear lamps to mirror shape and style)
The fiat lamps are nice Zafg but that z300 rear makes finding modern lamps a pain
Thank fully I have it sorted now after countless attempts.
Yes Triumph MG TF lamps are also cheap as chips and fit the modern front curvature.
Still have to work on the bumper the real life shape is not as I had imagined.
Spent day down with Chris and Dan yesterday.
While the weather up in London was poor I managed to get burnt working at the "dream factory"
Chris and Dan were hard at it as always with various projects.
My son is off on half term so I took him to help me.
My original roadster took me 4 years to complete - as it came together it changed directions a few times.
This one is no different (except im sharing my changes of direction with you guys)
The z300 base of my build has its roots in the D type Jag - Its curved rump and hunched rear arches are what drew me to it. Its also the part of the design that's never changed.
I tried to use small light units to make it easier to fit the complex compound curves. But I was never really happy with them . Even when I tried to defend them against negative comments last year.
So after a few attempts of different lamps I finally ended up with Puma lamps.
Albeit modified to clear lenses to change their identity.
The modern front end was fighting me.
The curves and angles just were not gelling with the rear.
I tried to reconcile it but in the end I felt like I was swimming against the current.
Another round of scrap yard sourcing and a pic of a concept car from 2000 led me to this revamp.
As its not a replica of anything, I don't have to stay too close to my inspiration.
https://youtu.be/cwrfMrWB9w4
The z300's rear reminds me of the light weight coupe and the hard top has also a similar shape. So if I can make an upto date version.
Not an E type replica but I wanted the silhouette to be similar
So with my 11 year old son with a pocket full of tec screws and the cordless driver in his hand we tacked together the new shape.
Its still only a rough shape but it works well and it compliments the rear end much better.
The wings need reprofiling to blend into the mg tf headlamps but over all im happy with it so far.
Hopefully another update next month.
Thanks Gary
I must be honest and admit I was unclear too.
I love lots of different styles, if I had a garage and budget like Jay Leno I could endulge myself.
I love 50's sleds and Chris has the bits for one of those too.
TX1 chassis and cheap V8 (lexus etc) ahhh I can dream
But live life one dream at a time........
Nice cars Gary and Paul.
I saw this a few years ago in in Queensland and I always loved the old Mercurys
Imagine the Efigy concept with a Carson style roof
Lose the chrome on the rear arches and the chrome on the rear valance.
https://youtu.be/tSzf9ZI-v5M
Well for those following my progress -here is a small update.
The body is finally at a point where I need Chris and Dan to add their magic and glue all the pieces together.
The shape is there if you ignore the the different colours of the pieces of puzzle.
The fronts curves imitate the rear and the front now has lines that lead into the side sills.
My work is still ongoing, I have the roof and the grille panel to complete at home.
Thanks Triumph
After so many changes of direction, im confident it should be good looking.
The early Xk8 was compared with the DB7 and both were pretty
The rear lights sat in there with the bumper beam on.
Sometimes it fights me and then other times it just builds itself and when I found the right light units it just fell into place.
Well the weather has been lousy even though im working in the front room
Fibreglassing without the windows open isn't an option.
So what to do - I returned to Microsoft paint and had another go at visualising the finished shape
As Paul said this is begining to show similarities with the Roadster...
An early pic on a road test in the country
And the finished car
As a Father's Day treat I was taken to Gaydon Motor museum.
Lots of interesting cars there but I had a few must sees.
The XJ13 was in the workshop so I couldn't get as close as I wanted
There was C types, D types, E types but the one Jag I was hoping for a good look at was missing.
I gave in and asked and I was told that a lot of the Jaguar Heritage vehicles were locked away while a floor was repaired in the showroom.
I was disappointed but then I was offered a look behind closed doors.
I was told that we can't show you all the locations but maybe I will find the car.
Row after row many beautiful cars including a SS owned by a Spanish princess fully restored.
Then out of the corner of my eye I spied her.
A one off that had been damaged by journalist and then rebuilt.
The XK180 - an early project 7 from the late 90's
Inspiration for my creation - If I capture some of this profile I will be happy
The xk8 chassis is shortened to make the xk180 amd the Z3 gets widened to become a z300
So the dimensions aren't close but the proportions are.
Hopefully mine will get its lightweight e type inspired roof
Thanks guys for the feedback
Yes my original sketch was more unique but back then I got negative feedback over the fiat lamps.
I agreed it was a little too retro and I was worried when we started forming the huge hole that would become the grill.
Danny I accept it has a risk of having a touch of Bertini about it as both start with a Jag bumper. But the Bertini uses the later 2006>
This uses the rarer 2005 and I am intending to fill the fog lamps holes.
The overall idea is to mimic the E type lower.
An XK is still 5K upwards and I can't afford to run one.
Please bear with me, the finished article will look very different to the pile of bits.
This is one of the things I love about the Tribute forum, you get to peak behind the curtain and see how the shapes are formed.
Paul im glad you enjoyed the video .
Yes I've always been in awe of the xj13 but now I've stood beside it and seen the spartan cockpit. not even a cushion and its oh so tightand the V12 right behind you head.
Imagine someone driving it for hours on end at lemans.
The CX75 is the modern version. I think it would be easier to live with
