Miglia Spitfire Photos

[swifty]

I would love to see some photos of a spitfire based Miglia as i my bank balance is burning a hole in my pocket :mad2::mad2:, i can see that a number of people have asked for these but to date nothing, come on Mikmiglia and get those promised photos on the net.

The GT6 engine is now refurbished and the spitfire donor has just arrived ready for the major strip and repair so to complete the picture i need a body, will it be a Miglia or Ribble?

[Marc F]

When I last spoke to Mike he was sorting out the floors and the internal framework on my test model, so I think we will not be far off seeing photos.

[mikmiglia]

Sorry guys , i will show you the body 100 percent after weekend.

I understand your frustration. I dont spend a lot of time on the net so i sorry for the lack of updates.

[adventuresoftimtim]

Hi Mike

Are you going to stoneleigh this year? Would be great to see a miglia if possible or if not just chat through some questions I have. Cheers Tim

[swifty]

A miglia at stoneleigh would be a great start to get to see the cars proportions and stance. Any chance of you being at stoneleigh Mike with the spitfire based car?

[mikmiglia]

I should be at Stoneleigh with two finished cars. that s what i am after.

One of each. Also we will be offering Porsche 356 kits soon too. More on that later.

[Mister Towed]

I should be at Stoneleigh with two finished cars. that s what i am after.

One of each. Also we will be offering Porsche 356 kits soon too. More on that later.

Beetle based?

[swifty]

I should be at Stoneleigh with two finished cars. that s what i am after.

One of each. Also we will be offering Porsche 356 kits soon too. More on that later.

At last some positive news, look forward to seeing the Miglia cars at the Stoneleigh show, also a chance to see the Navigator again, cheque book at the ready.

[mikmiglia]

Beetle based?

Yes based on beetle , as chesil do . Its a perfect example with a gel finish.

Comes with a nice frame and all internal panels . Good Quality kit.

[Mister Towed]

Yes based on beetle , as chesil do . Its a perfect example with a gel finish.

Comes with a nice frame and all internal panels . Good Quality kit.

Sounds good Mike, it's one of those cars that'll always sell well at the right price, like Cobras, Sevens and Sammios...

Is this something you're putting together yourself or are you buying in the moulds/packages?

Will you be sourcing a screen and rag top, or going stripped down aero racer look?

Is it going on a shortened chassis (iva) or a standard beetle chassis like the ill fated Pilgrim stretched limo look speedster?

Sorry for all the questions, but if you remember my thread the original inspiration that sowed the seed for me to build my own sports racing car was an early Porsche replica, so I'm interested to see what you're going to produce. :rockon:

[swifty]

Mike do you have the promised photos of the spitfire based car.

[swifty]

Mike its does not look good for your business when you promise things then don't follow up, a simple one line response would be good, I've pm you also.

[Barry Stard]

Yes based on beetle , as chesil do . Its a perfect example with a gel finish.

Comes with a nice frame and all internal panels . Good Quality kit.

Can't wait for the pictures of this one

[Viatron]

Swifty, you could order a Ribble tomorrow :-)

[swifty]

Its very tempting Viatron as i have been down to see Andy at Ribble HQ a month or so ago.

[mikmiglia]

Sorry Guys, up to neck in it. I will take the camera in and sort the pictures out.

Swifty i understand , please feel free and just order a Ribble .

[Marc F]

Hi Mike - I fancy popping down soon to discuss my car and progress so let me know when you are free please - Saturdays as always for me, but I assume you will be off over the bank holiday weekend.

But sounds good so far - glad you are busy - always nice to have work coming in and paying the bills, even if it means the car stuff takes a bit longer.

[mikmiglia]

Hi Marc,

I hope you got your message today the following Saturday is ok if any good to you Mark.

Cheers Mike

[Marc F]

Cheers Mike - just arranging domestics but reckon I will be down Saturday 12th. Will call you to confirm. Looking forward to catching up.

[mikmiglia]

Lovely mate speak soon .

[PJ GRABOWSKI]

http://gifb.in/QTBV

[swifty]

Nice one, at least there a photo to look at on this thread now......

[mikmiglia]

To be fare Guys i would not ever want to sell either one of you a kits i don't need your custom.

Please just concentrate on the other guys.Your like a couple of bitches , and love trying to stir things up. And i am pretty sure you will never buy or build a kit car too. I don't spend every second on the site, and i work rather than talk about it. Sometimes things don't always finish on time but that's life.But you know that to be honest.

Customers that deal with always get what they ask for , and a good job at the same time.

If this offends you , this has done its job.

And too all you nice understanding customers,ones that have dealt with me,know i go out my way if i can to do more than have asked for.

THIS IS JUST A RANT TO THE ABOVE
:thumb:

[Viatron]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rApSBrq1GJA/TtlCfUIqMbI/AAAAAAAAAJI/qDlXKfdGAhc/s320/toys+out+pram.jpg

[Barry Stard]

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/unprofessional

[Barry Stard]

I would love to see some photos of a spitfire based Miglia as i my bank balance is burning a hole in my pocket :mad2::mad2:, i can see that a number of people have asked for these but to date nothing, come on Mikmiglia and get those promised photos on the net.

The GT6 engine is now refurbished and the spitfire donor has just arrived ready for the major strip and repair so to complete the picture i need a body, will it be a Miglia or Ribble?

How does the above quoted question turn into the response below?:

"i would not ever want to sell either one of you a kits i don't need your custom."

:boom:

[oxford1360]

THIS IS JUST A RANT TO THE ABOVE
:thumb:

No it's not.

[redratbike]

I don't blame mick miglia... There's been a few few odd comments not just on this post

[swifty]

This is not a dig at you Mike but your comments towards me are not correct, i am building a kit car based on a fifties sports car and WAS looking at your kit because i liked the look of the red miglia herald based car you have on your web site. If you wish to see what i am up to then here's a link to my thread http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4861

I have pm you for images etc of a spitfire based car on a number of occasion to keep any conversations out of the public domain the first was on the 18th December 2013 so your comment of a customer you deal with always get what they ask is not true. All i asked for was images and when you say that the images will be on the net and then there's a no show, time and again it's poor customer care.

One thing that i do know due to the fact i have ran my own business since 1996 is that to meet your potential/customer expectations you always quote a lead time that you know you can meet or beat so when the customer receives the info/goods earlier than expected they are very pleased with your business and more than likely to do repeat business, i'm not trying to tell you how to run your business Mike only giving you some advice.

This time you have shot yourself in the foot as Ribble are now getting my business as i feel that i can't hand my hard earned cash over to a business that is telling me they don't want my business.

And no your comments did not offend me they only made my decision a lot easier.

As they say you live and learn....C'est la vie.

[mikmiglia]

This is not a dig at you Mike but your comments towards me are not correct, i am building a kit car based on a fifties sports car and WAS looking at your kit because i liked the look of the red miglia herald based car you have on your web site. If you wish to see what i am up to then here's a link to my thread http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4861

I have pm you for images etc of a spitfire based car on a number of occasion to keep any conversations out of the public domain the first was on the 18th December 2013 so your comment of a customer you deal with always get what they ask is not true. All i asked for was images and when you say that the images will be on the net and then there's a no show, time and again it's poor customer care.

One thing that i do know due to the fact i have ran my own business since 1996 is that to meet your potential/customer expectations you always quote a lead time that you know you can meet or beat so when the customer receives the info/goods earlier than expected they are very pleased with your business and more than likely to do repeat business, i'm not trying to tell you how to run your business Mike only giving you some advice.

This time you have shot yourself in the foot as Ribble are now getting my business as i feel that i can't hand my hard earned cash over to a business that is telling me they don't want my business.

And no your comments did not offend me they only made my decision a lot easier.

As they say you live and learn....C'est la vie.

Thank you , for your advise , like i said it doesnt worry me at all if you a buy a Ribble i couldnt care less to be honest. I always try to spend some time on the forum , but with the silly digs and comments and so called experts :dizzy: on how i should run my buisness . Also like i said Swift read my comments ,i will try and post up when ready . Life isnt plain sailing :hail:

[rattler]

just get in your car and see for your self I did all the way from france well said mikie spraying car top coat /brooklands green/on Thursday xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxrattler

[mikmiglia]

Brooklands Green , now that is a nice shade of green mate. I think i need to come over and join in the village race. Plus of course a bottle or two of your best wine :icon_lol: Looking forward to seeing finished Dave. Roundals and stalks sorted by the way.

[christinedmc]

I don’t know what the dispute between Mike and a few forum members is about. I can only say that I did business with Mike and he is great to work with. I’m very pleased with his work, his ideas, his punctuality and the way he deliveres more then what was prommissed.

Michiel

[rattler]

ta mike your more than welcome I will post pic when its finished I am fed up of sanding lots people looking at the car they don't believe its t/herald see you week after easter rattler

[PJ GRABOWSKI]

Cheers Mike - just arranging domestics but reckon I will be down Saturday 12th. Will call you to confirm. Looking forward to catching up.

I know I am not the only one on here that would really appreciate some pictures of your project Marc F when you visit it this weekend.

[Marc F]

No probs - Mike and I will sort it out. I only have a Blackberry so any photos I take will be poor, but will update later. Really looking forward to this weekend - Mike's a cool guy to be doing this project with :-)

[davecymru]

I've tried to not post on here up until now as I was sure you'd all sort this out, but tbh I can't understand the frustration over just a few pics.

I've known Mike for a few years now since I built my Sammio and I've even bought him a beer! In my opinion he's a good and honest bloke, just a very busy one and someone who lives in his workshop rather than on a PC (lucky bugger!)

I'm sure that when things are ready then pics will appear, but until then, they wont and i can't see anything positive coming from us getting upset about it?

[Marc F]

Ok, some bad news for some. Mike and I cannot get our diaries aligned for this weekend, so I will not be travelling down just yet, and with Easter coming it will be another few weeks yet.

But I hope all us forumers can be relaxed about this - after all, I have money with Mike, and I am patient, so chill out and all will be revealed soon (ish). Mike and I are in regular contact and I have no problems with the timetable to date, for getting a whole new car prepped up - remember, this is a body and frame job for Mike, different floors, radius arm mounting points etc, and then to be registered as the final "proof of the pudding".

So happy Easter to everyone - enjoy your holidays, and for those of us waiting for our cars, there are always other jobs to do in the meantime :-)

[PJ GRABOWSKI]

Thats a shame.
Davecymru. the frustrations have only come from the fact promises of pictures never get realized. Its is common knowledge on these pages that Mike is clearly good at what he does but he doesn't always tell it how it is. I don't need to go over that all again its all on here to read if you feel the desire.
I think the general consensus is that the pictures are not becoming public because there isn't anything to take a picture of.
Marc F. Are you not getting any update pictures at all?
All we want to see is a Spitfire based Miglia body as advertised.

[davecymru]

I think the general consensus is that the pictures are not becoming public because there isn't anything to take a picture of.


Hey matey,

This is an example of why i felt i need to post, as when you say "the general consensus is" i feel as if it's more "your opinion is" and tbh that's fair enough, you're fully entitled to our own opinion but all i wanted to share was that in my 1-2-1 dealings with mike over the years he's never been anything but honest with me.

I really do hope you get your photos soon, and if we meet at any of the shows we at least give each other a passing nod! :)

Dave

[Marc F]

I am not sure a picture at this stage would help Mike's marketing, as my car is the pre-production version (ie this is the cut and shut version - so not entirely photogenic). One of my discussion points with Mike is around getting it painted, as I reckon it will be a far better advert to show off the painted shell on the chassis, rather than a dusty and sanded raw shell as currently. Don't worry - we'll get there in time.

And related to this, my new "rear end" hasn't been completed yet, but when it comes this will make my Miglia a very tastry little car indeed I reckon.

[Paul L]

... I think the general consensus is that the pictures are not becoming public because there isn't anything to take a picture of...

PJ - Like Dave, I too feel the need to disagree with your statement and put in a good word in for Mike.

He has always been helpful and supportive of my build, and made generous offers of personal help too.

I met him a couple of years ago on my first first to Sammio.

http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/userpix/1224_DSCF6643_1.jpg

This is another photo of the inside that someone else took of their visit

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj5/CITROnerd4ever/sam3.jpg

This is clearly not car building on an industrial, Ford type, scale.

Marc F talks about the "cut & shut" stage and this is similar to the work done by Tribute.

Before:

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b468/TributeAutomotive/IMG_5135_zps132a5948.jpg (http://s1046.photobucket.com/user/TributeAutomotive/media/IMG_5135_zps132a5948.jpg.html)

After:

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b468/TributeAutomotive/IMG_5242_zpsc010b657.jpg (http://s1046.photobucket.com/user/TributeAutomotive/media/IMG_5242_zpsc010b657.jpg.html)

Personally, I find the fact that Milglia, Ribble & Tribute can all create "something from nothing" amazing.

Clearly Marc F is happy with the work Mike is doing for him, so what exactly is the problem?

I am also looking forward to the photos, but am happy to wait, given how much work goes into actually building the car.

Cheers, Paul. :)

[Marc F]

Yep - that's exactly my point - Mike's red demo car was such a great looking car I think (and hope) that we all want the Spit version to look as good. Once Mike has some good photos of a lovely looking car (hopefully mine) I am sure we can then all enjoy the WIP pictures - but I doubt Ford or BMW would want to keep updating on progress as they proceed. I understand why people in this internet age want up to the minute updates, but Mike's style is different, and I respect his work.

All the best everyone

Marc

[PJ GRABOWSKI]

My point is exactly as outlined above by both of you. I dont want to turn this into a hugely heated discussion but I enquired directly about the Miglia. A Miglia Spitfire car is being offered for sale and I was given the impression they were selling. I asked for pictures of the body before I invested. I was promised some. They have never materialized.
Marc F. you say your car is the first and prototype example. Fair to say then , as its in an unfinished , unphotogenic state ( although any stage of a project is of interest to everyone on here ) that if yours is the first and is pre-production then there are no kits available at this time and nothing to see for quite a while? Would you not agree its a little early to be advertising this product as available and deposits being taken?
Paul L. Thankyou for the pictures. I am not sure of how the external shot of a building and an artistic internal shot of the same building that were taken several years ago when the building was occupied by someone else can add any gas to your argument?

[Marc F]

Ok PJ, I am bowing out of this one. All the best.

[mikmiglia]

My point is exactly as outlined above by both of you. I dont want to turn this into a hugely heated discussion but I enquired directly about the Miglia. A Miglia Spitfire car is being offered for sale and I was given the impression they were selling. I asked for pictures of the body before I invested. I was promised some. They have never materialized.
Marc F. you say your car is the first and prototype example. Fair to say then , as its in an unfinished , unphotogenic state ( although any stage of a project is of interest to everyone on here ) that if yours is the first and is pre-production then there are no kits available at this time and nothing to see for quite a while? Would you not agree its a little early to be advertising this product as available and deposits being taken?
Paul L. Thankyou for the pictures. I am not sure of how the external shot of a building and an artistic internal shot of the same building that were taken several years ago when the building was occupied by someone else can add any gas to your argument?


Grabowski , i understand what your up to , and its obvious yet again your
playing to shit stirring game . But please ,most decent people that have worked out that your a very bored man sat on the end of a laptop being a
pain in the ass.

The other thing is concentrate on Ribble as i wont ever sell you a kit , because i can .

Ps thanks Marc, Dave and Paul for your observation and support and Patience :icon_biggrin:

[Patton]

Mike, bleeding armchair warriors, Pat

[rattler]

please stop it no need for this rubbish rattler

[EL PRIMER]

please stop it no need for this rubbish rattler

I'll second that.

The kit car industry is a bloody hard industry to work in and has an extremely high failure rate. As a sole trader Mike has got a heavy load to carry as it is and this negativity isn't doing him any favours at all.

He simply cannot satisfy everyone all the time.

Its fairly obvious that he has been up to his armpits in straightening out and painting the Sammio from Holland in recent weeks. A car that looks stunning in the pictures by the way. Somewhere in and amongst that he has had kit production and associated work to carry out as well as trying to make sure he has a life as well.

Give the guy a break.

I wasn't going to comment on this as it just brings it back up again but as the last few postings have been supportive , I thought I would add my contribution.

Hopefully this thread can just fade away and we can get back to the harmonious and not just plain ''moany us'' forum I remember

[Paul L]

OK, I'll have one last go at this, then, like Marc F I will bow out too.

... Paul L. Thankyou for the pictures. I am not sure of how the external shot of a building and an artistic internal shot of the same building that were taken several years ago when the building was occupied by someone else can add any gas to your argument?...

The photos were (in my mind anyway) simply supporting this statement.

... This is clearly not car building on an industrial, Ford type, scale ...

In addition, they were also providing you a partial answer to this request you made back on the 1st of February.

Picking up on another thread here , Mike would you be able to put up pictures of your workshop for me ?
If my project is heading your way it would be kind of neat to see where shes going to be residing before she heads my way?

Obviously the building is now occupied by someone else and will have Milglias in it, not Sammios.

But the place hasn't grown in size since the handover and the photos show the scale of the operation Mike is running.

I got the impression this was something you wanted to see and was trying to be helpful.

Which leads me to my final point, taken from your post of the 31st January.

... I have been on a few automotive forums in the past and always been a bit wary of the ''inbiting'' that can occur. This forum is fairly new to me but I think I have gotten the feel of the place. Its just a nice , friendly atmosphere....

Unfortunately, you now come across as someone "inbiting" on this forum. :rolleyes:

Still, I wish you luck with whatever project you choose, Paul. :)

[Psycho pops]

Sad if this is your first visit to the forum to trawl through one mans crusade to rubbish another..

Those of us who have met and dealt direct with Mike all seem to be of the same opinion, a talented and genuine guy, happy to help and offer support when he can.

Best of luck Mike

Pops

[mikmiglia]

Nice to see some nice comments guys , and its nice to see that most of you on the site isn t on the Forum because they are building cars :hug:

[adventuresoftimtim]

Well said, hope we can all draw a line under this and move on!

Mike, looking forward to meeting you at Stoneleigh mate, if you're still hoping to get there. I should be there Sunday and would be great to see the miglia (herald version) up close!

[swifty]

Can some body point me in the direction for either the Moderators or Administrators for this site as i am going to request this thread be removed, don't know if this is possible but i will give it a try, pm me if you wish with the details.

When i started the thread it was simply to see images of a spitfire based Miglia, i was in the market to buy and like to do my home work thoroughly before i commit to handing over a deposit because we all know how rocky the kit car scene can be.

Mike i am sure your a good guy and i wish you all the best in the future and if you get to know me you will know that i am not a shit stirrer or bitch just a guy with high standards who wants to build a great spec/looking 50's based sports car.

[mikmiglia]

Can some body point me in the direction for either the Moderators or Administrators for this site as i am going to request this thread be removed, don't know if this is possible but i will give it a try, pm me if you wish with the details.

When i started the thread it was simple to see images of a spitfire based Miglia, i was in the market to buy and like to do my home work thoroughly before i commit to handing over a deposit because we all know how rocky the kit car scene can be.

Mike i am sure your a good guy and i wish you all the best in the future and if you get to know me you will know that i am not a shit stirrer or bitch just a guy with high standards who wants to build a great spec/looking 50's based sports car.

Hi mate , i didn't aim this at you , there are a couple of plonkers on the site that are obviously trying to play the stirring game behind a keyboard.
I am sure and you don't need to explain this your a good guy mate.
I don't really to be honest like forums, and i don't come across always very professional sometimes. Maybe i will hold back and let it run it self.

[swifty]

Hi mate , i didn't aim this at you , there are a couple of plonkers on the site that are obviously trying to play the stirring game behind a keyboard.
I am sure and you don't need to explain this your a good guy mate.
I don't really to be honest like forums, and i don't come across always very professional sometimes. Maybe i will hold back and let it run it self.

Mike This is my first dabble in a forum as i don't do this social media thing but i am a believer in you live and learn. If your at Stoneleigh with the red Herald Miglia i will introduce myself and take a better look at the car.

[mikmiglia]

Nice one , i would like to get to the show. Be nice to have a chat.

[Barry Stard]

Maybe i will hold back and let it run it self.

Probably your best option.

Should maybe see you at Stoneleigh, possibly, workload permitting, logistics can be nightmarish sometimes, unsurprisingly. :drum:

[Marc F]

I am hoping to get to Stoneleigh as well, so will be good to catch up. But I will see Mike shortly I hope so I will update via a new thread when I can.

Regards

Marc

[mas123mas]

Would like to say that I am over the moon with my Miglia, just wished I had, had the time to fit it to the chassis this time I was in the UK (unfortunately family issues git in the way this time.)

My chassis has been completely welded, strengthened, blasted and not has a hold primer coat on it ready for paint and build when I get back in the UK in a few weeks times.

Mike, keep up the good work.

[Barry Stard]

I am not sure a picture at this stage would help Mike's marketing, as my car is the pre-production version (ie this is the cut and shut version - so not entirely photogenic). One of my discussion points with Mike is around getting it painted, as I reckon it will be a far better advert to show off the painted shell on the chassis, rather than a dusty and sanded raw shell as currently. Don't worry - we'll get there in time.

And related to this, my new "rear end" hasn't been completed yet, but when it comes this will make my Miglia a very tastry little car indeed I reckon.

Any photo's yet Marc?

[garyh]

come on Mike, please authorise some photos... we all know the quality of your work. This thread could fit on a floppy disc...

[Marc F]

Patience. Mike and I have been chatting this week and your patience will be rewarded :-) Trust us on this.

[PJ GRABOWSKI]

Posted 03/26/2014

Sorry guys , i will show you the body 100 percent after weekend.
.
Boy , the weekends just drag here on the East Coast. :-)
Genuinely looking forward to seeing this example.

[Marc F]

Don't forget that Mike has a business other than Miglia's to make. And the Spit version needs a new subframe - unlike the Herald chassis. So more head scratching involved.

[Barry Stard]

Don't forget that Mike has a business other than Miglia's to make.

?????

[EL PRIMER]

FYI Barry - Mike does other glasswork including fabricating and repairs of various vehicles , not just kits he makes panels and items that are not kit related particularly , he produces a body for another kit supplier and does repair work , including body and paint on a local firm's Camper hire fleet as well.That is very nearly a full time job in itself.

He and his little team are kept very busy and the Miglia stuff is only a small part of the bigger picture.

[mikmiglia]

?????


Good evening boring Barry :gossip:

[Barry Stard]

Good evening boring Barry :gossip:

Good evening Mike. Any photo's?

[mikmiglia]

:eusa_think:

[Barry Stard]

FYI Barry - Mike does other glasswork including fabricating and repairs of various vehicles , not just kits he makes panels and items that are not kit related particularly , he produces a body for another kit supplier and does repair work , including body and paint on a local firm's Camper hire fleet as well.That is very nearly a full time job in itself.

He and his little team are kept very busy and the Miglia stuff is only a small part of the bigger picture.

Thankyou El primer for the info. That would explian a lot. Honesty, I find, is the best policy for most. It sounds like you know mike quite well. I take it that they are classic VW campers?

[EL PRIMER]

All sorts Barry , he has done classic camper work and regularly fixes a fleet of new campers that seem to return from every outing with a scar or two.
He has currently got a couple of classic fibreglass cars in there on the go as well as the Miglia builds.

FYI . when I spoke to Mike a few weeks back he told me has 2 Spit based bodies in the shop at present , so progress has clearly happened and when I saw him last week he told me it was all hands on deck to get the Spit build sorted. ( MarcF's )

I believe from your earlier mumblings on here that you are not too far away from Miglia. With fear of repetition , why don't you just go and have a look ?

[Marc F]

I am soooo excited :-)

And yes, Mike has been keeping me updated on latest developments, so it will be good to see at the end of the day. But I am very conscious of Mike's "Proper" commitments so I have been happy to let him set the pace. I know that may frustrate others, but I have enough stress in my day job not to need to get excited about a fun project like this. When I entered into it with Mike we both agreed up front that it would be an experiment, and so I always knew Mike would have to "play around" to sort the many problems that would arise. And as part of that, I knew that his day job would need to take precedence, along with other paying work. The (rather small) cheque I gave him back in December was never going to keep him fed for long, so that was the "contract" I entered into with Mike. He has played fair with me all along, so I will once again stress patience for everyone else. I know people expect instant gratification in this day and age, but the last thing Mike needs to do is show a half arsed mock up, which could damage his reputation.

But Barry, if you are local, then that would be a good idea for you - go and have a chat with Mike - he is a great guy to deal with, and you would feel reasured.

Cheers all. It is great to see the interest this project has generated, and it is good to see the "full size" Miglias that others are building - very inspirational for me. I have bought myself a space heater as I know I will be in the garage through winter getting mine ready, but it will be worth it next year when I trek down to Le Mans in it :-)

[EL PRIMER]

Saw one of the Spitfire based Miglia bodies yesterday .So can confirm they do exist !

[mikmiglia]

Saw one of the Spitfire based Miglia bodies yesterday .So can confirm they do exist !


Nice to see you again Yestaday, and thanks for your order .

[rattler]

I have seen it and very nice it is to hi mike all home safe and sound ta for the info. you will soon need a biger unit . I found a set of wire /w so I am ok now . is it on the web/site yet rattler

[mikmiglia]

I have seen it and very nice it is to hi mike all home safe and sound ta for the info. you will soon need a biger unit . I found a set of wire /w so I am ok now . is it on the web/site yet rattler

Hi Dave, i will get it on this week mate. You would believe the amount of people that have contacted me over seeing your car in France. A man called Rob called in and ordered a kit on Saturday . He said he spoke to your son in law in France at the race and asked about a Miglia. He is going to fit a Alfa twin can engine into her.

[Mister Towed]

He is going to fit a Alfa twin can engine into her.

Mmmmm... :becky:

[Marc F]

That will be interesting. I have a Lancia Twin Cam waiting to fit, but first the plan is to bed my car in with the Spit lump. The nice thing about the twin cam (beyond power) is a five speed box.

[Barry Stard]

Saw one of the Spitfire based Miglia bodies yesterday .So can confirm they do exist !

So you ordered a kit El Primer? Did you take any pictures?

[EL PRIMER]

So you ordered a kit El Primer? Did you take any pictures?

NO.

[davecymru]

:icon_twisted: Schoolboy oversight!

:peep:


note: this is said in jest!!! :)

[Thurcroft flyer]

Don't know what all this fuss is about with photos, I didn't see the miglia in the flesh, or meet mike or visited his work place. I just bought the kit. If you want one you will go ahead and buy it. A photo doesn't make a car the builder does, photos can make anything look great??????

[garyh]

Photos can make anything look great?????? Almost... I would want to see a picture? Probably too fussy.
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w457/garyhalfacre/ScreenShot2014-07-11at170018.png (http://s1076.photobucket.com/user/garyhalfacre/media/ScreenShot2014-07-11at170018.png.html)

[Barry Stard]

Photos can make anything look great?????? Almost... I would want to see a picture? Probably too fussy.
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w457/garyhalfacre/ScreenShot2014-07-11at170018.png (http://s1076.photobucket.com/user/garyhalfacre/media/ScreenShot2014-07-11at170018.png.html)

Woof woof! Steady on now.

[EL PRIMER]

Don't know what all this fuss is about with photos, I didn't see the miglia in the flesh, or meet mike or visited his work place. I just bought the kit. If you want one you will go ahead and buy it. A photo doesn't make a car the builder does, photos can make anything look great??????

The fuss over photo's is a complicated and ongoing theme on here.
The more they ask in the manner in which it is done , the less willing Mike is to pamper to the requests , so they ask again ! Its become a battle of wills in my opinion.

I agree with your sentiment above Thurcroft but surely if you didn't see one in the flesh and just bought the kit , what was your purchase decision based on ? Probably pictures !

And I agree , photo's can make anything look good . The Sammio has received some criticism on its symmetry issues recently on here , If you based your buying decision on reading the various threads relating to the horrors of measurement deviations you wouldn't go near the product , but there are a half dozen or so finished examples that appear to be , in their pictures , truly superb in my opinion and several more that look great, that haven't received major corrective surgery.

The Ribbles , Miglias , Tributes etc etc will also all fail the tape measure test
as do many original examples of classic race car. Having recently spoken to a friend building a 550 Spyder on this very subject , his Sammio 550 / was a modified Banham / was a modified M & W / was a modified Beck / was reputedly moulded from an original race car has many discrepencies in its symmetry too.

It is widely known Cobras have one door longer than the other , something that was highlighted when hardtops were being created and fitted , E types are miles out , bonnets for example supplied over size for the bodyman to trim back as desired as they are all a bit wrong . This list goes on and on .

Not trying to keep the argument going , every Miglia thread nowadays seem to end up going down the same path , which is a shame.

[rattler]

never put a tape near my car only for the wheel arches and it looks spot on not only my opinion /but not everyones cup of tea/ thats the beauty of these cars you do what you like .and no one has one like yours rattler

[Thurcroft flyer]

I like your reply rattler. my sentiments exactly. my reason for building one of these cars is budget, for the kit price nothing else comes near them, and it's the individual charm in each one that makes them. if you want a top class kit go and pay for one. I built a jc midge many moons ago, and if you put it on a scale for midge builders of 1 to 10 with 10 being a engineering wonder, mine was around an 8. people would not believe it was a plan built car put on the road for around £2000 with the donor included. fooled many a classic car fan.when I retire I may be able to go out and buy a £20 grand cobra or jag ss 100 kit, but as of yet I chose the miglia, regardless of the photos, because I knew at the price I paid, what to expect (hopefully to put it on the road as a unique hand built car, built by me', for me, worts and all) that's the end of this thread for me back to the car building section.

[Marc F]

Well, here's hoping that I can see my car - off on hols, so will catch up with Mike in mid August. All the best everyone, and hope your builds go well

[PJ GRABOWSKI]

Marc F , when you visit the car after your vacation , I know I sound like a schmuck but ; and I really know its forbidden to ask ; but please if you can ( phone quality is fine ) could you record the event by means of image and share with us ?
I have just seen the great picture that Davecymro has posted of his body sat on floor which really shows the body well. I know your car is being built to turnkey at the moment so assume body cannot be removed for a similar shot but any side profile showing dimensional differences would be great.

[Marc F]

Ok, been down and caught up with Mike - car is looking good and well proportioned, still some internal framework issues to resolve and I will be looking at the floor pans to modify Mike's standard Herald ones to fit the Spit chassis better.

Now, the bad news - we had so much to talk about that I did not take photos. Neither did my two mates who came to look, neither did Nick Jones who came to bring me my new rear driveshafts (which feel really good - cheers Nick. So couple of weeks now.

[Marc F]

This Sunday - down to pick up my car - body and frame. Hope the weather is good. Photos to follow

[Paul L]

Good luck with the pick up.

I get the feeling quite a few people are looking forward to seeing those photos. :icon_wink:

Cheers, Paul. :)

[Marc F]

Will do. Mike has sprayed it white so the shortening join is not visible, but it will look a lot nicer once I paint it..., yep, red :-)

[davecymru]

it will look a lot nicer once I paint it..., yep, red :-)

Good colour choice! Everyone knows that Red ones go faster! :)

[Marc F]

Well, got car, and some quick pics on my phone - so next step is work out how to get photos onto here.

Dave - interested to get a glimpse of your bonnet - is it double skinned? Mine is only single skinned. Also, my frame did not come with a central tunnel section - did you make yours or was it part of the kit?

Lot to do with mine, waiting for Mike to get me the grill and side vent trims, but otherwise looking forward to get going on this. Time for me to start a new build thread (once I get the photo business sorted).

[davecymru]

Hey matey,

As far as the photos are concerned, have a look at something like http://photobucket.com/ you simply sign up for a free account and then add the photos directly from your phone/tablet with their app, or upload them via the web site and then simply copy-n-paste the links into your posts.


My bonnet is single skinned, i think, but it is lovely and thick! and reenforced. I'll try and get some pics later if you'd like?

I was tunnel-less as well. With the old Sammio frame there was a very basic tunnel frame but just about everyone reworked that in some way. I'd already ordered a load of Mild Steel box section as i knew i'd want to fabricate "stuff" at some point, so it wasn't a problem and it did allow me to tailor the height exactly to me and the handbrake i chose.

I'm looking forward to seeing those photos as so far I've not seen two frames the same (Mike does improve things as he gets feedback, which is good!), so it'll be good to compare.

[Marc F]

Ok, have joined, but now to see if I can get my work phone to connect. Then will try and upload. Currently, I have to email them to myself.

I will fabricate a centre section - Mike welded in th master cylinder plate but once I get my seat in the right place I may move that.

My bonnet does not fit and will need fastening at all four corners to get it to sit in shape. Will be interesting to see what we all do around sealing our bonnets as it does not have a gutter, and so will leak if not careful. I may use external hinges (Spitfire boot hinges?) at the back and straps at the front - a long way off yet so just idle musings.

My first job is to strip the engine down - I rebuilt it many years ago and then it sat around, so will strip and inspect and aim to get it running. Just ordered some graphogen to lube it up on reassembly.

Next job will be to buy some square section and some ally sheeting, and get my cockpit sorted. Should be fun - going to be cold for 6 months

[Marc F]

http://i1374.photobucket.com/albums/ag438/marcflack/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141005_152434_zps425b7891.jpg (http://s1374.photobucket.com/user/marcflack/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141005_152434_zps425b7891.jpg.html)

[Marc F]

Ok, clearly I need to know now how to make the pics smaller :-)

http://i1374.photobucket.com/albums/ag438/marcflack/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141005_152416_zpsc46e6fa4.jpg (http://s1374.photobucket.com/user/marcflack/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141005_152416_zpsc46e6fa4.jpg.html)

[Marc F]

More will follow - these were hurriedly taken trailer shots. I will start a new thread this weekend once I start the build.

[Barry Stard]

Thanks for the pictures markf. Bet you cantwait to crack on wit it now. Is it an opticall illusion or are those side vent centred between the door and wheelarch on one side but not tother? Probablly just the picture. Lookin forward to more update soon. Must get on with my sammio and put up some pictures too. Cheers Baz,

[Marc F]

just the way the pics show it :-)

It is in the garage now, so i will take some proper pics to show the side profile better, but as I said, that will form the start of my own hread. Would be good to see your Sammio.

[Barry Stard]

Funny things pictures.

Will getthe tarp off me sammio this week end and pop up some fotos on Monday, I promise.

[Marc F]

Rant mode on:

Timing is everything isn't it.

Just found a great guide to cleaning alloy parts - caustic soda then nitric acid. Only to find that from 4 September 2014 sale of Nitric acid to individuals is banned - need a government licence to buy the stuff. Licence is £40 and a whole load of arse ache, so will now probably have to get my alloy bits cleaned professionally. I hate that - what a country. No doubt it will keep us all safer in our beds as I assume terrorists cannot obtain these sort of things illegally... Sigh...

Rant over :-)

[Marc F]

Yep, that's the stuff - did you see the legal disclaimer etc at the bottom of the page. They cannot sell it to me now

[Mister Towed]

Shhh! SO19 will come knocking if you just think about Nitric anything.

[Barry Stard]

Can some one remind me how to put pics on here. thx

[Barry Stard]

Any progres mark?:fish2:

[Marc F]

Sorry everyone, I have been busy in the land of real life, with a lot of DIY keeping me (and my wallet) busy. A start date is imminent, so will set up a new thread with some photos once I kick off.

Of course, while I wait, I will mention that I am struggling to contact Mike re my missing grill and vents and receipt - if anyone catches him mention my name please :-)

[Thurcroft flyer]

I'm still trying to get my grill and headrest been 10 months now so don't hold your breath

[Barry Stard]

U gotta feel sorry for who ever bid on his eBay auction recently

[davecymru]

While i like my Miglia kit quite a lot and It's no secret that i get on with Mike, TBH I gave up on my Grill and Headrest and decided to make my own!

From my perspective if he has supply issues with them, then just sell the kit as body-shell and frame. At least that way people have their expectations set and are able to make alternative arrangements.

BTW MarkF - I look fwd to seeing your build thread soon, but i totally know how DIY can impact a build! I was lucky and allowed a stay-of-lieu on repainting the windows on our house last year so i could start the Miglia, but i _have_ to do them this year or I'm a dead man :)

[Thurcroft flyer]

Yes your right dave he could have sold the kit as a frame and body and I would have still bought one, but he advertised mine with a fibreglass bulk head, and selection of grill, which I have paid for and did not receive, that's my only complaint. I too will not sit about waiting for it to turn up, I will also make my own, but what about a refund for bits not supplied, and there is the question of not receiving a receipt, for the purchase of the kit, he can a least reply to emails or phone calls surely.i have no grievances with Mike at all just expected correspondence to be easier, I am sure he is a very busy man.

[HIGHLAND BUGGY]

was hoping to build one of these :-(

[Marc F]

As everyone who has dealt with Mike knows, he is a good guy, but lousy on communication. I tried phone, email and message on eBay. I definitely need a receipt to register my car, so he is being a bit cheeky at present. But here's hoping :-)

[Marc F]

Sorry Oxford - I have created a new thread, and it has a photo of my car - come on over and take a peek. And if you are in th Essex area, then you can pop round for a cup of tea and I will show you the beast in the flesh.

My new thread has my own photos now I have mastered the art of posting from my phone. That's me, last of the luddites...

[Marc F]

Ah, I have not been clear enugh in that case - my apologies.

My Miglia is very much Spitfire based (next week, when the chassis on stands photos go up you will see the Spit chassis), and the body was shortened by Mike by 9 inches to suit, along with a custom made frame.

I think (IMHO) that it was the frame that made Mike decide to give up - I think it was just too much effort considering he has a full time day job. The frame was outsourced to a local fabricator at his expense, and it works ok. When I get to that part of the build I will probably do some modifications myself (including a centre tunnel etc).

And can I now ask that we stop this thread, as I would rather move all questions etc over to my new build thread, that way we can keep everything in one place. This old thread can then be left to wither and die.

So not trying to be rude, but I will now no longer answer questions on this thread, and hope that is ok for anbody reading.

All the best guys, Marc signing off (on this thread only).