Welsh Kiwi's Build Thread - 275GTB

[Welshkiwi]

A quick general update, hopefully some photos at the end of the weekend as i don’t like showing “part way” mods!

I am using galv square tube and building up the back end extension support area with that and fibreglass. Nearly there. The backend needed to be approx 20mm higher so the front end looked good on the roof. Have also supported the boot extension wings with some bonded in and fibreglassed over 6mm rod. Stiffened up nicely.
As far as the fuel filler that is looking pretty good but I won’t be able to check that until the backend back on and trialled.
I have my sill trims back from production, look really good profile. My job now is to chamfer the ends, make end plates for those and weld in plus weld in the tabs/bolts to hold them on. Keeping on keeping on!

[Welshkiwi]

Some photos soon, promise. Cert guy has given clearance today for body structure mods that I have done. So all go to get the rear finalled and on.
Am currently working on the stainless trims, welding should go on this week. Bumpers will be wrapped with vinyl chrome week after. Style 5 alloys look good with 205/65/15 rubber on them. A bit more glassing to do on the rear end and then I can flowcoat it.
Chris and Dan sending some more stuff through this week that I needed/wanted so definitely optimistic of on the road around end of sept/early oct at this rate.... can’t come too quickly!

[Welshkiwi]

]Hi guys, been a cack load of work going on over the last few weeks and I am knackered!
The bits in work:
- Bumpers filled/sprayed and ready to vinyl wrap this week
- Exhaust resonators (ala the 275) in work but initial manufacture done - see pic (They will eventually be polished tips/redband and black painted as per the 275 original car - Maybe with ANSA badges) See capture pic for what trying to achieve.
- Exhaust hangers (again as per the capture pic - Fezza originals ordered from Germany on on their way) the other pic shows I have strengthened where the exhaust hangers will go - Where the rivets are behind the panel is T6-alclad aluminium plate bonded and riveted in so will have good structure to hang off.
- Alloys and rubber all sorted - 205/65/15 with ET20 offset - looks good possibly not to have to widen the track after all at back end.
- Glassing virtually finished on back end - trialling final fits tomorrow
- Blocked off rear light areas and "splash shields" manufactured from fglass and fitted.
- Flowcoat inside rear end started today.
- Sills nearly completed, end caps done on trims, getting retention bolts welding done on this weekend and trial fits hopefully next week.
- Door window seals fitted

Flickr for some reason not working so a few photos added as per below.

Cheers.

[Welshkiwi]

Hi guys, really struggling with Flickr for some reason at the mo but after half hr managed to get some photos up. Plenty of moving going on, body ready to bond, trims finishing welding this weekend (mate got tied up on other things), bumpers being wrapped and should be ready on mon or tues.
Once trims are on sills and happy then sills final fit and body bonded on.

Exhaust well under way, waiting for hangers and some welding of brackets before final painting..... Here ya go:
IMG_20190727_160344

IMG_20190727_160330

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48384958261_4767978382_z.jpg[/img]

IMG_20190726_150222

IMG_20190723_160846

[classiccoachworks]

hi guys.
as of yesterday we at classiccoachworks.org are building a demo of the old no 7 275 and marketing them.
thank you to Dan for giving us the opportunity

photos will be added as we go along for a full pictorial build guide.

[classiccoachworks]

ps kiwi.. pleeeeeease may I pop your pictures ups example when people ask how it may look. withsorry to ask! will of course credit you! lovely car by the way!

[Welshkiwi]

Originally Posted by classiccoachworks

ps kiwi.. pleeeeeease may I pop your pictures ups example when people ask how it may look. withsorry to ask! will of course credit you! lovely car by the way!

All good my end, I am hoping pictures will get a lot more “wholesome” and in short time! I am putting the hard yards into some nice touches, just hope they pay off.....cheers.

[classiccoachworks]

ah thank you kiwi. that's great.
we will also do a full stripdown and build thread, but on website, so do have a look in case we have quilt bits you need. although you're way ahead as we only picked up yesterday!
looking great already, can't wait to see finished...
what colour are you intending?
😊
belle.
classiccoachworks.org

[Welshkiwi]

Thanks Belle,

Good luck with the 275 project, certainly good to see some movement in the development/marketing of this kit for Dan.

My colour choice is dark metallic grey. A few options looking at for final colour choices, looking at BMW Mineral grey, Carpathian grey Range Rover, silverstone grigio metallic ferrari colour and a few others as well. Time to scratch the beard and decide!

[Lucky@LeMans]

I like the silver / grey on this one, who knows if its an original Ferrari colour. Similar shade to Audi Quartz Grey.

[Welshkiwi]

Quick update, but not the one I wanted.
Trims still not welded, praying for good news tomorrow otherwise another lost weekend to get the sills sorted and on.
Brackets from Germany for the exhaust have taken an age, looks like they are in NZ, but not in my hands. Net result exhaust can’t be fitted up this weekend either as they are setting the position to weld brackets on the resonators....so a few weeks before the exhaust finished now.
Wrapping the bumpers, listen very carefully I will say zis only once!
Make sure you have no overspray from any filler/spray repairs on the surface that you are wrapping.....it pulls paint off the gel coat. The guys who are wrapping thought it would be ok but not the case. So have spent the last two days rubbing all the bumpers back to gelcoat surface, polishing with 3000 grit paper and now the vinyl test wrap went well. Chrome shows nicely so let’s see how they look when done next week now!

So a few things no quite to plan, but the stream as always is flowing (eventually) in the right direction. Cheers.

[classiccoachworks]

ahhhh frustrating, as is always the way with builds, all the delays come when you're really wanting to crack on...
I feel your pain. hopefully more progress next week!
����

[Welshkiwi]

Originally Posted by classiccoachworks

ahhhh frustrating, as is always the way with builds, all the delays come when you're really wanting to crack on...
I feel your pain. hopefully more progress next week!
����

Thanks Belle, crisis half averted, the trims got the welding completed so all being well should be fitted and photos by the end of the weekend.....cracking on!

[Welshkiwi]

Hi guys, NZ weather is atrocious at the moment, so the garage door gets opened /closed/opened quite rapidly at the moment.
Sills are needing work as the trims we manufactured look superb, but show the sills aren't flat in relation to the stainless forms so need to be profiled for that, got the filler on but with the weather sanding gonna wait until later in the week.

So got stuck into exhaust hangers, (which arrived Saturday), rear shelf carpeting and rear light assy/pod. Pod holes are for access to the OEM light nuts if needed, they will be filled with some polished ally tube for a nice finish. Also finally removed the drivers door mirror. Exhaust now booked to be fitted next weekend and bumpers will be wrapped and finished on thurs. Great to be making headway.

Flickr and my computer just don't want to mix at the moment well together so here are some photos:

[Lucky@LeMans]

Why all the rivet heads through the body by the exhaust mounts ?

[Welshkiwi]

Originally Posted by Lucky@LeMans

Why all the rivet heads through the body by the exhaust mounts ?

Hi lucky,
If you look further back in my thread I have strengthened the fibreglass with t6 alclad panels bonded and riveted on. The hangers for the exhaust bolt to these panels and drop through a slot in both panel and body. The rivets will be filled and over painted, but if you look at the original car it also had rivets in this area. Makes sure I get no flex in the body from the exhausts, they are a fair weight. Cheers.

[Welshkiwi]

Hi guys,
Should be some photos tomorrow hopefully after a few hours on the car. Lost a very close family friend unfortunately in the last few weeks so the car has not been a priority at all.

Have managed today to get the exhaust fitted, still need to remove the back tips for final painting, but very pleased with sound and look.

Chrome wrapping finished on bumpers with issues. Idea was good but the company I chose had issues. From the pictures I post you will probably think they look smart, and they do from a distance. Just areas that I am not happy with the finish or process they used. So will leave for a few years and develop final options for those parts...
More to come soon.... cheers.

[classiccoachworks]

hi Kiwi.
my condolences, very sorry to hear that. I hope that all are doing as well as can btw, in the circumstances.

You've done a great job so far. we are trailing far behind with our build, due to other commitments bt, she will be drive able with roughly fitted kit soon.

sorry again to hear of this sad time for you.looking forward to more build photos soon.

belle
classiccoachworks.org

[Welshkiwi]

Originally Posted by classiccoachworks

hi Kiwi.
my condolences, very sorry to hear that. I hope that all are doing as well as can btw, in the circumstances.

You've done a great job so far. we are trailing far behind with our build, due to other commitments bt, she will be drive able with roughly fitted kit soon.

sorry again to hear of this sad time for you.looking forward to more build photos soon.

belle
classiccoachworks.org

Thanks Belle for the kind thoughts, these things happen I know but when unexpected and a good bloke it is a hard pill to swallow.

Below are some photos, the body is still not bonded on yet, but I needed to get the exhaust guy finished and paid so concentrated on the back bits there. Need to get the pipes off so I can final paint the brackets/tips and paint the red bands on and polish the ends. You can see the bumpers look pretty good, just a finish thing for me there are some opaque areas where too much heat has gone into the wrapping and we needed a pin stripe for a cut line in the centre as too much tension was causing the vinyl to unwrap itself when it was wrapped from one side thru the compound curves to the other. A learning curve (expensive one) but at least I have a better idea of what may be needed to think about for final finish etc.

The exhaust sounds good, just got to see the cert guys and hopefully he feels the same way! Has a good deep growl to it and a crackle/burble when you back off the throttle a bit. - Acid test will be what it does at cruising speeds and noise in the cabin.
I think the car is starting to look the part, the wheels go and the looks that I got with it on the back of the trailer going down the road seem to suggest a bit of interest in it. Cheers.

Exhaust and rear bumper

Rear quarter bumper and exhaust

Exhaust fitted

[Egdik]

Wow ! Those pipes do look good . . . it is 27 years since I last drove in NZ and I guess the roads are now billiard table smooth . . . and you will have enough ground clearance ? My 275 graunches just occasionally still, so I raised the rear a few millimetres when putting on new tyres recently.


It may be the angle of the camera, but might your boot lid hinges be on a bit of a convergent line ? I tried grinding the bases of mine, but they are still not quite spot on. Might try a rubber sheet 'gasket' next year.


Hope it is all ready for the Kiwi summer.