tlrtone's Miglia Speedster build... - Page 2

mikmiglia · #1 3rd March 2013, 14:44

Looks good Tony, looks like dove grey ? What paint did you use .

tlrtone · #2 3rd March 2013, 15:12

it's Harrison Lathe blue/Grey actually

It's 0.5litres from ebay - a company called Stationary Engine Parts.

Engine enamel, good and tough and a whole range of colours, heat and oil resistant.

mikmiglia · #3 3rd March 2013, 15:21

Nice colour didnt take you long to prep and paint.

Paul L · #4 3rd March 2013, 20:31

+1 on the nice engine colour.

tlrtone · #5 6th March 2013, 15:48

got round to putting my own website together ... www.mymigliaspeedster.co.uk

lots more pictures of the build.

I am aiming to get the engine built this weekend - unless the obligatory Mothering Sunday stuff gets in the way!

Also, since davecymru has mentioned getting up to Stoneleigh, I was going to try for that as a target date, so my rough plan works out like this:

10/3 Engine & gearbox built
17/3 Chassis Stripped
24/3 Chassis Painted & assembled
31/3 engine in and Frame on
7/4 wiring done and body on
14/4 Seats and interior mounted
21/4 Doors hung and body prep started
28/4 Painted
2/5 Interior & exterior fitted and MOT'd

simples!

garyh · #6 6th March 2013, 20:09

What about the DVLA bit?

mikmiglia · #7 6th March 2013, 20:24

Hi Gary, i will book it in for two weeks time. So it will be road worthy. Just for further reference they did say they needed the car almost finished.

So body fitted, doors on, engine in but not needed to be run, interia fitted (seats and belts). Its not a bad thing as it needs to be done anyway, but where as before they would let you go down without a bonnet and engine they want to see it further on.

tlrtone · #8 6th March 2013, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikmiglia

Hi Gary, i will book it in for two weeks time. So it will be road worthy. Just for further reference they did say they needed the car almost finished.

err, I think we may need to wait until Mid April then..

tlrtone · #9 6th March 2013, 21:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyh

What about the DVLA bit?

Oh that little thing

davecymru · #10 6th March 2013, 20:22

what can possibly go wrong?

tlrtone · #11 6th March 2013, 21:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by davecymru

what can possibly go wrong?

Bad weather
No money
No time
Grumpy missus
Wrong parts
Fail mot
Unimpressed visa inspector man
.............

Have I missed anything?

tlrtone · #12 11th March 2013, 09:46

not a lot done this weekend due to Mothers Day duties, but have been collecting everything together for the engine....

2013-03-08 18.16.21b.jpg

new valves will go in the head this week and hopefully I cna get the engine build in the next few days. That will be that job out of the way then.

I have cleaned and painted the gearbox in the same blue - it was reconditioned about a year ago so apart from new mounts, that should do it for that.

Next up is the chassis, but it has started to snow here so I won't be working on that outside for the next couple of days at least! I might have to paint the Spitfire petrol tank I have.

Mike has called me to say my kit will be ready this week, so I better crack on!

mikmiglia · #13 11th March 2013, 18:27

Bloody hell , that engine looks the part, better than black well done

Mister Towed · #14 11th March 2013, 19:41

Yep, proper show car shine on that motor, well done.

tlrtone · #15 12th March 2013, 19:35

ooh, looks like we are all one big happy family again!

I've been moved....

Paul L · #16 12th March 2013, 20:14

Welcome "home" Tony.

I had a look at your new build website the other day.

Sounds like your first build experiences have influenced the final kit design.

Good luck, Paul.

Mister Towed · #17 12th March 2013, 20:32

Yes, welcome back Tony. Good luck with your new project, I guess you're Mike's guinea pig...

tlrtone · #18 12th March 2013, 21:20

thanks. It is good to be here.... again

Mr T, funnily enough I went to Mike's on Saturday to pick up my frame, but while I was there, I asked if I could 'borrow' his welder to make some mods to it. If you remember from my Sammio build, my little mig welder kept cutting out and as my mum alwasy said - if you don't ask, you don't get!

I wanted to move the tank to the rear and put in a luggage space as that was really useful in the Sammio. The end result was that I left my frame there and Mike said he will use that to be the 'standard build' now

I quite like the idea of being the guinea pig if I can help influence the design to make it better for others in the longer run!

This is the "modified" frame...

2013-03-09 16.35.52a.jpg

When I got home I started putting the engine together....

New valves ground in....

2013-03-11 18.31.07a.jpg
2013-03-11 21.48.20a.jpg

Pistons in with new rings....

2013-03-11 21.48.05a.jpg

I am just waiting on the new thrust washers from Rimmers (i'm tightening up the end float from the standard 8-14 thou to around 3-4 thou) and then the crank can get put in and the engine closed up and built.

Mister Towed · #19 13th March 2013, 08:01

Looks like good progress so far. Like the fuel tank position, after all, that's where I've put mine.

Engine's also coming along nicely, you do appear to be missing a couple of cylinders though. I'm sure I could only count four, is that right?

A more serious question now - what's the access going to be like to the engine with a fixed front end?

One of the nice things about Gary's original design imho is the retention of the tilting/removeable front end. This gives superb access for in situ maintenance and future engine/gearbox changes.

I've already taken the engine and gearbox out of mine with the body bonded on (to fix a leaky oil seal) and it was a piece of cake with no bonnet fitted. With the weight of the Vitesse engine and box swinging around I wouldn't be confident about posting it in through an oblong hole between the wings once it's painted.

Speaking of which, I'd better get out into the garage while there's still some daylight left...

tlrtone · #20 13th March 2013, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyh

You make it look so easy, are you reading how to put engine together or do you just know?

Gary, I have put together quite a few engines (car & bike) over the years, so they are all a similar process. I have the Triumph Workshop manual and Google to check up on tolerance, guidance and best practice!

I just love the internet and forums for that sort of thing. Like it is advised by some credible engine builders to reduce the crank endfloat from the standard 8-14 thou to around 3-4 thou.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

Engine's also coming along nicely, you do appear to be missing a couple of cylinders though. I'm sure I could only count four, is that right?

A more serious question now - what's the access going to be like to the engine with a fixed front end?

Yes, Mr T it is only a 4-pot this time - but it is the 1500 MG Midget engine (same as the Spitfire 1500 one), so should go nicely. Although a standard Herald 13/60 gearbox with no overdrive for now. I am considering in future a 5 speed conversion using a Ford Type 9 gearbox and adapter kit from jigsaw racing.....

Regarding access, this was a key area I was worried about. I even asked Mike about the possibility of converting it to a flip front!

However, when I was there on Saturday, we had the body on to make sure that the frame mods worked, and actually the bonnet opening is HUGE so there is absolutely no problem with access! the engine will come out with the gearbox attached and not touch the sides! Even a 6-pot will be okay.

One of the things that i didn't appreciate is that the bulkhead is sat about 8-10 inches back and so you get more space around the engine. This does mean that the gear stick needs to be adapted to shift backward - Mike is doing an exchange kit for this!

Hopefully in about 3-4 weeks I will have the rolling chassis and body on so I will take pictures to show you how it all looks in the engine bay.

I think Mike is building a customers car as well at the moment, so he may beat me to it!