No heated seats then.��

A few photos of the work I've done over the last week or so.
The curved box formers have made easy work of the bonnet return edges.
The scuttle panel along with the roughly formed bonnet edges sitting in place. A bit more work needed on these parts before final fit !
The engine has been in and out a few times, next time it goes in should be the last.
The interior is stripped back to bare bones and cleaned up. Also welded up all the holes along the top chassis rail where the old Locost body was rivetted on.

Very nice work!

Daft question time...

Is it just a case of hammering the metal around the former?

Or do you need to apply heat / do something else as well?

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/foru...9&d=1536339373

This really is going to be stunning when finished.

Good luck, Paul. :)

In the case of the scuttle panel it is a fairy simple shape so the aluminium will easily form and stretch over the former around the bonnet return edge. Its easy to work as its quite soft and malleable. I use a domed plastic mallet so you can form the internal radius's . Luckily I had the screen and frame which allowed me to get the correct profile, it would have been guesswork without it !

Made another former tonight, a concave one this time. I want to get the front end ready this week so it can go back on the car at the weekend, that's the plan anyway !

A few more jobs done. I needed to make up several curved steel tube sections to support the front end so I looked at buying a tube roller. Most of the ones I looked at that would cope with 5/8" diameter tube were too much money at £300 +. There's plenty of scrap bits of steel lying around in the garage so I've knocked up a simple one for free ! I made a couple of sets of dies so it will do flat section and tube.The first section made will go under the front edge of the scuttle, the ali being formed around it. Here are a couple of photo's...…….

Very nice work!

Loving it!

All the return edges around the bonnet are done now. The front end is ready to go back on the chassis and the bracketry made up to support it. Another week and the front end should be just about done ( minus the bonnet itself ! ). Next jobs include a new wiring loom, exhaust manifolds and system ……..

Just catching up on this great build and it’s looking lovely :)

You said you just bolted the new Engine onto the existing type 9 - But the V6 needs a longer input shaft and has different ratios to the 4 pot.

I found a supplier who has "short" aluminium bell housings available to allow the Type 9's with the shorter input shaft to fit. Well that was what the seller told me but I found out after that he also supplies a spigot bearing adaptor that I needed too ! What I've gained is a light weight bell housing that needed adapting anyway.

Yes the ratios are slightly different but that shouldn't be an issue. With the 80 profile tyres rather than the 50 series fitted to the "7" the ratios in the box and the diff will complement the V6.

I’ve seen the adaptor shafts but would definitely go with the short bellhousing (I sold mine for a lot more than I paid for it!).

The change in tyre profile won’t totally hide the very low first (I had a 2.9i GTC with a type 9 and went from 14” to 15” Wheels and first was still only for pulling away on hills) - I’m about to change mine in the hillclimb SS1 for next season as even on a CVH it’s too low.

I'll have to see once I've got it on the road. I only intend to use it on the road anyway so normal driving, mostly in 3rd, 4th and 5th will be ok, as long as my calculations are correct.

Its looking fantastic!

I've been working on getting the front end bolted up to chassis over the last few days. It's quite involved getting it all supported correctly, I don't want to have any part of it under any stress loads so I'm having to brace it all up. I'm doing it in such a way that none of the supporting structure will be visible.

I've also sent off the log book V5 to be updated with the new body. Should all be ok with what I've asked for under make and model. They have before and after photos, receipts, the old V5 and a covering letter. Wait and see what they come up with.

A bit of a change for this weekend, I'm going to make a start on the seats. When I bought the body panels there were lots of other bits that came with it including the seats. However, they won't fit into the chassis without chopping them around for width and height. I did some measuring up and I ordered some leather in black.

I little more progress, the front bodywork is now largely supported and fixed in place. Time to start looking at the door hinges. I want a little adjustment, up, down and left and right so the door can be squared up. Still some work to do on the seats, the backs are done and look ok. The bases are taking a bit more effort, I might yet let the pro's do the job if I can't get it right !

Just leaving these here....
 

Seen at Classics on the Common, Harpenden

:jaw: