My rebuild updates..
 

If you have been to my website you will know the background, but here's a quick summary...

I bought the 'green' car from Chris Greville-Smith (GTR designer) after it had been stolen and crashed. It has a few developments on it and I plan to enhance it further.

Plan is to have it in a BMW silver with black leather interior, fit a decent sound system in it (Ed's influence!), electric power steering and a new centre console.

A few pics so far:

As it arrived
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...tom_home_1.JPG


http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/front_1.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/rear.JPG
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...interior_1.JPG
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/strip_10.JPG

Broken suspension parts will be remade
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/strip_12.JPG

Electric assisted steering column with Rover switchgear fitted
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...a_column_1.JPG

Cosworth radiator in case of future engine upgrades
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/cossy_rad.JPG

New engine, been sitting around a test rig for years, never been in a car!
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...new_engine.JPG

Beginning of the sound system, it will all be hidden
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/pg_comps.JPG

Honda S2000 leather seats fit perfectly!
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...2000_seats.JPG

My website will be kept fully up to date wiht more pics, but I thought a quick summary might be handy..

Rich

Very nice car.

Looks like it will be a much improved car when it's rebuild.

Starting to fine tune the position of the corsa electric assisted steering column, the mounting points are a fair bit further back than the Rover column ones

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...a_column_4.JPG

Dash moulding will need tweaking to fit more neatly with the corsa shroud

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...a_column_3.JPG

Rich

Nice choice of speakers! Are you going to need a lot of new bits to repair it?

Which silver you going for, I really like titanium silver - it looks so good in the sun after a good clean and wax.

Ed is leading me down a pricey path for the stereo! Should be a nice quality system when it's all done tho'. The mids will get custom sculpted centre sections in the doors, tweeters in the A pillars and a sub in the back, not sure whether to make it removable or not yet. I'm also going to have to hide 2 amps, crossover and the DAB tuner box somewhere!

I know which silver, but don't know the name. I'll have to get over to a BMW dealership and ask them.

I'm getting a new front section of the body, bonnet and front luggage tray. I want to guarantee no crazing in the future so am being careful about where I make the cuts. Chris has lent me the wishbone jigs for this car so they will be easy to reproduce, I will use the later style bushings which are slightly narrower to give me some caster adjustment in the top wishbones in case I need more self centring with the power steering.

Rich

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...t_repair_1.JPG

body repair will commence shortly! I also have a new bonnet and front luggage tray..

Wow!
 

That is the nicest repair piece I have ever seen. That puts many of the Vette pieces here in the states to shame.

Bill

well it came out of the same mould so quality is the same as the body, they just laid up the section I needed..

Rich

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...t_repair_9.JPG

more details on my website..

I take it you won't be taking your car to Stoneligh then. ( :sorry: )

Made some good progress today!

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i..._repair_15.JPG

I've finally sold my GTM Libra which was going to help fund the GTR's completion. Hopefully I'l get a bit of a bump in the enthusiasm stakes and get some more work done now!

Rich

You are really making headway. I like the mating jig you laid up. That will probably save you hours of shaping on the seam.

I noticed the moulding around the door glass looks as if it is actually part of the body. In other pictures I assumed it was chrome or black moulding. Is it actually just a contour line that is painted?

When you finish the body reconstruction will you remove the body and refinish the chassis or are you leaving it as is?

Bill

You're right, the side window moulding is actually part of the body. Most people paint it a contrasting colour and I think it really sets off the car.

The plan is to get the body all sorted, then lift it off and fully strip/rebuild the chassis. I'm still contemplating the options of LPG and air con to make it more usable for everyday.

Rich

LPG? As in Propane?

As in liquid petroleum gas. You get similar mpg but it's half the price of unleaded in the UK so a conversion would pay for itself pretty quickly..

progressing along nicely now, lots of fine tuning was needed to guarantee the front end ended up in the right place.. lots of upside down fibreglassing!

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i..._repair_24.JPG

Bi-xenon projector headlights from a BMW M3 will fit into custom mouldings.

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/bi-xenons.JPG

Body is in one piece again!

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...front_on_1.JPG

Time to get on with the chassis now...

Rich

Seats look nice! How accessible are the adjustments on the Honda seats? I've got some aftermarket electric Recaro's but am not totally convinced I'll go with them! How about the reclines - wheels or levers on the Honda seats?

Another options I'm looking at are Impreza - my other half had a "classic" WRX (before the current bug-eye one) and the seats in it were very nice! The bug eye has inferior ones.

Cheers
Greg

Hi Greg,
They are quite easy to access, there is a lever at the side of the squab which you lift, this releases the seat forwards but is also used to set the recline position, slide adjustment is by usual lever at front.
One thing I have noticed recently is that the rails have two different brackets at the back, which effectively changed the length between holes, I'll just cut off the longer one and make a duplicate short one..
Hope that helps,
Rich

Greg, reacros are ok, ive got sportline ones in mine, and you can just get to the adjusters etc.. the only really tricky one to get to is the lumbar pump on the side.
Be weary of the WRX seats, most of them dont tilt forward, IMO you really do need them to if you wish to use the area behind the seats. Its a real pain if they dont tilt.

light progress
 

Finally made up some mouldings for the headlights and started modifying them for the bi-xenon projectors from a 2002-2004 BMW M3 plus angel eye sidelight

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/xenon_1.JPG http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/xenon_2.JPG

One with the BMW shroud:
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/xenon_3.JPG

I plan to make up some custom shrouds to accomodate the angel eyes, possibly in carbon fibre...

Rich

Tweaked version of phantom's centre console with recessed switch section, I think I will still make some modifications to the rear section instead of just putting a padded top on it:

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...sole_mod_2.JPG

Light isn't finished, but quick mock-up gives a pretty good idea of the final result:

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/xenon_4.JPGhttp://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/xenon_5.JPG

Those headlights look great :D

One of my bugbears was the expanse of dash not being broken up, so I fitted a glovebox from a Rover 214:


http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/glove_1.JPGhttp://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/glove_2.JPG

Rich

Some more progress this weekend:

The electric assisted corsa column needs the dash reshaping to suit.
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...a_column_3.JPG
So, some polyfiller expanding foam
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...roud_mod_2.JPG

then fibreglass
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...roud_mod_3.JPG

finally filled to shape
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...roud_mod_4.JPGhttp://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...roud_mod_5.JPG

Then I wanted to have an extra opening cubby hole in the rear section of the centre console. Hinges/clips from the local scrappy and lots of reshaping ended up with this:
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...sole_mod_3.JPGhttp://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...sole_mod_4.JPG

Rich

Thats a nice neat job you've done there on the steering column shroud.

John

As I said on TA, very nice FG work :)

I guess most people didn't know, but I have decided to change my chassis for a straight one rather than repair and make new wishbones myself, just don't have the time! It was the one made after mine with the 'production' geometry but slightly beefier top rail. It uses production front suspension and uprights instead of the current steel uprights with spherical bearings (not ideal for road use and future replacements).
All I need to do is notch the top rail for increased steering lock and modify the steering rack mounts for a sierra rack (which I will convert to quick ratio).

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/chassis.JPG

Fun getting it home, it was wider than the trailer!

Rich

bet you're popular with the missus at the mo ;)
they are suprisingly wide arent they, mine only just fit in the trailer i used to pick it up as well.
when you get the sierra rack dont forget its an LHD one you need, not an RHD.

Got a sierra rack from Norman, so I'm assuming it is correct!
To get it on the trailer we had to put a load of planks on one side so it rolled over the mudguards and then back down, then lots of ratchets and a slow drive home..

More progress, had to do a few mods to the chassis to bring it into line with later ones, also put some extra strengthening in and converted for later sierra quick rack for which I've just ordered a quick ratio kit, welded in new top rear damper mounts for the adjustable dampers that were on the car

body on old chassis out of the way:
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...ar_outside.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...is_painted.JPG
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...er_mount_2.JPG

Rich

When you look back at what you started with not that long ago you can see that you have made great progress with this rebuild.:hail:

John

Cheers for the comment, it's much more satisfying at this stage putting the new/repaired parts together than cleaning fixing older parts!
Rich

you going to put the rad pipes through the top chassis rails now rich?
and reply to my email :p

yup, pipes through the top rail, not much choice in the matter now! That's the reason I had to redo the rad mounts too...

Body is now off the old chassis :eusa_dance:

'just' have to transfer the engine etc etc to the new one and then I'll be on the home straight..

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i...ff_chassis.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_i..._chassis_1.JPG

Was fun lifting the body up so high to get over the engine! :fear:

Rich

I put a length of 6x4 timber through the door apertures (with blocks so it lifts on the built-in steel cage) and used a couple of strops and an engine crane to lift my bodyshell off the chassis I didn't have four strong bodies handy :)

Greg

Good thing you used the blocks, Eddy didn't and suffered the consequences!

I just rounded up some neighbours for a 5 minute lift, my engine hoist wouldn't have lifted it high enough to go back over the engine anyway.
I'm making good progress on transferring bits, unfortunately semi reliant on weather for that and the dark evenings don't help now..

Rich

Out of the old chassis...
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/eng_out.JPG

...and into the new!
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/eng_in_2.JPG

body will be on within a week...