I've spoken to a mate today who makes one off stainless exhausts.
He'll be having a look as soon as I get the car back. I'll let you know what we decide is best. (In our opinion)

Bob.

Something else to address, especially if filling the "rear boot" with bags of shopping, is how to support them, as the extended SWB glassfibre panels will need some sort of bracketing to cope with the additional mass slung out at the back end of the car.

Just working on herself to think about one as her next car.

Mmmm...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-E-t...item339f061cd9

I have now begun the process of collecting the parts I need for a SWB build myself, starting with the wheels. It's a bit early for me to begin a build thread, so I hope you don't mind me thread-jacking yours occasionally Bob. :)

I had also spotted the similarities between Dunlop alloys and BMW steels, and couldn't resist these -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psejxfgeze.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psjjl7ov2z.jpg

They're 6.5x15 ET20 from the 5 series E34, and came from Germany for...


£77.84 for four including delivery. :)

I'll probably add 6mm holes between the existing ones and spray them with silver (or maybe white) smoothrite.

So, need to start saving my pennies for a donor and panel kit now, but that Abarth E Type exhaust keeps nagging away at me...

Hi Mr T,

No problem with the thread sharing, we can all help each other with information as there's bound to be a variety of issues crop up.
Very similar style wheels to mine, except mine are 17" so I can keep the same tyres (hopefully).
I'll keep everyone posted about exhaust end extension once my mate has had a look.

I spoke to Chris about dash and door panels on Tuesday as once paint and wheels are done, the interior will be the part to let the 'original car style' down He has some plans which, as usual, look good but I think he needs to get some cars out before he gets to sorting and making them. I've penciled myself in for a set if they work out ok.

Cheers, Bob.

Those pipes would look great coming out the back of a Z300S too...

Nice, but not for a Fezza- the angle of dangle is wrong and you'd need straight pipes, not those cranked ones.

It must be possible to get chromed pipe of the right size and gauge- if not- how about a group buy?

I appreciate that the angles are all wrong on the full system, which is a shame. I've got previous for hacking perfectly good exhaust systems apart to fit my vision of what it should look and sound like though -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9b259c76.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psa8cb36f2.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1fbcae27.mp4

My starting point with that system is that the tailpipes are absolutely correct for the SWB. Everything else can be modified to fit relatively easily. :madgrin:

I've also chosen to use 15" wheels for a more authentic 50's feel. The SWB originally came with a choice of either 15" or 16" Borrani wires, both wearing 185/80 tyres in their respective sizes.

If I were to go with 16's, any tyre with a half convincing profile is going to up the gearing far too much and may leave me with clearance issues. I'll probably fit 195/65/VR15 tyres as they're cheap and plentiful (Quality brands for around £50 each fitted).

As for the dash, my thoughts are that I'll probably reuse the Z3 gauges as a simple and cost effective solution, but set into a home made dash in the Fiat coupe style -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psiolpsz4x.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psyx4ew1ri.jpg

...but made to look much more like (one of) the original style dash fitted to the SWB -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...pstgrbc4xf.jpg

So many ideas, I can't wait to get started. :party:

With you there cos that's the bit you can see.

That's about what I paid for my Falken Euro-Weathers in that size and speed rating.

Ian, how do you find the 195's cope with the oomph your 2.8 gives? Are they up to the job?

Bob's Z3 now stripped of all it's "ebay" parts

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0sl1ljlh.jpg

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/...psj7xiqzsc.jpg

Windscreen frame inner panels removed, and retained, ready for kit install

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/...psgixj42gx.jpg

Something to note here is that once the roll cage is fitted it will not be possible to remove the trim it passes through without the aid of an angle grinder

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/...psdbfechwa.jpg

I have had similar ideas of retaining the Z3 gauge pod and forming a "cover" dash

Never had them break traction in a straight line. The driveshaft joints are a bit clonky, especially when cold so I tend not to stomp it off the line. I think I drifted it once on a damp road coming out of a roundabout but I certainly haven't missed the 225 originals.

Thanks Ian, makes sense really: the original 250 GT had nearly 280bhp and ran just fine on 185 width tyres without any electronic 'driver aids'. Modern cars are just too technical these days, you actually have to drive an old car and they're all the better for it.

Yep, I think that approach will work a treat. I'll be interested to see what moulding you come up with - I really like the idea of an upholstered 'eyebrow' type dash top with a painted 'metal' panel to take the instruments and switches. If you don't make one Chris I sure will. :)

The dash on my Spyder sets it apart from most of its kind -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps50482498.jpg

It was a moulding taken from a Porsche 550 Spyder that Gary Janes just happened to have laying around in his workshop. I was going to make something myself, but Gary sold me the 550 dash and I adapted it to fit the Sammio body.

To me, the dash is one of the most important aspects of a replica/kit car/Tribute, as together with the steering wheel, seats and gear-lever it's one of the primary interfaces you have with the car. After all, when you're driving a car you spend more time looking at the dash than anything else.

Not sure if you can tell, but I'm really excited about this project. :)

Just read back through the Kobra thread and found this image -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psnlekpvkl.jpg

I take it you took a moulding from that prototype dash? Bit of work to give it the slightly raised 'pod' to take the Z3 gauges and that'd do nicely.

Also came across this picture -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7wph7wsw.jpg

Anyone know if the fillet panel that runs from the back of the transmission tunnel to half way up the rear bulkhead is structural? (the triangular bit with an oblong hole that looks like a holder for an i-phone on its front face).

I'd be tempted to take the angle grinder to it if it isn't.

I don't know for certain but when i stripped my interior out it didn't seem to be for anything other than bolting the plastic trim to.

Having said that, in your picture it looks quite substantial for a trim holder so perhaps it also braces the rear bulk head in some way

Make a panel to cover it in alloy with swagged holes

Something along these lines if you get my drift

http://www.imagejb.co.uk/generalnew/...s/IMG_2810.JPG

Yep, I'd box it in if it's structural, but if it isn't I'd rather cut it out and leave a flat bulkhead. It's funny how details like that matter, but to me they just do...

It looks structural to me. I think it would be classed as stiffening. I think you have to be very carful taking an angle grinder to anything on these shells. Else you may find the car requiring an IVA with all the nit picking and expense that involves.

I don't know if these base units are classed as a chassis, a floor pan or a body shell, VOSA/DVLA have some pretty strict guidelines/rules regarding what you can and can't do without the need for an IVA.

ACE have a page which covers this and contains some guidance, but interpretation is key, our interpretation may differ from that of VOSA/DVLA. There are cases where non structural parts have to remain, especially with body shells, sometimes even drilling a panel or re-shaping it can be classed as a modification, in some cases it can call into question it's integrity. In VOSA/DVLA's eyes altering a panel destroys it's originality and therefore it is modified. A bugger I know but those appear to be the rules. Here is a link to an ACE guidance page of their website. I suspect the BMW Z3 is likely viewed as a body shell or floorpan structure and almost every panel has to remain as it came out of the factory. There are other pages on the ACE website which are helpful in this regard.

http://www.the-ace.org.uk/chassis-an...-modification/

Don't get me wrong, I am NOT anti modification but as one who has been bitten hard by the system I am very cautious, I try to help anybody avoid the disaster of spending a great deal of time and money building a car which is then deemed to need re-registering and therefor needing an IVA. That is the whole point of using the Z3 as a base, so one needs to be very carful not to bastardise it. To get the ultimate result it can become a bit of a tightrope walk, just don't fall off.