Coming along very nicely!

Starting point for the front
 

Here are some beginning shots of panels for the front buck. Still a fair way to go, but the journey has begun. Waiting to hear on progress of the 275 roof.

Mondeo grill
http://i64.tinypic.com/2mcjfck.jpg

On top
http://i67.tinypic.com/2s79dao.jpg

Recessed, definitely recessed, bear in mind I am intending to get the first convertible!
You lose the Aston look with the "on top" option

Looks like some great progress.

Could we have vents under the grill similar to the silver Evanta pictured earlier in the thread?

One of my few dislike on the 250swb is the fact that the front panel would look better if it was deeper. By adding the vents you could make the front panel a few inches deeper.
You could use the two front ducts from the 250 and would only need to do the centre vent and make the lower section a bit deeper.
10 minutes work for Chris:sorry:

There will be vents of some kind below the grill, possibly 3. My preference is for recessed also.

Has to be recessed. The first shot is just a mondeo grille tacked on, the second is properly integrated

Exciting stuff Barber, each piece getting closer. A big fan of the Zagato front end so that face needs to be right. But it looks like you are heading in the right direction.
I’ll update as soon as I have more on the roofline, but Chris and Dan are getting closer, a bit more progress has been made from the last pictures seen and they have sorted how the window infill/mouldings will work so just need to execute that and all should be good.

I'm sure that the 'On top' photo is just to show the size of the Mondeo grille compared to the size of the bonnet opening.

Either way, the mouth opening and recessed grille do shout Aston. :cool:

Good luck, Paul. :)

Great news Welshkiwi.

I have been working my way through the fuse checks to see what is causing the draw. No progress during the cold snowy weather, and up to Fuse 31. They are fiddly little blighters, even with the extractor tool.

As I am using one of these:
http://i67.tinypic.com/2jfeqdh.jpg

there are two insertions and two extractions for each fuse. And due to the position of the fuses near the bulkhead, you tend to stand a bit too close and have to lean backwards.

However, now that the battery is charged up, the solar charger on the dashboard that IanA recommended seems to be doing the job. I have also bee taking the car out for a 10 mile trip every 5 or 6 days just to make sure that it starts and goes.

The fuel gauge warning beeps and the light comes on when ignition is switched on. Internet advice is to put some fuel cleaner in the tank a few times and see if it frees up the sensor mechanism. I had let the fuel get very low, so it is possible it is gunked up. We shall see. Otherwise it will be a sensor replacement.

The car drives noticeably but not unpleasantly firmer on the coil overs, so that is a relief. I really only got them to accommodate the wider wheels on the front and to allow height adjustment once the new panels are fitted. I got AP coil overs, and was advised by a mechanic (after purchase) that they are prone to knocking in the Z3 mounts. Luckily, that has not happened either.

Edit. Now checked fuses up to 46. The only draw is on the alarm / door lock remote circuit, so nothing is out of wack so far. I think there are some under the dashboard to try, and also there is a possibility of a sticky relay switch. I'll just have to keep plodding on.

Paul,

You are right, it has similarities with AM, but we are not trying to replicate it. The grill on top, was a possibility if it looked half decent, but Chris was really showing how the Mondeo grill was a good fit. The Fiesta has a nicer, better proportioned grill, but is was not wide enough. However, recessing the grill disguises some of the Mondeo grill shortcomings. We'll have to see what Chris does with it depth-wise once the vents are placed underneath. we should probably take some account of kerb clearance, I have done plenty of concrete scraping with other cars.

PS Good to see the photos of your rolling chassis again, it is a cracking job.

Interesting device- I have fitted a battery isolation switch in the boot so just loosen that and link a meter across the terminals. The leads are long enough for it to sit on the roof in plain view whilst pulling each fuse in turn.
I'm looking forward to replacing my seats- I think that my earthing/drain problems are due to dampness around the crash sensor module on the passenger side floor.

I am waiting for the weather to cheer up before using a multimeter to check the source of battery draw in the Range Rover.

There are 65 to check in the front fuse box plus a separate fuse box in the boot that I spotted the other day.

I read somewhere that it was a bad idea to simply pull the fuses on anything vaguely modern as there are lots of interrelated electronic bits sitting on different circuits. Things like the door shut affects the interior light and also the alarm and radio. If you pull the fuse on one it might temporarily fix the issue on the related circuit so it doesn't show when tested.

This guy explains it better and shows how to do it better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRcj1fQcWwU

A Ford grille is surely the way to go (avoiding any upsets with AM!) - could Ford get upset? I doubt it because the rest of the car doesn't shout Ford, but where is the line crossed? I would have thought most manufacturers could point the finger at another manufacturer's 'copy' as there are many similarities. A great earner for the 'designer' I'm sure, just make something that's liked, and with a few tweeks sell it to many! Wish I had the artistic eye :dizzy:

You'll have no issues with Ford. There have been several dozen accurate replica's done without any interference.

Clearly you have observed Pininfarina and Zagato.

edit. a bit like the Billy Connolly joke about Mexican Food. Same dish rolled different ways.

IanA,
Interesting about your suggested cause of drain. When I had the leak from the lower part of the windscreen, it all tipped out into the passenger footwell and it was very soggy down there. Hmmmm.

Dashboard Buck Progress
 

Coming along nicely
http://i67.tinypic.com/2i1ksbt.jpg

That would look nice with a set of Lockwood ivory dials that Eric used.

That is really nice! Is that the Z3 binnacle fitted?

Z3 Binacle
 

Yes, I wanted to keep it relatively simple. I might consider re-facing the instruments based on some threads from a couple of years ago. me and electrickery do not get along generally.

Electrickery is not my best suit either. That would be a great alternative for the 250 SWB also.

It may seem heretical, but I will probably put the quarter light de-mister vents in the top of the dash as per the Z3 also.

Sounds like a reasonable plan to me. Just do it!

Pininfarina classic Peugeot 404 / Morris Oxford / Wolsey

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...5183763%29.jpg

http://www.pembrokeshireclassicinves...ges/wmain3.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...16-60_rear.jpg

My Dad had the Riley 4/72 from the same family of cars.

I still recall the reg DOD 962C

http://goo.gl/images/69quAr

http://goo.gl/images/8mUEC8

Electrical Drain
 

Having established that the only fuse drawing with the ignition off was the lock / alarm one, today, after a few days away, the driver side lock is playing up. This could be my problem. It seems like there is a mechanical as well as an actuator problem, but both are relatively easy fixes if the internet posts and videos are to be believed. Anyhow, I am now waiting for a replacement actuator to be delivered. I had already got the trim removal tool ready for the internal fit out. I am building up the momentum to find those pesky torx heads that are buried in the unsorted area of the garage.

I am determined not to go the route of a friend, who had two or three versions of every tool because he could not remember where he put the last one. He figured it was quicker and easier to buy a new one in off the internet. The more he replaced, the harder it got to find the one he was looking for.

His wife made a fortune on ebay when he passed away.

I have 3 of everything and still can never find the thing I need.
My big worry is that when I snuff it the wife will sell everything for what I told her I paid for it.

I'd be VERY embarrassed if ever my collection of pliers and screwdrivers was put together in one place.

Good luck with your electrics- I still have a phantom earth that is turning the hazards on.

IanA, there is no restriction on screwdrivers and pliers. You need to have them handy, so having them in a drawer in every room, (even bedside cabinet) is quite acceptable. Torches, Stanley knives and gaffer tape the same. I would like to rule out the imaginative use of gaffer tape in the bedroom right now.

We visited William Morris / Lord Nuffield's house (NT property near Henley-on-Thames)on Sunday. There's a double fronted cupboard in what was his bedroom which contains a very comprehensive set of tools and equipment.

The dashboard is out of the mould, but I cannot get down to collect it until the end of next week. I'll put some pics up then.

Progress Update
 

Today I collected the dashboard from Tribute, and after I have done a little tarting up, will post a picture. It works well for me.

Chris had done some quick and dirty work putting together the front end and we were able to discuss some options regarding angle of the nose (to get the right amount of droop), treatment of the front side wing panels, vents etc, and how close to the front edge the grill should be. The bonnet may yet be hinged at the front. It already looks good with the Mondeo grill in place, not "Ford" at all. Sorry, no pics yet, it wouldn't be fair, so I didn't take any.

The revised roof on Welsh Kiwi's 275 looks really good "in the flesh" and is going to work really well with Zagato type styling. Where the 275 has a recessed blank to the rear of stock z3 windows, I will not have the recess, so the door/window will fit with the roof/side flowing into the rear quarter lights.
Chris is thinking of adapting shortened Scimitar rear quarter lights for this but we will see.

We had been thinking of an Alfa GT rear window, but the new 275 roof, being wider means a re-think - possibly an inverted Scimitar windscreen.

Apart from me twiddling with the dash, nothing much will happen until Welsh Kiwi's 275 is shipped at the end of the month. Can't wait.

Door Lock Actuator
 

Saturday was the first day for weeks where it looked OK to work outside without rain cover. After a leisurely late breakfast that stretched into early afternoon, I gathered all the bits required from around the house and garage, then found I had parked the IQ a little too close to the Z3 driver door, so thought I would get in the passenger side of the Z3 and scoot across so I could move it as I couldn't be bothered to walk the 10 metres to get the IQ key. Wrong choice.

For those that have not tried it, DON'T. Strained my thigh, pulled a muscle in my back and very nearly kicked off the indicator stalk, twice (once for the thigh strain, then for the back tweak). Apart from bashing my head on the side window when I spasmed with the back. Then discovered that the car would not start because the battery was nearly flat again. Yesterday was lost to re-charging the battery, again. We are off to visit friends near Rugby for a few days, so should be back home again in time for the next wave of rainy weather. Hopefully the solar trickle charger will work well enough to keep the battery charged.

SWMBO has suggested that I take the car to someone who knows what they are doing. She may be right.

SWMBO has suggested that I take the car to someone who knows what they are doing. She may be right.

Sometimes it is better to do that than spend days trying to find something that they can find in minutes. Frustration and pain can also lead to a 'Swan Vesta' moment of madness.

You are probably right. Now that I have got the actuator, I will probably fit it. As it is a relatively simple process (if you have the space and decent weather). But now the ABS and brake fluid warning lights have come on again. No problem with fluid level, and the front brakes were done a couple of months ago. The back ones should be good for several thousand miles yet.

There is a good BMW indy nearby, so I may get him to plug it in to do the diagnostic testing and any rectification if the parked and locked draw remains high.

Z3s don't offer much info to OBD scanners so unless your indy has some very sophisticated gear, it's likely he will do what you could and pull fuses one by one until he finds the one that stops the current draw.

I know which fuse, and lost actuator is most likely offender of the several items connected.

Happy Days
 

On the first truly sunny day of the year, I goofed off prepping the Z3 and went to Stratford on Avon with friends.

We found this....
http://i67.tinypic.com/23jpnd0.jpg

On the way to the Dirty Duck for lunch. It is a DB6 series 2. Lunch was G&T for starters followed by G&T for mains.

Yes , the warm weather certainly brings them out. We were in Stratford-U-A at the weekend but saw this at the Burford Garden Centre:
http://i67.tinypic.com/xmojlg.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/2hwh1lc.jpg

It's a Proteus C-Type replica.

Door Lock Actuator
 

So after all the bad weather delays, today was the day. Followed the instructions for removal from a blog and it went like a dream, up to a point. getting the actuator fitted actually.

Getting the lock back in was a nightmare, and after 2 hours frying (my hands almost literally off the hot door) I decided to have a rest, and came back for round two after a cup of tea. Eventually got the lock in, re-connected the battery and tested, and found it was useless as some functions did not activate. So much for ebay bargains. So took it all out and re-fitted the old one, that was nearly as difficult as the first time, tested, checked the draw at the fuse (back to .26A - it was up to .6A last time), but now I couldn't get the window guide back in. 2 more hours of failure. Most of the blogs just say "reverse the removal procedure to re-assemble".

I went back to the notes I had printed off the blog, and found that I had missed the last paragraph, about removing the window rubber seals to make an impossible job only very difficult. Job for tomorrow.

However, I got filthy greasy as well as hot and sweaty, and avoided any household tasks, so all in all a proper boys day.

A bit unlucky there Barber, but all in all we know days like this happen. Difficult to not get a bit testy about them tho! Sounds like a slightly stronger cups required at the end of the day? ��
I am currently researching my own “nightmare in waiting”. I need to speak to the guy who will doing the testing for my low volume cert, as I don’t think the fuel filler attachment options to the original tank neck I have seen on the forum will pass over here. I am thinking the tank may have to come out of the car to completely seal off the cut and the breather pipe areas. I could have a few of your yesterdays to come! Best of luck.....