Stoneleigh ?

[GazDavies]

Originally Posted by volospian

Well, it's not technically "running" as it's in component parts at the moment, lol.
It does need a few parts, brakes, servo, master cylinders, radiator, cooling pipes, ECU (engine is efi, could be converted to carb, I suppose), fuel tank, clutch, shocks and springs, front seats, etc. so it's not going to be a quick "drop on a new body" solution if anybody wants to buy it, lol.

Sadly its not what im looking for, what I need is something to drop off in Poole so Gary and Mike can simply rebody it for me, although maybe sombody else on here may be interested?

Originally Posted by volospian

I just want a 50's/60's style car with those classic "ar*e on the back axle" proportions. Basically I want a car with more bonnet than boot. The current G46 just doesn't meet that criteria.

I find it strange that you would start to strip the Scimitar with the intention of building a G46 if you did not like the proportions. I dont know if its just me but the critisism the car has got from some seems very unfair. The Sammio company has produced a great looking car but if its not to sombodys taste then either buy it and modify it yourself as others have done or simply look for another car.

[garyh]

I find it strange that you would start to strip the Scimitar with the intention of building a G46 if you did not like the proportions. I dont know if its just me but the critisism the car has got from some seems very unfair. The Sammio company has produced a great looking car but if its not to sombodys taste then either buy it and modify it yourself as others have done or simply look for another car.[/QUOTE]

I agree. They can only make so many versions with no IVA...

[Mister Towed]

I don't particularly want to get into this whole G46 styling debate being a confirmed Spyderholic myself, but I personally think the real problem is the lack of a finished demonstrator or customer car to drool over.

From an objective standpoint the G46 and Cordite 'in the rough' as they both are at the moment just don't have the visual or visceral impact that good 'ol '66 had on Gary's stand and on his website. Once there's a finished article that you can stare at, photograph, sit in etc, it'll be much easier to visualise yourself finishing and driving one for real.

As for the presence of a larger car, the original Sammio Spyder has presence in spades - I had a short passenger ride in Phil J's finished Triumph 2500 powered example on a sunny Sunday and dozens of bikers on their way to the beach were craning their necks and wobbling all over the place trying to get a better look. You've also got to remember that apart from the big Le Mans cars like the SLR, most racing cars (and racing drivers) were pretty small in the fifties.





Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide to do but don't give up on the idea of a Sammio as you won't find a better value package anywhere.

Right, I'll get off the soap box now.

Next..

[volospian]

Originally Posted by GazDavies

I find it strange that you would start to strip the Scimitar with the intention of building a G46 if you did not like the proportions. I dont know if its just me but the critisism the car has got from some seems very unfair. The Sammio company has produced a great looking car but if its not to sombodys taste then either buy it and modify it yourself as others have done or simply look for another car.

Erm, well.. that's because I didn't. The original plan was to simply restore the Scimitar. The reason that I was wondering whether to change my plans of a straight resto is because things have changed at work. The original idea was to have the Scimitar as my daily drive as I only work a few miles down the road from my house, but recently I have been offered another job that will require a lot of travelling, which, for various reasons, the Scimitar wouldn't really be suitable for.

Whether I continue with the resto as originally planned or get rid of the car is all to do with the fact that I won't really want that kind of car (a 3 door "shooting brake" style estate) when I've finished as I won't really use it.

Instead, after a week boxed up in a 4 door saloon, I could probably do with something that sits in the garage and comes out on nice days. A nice two seater rag top with a sweet sounding engine. Someone suggested that the G46 may have suited that and, as I already had all the parts in the garage, I looked into it, but in factory form it's not really what I want and I now think it's too much work for me to take on and modify to end up with what I do want.

I'm not criticising the G46 at all. It has a lot of fans and I respect the fact that we are all different and all like different things. It simply doesn't meet my needs atm. Had I a lot more glassfiber and bodywork skills, and perhaps more space, I would still be considering it, but I don't, so it's not really a suitable option. Instead I would be better off either finishing the Scim and selling it, or getting rid of what I have as is, and starting again with something that does meet my needs.

If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have started with a Scimitar in the first place....

[Nike55]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

As for the presence of a larger car, the original Sammio Spyder has presence in spades - I had a short passenger ride in Phil J's finished Triumph 2500 powered example on a sunny Sunday and dozens of bikers on their way to the beach were craning their necks and wobbling all over the place trying to get a better look.

Yes, the Spyder is definitely a cute little car....

[Nike55]

Originally Posted by volospian

Someone suggested that the G46 may have suited that and, as I already had all the parts in the garage, I looked into it, but in factory form it's not really what I want and I now think it's too much work for me to take on and modify to end up with what I do want.

I'm not an engineer and I would normally outsource engine work that was beyond me. As an option have you thought about outsourcing your bodywork changes?

Just a thought.

[herald948]

That's my car, although must give credit to Gary and Mike who put the body on and painted it. I've trimmed it and finished the rest although still a work in progress (softer front springs being one job, and a bit more finishing in the cockpit area) - glad you liked it, certainly got a lot of attention, only parked in the historics area as i couldn't see any others when we arrived.




There was a decent BRG example that I've not seen before parked out in the Triumph specials display area, but the owner was tied up talking to someone else at length so I didn't bother him with an introduction. If you're reading this I hope to catch up with you some time for a natter.







I was also a bit peed off that a rather nice looking dark blue example passed me on the other side of the dual carriageway as I was heading back to the hotel.

Oh well. Perhaps next year we'll have a crowded Sammio only parking area. [/QUOTE]

[Mister Towed]

Hi there Herald948. Sorry I didn't get the chance for a chin-wag on the day. What's the issue with the front springs and how are you going to source softer ones?

[davecymru]

Hi Herald948 and welcome to the not-a-club

Dave

[herald948]

I've softened the back end by taking another leaf out and adding in the original top (very short ) leaf, and raised it with a smaller 1" lowering block to give more suspension travel , this transforms the car from very skittish on anything but a smooth surface to a good ride / handling compromise, but fronts still a bit stiff for my liking - standard Spitfire springs are rated at 150lb/in, which is softer than heralds which should make enough of a difference. I had the same problem with a Dutton I rebuilt, found a place over in Dudley that would take your existing spring, rate it and make a new one at whatever rate / length you wanted for about £25 each, but will try spitfire ones first. With so much weight removed the way forward is softer not harder springs unless you only drive on smooth roads.

[Psycho pops]

Hi Herald948, and welcome along..
So have you chopped your front springs or are they standard height.
I have a 50mm cut on mine and Imagine that will stiffen them even more, I will see how it is on the road (one day) then consider height and firmness adjustable shocks if required. It may be OK as there were many Spitfire additions already on my Herald when I bought it and I did notice the front sat squatter than my Standard ride so maybe they were softer to begin with.
Cheers Pops

[herald948]

They were cut down so that would make them stiffer, I'm going to fit the Spitfire ones at normal length and see how it looks but I will be using height adjustable shocks with these so may be able to get the right height with those, if not cut down and have another go.

[GazDavies]

I fitted some 140lbs springs to the front of my Herald and it was still sitting to high for me. I chopped 2 ins off and think that its sitting fine now but it brings the chassis down to just a few (maybe 3-4) inches off the ground so I will have to be carefull going over speed bumps!