Mister Towed's Tai Chi build

[MoriniMan]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

Anyone any idea whey there's so much difference?

The bolt on suspension towers (or rather the engine mount brackets on the towers) are different between the 4 and 6 cylinder models. I've even seen an engine leaning to one side because the towers were mixed.

[Mister Towed]

Spent a couple of hours this afternoon getting the bonnet locks refitted. Didn't finish until it was dark so I'm sorry about the flash photographs, they don't show it in its best light, so to speak. I'll get some in daylight tomorrow, but it's looking much better now

[Jerome]

Looks great,We all have the same,not round arches.
Please explain what you,ve done,and how,to get your wheelarch that good.
I know you did so before,but please some more explanation for us Dutchman...

Greetings Rob&Jerome

[Mister Towed]

The passenger side is just how it left the factory, and it's round!

The driver's side had a big flat spot at about the 11 o-clock position though. I thought about marking it up with a template but instead I just drew where I thought it needed rounding with a laundry marker pen by eye and then ground out the flat spot with a grinding disc in the angle grinder. The result is good enough imho. It just needs a bit of fibreglass to reinforce the return and it'll be finished.

Next step will be prep for paint...

[oxford1360]

Looking great. The flash does a good job in showing that inner arches would be useful to keep the engine clean(ish).

[garyh]

Always nice to see your updates, looking nice and round. It has a flowing line over the wing...

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

... Next step will be prep for paint...

You are really on the home straight now.

Although I'm sure DaveCymru will be along in a minute to mention sanding!

Good luck, Paul.

[seanick]

"Saw this and thought of you" , no, I really did. Medium coffee lid from fair trade coop coffee jar. It would possibly make a nice plug for a mould for your rear lights. Might help the power/weight ratio.


[IMG][/IMG]

Other makes of coffee are available....

[Mister Towed]

That would've been a good idea if I hadn't already made up alloy moulds.

Funnily enough I was looking at a plastic box that a chocolate cake came in earlier and wondering if I could use it as a mould to make some fibreglass fake finned brake drums. Not sure if fibreglass would be up to the job without catching fire though... The idea is from a classic kit car Phil J saw where the owner had made some big finned drums from alluminium to hide the modern brakes. Details, details.

[seanick]

Those brake covers are a good idea. We saw a really 30's style Riley at the VSCC meet a couple if weeks ago. It had big ali covers over the brakes front and rear. It was only on really close examination we spotted the familiar Triumph front suspension. Ut had 17" wires with very narrow tyres. Looked fab.It would be worth it for a bit of brake fade........

Thinking about your alloy mould, if you were to place it on something flat, seal the alloy to flat thing (Formica shelf say) with some wax or a bead of plastercine, tooled to a radius, you could laminate a few layers of grp in there an have hollow light mounts, or lighter hollow mounts!!

[Mister Towed]

Yes, I did wonder about the effect they'd have on cooling, especially on the front discs. I think the 'drums' will be something to think about in the future, I just want to get on with getting the basics right for now.

[davecymru]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Although I'm sure DaveCymru will be along in a minute to mention sanding!

[Mister Towed]

Slow but steady progress today, not helped by the weather turning to sh!te after lunch

Jobs I did manage were to trial fit the headlights and front indicators. I love the P700 replicas, they really add to the fifties feel -





I also made the decision to use the 'egg crate' grille after all, having bought some black aluminium mesh to use instead. The mesh just looks too modern fror the main grille I feel, but it'll do fine for the scoops so long as I bury it far enough inside that you can't really see it.

After considering bonding the grille in place I decided I'd like to be able to remove it, so I've fabricated a couple of brackets and welded them onto the grille. They then bolt to the bonnet brackets. Quite pleased with the result -






One step at a time and it's all coming together...

[Charman.tech]

Towed

The top of your front wing line looks so good it was worth the extra effort!

When I had the 289 I got a stone through the rad when dashing for a car ferry returning from Le Mans it was only a tiny stone but it did the job, my point is wouldn't you need to use a fine mesh behind the egg crate as well!

Love the headlights you have probably told us this before but what diameter are they and where did you find them. (they look very Germanic to me)

[oxford1360]

The light configuration looks great. I've got a pair of P700s sitting in a box and I am very glad that I have. As you say, they add some more 1950s to the overall effect. Funnily enough, I think they look very British.

[Mister Towed]

Thanks for the complments guys. I'm rather pleased with the way it's starting to look now and I'm really glad I went the extra mile to get the front wheelarches right.

CT, you've got a point about the stone through the rad thing, my Honda radiator is really fragile and got holed by a stone when I towed it to Peterborough for the rebody inspection.

I've got a big roll of stainless mesh that I bought to effect the repairs to the bulkhead rather than pay for new panels, so I might just use some of that to screen off the radiator behind the grille.

I'm with you on the lights Oxford, I think they look really fifties Jag - XK120 or thereabouts. For the record, they're seven inch headlights and I got them off ebay. I seem to remember they were about thirty quid + p&p for the pair but that was a year ago and they seem to have gone up a bit since -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-OF-7-...item3a7b9ce67b

On top of that you need the bowls and trim rings. Again, I sourced mine from ebay with the (plastic) bowls weiging in at about £20 a pair and the rings are used Austin Mini at about seven quid for the two.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-7-Pla...item5ad832695d

My front indicators are oval side repeaters to carry on the theme of the oval rear lights at the front.

One thing I haven't decided yet is what colour the grille should be. My choices so far are body colour (silver), gunmetal, black or white. anyone got any advice on that one?

[Paul L]

Mr T - Just a quick question on the holes you've cut for the headlights...

Are the small holes at the 3 & 6 O'Clock position for your headlight adjuster bolts?

As the template I made for my own lights has these holes at 9 & 12 O'Clock position.

Is this due to the fact we have different lights (& your 'P700's do look nice) or is my template upside down?

Cheers, Paul.

PS
As for colour options, will the mesh behind the bonnet scoops be painted the same colour?

The only colour on your list I'd avoid would be white, just because it will be a pain to keep clean!

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Mr T - Just a quick question on the holes you've cut for the headlights...

Are the small holes at the 3 & 6 O'Clock position for your headlight adjuster bolts?

As the template I made for my own lights has these holes at 9 & 12 O'Clock position.

Is this due to the fact we have different lights (& your 'P700's do look nice) or is my template upside down?

Cheers, Paul.

PS
As for colour options, will the mesh behind the bonnet scoops be painted the same colour?

The only colour on your list I'd avoid would be white, just because it will be a pain to keep clean!

Paul, you have the eyes of a hawk. Your headlight templates aren't upside down, mine are!

I kind of hoped nobody would notice, but after deciding that the adjusters should be located at the bottom and to the nearside, when I went to put the trim rings on I found that the screw holes in the bowls that take the grub screws, which are supposed to be at the bottom so they can't be seen, were at the top They'll be at the bottom when they're bolted up for the final time but I really didn't think anyone would spot my, ahem, deliberate mistake.

Damn my Panasonic Lumix camera, it takes such good pictures you can't get away with anything!

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

... I kind of hoped nobody would notice...

Oops, sorry Mr. T.

But honestly, how can I be expected to steal all your great build ideas if you start fitting things upside down?

[oxford1360]

Come on Towed, now is your opportunity to provide the 1,000th reply to your thread.