Oxford build

[oxford1360]

Just got back from holiday today. Time well spent thinking about chopping the back off and how it will hinge.

I should get some time down The Glade in the next few years.

Be sure to wear your ear defenders when you use the chop saw......and eye protection of course. And, don't have any rags close by that have had white spirit on them......that was fun.

[oxford1360]

While on holiday I saw a sign for a Steam Rally and........Autojumble......well, what is a man to do?

I picked up this fire extinguisher which I shall mount inside the cockpit as a period prop. It is stamped "1960". Just a year before mankind put one of its own into space, this was the type of kit that people used to fight fires - a lump of brass filled with a dodgy chemical.

The other item I bought was a set of gauges. I doubt I will use them on this build but I just liked them. I feel they look older than they are. And, what is more, they all work. Can any former boy-racer recognise which iconic 70s vehicle it comes from?

Whilst at the show, my teenage son fell for a Lomax. I've always fancied building a Morganesque three-wheeler and I am a fan of the 2CV lump. So, next project decided.

[slartibartfast]

Something LHD? ... Something American? .... Corvette?

[garyh]

Capri?

[oxford1360]

Spot on. Capri GT MkI.

[Paul L]

Oxford - I love the vintage fire extinguisher.

Plus the framework is coming together nicely too.

Good luck, Paul.

[oxford1360]

Well, yesterday I introduced the bodywork to a tape measure and realised quickly that it was a bad idea and that all body-alignment will have to be done by eye and with plenty of compromise.

I haven't lowered the suspension a great deal and my plan is to attain the stance that I am looking for by mounting the body lower in relation to the chassis. I trimmed 50mm from the return on the front of the tub (where it sits on the bulkhead). I then put a wooden stretcher across the chassis and self-tapped some blocks to the inside of the body so that I could play with heights.

I managed to get the main tub sitting OK - one wheel arch sat higher than the other but a bit of tweaking got it to a position where both sides are close enough. The bottom edges of the tub sit about 40mm below the side rails.

The original floorpan gives me enough drop to allow me to sit (at an angle) with my head no higher than the hump. All good so far.

The challenge comes with the bonnet. Losing 50mm means that there will have to be a few bumps and humps to clear the thermostat housing and carbs, and I am now looking for a smaller alternator and a way to mount it. I did expect this, but I sort of wish that I had swapped the suspension towers and mounted the engine further back.

My plan is to have a bonnet within the flip front and this will house the humps. It means that I can cut it out, get the front how I want, and return to it when tub and front are sorted.

Another outcome of lowering the body is the reduced space in the rear. Fitting the MX5 fuel tank will be a challenge.......

Who said life should be easy?

Hmmm, I've just been looking at pics of finished cars and the back needs to go lower. I think I shall be buying another lowering block and some adjustable ride height front shocks.........

[oxford1360]

Two very large boxes of fibreglassing consumables and tools arrived today. I love the smell of resin in the morning.

The next phase of work should start this weekend with the removal of the hump (it will return later, in line with my head). I hope to glass-in the gap before Sunday. Let this warm weather continue.

And, I have made the decision to go with some shallow doors. I may even have come up with a novel method for hingeing them, but we shall see.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by oxford1360

… I introduced the bodywork to a tape measure and realised quickly that it was a bad idea …

I know I will have to do this myself sometime and am not looking forward to it.

Originally Posted by oxford1360

… removal of the hump (it will return later, in line with my head). I hope to glass-in the gap before Sunday …

However, I am looking forward to seeing how you do this.

Good luck, Paul.

[oxford1360]

One of those jobs tonight that makes me wonder what the bloody hell I'm playing at.

Ho hum.....or is it ho hump?

[Mister Towed]

Is this a complete hump removal or just a move to the left/right?

Thing is, my car gets loads of attention since I've finished it, and nobody's ever said "Do you know what, that hump really needs to move an inch to the left/right."

[oxford1360]

I have had to move it because of the removable roll hoops that I am using. The hoops sit in a crossmember, and the spacing between the centres of the hoops is the same as the spacing of the centres of Herald seating. That's what tipped me over the edge........

The big plan is to modify the cut-off hump so that a hoop sits neatly over it and so that I can make a mold that will allow me to make a left and a right hump. These will be removable. The driver's hump will be in use all the time. I shall add the left side for longer journeys with company so that there is a head-pad behind the passenger.

I like the idea of the car having a number of formats - no hump, one hump, or two humps. I'm also thinking (stupidly) of producing two different bonnets.....one for road and one for track.

I think the hump is one of the features that makes the car look so brilliantly period. It's definitely not going.

[oxford1360]

Things have been a bit quiet of late. Business has really taken off and I'm actually having to work 5-6 days a week. That was never the plan!

As some members will know, I set out on this build with the idea of getting a car on the road and then improving it and refining it. This idea disappeared when I started to weld the chassis. I realised that this might be the last car that I build so I may as well do it exactly as I want. That's fine, but the time implications are big, so **** knows when this car will actually appear on the road.

This aside, here is the next instalment on my geological timescale build.

Having cut-off the hump I needed to glass over the hole. I have never done layup before, but I have been inspired by the skills of seanick (Tribute forum) and Viatron, and have read a good book and watched a series of clips by a great Australian guy on YouTube. So, I was ready to give it a go.

I feathered the edges of the hole.

I got myself a piece of hardboard with a shiny side and gave it a couple of layers of polish.

I then applied a good coat of PVA release agent.

I screwed the board to the top of the shell and managed to get a curve in both directions (viewed from below).

A good coat of gelcoat got me started and I left it to go off.

At 6:30am last Sunday I mixed up the first 500g of resin and broke out my CSM mat. I did apply a layer of tissue first but didn't capture that.

I then laid up three sheets of 450gsm.

And left it for a few days.

When I peeled off the hardboard I was disappointed that half of it remained.

However, I soaked it and left it for a day and it slid off when I returned.

I am very pleased with the finish. Of course, it will need some filling, but that will be fun.

Then I noticed a minor problem with the non-symetry of the cockpit............more later

[Paul L]

Thanks for the step by step guide, that is really helpful.

Making a final decision on humps is one of the many jobs on my to do list.

Good luck, Paul.

[Viatron]

Nice work, have you thought of maybe trying the new shorter Navigator humps? They already come with a flange?

[oxford1360]

Originally Posted by Viatron

Nice work, have you thought of maybe trying the new shorter Navigator humps? They already come with a flange?

I've asked Andy about the new humps. The question is, how well will they fit a Pilot? I'll buy two tomorrow if they are a reasonable fit!

[micky1mo]

Whilst at the show, my teenage son fell for a Lomax. I've always fancied building a Morganesque three-wheeler and I am a fan of the 2CV lump. So, next project decided.[/QUOTE]

How about this, much better than a Lomax and for sale

[christinedmc]

It looks very good. Very thoroughly. I wonder how you are going to make the inside panelling of the interior, since your build is so excellent so far.

Regards,
Michiel

[oxford1360]

Michiel - thanks for your kind comments. I am not sure how I willl line the tub but I do not plan to use plywood on the car. One idea is to not line it at all - an extension to the frame will go around the underside of the cockpit opening, and I will strengthen the bodywork with fibreglass ribbing. As I said, still undecided. The rear bulkhead will probably be aluminium.

Tonight I spent an hour or so at The Glade to tackle the problem I mentioned earlier.......

In order to fit the crossmember (with removable roll hoops), I need the rear deck to be flat behind the cockpit. This is the case on the driver's side, but the passenger side really drops away.

I laid the crossmember (upside down) to show the problem.

Driver's side -

Passenger side -

So, I made some initial cuts -

You can see the difference in these two pics -

Then I added some further fillets to get a similar profile on each side.

I need to tweak the fillets and then flip the body and glass it in place at the weekend. Once I have cut the four holes in the rear deck I can get on with finishing the frame. One step at a time..........

[Viatron]

Nice work, got any fibreglass splinters yet :-)