Davecymru's Miglia build :)

[Paul L]

Dave - Looks like you have a good "toy" to play with.

Your latest effort, is similar(ish) to the 1500 badge I mounted in my dash, where the old heater controls were.

It original fitted here:



Good luck, Paul.

[davecymru]

Cheers Paul, that's the sort of thing i was thinking about!

I'll have a tinker and see what i can do.

Although.... i have had my attention diverted on that bl00dy camper again as i was 'persuaded' into printing her out some badges



<sigh>

Back to the real hobby (the Miglia) and i have found something worth sharing with any Triumph based kit owner who's fitted wire wheels.

I have had the wheels off the Miglia doing some checks to see how it's holding up after year-1 on the road and i noticed that one of the front wire-wheel adapters had started to work slightly loose!

Now i had experienced that with the Sammio, so i had lok-tighted the nuts during the Miglia build, but it would seem that isn't enough and i am going to have to go down the "Centre-Punch" route!

Has everyone else with wire wheel adapters had to punch-secure the adapter nuts (i.e. the old wheel nuts) Or am i just unlucky / doing something wrong?

[Mister Towed]

I loctited my adaptor nuts and haven't had any problems. The nuts are quite difficult to tighten though, you can't get a socket or ring spanner on them, just the tips of an open ended which doesn't help.

[davecymru]

My how time flies as i've just had to book the car in for it's 1 year MOT next Fri!

I've done a few local(ish) run out's so far this year and i can confirm that without the bike helmet on it's still chuffing cold out there!!!
But that aside, the car seems to be going well and attracts attention whenever i take it out and still overshadows cars considerably more expensive!


Things learnt from "1yr in a Miglia"
Wind deflectors do look cool, but they are next to no use at much all else!
Having doors with a pull-cord to open them is also cool, but i do miss the drama of jumping over the side of the Sammio to get in/out.
Wire wheel adapters don't like me and so carrying a jack is an essential.
Miglias attract stone chips, but touching them up by hand with my sons paintbrush adds to the look of the car
It goes around corners like it's on rails, so I can have considerable fun driving well within the speed limits.
When describing it as "it's been built for barreling around the lanes" receives knowing nods from otherwise sensible gentlemen of a certain age


Jobs 'still' to do
Fit a smaller steering wheel as even though i moved the column position at it;s first MOT, there still isn't much space.
Move and recess the rear light - just... coz!
Line the inner front wheelarches and drill drain holes in the lowered floor pans in order to complete the 'wet weather capabilities'
The drivers left-foot footrest is a godsend, but needs adjusting.
Fit a heater!!


Hopefully i will be out-n-about in it a bit more this year (60 mile trip is longest undertaken so far!), and i look forward to finally meeting a few more of you
You never know, there may even more more than just me out in a Miglia in the not too distant future!

[Mister Towed]

Congratulations on reaching a year on the road. Nice to see you've kept this one. How do you find access with the doors? Is it as easy as jumping over the side and is there any particular technique needed?

Try a 14" wheel to replace your Vitesse ship's wheel, I got mine from the MGB hive for £99 including the boss adaptor. Not sure if they still sell them, but the wheels are available from other sellers on ebay -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Ca...gAAOSwe-FU~wuX

[Marc F]

MGB for a steering wheel - oh no, please not.

I have a Mk3 wire spoke wheel to use on mine

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by Marc F

MGB for a steering wheel - oh no, please not.

I have a Mk3 wire spoke wheel to use on mine

Erm, not exactly what I was suggesting, mine just came from the MGB Hive up the road in Wisbech, it's not actually an MGB wheel -

[Paul L]

Dave - Good luck with the next MOT.

And in your defence, you did fix a VW camper for your other half, rather than drive your own car last year.

Originally Posted by davecymru

… Wind deflectors do look cool, but they are next to no use at much all else!

Rattler added some leather strips under his aero screens.



Jerome ended up putting the original screen back in front of his aero screens.

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I've added a lip in the vain hope that it will make a difference.



But, deep down, I can live will looking cool and being ineffective.

Cheers, Paul.

[lancelot link]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

Congratulations on reaching a year on the road. Nice to see you've kept this one. How do you find access with the doors? Is it as easy as jumping over the side and is there any particular technique needed?

My experience of little roadsters or low cars is you tend to step in anyway rather than contorting yourself to use the doors.

I am working on a D type at the moment and the doors are quite pathetic really but the barrel of the body forces you to use them ...The Sammio/Miglia option is far easier to access !!

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by lancelot link

My experience of little roadsters or low cars is you tend to step in anyway rather than contorting yourself to use the doors.

I am working on a D type at the moment and the doors are quite pathetic really but the barrel of the body forces you to use them ...The Sammio/Miglia option is far easier to access !!

Yep, I find it's all part of the theatre stepping over the side Le Mans racing start style, but I have a feeling that when I design my own car it'll have perspex side screens and, unless I don't mind kicking them off every time I get in, that means having doors.

[rattler]

Hi Dave fit a quick release s. Wheel

[davecymru]

Cheers Guys

As Gary says, even though i have 'doors' there is still a learned technique to getting in and out that is part of the fun

The biggest difference i've found is that i don't have to stand on the seat when i get in and so these seats are weathering much better than those in the Sammio.

Thanks for the ideas Paul, i had seen that leather-strip (two words that always go well together ) idea used somewhere else and if i do end up doing anything then i think i will go down that route. Although i am getting used to driving in the bike helmet and it does make it more civil-ish!

p.s, ref: "and in your defence, you did fix a VW camper for your other half, rather than drive your own car last year"
That bl00dy camper (as i now refer to it) is 'so' close to done, but i'm having the same experience as you are with your Cordite, i.e. every job i do leads to many, many others due to the 15 or so not-so-careful previous owners!
Which reminds me, i need to go and order exhaust gaskets...

[davecymru]

Car passed MOT 1st time, no advisories

Ended up doing a 45 mile blast to celebrate, stopped in at a Cider farm on the way back and found that fitting non-retracting seat belts has unexpected advantages!



And not a drop was spilt!

[Paul L]

It always starts with one big bottle of cider...

But before you know it, you will be using the Miglia to run moonshine.

[Marc F]

Ahhh. I assumed it was spare petrol because the fuel gauge wasn't working...

[davecymru]

TBH given the strength of the Scrumpy around here (6% my @rse!) i could have probably used it to top the tank up if i'd run out of petrol on the way home

Little update.
The ethos behind my build was always to get the fendemental engineering/construction things right 1st time and get it on the road and enjoy it, then over time make it "a bit more posher".

So since passing the MOT i have started tinkering.
First job was brought on by the cheap chrome air filters i bought. They've done their job and look all shiny, but the foam has got clogged remarkably quickly and iv'e never especially liked the mesh as it looked like chicken wire



So i've decided to replace that with some of the stainless woven mesh made from my leftover grill material. And what a difference using a quality material makes!




Then the next job was caused my a bit of a 'misunderstanding' of mine during the original build. Well... basically i bought headlamps without sidelights in them and i hadn't fitted separate sidelights <doh>

So for the last year I've been running with these 'temporary' lights, which while they are effective they aren't exactly what i wanted.



So i dug out the Lucas ones that i'd originally bought and i've now fitted sidelights into them and replaced the temporary ones and what a difference it makes to the front of the car!



But that's enough for now, it's sunny and dry so i need to test out how practical these modifications are in real driving conditions

[Paul L]

Dave - The grille mesh in your air filters really looks the part.

And those headlights are another nice touch.

I hope it is as sunny with you as it is here.

Take care, Paul.

[lancelot link]

I do like the P100 headlight ....nice addition Dave ..

Enjoy your weekend out and about ...don't forget ..lots of pictures please !!

[davecymru]

Cheers both.

I do like those Lucas lights, i think i first saw them on 66 when i first met Gary and that reprobate from Cullompton and I placed the order for my Spyder there and then!

My how time flies...

[swifty]

Me to likes the head lights, fitted p700 to mine, they do give it a period look and add to the illusion.

As already suggested may be a removable steering wheel is the way to go, you can modify the original cast alloy boss to suit a new wheel, i did something similar for my removable steering wheel, http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/foru...t=4861&page=32.

Keep on posting with plenty of pics as the Miglia threads are thin on the ground of late.