Davecymru's Build thread - Page 11

Sammio Builder · #**201** 8th November 2011, 17:57

Hi Dave,

I think we will be up for an MOT at almost the same time. I'm hoping within the next three weeks to have mine on the road.

Trevor
http://www.sammiospyder.blogspot.com/

davecymru · #**202** 17th November 2011, 15:16

My nice angled main instruments are no more....

I was wiring up the last of the lights, the dash lights, and i noticed that i couldn't get access to fit the two bulbs and holders to the main instruments seeing as they were too high and being fouled by the internal frame (the reason the dials were angled in the first place!)

So seeing as i was planning on doing some sort of alloy centre dash piece anyway, i bit the bullet and chopped out the nice fibreglass and filler pods i made, lowered the dials and fabricated flat a centre piece out of alloy to house all of the main dials that fits over the supplied dash panel. Photo to come when it's done.

I've also finally figured what caused all of this faff. Basically the front lower edges of my shell do not lip over the front of the chassis rails. That is because the front of the shell that sits on the bulkhead sits too high on mine. From talking to numerous people we believe this is due to differences between Herald models.

As i was all new and shiny to this kit car malarkey when i was fitting the shell, I just went with it and worked around it. But i now realise that not correcting that right at the outset (i didn't actually know it was wrong at the time!) has caused me the issues with:

Mounting the instruments,
The shell not lipping over the rails,
The alignment issues i've been having with the bonnet.

If i hadn't already bonded the shell and inner panels in place this could have been quickly and easily sorted by shopping a few cm height from the front of the shell where it rests on the front bulkhead. But with everything bonded in place doing that is impossible (well.... harder than the workarounds) and these numerous small workarounds are needed.

ho humm..... we live and learn! Which is what this project was meant to be about, so i'm not complaining.

garyh · #**203** 17th November 2011, 20:22

too few to mention! or was it... Always look on the bright side of life!
Dave, you're still doing grand. I have learnt a lot and i have barely started.

Roadster · #**204** 18th November 2011, 18:57

Any pics yet Dave?
I know you had something special in mind for the dash - is it like Phils?

davecymru · #**205** 18th November 2011, 21:30

It was going to be brushed aluminum main binnacle with an aftermarket centre console i bought from a neighbor to house the clock, heater controls (eventually) and the wireless..

But i made a bit of a boo boo fabricating the aluminum panel, so it's still being refined atm. i'll get pics up when it's done, but i think I'm already going to change it in the not too distant future for some machined alloy

I just need/want to get it all back together and MOT'd first so that i can tinker while i drive, rather than just endlessly tinker!

Roadster · #**206** 18th November 2011, 21:36

its true - im sure they will never be finished
When we meet and exchange ideas the next batch of mods will start

But i cant wait to see a group of these on the road or at a show

davecymru · #**207** 20th November 2011, 15:38

Aluminium panel rescued!

Still flatting / polishing the red and reapplying touch-up as i rub through some of my thinner initial spraying (i was nervous to start off with!)

Despite having a regulator on the compressor I bought an after market air regulator / water trap and it makes a MASSIVE difference to the quality of the paint application! Just as i run out of paint

I'm almost tempted to get another 2.5L and over spray the lot

garyh · #**208** 20th November 2011, 16:18

Is their a limit? Will you get a deeper colour?

davecymru · #**209** 22nd November 2011, 10:28

It'll just polish up easier i hope as with the new air regulator I'm getting a much nicer 1st time finish. TBH i wish I'd bought it at the start, but i thought that the built in regulator would be just as good

Although I'm waiting until i've had chance to get a good night in the garage with some rubbing compound and t-cut before i spend any more money.

That said.......

Seeing as this final phase is taking MUCH longer than expected and seeing as i want to drive the car when it's done and at the moment it's not got a heater, i've had to make one final purchase from flea-bay

garyh · #**210** 22nd November 2011, 10:35

Or don't you want to copy Pat. still time to get a scarf...

Mister Towed · #**211** 22nd November 2011, 13:43

Which air regulator did you go for?

Was it an ebay special?

davecymru · #**212** 27th November 2011, 15:51

Air regulator was a Silverline one from fleabay (about £20) and it does the job nicely!

Have got LOTS done this weekend, the old dash was ripped out, the instruments cleaned up and nice chrome instrument rings fitted (thanks to Spitfire graveyard!)

I then took some paper and made a template of roughly what i was after and transferred that onto some sheet alloy i had lying around.

Once chopped and drilled I tried "proper" brushing it to give it a nice texture but i couldn't keep everything straight so i applied a different approach and put the roughest wet-n-dry i could find on the sander (60 grit) and went all over it.

The result was better than i expected although it did mange to kill my trusty Black & Decker Mouse in the process

After a few coats of alloy wheel lacquer were applied and dried, i fitted it in with some Allen fixing button head bolts and it seems to fit in nicely!

It's not 100% perfect, but at least now i can easily improve/replace it in the future when i feel like it and when i can afford it

Once that was on, the windscreen and wing mirrors were re-fitted and i tried fitting the rubber floor mat. But that is going to be trickier than expected so for now i've just painted the drivers and passengers side foot wells to tidy them up.

I was also going through the old Triumph parts in the attic to see what i had left and i spotted the old kick plates, and fitted to them was a nice chrome plaque from the original Triumph garage. So it seemed "appropriate" to find somewhere for it and it's now mounted to the tunnel wall in the passengers side. Mainly to confuse the anoraks at classic car shows

I'll get some nicer screws for it eventually but it will do for now and I can move on to hopefully getting the wall cards in tonight/tomorrow along with a bit more polishing before i refit the lights

lancelot link · #**213** 27th November 2011, 16:21

Thats coming on nicely now Dave.....

I like the dash panel ....adds a bit of detail to a plain dash and makes life easy to deal with electrickery issues , if and when they arise .....no doors makes under dash work a bit tricky for anyone other than an Indian Rubber Man !!

Keep at it ...you are soo close now....I'm keen to see how the paint comes out ...the darker red is going to look fantastic....

jmc14 · #**214** 27th November 2011, 18:17

I like it.

Patton · #**215** 27th November 2011, 20:40

looking good Dave nice one

davecymru · #**216** 28th November 2011, 20:58

Wall cards are in, tunnel top is on, seat belts are fitted (need cleaning!) and best of all the seats are in

Just got to plug in the indicator warning light when it turns up from Rimmers tomorrow, fit some rubber matting (although i may skip this, i'm not sure yet) and then fit the new steering wheel and gear knob and then the interior is done until after the MOT, as i want to leave the brake adjuster open until it passes!

Although.... i do already have ideas for some more additions and modifications in the not too distant future

davecymru · #**217** 28th November 2011, 21:01

Now that you can see my seats all fitted It's worth pointing out that in order to fit these i did have to alter the body as these seats are monsters!

If you look behind the seats in the corners, those are normally curved when you pick up the shell from Gary. I needed the space, so sadly i chopped out the curve and just squared mine off.

Another piece of my build that was function leading form.

Note: The paint is "still" being polished, so some bits are shinier than others.

garyh · #**218** 28th November 2011, 21:06

A lot of detail, i bet its fun to drive...

Mister Towed · #**219** 28th November 2011, 21:15

That's looking really good DC, top trimming job.

davecymru · #**220** 30th November 2011, 20:11

New indicator warning light is in, proper gear knob and steering wheel are now fitted and i've also fitted my latest impulse buy from e-bay, a map light (posh switch to come.... in the future)

So that's the interior done for now and i've just got to fit the rubber floor mats at some point when i can be bothered.

Now all that's left is correcting any major painting flaws and lots of polishing as it's still a bit dull atm.

Then i can refit the lights, indicators, number plates and horns and then do all the final checks before the MOT. That will be done, soon(ish)

I will say that i could probably have finished weeks ago if i'd had a few straight day at this, but i only have the occasional night during the week and then it's only for about an hour at a time. So if anyone reading this doesn't have much time and is considering a kit car, i would highly recommend a Sammio as i will justify that you can break down the build into 1hr slots if you need to keep your "significant other" happy!