new tribute builder

[seanick]

Originally Posted by Tribute Automotive

Hi Grahame and Nick

My intention when designing the MX250 kit was to reuse as many parts from the base MX5 as possible to save the customer money, but the limitations of the repositioned hinges has become apparent. They will work, as seen on our demo cars, but I will freely admit that the bonnet hinges give only limited access (about 45 degrees of opening) to the engine bay. The revised option of using modified boot hinges on the bonnet has been written on our production board in the workshop for about 3 months now, you know how other things take over!!

This is the plan, or rather a section through the bonnet/slam panel:



They will require pockets to be cut out of the GRP return inside the engine bay.











They will bolt to the slam panel where it narrows, as shown here:



The hinges will require modifiying and I will be offering them on an exchange basis as part of the kit. I will post up some pictures after we are back in the workshop on 2nd January.

Thanks Chris. I will be interested to see what you come up with, however a trip to the scrap pile for some steel turned up a set of cantilevers from a reclining chair foot stool! They give a huge amount of lift. I will probably make. Ones to my wooden pattern as they are very simple, plus they should lift the front of the bonnet up and over the rad filler cap so it can be filled from the front.

[Tribute Automotive]

Originally Posted by grayone

Hi guys nice to see lots of chat about hinges,I might try Chris's new design ,been in the garage all day I couldn't get enough pressure from my small compressor to shultz the underside so started cutting the vents/lights etc . It looks a tight fit behind the head light will they fit or do I have to cut metal away? also has any body tired 8j 16s et20 with 205 or 215 60 16 on the front? I think it'll be heavy parking but will they fit? 9j 16 et20 225 or 235 60 s on the rear,what do you think? sorry for all the questions but Im on a time schedule

Hi Grahame

Our red car was running the following size wheels:

7.5J x 16 et 20 Front (no spacers)
9J x 16 et 15 Rear (with 25mm spacers)
215/40/16 Tyres all round.

As shown here:


So, your 8J x 16 et20(mm) fronts will be only 12.5mm closer to the arch lip and the rears will have 5mm more clearance (inset) to the rear arch.

For tyre info the following website is brilliant:

http://www.kouki.co.uk/utilities/vis...ize-calculator

If you enter your tyre sizes into the fields you can compare sizes.

Our Mk2 demo car, shown below, ran 215/40/17 tyres (603.8mm diameter) which rubbed slightly on full travel. It also required bubbled arches on the front due to Zero offset on the alloys.



Reference the fit on the rear of the headlights, we trim the rear off the bowls and re-seal. You could "clearance" the metalwork.

[tonyt]

You could have mentioned that sooner, thats why I had trouble aligning the front, body now re trimmed and lights to re wire, this is not a game of poker, you don't need to keep your cards so close to your chest, anyway hot air gunned my rear today a few bubbles to fill but gald for the info before a spray.

Originally Posted by Tribute Automotive

Hi Grahame

Our red car was running the following size wheels:

7.5J x 16 et 20 Front (no spacers)
9J x 16 et 15 Rear (with 25mm spacers)
215/40/16 Tyres all round.

As shown here:


So, your 8J x 16 et20(mm) fronts will be only 12.5mm closer to the arch lip and the rears will have 5mm more clearance (inset) to the rear arch.

For tyre info the following website is brilliant:

http://www.kouki.co.uk/utilities/vis...ize-calculator

If you enter your tyre sizes into the fields you can compare sizes.

Our Mk2 demo car, shown below, ran 215/40/17 tyres (603.8mm diameter) which rubbed slightly on full travel. It also required bubbled arches on the front due to Zero offset on the alloys.



Reference the fit on the rear of the headlights, we trim the rear off the bowls and re-seal. You could "clearance" the metalwork.

[Tribute Automotive]

Hi Tony, I have PM'd you.

[Tribute Automotive]

Originally Posted by grayone

Hi guys nice to see lots of chat about hinges,I might try Chris's new design....

Nearly there with the hinges. Please excuse the dreadful photo's, it when dark all of a sudden....







Only tacked in place to try them out, still need a little more work to provide the best possible clearance as the bonnet opens and clears the lip at the front of the engine bay.

[seanick]

Pics look fine to me.
At least you can chop the body away to provide a cross section and mount the pivot as high as poss. As the front lip of the bonnet rises not only up but also is bowed fwd I came to the conclusion that hinging at those positions would mean the bonnet always touched as you can't get the hinge high enough. Im happy to be proved wrong! Now have few hrs on my hinges, unless I get customered!
I dont want to cut the body as I want to gutter the rainwater away clear of the internals of the car.

Made these.......

[IMG][/IMG]

[grayone]

Hi all had a full day in the garage front end bonded on all lights indicators vents and mesh cut ,got some good braces to hold the front valance from b&q 98p each bargain,should get the rear end bonded this weekend, still looking for wheels & tyres

[Tribute Automotive]

You would need front arches flaring for these, nice

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rota-RKR-1...item2579466843

Would need to check offset on these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wolfrace-S...item1e760128aa

Again need to check offset:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ATS-CUP-4X...item3ccdc30d8a

[grayone]

Hi all 4 weeks to go, I've had 2 good day on the build body is bonded on headlining is in, all lights & vents cutout rear lights mounted , started to chop strand the joins,finally bought my wheels Dare rs 15" 7&8s with chrome spinners should look nice,next quest is the tyres & spacers

[grayone]

Hi all I finally got around to taking a few pics not very good quality it looks like a snow storm fillier dust, but I have no idea how to upload them

[seanick]

There is a thread in the Sammie forum about pics, but in nutshell,
Upload them to photobucket from your laptop, or if taken with a phone download the photo bucket App first, then upload to Photobucket. Smith on your wifi for this!

When you have them in p bucket, click on a pic and next to
it you will find and image code.

Click on that to copy it.

Back to your browser and your madabout page.

Click on the picture symbol on the top line....

Paste the image code into that box, either by control V on a pc or press and hold on an android phone, to raise the optins, then paste. Add your words, and post away.

[AcC8braman]

Or :-

Originally Posted by tlrtone

I just figured it too...

Click on this icon in advanced reply...
Attachment 492

Upload your image in the pop up window that appears.

Then you need to go back to your reply box and click the icon again

Attachment 493

Then click the image filename and it will put the image in the post with ATTACH tags.

hope that helps!

[Tribute Automotive]

I called in to see Grahame at Southampton on the way back from picking the Mistral shell on Saturday, he's getting on really well. All the panels are bonded on and first filling done.



Love his back light choice.



And his wheels are great too (shown minus the centre caps).

[grayone]

Hi Chris thanks for the help on Saturday,I fitted the bonnet pins & started on the boot release ,as well as more sanding & filling ,much more easy now I have bought ab orbital sander,you left your tape & a few nuts n bolts here.I see yor pics came out better than mine.

[garyh]

What are the rear lights from?

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by garyh

What are the rear lights from?

Can't speak for grayone, but I remember seeing something similar in SVC when doing my own research...

http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/product/1252-...icator--pair-/

Hope that helps, Paul.

PS
Sorry grayone I should have said nice lights & wheels.

[grayone]

Hi Paul l your right thier the same and in the UK

[grayone]

Hi all well its been 4 weeks since Chris & Dan delivered my kit ,Im now ready for paint ,the compressor is being delivered this afternoon, should get the underside painted monday then start on the high build 2k primer on the body,just going with the original mazda red for ease,2 weeks to my flight back but im thinking of having another month here for some driving weather permitting.oh yeah went with mini boot hinges in the end

[Tribute Automotive]

Great going! It will be good to see another finished car hitting the street, snowy or not. Send me some more pictures and I will post them up

[seanick]

Good going Graham! I wish I was on mine full time......
I look forward to seeing it with some colour on.
The mini hinges will look great, but I will probably try to find a far more difficult way of doing it first, before....using mini hinges!!