Geoff's 250 SWB Replica Build - Page 8

casamolino · #**141** 27th December 2013, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudycob1

Don't know if you have found decided on the rear glass but have you looked at the Renault Laguna. Saw one today and the rear glass has a nice curved shape to it. Might work.

Evening Rudycob1 , sticking with the MGB GT , i bought a rear hatch complete with glass when i was working down in Dorset and dropped it off with Chris and have purchased a new screen rubber which i will be sending down with some *old style MINI door handles* , Geoff .

Rudycob1 · #**142** 27th December 2013, 21:24

Glad to here that you are sorted with the rear glass.
Those Mini handles will look good. Very similar to the original handles.
I was wondering what you were going to use and was thinking Fiat 500, old style.
I used to have one and they are also similar but I think that the mini handles are more freely available. Really interested in this build. It's looking great.

zagmad · #**143** 4th January 2014, 19:52

Hows it going geoff
last time i saw your build was taking great shape. The outline was pretty much their

zagmad · #**144** 5th January 2014, 10:19

have you decided on colour and interior. wooden steering wheel and knobs or chrome detailing. the silver in the pics look nice. exhausts , ive decided to go for a twin exit with slash end dtm style.

casamolino · #**145** 5th January 2014, 13:39

Good afternoon Zagmad , body colour will be a close as i can get to the shade of Silver/Grey used on a 250SWB for the early 60s Le Mans , the interior work was basically removing all the internal Black plastic including the section that sits on the transmission tunnel and replacing with Black carpet , then covering the handbrake and gearstick with new leather gaiters from a MGZR! , removing this section of black plastic meant cutting down the section of dash that holds the radio and switches , which if anybody is old enough to remember know looks like the the dash add on kits that used to be fitted into the original Mini (just in front of the gearstick) , exhaust will almost certainley remain as standard (great believer in retaining original mechanicals). Wood steering wheel would be nice but can an air bag be removed without issues? Geoff .

Little Red Car · #**146** 5th January 2014, 13:50

I absolutely love this, the shape is superb and a credit to Chris. I especially like that it is a coupe, so much more practical.

Scottie22 · #**147** 5th January 2014, 13:51

Air bag can be removed easily enough (disconnect the battery first, or it may activate upon removal l!)

But there may be problems with zealous Mot people, and perhaps issues with the ECU which may notice it's missing.

I did exactly this with a car of mine with no such issues, bit it may not work for everyone.

Best to research this in-depth first. Hope this helps.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

casamolino · #**148** 5th January 2014, 14:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottie22

Air bag can be removed easily enough (disconnect the battery first, or it may activate upon removal l!)

But there may be problems with zealous Mot people, and perhaps issues with the ECU which may notice it's missing.

I did exactly this with a car of mine with no such issues, bit it may not work for everyone.

Best to research this in-depth first. Hope this helps.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Ref the airbag i realise that all Tribute car owners would have one type or another of Kit Car insurance but where the original car in my case the Z3 had an airbag as standard could the insurance company expect that feature to remain? i guess it may be possible to negotiate with your insurance company first to see what there reaction would be? Geoff .

Scottie22 · #**149** 5th January 2014, 15:20

Hi,
Ref the airbag, if you re-body the car, I suppose it follows that you register it correctly and call it whatever.

Then, when you come to insure it, the company usually will give you a form to fill in ,or ask you verbal questions.

Make sure they know it has no airbag, there may be no need to invite trouble and tell them it's been removed, if you see my drift?

Mister Towed · #**150** 5th January 2014, 15:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottie22

Hi,
Ref the airbag, if you re-body the car, I suppose it follows that you register it correctly and call it whatever.

Then, when you come to insure it, the company usually will give you a form to fill in ,or ask you verbal questions.

Make sure they know it has no airbag, there may be no need to invite trouble and tell them it's been removed, if you see my drift?

Speak to 'A' Plan specialist insurance brokers, they actually knew what I was talking about when I contacted them about insuring my self built pride and joy.

I also paid £93 for a year's fully comp when I renewed with them on my 2 litre spyder, down from £99 the previous year.

Mitchelkitman · #**151** 5th January 2014, 16:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottie22

Air bag can be removed easily enough (disconnect the battery first, or it may activate upon removal l!)

But there may be problems with zealous Mot people, and perhaps issues with the ECU which may notice it's missing.

I did exactly this with a car of mine with no such issues, bit it may not work for everyone.

Best to research this in-depth first. Hope this helps.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Some airbag electronics store a charge (capacitors?) and the recommendation is to leave a while (30mins?) after disconnecting the battery before attempting removal. You may have to put in a dummy resistor (called a squib I believe) in place of the airbag so that the ECU is ok.

Rudycob1 · #**152** 5th January 2014, 16:21

Geoff, as previously said I love what you and Chris are doing with this project and following it closely.
Have you got any update pics that you could load on this site.
Have you started thinking about the front grill, lights, and will you be looking at a way to put chrome around the windscreen, rear glass and doors. Also fuel filler cap and any chrome bumpers or over riders?
Keep the good work up.
One thing on the air bag. I removed mine from my DNA430 and was OK with insurance. You will need to blank the warning light on the dash as otherwise this will be an immediate MOT failure. If it's not on, they will not check it. Hope this helps

WorldClassAccident · #**153** 5th January 2014, 16:32

It is 5 minutes between disconnecting the battery and removing the airbag on a Z3 accoreding to the YouTube I saw.

casamolino · #**154** 6th January 2014, 09:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudycob1

Geoff, as previously said I love what you and Chris are doing with this project and following it closely.
Have you got any update pics that you could load on this site.
Have you started thinking about the front grill, lights, and will you be looking at a way to put chrome around the windscreen, rear glass and doors. Also fuel filler cap and any chrome bumpers or over riders?
Keep the good work up.
One thing on the air bag. I removed mine from my DNA430 and was OK with insurance. You will need to blank the warning light on the dash as otherwise this will be an immediate MOT failure. If it's not on, they will not check it. Hope this helps

Morning Rudycob1 answers to your questions would be ,
Grill will probaly be made up by a friend of Chris , if not certain Peugeots have something that looks the part!
All lights bought (old style) sealed beam headlights and Carello side and indicator lenses to be attached to Lucas holders , plus my pride and joy expensive *Original* front wing repeater indicators

WCA has already spoken about the chrome and i will probaly follow suite and use chrome wrap and see what happens , no bumpers or overiders for my *race * look , there are people selling resistors on Ebay that are supposed to mask the removal of the Airbag which may be the way to go rather than removing the dash to work on the bulb!
I am hiring a van and driving down to Dorset on Wednesday to pick the bits from the Z3 that wouldn`t fit in my Alfa 159ti , bonnet etc so will take some more photos then , thanks Geoff .

Rudycob1 · #**155** 6th January 2014, 20:24

Geoff
Really like what you are doing with this.
Look forward to more update pics.
There are aftermarket chrome windscreen surrounds available for the Z3 if that's of interest to you.
Chrome wrap is OK but will not give the 3D effect. I have been looking into this and was wondering if there if a flexible enough chrome strip that can be used around the windscreen and rear screen and a wider moulding to put around the door frame. I suppose this will be trial and error.
Love those side indicators.

WorldClassAccident · #**156** 6th January 2014, 20:37

If you like the side repeaters, I have similar in clear glass. Check my thread and pm me if you want them

casamolino · #**157** 7th January 2014, 12:05

Cheers Nick i am sorted for the rest of the lights , Geoff .

Tribute Automotive · #**158** 8th January 2014, 19:32

Geoff's SWB is coming together nicely. The rear end is nearly all there, next stage will be to glass all the parts together and start filling and shaping.

Having brought the front end up the windscreen by a couple of inches has removed the clearance issue over the top mounts on the front suspension struts and has the bonus of improving the side window opening too.

The Z3 doors aren't a bad shape when viewed from the side but belly out in the centre, this will be sorted by adding new door skins.

The rear valance seemed a bit deep and bulky, so it was unscrewed and pushed up 1.5 inches. Much better.

Rudycob1 · #**159** 8th January 2014, 22:34

Really looking good. It's starting to take shape. The glass works well and looking forward to seeing the rest of it coming together.

casamolino · #**160** 9th January 2014, 08:51

O my god i started off with a Z3 which then turned into a AC Kobra Coupe and know the MG *Leyland* never built

i visited Chris yesterday to pick up the large bits off the Z3 , 540 miles round trip in an excellent hire van from Enterprise on £83 worth of diesel , know to put some adverts on Ebay , Geoff .