Planning a Tribute Build - Page 15

tonyt · #**281** 3rd March 2013, 20:26

Ah the British car industry, they went on to make a Morris 1800 (had one of those) then the Morris Marina which if you got one built on a Tuesday or Thursday was a shit car but built on a Monday or Friday it was diabolical, renamed as an Ital was even worse, still thats progress? (The 1800 was front wheel drive with hydroelastic suspension, Marina was rear with hodgekiss dive, leaf springs etc.)

Mister Towed · #**282** 4th March 2013, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyt

Ah the British car industry, they went on to make a Morris 1800 (had one of those) then the Morris Marina which if you got one built on a Tuesday or Thursday was a shit car but built on a Monday or Friday it was diabolical, renamed as an Ital was even worse, still thats progress? (The 1800 was front wheel drive with hydroelastic suspension, Marina was rear with hodgekiss dive, leaf springs etc.)

I agree about the Morris Marina being a piece of crap. I hit one almost head on after its (drunk) driver swerved into my path on a fast A road in South Wales on a dark, rainy night in 1983.

I was driving my Chrysler Sunbeam at about 60mph while I'd estimate he was doing about 40. The result of the 100mph smash was that the Marina was completely destroyed - the engine and gearbox were rammed back into the passenger compartment, the car spun round, burst into flames and if I hadn't dragged them out of the blazing wreckage the driver and passenger would have died on the spot.

As luck would have it the first vehicle that happened by a few minutes later was an ambulance on its way back from a false alarm call and they were whisked off to Cardiff Royal Infirmary. Both survived but with major injuries.

My Sunbeam effectively went right through the front of the Marina, turned almost completely onto its side but righted itself without rolling. It then kept on going with only one front wheel for about a hundred yards before hitting a lamp-post and coming to a stop with the engine, and me, screaming.

Apart from a slight concussion and a fractured right ankle from the hit I got through the brake pedal I was fine, if rather elated to still be alive. My Chrysler even looked repairable although it was an insurance write-off. Thank F*ck I was wearing my seatbelt or I would've still been wearing my glasses when they hit the inside of the windscreen...

Anyway, the result of that particular match was a confirmed Chrysler Sunbeam 1, Morris Marina nil.

tonyt · #**283** 17th March 2013, 18:37

My first car was a 1981 Vauxhall Cav Mk1 bought at 16 years old in 1987 at Cardiff car auctions, think it was £600, and tidy, it was a 1300 and threw a rod on its first run on the A48 (dad supervising and just 17), rebuilt the engine finished just before passing my test added spoliers and plastic so it looked more like a Manta, passed my test then 10 days later head on crash in a country lane near Sully with a Saab Turbo, no injuries but Saab came off best, hence the need for the land crab. Oh I have visited CRI, broke my left clavical playing rugby when I was 15, against Rougemont (Newport) I went to Kings then New College School in Cardiff. My dad had Morris's as company cars then Mk 2 vauxhall cavillers that were better. I have had a love hate relationship with Landrovers untill the mid ninties when I bought my first Shogun, bought jap and never looked back. Now have a 1992 Prelude owned since 1996, a 2005 CRV Diesel 2.2 Executive remapped to 195 bhp, (get 40 to the gallon as well) and a 1993 imported Mx5 still in production as a Tribute MX 250C!

tonyt · #**284** 17th March 2013, 18:56

Down to buisiness, hinges, the boot of the Mx250c is large and long so the Indian hinges will suit it well, the metal behind the hood is not strong enough to support the mounting of the hinges (flexes out of shape with stress), so solution, a small plate cut from leftover wing sandwiched to some leftover fibergass with the bonding agent supplied by chris. Bonded to the car the galssed over and filled to give a mound/plinth/hump for the hinge to sit on, will try to post pix but photo bas,rd no longer likes my phone, will have to use SLR camera and upload.

tonyt · #**285** 20th March 2013, 18:02

In my desire for the classic look, removed the original wiper arms, for new chrome (adjustable) ones, they were too short and had to be extended with some ss bar that I had kicking around, the adapters would not sit on the extentions properly, re working of the extentions and they now fit, but the kit has been cut to accomodate this, I now find myself cutting up ice cream tubs to make triangular moulds for fiberglass, can't think where I've Sean that before, you a bad influence on kit builders everywhere! Only jesting top idea, my Photobucket/Gmail is still Phucked, but Orange are being unusully helpfull.

seanick · #**286** 20th March 2013, 20:23

tonyt · #**287** 21st March 2013, 22:24

No need to hide Sean, first one is trimmed down and fitted great idea corner mould!, just wish I could resist using my fingers to smoth the fiberglass, it seems there are good days and bad days, kit car building is a mixed bag of a sport, indian hinges proving a difficult opponent, they will look great when I get them where I want them. Oh and upside down the mould looked like a nose, still no joy with pictures though.

tonyt · #**288** 27th March 2013, 17:08

tonyt · #**289** 27th March 2013, 17:08

tonyt · #**290** 27th March 2013, 19:06

Pix sent from my sons Ipod, given up with my phone!

seanick · #**291** 27th March 2013, 23:05

The wiper recesses look v. Good. How did you get on with the hinges? They may work well with the curved edge?

chargerstang · #**292** 28th March 2013, 07:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyt

Wow

I like this solition
Greets Heinrich

tonyt · #**293** 29th March 2013, 21:25

You will still need to extend the spindle, but it looks neater, seccond one moulded.

tonyt · #**294** 29th March 2013, 23:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyt

Original wipers fitted, will probably replace with chrome at a later date.

Looks ok but now improved!

tonyt · #**295** 30th March 2013, 00:07

Hi Sean, Hinges will look and work fine, even with the slight curve the only problem was the rear panel behind the soft top needed to be reinfoeced to take the load of the hinge and large boot, fixed with a sandwich of off cut metal, bonding agent, and a off cut glass fiber. Glassed over with P40 then filler, thanks for the insperation with the moulds for the wipers.

tonyt · #**296** 31st March 2013, 13:11

Set of wires anyone?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-stud-For...item1e78b14e6c
Think the stub axels will be 4x108 so will need re drilling to 4x100 cheap enough though!

tonyt · #**297** 1st April 2013, 16:13

Good day in the sunshine today, fitted the seccond wiper recess pics to follow, also fitted an ally strip under the re used wing stays, to stabalize the front vallance.

chargerstang · #**298** 1st April 2013, 16:30

It looks good.
A good idea to stabilize the front
I like that!

tonyt · #**299** 1st April 2013, 20:57

Don't know if the MK 2 had these, but they are worth keeping.

fatbloke · #**300** 2nd April 2013, 07:22

MK2 didn't have them but I'm sure something similar could be fabricated. Alternatively there are always Mk1's on ebay being scrapped and I can't imagine there would be many people after these bits.

Looks good Tony

Have you decided on a colour?