Sammio Roadster

Roadster · #1 5th July 2011, 18:55

Ok here goes.

I have been building cars on and off since my mid teens and many differnt kitcars have been built or passed through my hands.
So I have experienced the westfields (very detailed build manual and they can suck up as much money as you can lavish on them) to the Banham (heres a pile of metal and a crude fibreglass shell and thats the end of it)

Somewhere along the line they never quite hit the spot. I seem to spend to long building and forgetting that this pile of bits im playing with is a car.

So I was looking for a new project, im getting too old to build race cars and I haven;t loads of money to spend.

I decided that the donor had to be cheap, handle like a sports car and be reliable. The MX5 seemed to fit the bill and within a few months i had bought a car with tax and test for £300,
It had a dent in the front wing but i had already decided the body was going.

I saw the Sammio at Stoneleigh, I like many others took a look around it and walked on. A very pretty car and almost what i wanted.
I quite fancied a spyder but as the british summer continued my wife has constantly reminded me it will just sit there until one of the rare sunny days comes around.

So maybe a roof and a windscreen had to be part of the plan.

I took measurements of the spyder and of the mx5 monocoque body tub. It was similar dimensions except the width. A chat followed by a visit to Poole followed and to my suprise Garry was very supportive of the idea.

The plan had been cut a spyder down the centre and widen it but in the back of the workshop was the G46. Even in its eary stages its a pretty shape.

Garry and I measured it, it was the right width. The wheel base was too long as its Scimitar based but no matter this could easily be fixed.

So the idea for the Roadster was born.

The car is under construction as we speak, im waiting for a rear body section and the front is mocked up.

I will add pictures and update my progress and I plan for it to be at Stoneleigh 2012 but hopefully on the road well before this deadline.

Roadster · #2 5th July 2011, 19:31

Some early pictures
It is a Jag inspired sammio the rear of the G46 will give it a xkss kind of look.
More pics to come

lancelot link · #3 6th July 2011, 18:59

That looks to fit rather well , doesn't it ?

Thank you for sharing ....

TheGiantTribble · #4 6th July 2011, 19:23

WOW
That bonnet looks fantastic :-)

Roadster · #5 6th July 2011, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancelot link

That looks to fit rather well , doesn't it ?

Thank you for sharing ....

Thanks yeah- its still has sections of the front wings underneath but they will be removed this weekend. The radiator undertray on the mazda blends into the nose so cooling wont be an issue and the trimmed front panel fits neatly between the lamp pods.
Im sure the back end will fit just as snug in fact it should be easier as it will be bonded rigid to the monocoque.

I can't wait to get her all mocked up and then i can set about making it look pretty. We will have to get a pic of this and the G46 next to each other.

Thanks GiantTribble i was afraid i was the only one who would appreciate it.

davecymru · #6 7th July 2011, 06:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadster

i was afraid i was the only one who would appreciate it.

The one thing i quickly learnt when i started tinkering with cars and kit-cars was to ignore what anyone else thinks and to just do what you want! There are so many people with so many different ideas, opinions and tastes that what you like is always likely to upset someone

Looks like an interesting project, a bit more along the lines of the MR2 to F355 / F360 body conversions? So i can't see why it won't turn out looking as good as some of them do! Good luck matey and i'll be watching with interest. Partly in case i can nab any ideas to apply to my project

Dave

Roadster · #7 7th July 2011, 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by davecymru

The one thing i quickly learnt when i started tinkering with cars and kit-cars was to ignore what anyone else thinks and to just do what you want! There are so many people with so many different ideas, opinions and tastes that what you like is always likely to upset someone

Looks like an interesting project, a bit more along the lines of the MR2 to F355 / F360 body conversions? So i can't see why it won't turn out looking as good as some of them do! Good luck matey and i'll be watching with interest. Partly in case i can nab any ideas to apply to my project

Dave

Thanks Dave,
Yes a bit like the mr2 rebodies i must admit i liked the idea of the retroforza italia but the front was pretty and the rear just didn't do the car justice.
I hope that when complete mine will confuse a few and if nothing else the insurance will be cheaper

Roadster · #8 22nd July 2011, 05:41

Its been a while since I posted an update but I dont have a garage and rain is preventing my progress - im sure its supposed to be summer.

Im off to visit Garry tomorrow and check the progress on my body.
The plan is to collect it in the last week of August.

I have made a dummy scuttle panel and i have bonded it to the original front wings with fibreglass mat and resin.
The bulk of the front wings have been removed and the bonnet sits tightly against the newly made scuttle.

I will add more pics when i get a chance - there will also be pics of the work Garry is doing too.

Roadster · #9 24th July 2011, 06:24

I ventured down to see the progress on the G46 yesterday as it will form the rear half of my car.
The journey down to Horton Heath was longer and more frustrating than i had planned due to large quantities of caravans and boats being trailed around.

When I got there Garry and Mike made the journey worth while.
They are enthusiastic and helpful even though the workshop was overflowing with cars.
A good collection of little Spyders in for various jobs and lurking in the shadows behind them like a predator - the G46.

It isn't really a huge car but its wider and about 14" long so on the road im sure it will grab peoples attention.
Im biased and im really only interested in the back half. The rear section of the G46 is about 5 and a half feet long but i will modify it for the roadster and by the time its bonded in place it will only be 3 feet long.

Its changed a fair bit in its evoloution from foam strips and for the most part I am pleased with the shape. The rear hunches that are the rear arches will give the roadster a purposeful look.

The invaluble part of the visit was talking to Garry and Mike - I have played with cars for many years but there is nothing better than exchanging ideas with two like minded individuals. Some of the ideas are definitly finding their way into the roadster and I can't thank them enough for their time.

So as I left for a quick trip to Beaulieu with the family - the details on the order have been finalised and my next visit will be to collect the (half) shell.

If you are pondering building a Sammio of any kind eg a spyder, a 550 , G46 or even a one off like me and your not sure a visit to the workshop in sunny Poole is a must.

Patton · #10 24th July 2011, 06:45

Hi, always worth a visit over to Poole for getting the grey matter going off at tangents as I'm one for a different way of doing it. I'm keeping a watch for some more piccy's roadster.... Pat

Roadster · #11 24th July 2011, 20:22

the sun was out so i got a couple hours on the car = literally just 2
and the things i got done doesn't look much but here are some more pics

I have been blending the fake scuttle into the body - this will continue into the front of the doors.

The indicator holes are being filled as the indicators will be behind the headlamp covers.

Roadster · #12 24th July 2011, 20:31

Patton · #13 24th July 2011, 21:38

Hi, looking good or as my young lady said it looks like a shark, a great white, girls AH! she likes it and I do too...Pat

Roadster · #14 7th August 2011, 06:17

Thanks Patton
I have been working on it most nights but it doesn't seem to look any different.
I have been fabricating the closure panel for the bonnet and cutting the original bodywork. Still lots of work to do.
So like Patton when I feel the need of a break I reversed it off the drive and took it to the end of the close and back.
You get a completely different view of it when you move it away from the build area.
I confess im excited to get the back end from Garry so i can finally get an idea how it will look when its finished.

Heres a pic of it on the road.

lancelot link · #15 7th August 2011, 13:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadster

Thanks Patton
I have been working on it most nights but it doesn't seem to look any different.
.

Yeh , I know how that feels........looking good though mate...

lancelot link · #16 8th August 2011, 13:42

Mark , just sent you an email with pics that may be of interest....feel free to post them on t'internet if you want....

Roadster · #17 10th August 2011, 21:21

The Roadster design has changed slightly but projects like this often manifest into something different to how they were imagined.

Originally i was going to modify a spyder rear end for the project but on visiting Garry i was inspired by the G46. Those curves on the rear flanks i loved it.
The G46 was in its early stages in foam and filler. As Mike shaped it more it started to morph away from what i had imagined but still i was content to use it as a base.

Garry is constantly working on new projects (or tinkering with slower paced projects) and he has an Mx5 outside his premises to aid him with the US builder on here body requirements.
He was working on the 550 when he realised that it was far closer to the designs i had spoken about. It still needs some cutting and splicing and i will miss the large hunches of the G46 but the revised body section has been ordered.

So I have booked a van and god willing the 20th August should be the day i collect.

My original ideas for colour scheme (dark jaguar racing green) may be changed but I will need to see the car closer to completion before i decide.

I will post pics when the parts come together.

Any comments are welcome and f you are considering a similar build i will try to help/

Sammio Builder · #18 10th August 2011, 21:39

Roadster,

Great news, just over a week to go!

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

Roadster · #19 18th August 2011, 18:23

GRRR i have so much to do and it has rained 3 out of 4 nights this week.

Im counting the hours Saturday I collect the body from Garry.
Its a long trip down to Poole but I always enjoy the visit and I know that the next time I will take the roadster with me.

Sammio Builder · #20 18th August 2011, 20:38

Same here, to be fair though, this is the first evening in 6 and half weeks that I've wanted to work that's been rained off.

Do I read that correctly that its this Saturday you collect everything?

Exciting times!

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