Another Cordite Is Born ...

[Psycho pops]

Here you go Paul
Opposite sides viewed together think it looks pretty good...


Pops

[Paul L]

Lancelot, Oxford & Mr T - Cheers chaps, although I'm sure using a 'bike' #7 will upset a few car purists anyway.



So perhaps I should add a new "sponsor" to my overalls while I'm at it.



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Pops - Thanks for doing that.

The fact the driver's side photo was taken 'looking down' means that you can see more of the scuttle area.

Which, in turn, makes the body shell extension look both smaller than it is, and smaller by comparison.

For a further comparison, here are two completed Sammio Cordite MkIs without the body shell / bonnet modification.

13" wheels



15" wheels



So the real improvement in my car is the fact I've kept my donor's 13" wheels but reduced the arch gap to the equivalent of fitting 15" wheels.
( Whilst retaining the full 'flip up' bonnet that the silver demonstrator didn't have. )

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But the key thing for me now is to stop worrying about the wheel arches and get the car ready for an MOT.

Because, as I've said before, does it look like Vanessa's front arch profile is stopping Andy enjoying his car?



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Next Steps:
- Add the closing panel to the body shell extension on the driver's side.
- Sort out the bonnet locating pins on both sides.
- Smooth out the join/gap between the bonnet and scuttle.
- Tidy up and seal the underside of the front half of the car.
- Then start fitting/fixing everything needed for an MOT.

Although today I am off to a meeting to find out what is going on with my "real" work project.

Cheers, Paul.

[Psycho pops]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kZMUAd7OJc8/hqdefault.jpg

Please never mention me in your posts Paul



http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36694598

[Paul L]

Pops - I actually heard the news on the radio earlier on and my first thought was Mrs Merton.



I'd actually forgotten I'd posted her photo the other day, so RIP Caroline Aherne.

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Odd Jobs - Part 1:
Dragged some of my car stuff up from the Summer House to the front porch only to find a dirty black cloud overhead.

Thankfully, that cleared away, but there was rain in the forecast, so I was nervous about starting any filler/fibreglass jobs.

So I made a start on a number of small jobs instead…

Used some string to provide guidelines for the number plate plinth.



Clearly it needs to be built up a little along the bottom right hand corner.



But this will be done during the final preparation for paint, post MOT.

However, I needed to draw some straight lines on the plinth, so I could line the number plate up straight (ish).

You might remember that I ruined my new "short width" number plate when building the mounting plinth.



I want to trim down the "over sized" rear number plate that came with my donor car.
( Top of photo below. )



So I will be removing this end section.



Next up was starting the process of making an access panel for the rear cockpit wall.

This was the piece of plywood I had previously cut out, so I could reach the fuel gauge wires & petrol cap.



Unfortunately, I then had a serious Mr Clumsy episode when I was just checking which way around this off cut fitted.
( Note: This photo was taken later on, not at the time. )



Yes, you guessed it, I managed to drop the cut out panel in behind the rear cockpit wall.

To say I turned the air blue, as I cursed my own ineptitude, would be a HUGE understatement.

It took ages, and some seriously scraped hands, before I could finally manoeuvre the panel out of the other side of the petrol tank.



Thankfully, I had just enough aluminium sheet left over from the wheel arch work to make the panel.



Which will over lap the "hole" like so.



End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

Odd Jobs - Part 2:
The internal framework comes close to the rear cockpit wall in a couple of places.



So I used some tape to highlight where this was and marked up a template to help me drill the fixing holes.





Apologies in advance for the number of blurred photos coming up.

I made templates for some giant "washers" for the wing mirrors.





The standard wing mirrors bolt are too short.



Especially on the passenger side, where the fibreglass is "thicker".



I started spending a bit of time trying to work out the correct length of bolt required, so I could cut them down to size.



But then decided to stick with my previous, quick fix, "double nut" approach so I can bolt the mirrors on for the MOT.



I will then come pack and trim the bolts when I have finished painting the car.

End of Part 2…

[Paul L]

Odd Jobs - Part 3:
This decision was then repeated for some of the other work I was planning for today…

The bolts that hold the wind deflector for the rear view mirror are also too long.





As I want to fit the dome capped nuts on the ends to tidy things up.



But again, that can be added to the post-MOT list, which is clearly growing longer by the day.

Next, I made templates for the washers needed for the aero screen brackets.



As the bolts are just too close together for the penny washers I have.



I marked up the bonnet locating pin panel for the driver's side.



As the bottom corner of the bonnet ended up being built out a bit in the end.



At this point the sky was definitely turning against me.



So the covers when back on and I was safely indoors when it suddenly lashed down with rain.

There was then a bit of a break before I was able to do any more car work.

But this time I was located at the end of the garden just outside the Summer House…

Where I put a quick coat of paint on the "washer" for the rear view mirror wind deflector.



Note:
This will eventually be painted properly in BRG.

Made the washers for the wing mirrors and aero screen brackets.



End of Part 3…

[Paul L]

Odd Jobs - Part 4:
Trimmed the rear number plate down to size and then softened the edges.



Then drilled holes in it to fix the number plate light into position.



Plus extra holes to bolt the number plate itself to the plinth.



Worked out a suitable layout for the fixing holes on the rear cockpit panel.



Then transferred that to the alloy plate itself.



Note:
At one point I appeared to be channelling WorldClassAccident whilst drilling directly above my leg!



As, by now, I had to quickly dump everything inside the Summer House due to another burst of heavy rain.

So no great leaps forward for the build today, but all these jobs need to be done at some point.

However, I will leave you with these photos of the car parked in the middle of the road this morning, when the sun was shining.











Got to say I'm lovin' the way this looks and am seriously looking forward to my first drive to the MOT station (whenever that may be).

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[DaveP]

Paul,
That is a bloody good looking car. Love the back view even more than the front. My sincere compliments.

Dave

[Scottie22]

As above Paul!

It really is starting to look tasty and special!!

Good luck with the Mot.

Scottie

[jones]

Well there will be no lack of superlatives when you get on the road too post MOT and that's before they know that you built and shaped almost every panel yourself!

To reiterate on a previous compliment too, that boot looks even better in the flesh!

At this rate it will MOT by the end of the month Paul...

[Paul L]

Dave, Scottie & Jones - Thanks gentlemen.

Your positive feedback helps to stop me falling into a "can't see the wood for the trees" trap.

As, after spending so long building this car, I really do see all the differences in Pop's post #2541 above.

But when the sun was shining yesterday, the car really did stand out as much more than the sum of its (mis-matched) parts.

So this is great motivation for me to keep working my way through the long & time consuming "MOT - To Do" list.

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Factory Standards
The other thing I am trying to do these days is stop comparing my efforts to the really stunning builds on here (e.g. Swifty's).

Now don't get me wrong, I have always tried to achieve the highest possible standard I can with this build.
( And the car would not look as good as it does if I hadn't aimed high. )

But I really need to stop beating myself up about the "wonky" bits, as they reflect both my skills and race cars from the 1950 & 60's.

I used this photo on Smash's 250 SWB bumper thread to point out that the original car was NOT built by robots.



"Back in the day", many racing cars from this era were built/prepared in sheds by blokes with fags in their mouths.



And this photo of the Team Lotus Grand Prix team mechanics in action did make me smile.



Especially when you consider they are working in better conditions than I am:
- The ground isn't sloping at a silly angle.
- Their tools are in a big van next to them, not at the end of the garden.
- There is more than one of them and they are mechanics, not accountants!
- Etc.



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MOT
The only thing I am vaguely confident about is that I should be ready for an MOT before the end of 2016.

As, unfortunately, the harsh reality is that even small jobs can burn time at an alarming rate.

However, I really feel that the build is now gaining the momentum needed to keep pushing through the list of jobs.

So whilst I didn't use any of the "big washers" I made yesterday, they are now ready & waiting for when I need them.

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Not sure if I will get the chance to work on the car today, but I'll be back later if I do.

Cheers, Paul.

[Paul L]

Sunday Morning - Every little helps:
Spend some time tidying up the Summer House.



In addition to sorting out the usual mess, I was desperate to find the new number plate bulbs I'd bought.
( As a blown bulb was a problem during my earlier electrical tests. )

It was only after I had worked my way through lots of boxes that I finally found them.



They are actually LED replacement bulbs and I've now fitted one.



Which means that next time I'm out the front, this light & the rear number plate can both be fitted.

Ironically, it was only after I had spend a long time searching that I found these bulbs sitting on a chair under some other stuff.

Where I had clearly left them previously in order to make it easier to find them when I wanted to fit the number plate light.

So I have now got a new box of small, but very important parts, sitting on the same chair.



This included the new rear brake light switch (my 4th!) & the nut that holds it in place.



I just had to remove part of the previous switch that had broken.



I've also put aside all the screws for the rear cockpit wall access panel.



I've also got the new heat fan switch, a couple of Union Jack badges & the head light grilles to play with.
( Amoungst other stuff. )



After the big tidy up, I just had time to peel off the covers to check possible locations for the bonnet straps.







I think I will go with the first option, but I just need to make sure this not foul the locating pin set up.

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End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

Sunday Afternoon & Evening
We went out for a nice family pub lunch to help make up for the amount of time I spend on the car.

Then my wife had managed to get some free tickets to the concert in Hyde Park.

Unfortunately, quite a few people had already arrived before we eventually got there.



It was actually the main support act she wanted to see, Don Henley, as she is a HUGE fan of the Eagles.
( I didn't earn any brownie points when I was unable to get tickets for their reunion tour. )

So it was great to see him perform his own songs (Incl. Boys of Summer) and Eagles classics too (Hotel California, Desperado).



Carole King was the headline act, but we only had time to see the start of her set (Incl. Earth Move, Too Late Baby).





The way I look at it, a happy wife means a happy car build, so it is all good here.

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I am in the middle of some domestic chores at the moment, but will be back on the car later this morning.

Cheers, Paul.

[Paul L]

Mixed Monday - Part 1
Ending up spending the whole morning doing domestic chores.

So it was the afternoon before I could finally do some car work and I started at the rear end.

Fitted the grommet for the rear number plate light.



Drilled the two extra holes need to secure the number plate to the plinth & bolted it all together.



Note:
I've tried to "straighten" the photo to allow for the sloping driveway and the number plate does line up with the lights.

Next it was time to unwrap the boot lid drain hoses.



These were already secured at the 'boot floor to body shell' panel end and left deliberately over sized.

So I just needed to clean out the dirt from the boot lid drain holes & shorten the hose in small steps.



Until I got a natural curve in the hose & then fixed it to the boot lid drain plug.



Removed the tape from the two 'external' drain exits in the boot floor panels, but just couldn't get a decent photo.



Next it was time to connect the number plate light and the two fog lights.

All of these have simple spade connectors, so I used some of my yoga mat to keep them separated.



Before wrapping them up.



The stop/tail lights & indicators have "proper" connectors, but I taped all the wires together to tidy things up a bit.



I just need to use a few more zip ties to tuck all the wires neatly into the lower recess behind the boot floor.



Rear End - Final Steps:
- Tidy up the wires as described above & give a final test to the lights.
- Bond in a few more plywood panels between the framework and the body shell.

So there isn't much left to do at this end as far as MOT preparation work goes.

End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

Mixed Monday - Part 2:
The other day I realised that I had forgotten to make some "big washers" for the bonnet straps.

But before I started on those, all the ends of the leather straps needed a small trim, as they were a tad too long.



Which meant that the end cover could not sit flush over the leather below.



I just used a pair of scissors to reshape the ends.



So now the cover sits flush.



I will be making the washers out of a couple of my old steel fixing brackets.
( And using the leather off cuts that came with the straps as a guide to where the holes need to be. )



But before I got to work on those I wanted to do some work on the bonnet/body shell extension.

So I covered up the end of the car and un-peeled the front.



At which point the first few drops of rain arrived.

So the covers went back on and I then had to rush to the back garden to rescue the morning's laundry.



It has been "misting" on and off every since, so I'm not sure if I'll get any more done today.

So until next time, take care, Paul.

[Paul L]

Monday Night Update:
Ended up moving some stuff down to the Summer House while the rest of the family watched Corrie.

This way, I could make some noise without disturbing them, or the neighbours.

Started by marking up the "washers" for the bonnet straps.



But then I seemed to make a complete dog's dinner of drilling the holes in the right place.

So "Plan B" involved a switch to using aluminium instead, which worked out much better in the end.
( Unfortunately, I left my files in the front porch, so I'll tidy up the edges later on. )







Just to give you an idea of how small my working area was…

I sat in the gap between the blue tool box & the mountain bike.



Good night, Paul.

[Paul L]

Tuesday - Part 1:
A bit of a frustrating start to the day, as there was yet more drizzle first thing in the morning.

Eventually, it was dry enough for me to start another round of small jobs.

Marked up the rear bonnet edge on the driver's side.



Before trimming it back and rounding off the edges.



At this point I just need something neat enough for the MOT & the final gap will be set before painting starts.

Double checked that I could still get access to all the rear lights with the plywood support panels in place.



In the end, I just had to adjust one jubilee clip, so I could still reach it with a screwdriver after the panel went in.

Then covered all the wiring so no stray bits of bonding paste would end up on the loom later on.



Trimmed the locating pin panel for the driver's side of the bonnet & fixed it into position.



By now I had jacked up the car and removed the wheel...



So I could stick my head inside the wheel arch and check the alignment of the panels.



As I still get flashbacks to the trauma of trying to get locating pins to work on the boot lid.

I also taped the closing panel for the body shell extension into position.



By now, the sky had got dark again, but I'd taken the precaution of not fully removing the covers, just providing access to both ends.



End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

Tuesday - Part 2:
Eventually, I just took a chance and mixed up some bonding paste and started to fix all these various pieces into place.

Starting in the boot, where these panels should help keep the weight of the body shell off the boot floor panels below.





Paste was applied to both sides of the closing panel.



The bonnet return lip was also covered on both sides.





Note: I will also be using fibreglass matting on this inside join at some point to ensure it is firmly held in position.

At this point, I had to take a break from car work to do other stuff for a few hours.

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Thankfully, by the time I got back to the car in the afternoon, the bonding paste had already set pretty solid.
( But I still want to leave that to fully cure over night before removing the brackets. )

I'd lowered the bonnet, but kept it propped up so I didn't accidentally bond it to the body shell!
( I'd also refitted the wheel, hand tight, just to get it out of the way. )



Then I lightly sanded down the "hole" I had to cut out of the side cockpit wall.



Before doing a round of fibreglassing:

Covering the hole.



The join along the top edge of the rear cockpit wall.



Although I'm not sure why this was the only section not covered by a layer of matting?

The rope re-enforcement along the body shell extension.



Plus part of joins along the horizontal panel on the top of the extension.



End of Part 2…

[Paul L]

Tuesday - Part 3:
While that was all setting, I had a quick look at the holes in the floor for the seats.

Then I made a cardboard template to give me the spacing between the holes.



As I plan to cut a length out of the fibreglass floor pans to act as a "spacer".



At this point, I came back in to re-check my build thread for the time when I previous looked at fitting the seats.

Turns out it was just over a year ago, on the 28th June 2015, when my plan was to:

Use one of the spacers supplied with the seats + a penny washer for the front holes.



But then add a couple of extra washers for the rear holes to tilt the seat forward a bit.
( As the angle of the lowered floor pans and the angle of the rear of my seat work against each other. )



So it was well worth double checking this thread, as I only need to cut out two fibreglass spacers for the rear of each seat.

Which I did around the side of the Summer House to keep the noise & dust down.



I then "softened" all the corners and edges, before drilling the first holes in each "spacer".



I will drill the second holes from underneath the car to ensure they are in the right place.

Anyway, that's all for today, as I have other things to do now.

So until next time, take care, Paul.

[Paul L]

Time Out - Part 1
Spent some time in the morning trying to kick start my "real" work.
( As whilst the extra car time is great, it doesn't pay the bills. )

When I did get to work on the car, it was very stop/start…

Removed the brackets from the locating pin panel on the bonnet.





Really amazed at just how solid this feels.

Then with some masking tape in place, I tried to mark up where the locating pin needed to be.
( Photo taken from inside the body shell extension. )



Drilled a hole and temporarily fitted the locating cone.



I just need to adjust the "hole" in the horizontal panel a bit, but it looks like it will actually work.



Marked up and drilled the extra holes in the seat spacers.





Found a "off cut" of fibreglass to add to the locating pin panel.



To provide my usual "belt & braces" support.



Then did a round of fibreglassing to add matting to the following areas:

Inside of the locating pin panel.



The join between the closing panel on the body shell extension and the Spitfire bulkhead.



The underside of all the joins on the body shell extension.



End of Part 1…