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Hi,
I have been running a thread under general chatter that started a while back when I was developing this car....well we are a bit on from that now and into the process of building a few now....I am constantly changing and tweaking them , no two need be the same.....I felt the thread is probably better continuing in this category now...
Heres the latest pics ....The french one ( grey car ) or 'Monroe' as I call her ( those 50's curves are just beautiful ) has been rounded and smoothed out a bit more and is nearing the primer stage..
The blue example is getting a few different touches as future pics will show....I call this one 'Mansfield' as she is going to be another curvy 50's beaut !! I have started making a wrapped , full cockpit style dash for this one and changed the shape quite dramatically...
Hi PAULC , Take back sort of accepted .....You are kinda right ....the earlier version of the front does look a little off from some angles....with this grey one we decided to 'fatten' the wings up a bit and soften the lines into the bonnet as well as softer lines around the screen area.....I like it . It is more how I pictured the car in my head when I first put the design together...More importantly , Pattrice , the customer likes it too...( I am very grateful to him that he has trusted me to do my own thing with the car...)
It just shows how a few small changes can personalize a SAMMIO and keep them all a little unique....
Patrice's car is now nearly ready for paint , hopefully Friday...
I will post up some pictures of the car after the paint has gone on...hoping to get her roadworthy next week....
Blue car has been lowered now and when the adaptors for the wire wheels finally arrive....I can get on with the bodywork changes I want to undertake....
Its going to be about as traditional as a British sports car can be....
The one I'm getting ready for Exeter will probably be red....
We have another Turn-key to build after that , similar spec to the French one and some serious maybes ! for after that....I'm pleased with the responses so far...
At some point I'll put one together for myself to keep ! I quite fancy building something with a bit of patina .....so it looks like a genuine , recently unearthed barn find ...maybe next year......
Hi I am new to the forum,am amazed what you have done with an old herald,really impressed with your workmanship and imagination.
Interesting that you can skip iva with a rebody,if you rebody who gets to check
Is it a local office or will an mot guy suffice? Cheers Nic
It's the pic , Paul.....add to that the fact that I had just jacked her up and she hadn't settled properly....she sits inside the body and square wheeled when she has settled....
Took her to Goodwood yesterday , to air the product...not sure if it was the right meeting for the car , but she caused some positive interest...
Heres the new front we are developing ....still got some tweaking and decisions to make , but basically we are nearly ready to mould....The car needs to be ready ( or at least looking ready ! ) for Exeter in 5 weeks...
This bonnet is a direct fit onto the same body , so 2 options are available on the same shell ....A German style front or the English styled example here..
The new front is roomier , longer length means the Vitesse fits or other options , pinto etc. and no need for bonnet scoops for clearance.....7'' headlights replace the dearer Beetle style ones as well...
Bodies ordered with this front will be £795 as opposed to £750
Scimmy , thanks for the comments ....I'm really pleased with the look so far .....it looks a bit Cobra-ish in the pics but it is quite a bit different in the flesh...the wings are swoopier and curve more as well as the grille dipping down more as well.....very similar to the Lancia that inspires me but a bit rounder to match the rounded rump....
When I get to the Scimitar , it will be a stretched slightly and widened slightly version of this body....I'm desperate to get started but development costs money and time .....both of those are being stretched at the moment !!
We have started to 'fatten up' the area under the headlights now ...looking at the front in the shop , that area dives away a bit too much....not sure how well that comes across in the pics. I am struggling to create a nice sidelight/indicator area and flattening / fattening thast area will help......it will bulk up a thin area on a bulbous body too....pics to follow
She failed on a few minor issues , brake readings , binding rear , couple of wiring issues ...idle speed etc...
Rectified it all and she passed....
Heres pics up the road near the MOT Station...
And heres a video link to my mate , Mike , the guy who painted her and prepped the body with me , driving the SAMMIO down the road near the workshop....click on the picture below;
Paul , the majority of these will be built around stockish Heralds and Vitesses ...and thats cool....the car weighs about 650kg. so its pretty nippy anyways....the 6 cyl. would sound better than the 4 cyl. but its not too shabby...
I know you can't beat the sound of a V8 , but the stock 4 pot will return over 40 to the gallon as well....Driving the car in the last few days has been great fun .....also , deviating too far from stock with modified chassis and uprated brakes etc..will lead us down the IVA path.
The one I'm thinking of doing on my SE5 Scimitar will be getting something a bit more lively....not sure what yet , but there is loads of room...
busy , busy .....getting ready for Exeter this weekend......
NEW FRONT IS FINISHED...PLUG WAS PAINTED END OF LAST WEEK AND MOULD MADE EARLIER THIS WEEK....
First one being made tomorrow....
We have started another build as well........12/50 Herald based car with the new front end - British Racing green , white roundalls , numbers etc...This one is getting a small trunk area to put a spare wheel.....
I have just provisionally taken an order for a MK.2 Vitesse based one as well.....
