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So, I'm under way with the build.
A pretty crusty Spitfire which was probably right on the cusp of being a scrapper is in the garage and being stripped. Lots of holes where there shouldn't be, and all in the bits I need to keep!
Welder out this weekend, along with blowtorch to remove way, way too much underseal (queue more holes) and then the angle grinder to put the car on a diet.
Hopefully the great and the good on this forum will look kindly upon me when I need information or advice, if not there's always booze.
Cheers.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the welcome.
I'll give you that one on the bulkhead rot, makes me feel slightly better about this weekends work schedule not being too bad !!
Probably going after a straight six Triumph motor to keep 'the feel' of the car, which will be badged as a Triumph when (if??) completed, but coupled to a five speed Ford type 9 to help with motorway and long distance cruising.
Long way top go though, and as always the biggest decision to make..............colour!!
Steve.
NB. How do you get the photo's into the main post and not as an attachment - am I missing something..........again...........
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING PROGRESS ON THIS ...The A352 is a pretty little car and a 6 cylinder one will be great ...they are lively with a 4 banger as well , but totally get the 6 cyl. exhaust tone preference ...straight 6 engines have a great sound ..
Crazy idea I had ....clear the floor out and use it as a mould and lay reinforced fibreglass on the floor pan sections ....remove once cured ..cut the rusty floor pans out and bond in the fibreglass items .
Good afternoon all,
So an update since the last post, seems painfully slow but progress all the same.
Body repairs complete for now including new inner and outer sills and strengthening plates (strengthening plates all but gone).
New lower A & B posts on both sides (originals had vanished to the same place as the sills).
Complete new floor pans both sides.
Heelboard repairs particularly around the trailing arm support sections.
Boot floor repairs to retained section.
Both bulkheads repaired with new lower sections, battery box and master cylinder 'shelf'.
Body treated with rustcure, then primed and then waxoyled and undersealed.
Left the rear inner arch repairs at the moment as I'm not sure until the bodies on how much is retained.
Body now propped up at the back of the garage and the chassis is being stripped down as we speak.
Six cylinder sourced and over to engine builders (car SOS's guys) for start early in November (I hope).
Ford type 9 gearbox sourced and built with longer first gear.
Conversion kit for the gearbox sourced and ready with uprated clutch and reduced propshaft.
Necessary other bits for the engine conversion of GT6 front turrets and mounts, GT6 alloy bellhousing c/w clutch fork / bearing and GT6 cut away sump all sourced.
New Gaz front and rear adjustable dampers on the way - fronts height adjustable.
On the lookout for triple 40 webers and six cylinder inlet manifold if anyone has any leads on that.
Pictures of the chassis progress to follow if I haven't died from rust inhalation by then or bored everyone to death with this post!!
Cheers
Steve.
Good afternoon all,
So an update since the last post, seems painfully slow but progress all the same.
Body repairs complete for now including new inner and outer sills and strengthening plates (strengthening plates all but gone).
New lower A & B posts on both sides (originals had vanished to the same place as the sills).
Complete new floor pans both sides.
Heelboard repairs particularly around the trailing arm support sections.
Boot floor repairs to retained section.
Both bulkheads repaired with new lower sections, battery box and master cylinder 'shelf'.
Body treated with rustcure, then primed and then waxoyled and undersealed.
Left the rear inner arch repairs at the moment as I'm not sure until the bodies on how much is retained.
Body now propped up at the back of the garage and the chassis is being stripped down as we speak.
Six cylinder sourced and over to engine builders (car SOS's guys) for start early in November (I hope).
Ford type 9 gearbox sourced and built with longer first gear.
Conversion kit for the gearbox sourced and ready with uprated clutch and reduced propshaft.
Necessary other bits for the engine conversion of GT6 front turrets and mounts, GT6 alloy bellhousing c/w clutch fork / bearing and GT6 cut away sump all sourced.
New Gaz front and rear adjustable dampers on the way - fronts height adjustable.
On the lookout for triple 40 webers and six cylinder inlet manifold if anyone has any leads on that.
Pictures of the chassis progress to follow if I haven't died from rust inhalation by then or bored everyone to death with this post!!
Cheers
Steve.
Hi Paul,
Yes, despite your best efforts and description previously, my photo posting skills seem to be lacking. It did appear in the text for a while and then vanished like cash into a kit car project, never to be seen again.
Cheers
Steve.
Good afternoon all.
Not much time of late due to work, but things have progressed a bit. Chassis is rubbed down for powder coating, and lots and lots of repairs made, not least the diff carrier and suspension mounts at the rear. Had to fabricate these from scratch as they are no longer made.
Next job is to rub down the all other chassis and suspension components to go off with the chassis to be coated, and try and remove the rear hubs from the driveshafts which are proving resistant.
Looking forward to getting the 'dirty' work out of the way, and bolting a few bits together.
NB. My body is finished and ready for collection so Dan tells me, so looking forward to picking that up in the near future !
Until this morning's random forum browsing, I was unaware of your A352 being built. I have quite a few posts regarding mine, also Triumph 6 powered, but they're unhelpfully (my fault!) interspersed in Scottie's threads and one which Paul L kindly initiated for me.
Although my focus is now firmly on my Monaco, if there are questions you optimistically feel I might be able to answer intelligently, don't hesitate!
Cheers Mick, very kind.
The builds a bit frustrating at the moment as it's all chopping, grinding and welding which seems to have gone on forever. I guess it's the trade off of buying a cheap donor on the verge of the scrap heap against a partial restoration.
An initial pointer you may be able to help with would be ride height. I'll have height adjustables on the front, but what sort of lowering did you do at the rear of the car?? Dan at No7 mentioned a 40mm drop - do you agree??
I'll have a trawl back through your posts now and see what sort of fun and games are in store!!
Cheers
Steve
Because I wanted to replicate, as far as possible, the look of the '57 Le Mans winning D Type, I didn't do any lowering at all, as it (and its siblings) all stood well proud of the ground. To further enhance the similarity I fitted 15" TR6 wheels drilled to resemble the Dunlop originals and fitted with 80 aspect ratio tyres, which raised it an inch.
Scottie, however, wanted his XKSS lookalike A352 slammed to the deck and kept 13" wheels. He's detailed all his lowering mods in his build thread.
I admire your efforts to perfect the underpinnings before turning to the body. My frame is sound but the tub floors can best be described as patchwork. I'm thinking of hiring a four post lift for an hour (£30) and giving it all a good soaking in Dinotrol from beneath. I regularly WD40 the nooks and crannies inside where dried mud etc. tends to accumulate.
Looking at your thread, the photo's of your car look extremely good. You must be very pleased with the result!
From the ride height perspective the rears actually look fine as standard, with the tyres being slightly into the bodywork so no arch gap, which is what I personally don't like. I need to take into account the rolling diameter though, as mine will be 14s off an MGB.
Steve.
Afternoon gents,
A couple of photo’s showing progress on my build. Just about to modify the first motion shaft on the ford gearbox and the GT6 bellhousing to accept each other. Rebuilt straight six is about a week away, brake and fuel lines about to be plumbed in.
Looking forward to getting the Spit body back on to create space in the garage!!
Cheers
Steve Chassis rear by Steve Ward, on Flickr Chassis side by Steve Ward, on Flickr Chassis front by Steve Ward, on Flickr
Gents,
Thanks for the comments - it's taken way longer than I thought to get to this stage, and the car seemed to be really fighting me at some points.
With regard to wheel sizes, has anybody fitted 15" and what tyre size did you fit. Subsequently were there any issues with clearance in the arches?? I'm planning on losing most of the rear inner arches anyway as they are pretty nasty.
Cheers
Steve.
