MadaboutKitcars

So, as some of you may remember, about 3 years I picked up a 'part finished' MX250 off Gumtree with a blown engine:

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6025&page=5

Fast forward 3 years and the completion of No1 (finally!!!) and it arrived home yesterday after being sheeted up in a mates yard for the past couple of years.

The plan is to continue with the 'muscle car' theme started by the original owner.

Some of you will notice that i have already changed the wheels and tyres getting rid of the awful stretched tyres on the front.

I wasnt too keen on the rear lights, and wasnt sure what Mr MOT would say about the rear indicators. However i do like the rear diffuser and the exhausts:



So the rear lights have been removed:



Ready for replacement with these:

Considering that it has been sheeted up in a mates yard for a couple of years it is in pretty good condition and hasn't suffered too much. However there is a lot of leaves etc need removing but all in all I am happy:

So the plan is to get the rear lights sorted. Front end back on and lights fitted. It needs new discs and pads all round and then get it in for an MOT, hopefully sometime in August. Then over the winter I can get it in for paint and get the interior sorted ready for next season. And I am still really REALLY thinking about going for a V6 conversion to suit the muscle car theme.

This afternoon saw some good weather so I set too getting it up on ramps, getting the rear diffuser removed (to allow access to the holes to be filled) and was greeted with a rather substantial stainless de-cat pipe and mid section (when I rang Chris 3 years ago to see if he remembered this kit / build he said he was sure it had a stainless system, however I was still pleasantly surprised at the size and quality of it) and what can only be described as a 'hoofing' stainless rear box, and more importantly a very, very clean underneath for a 1991 car.





I then got fibreglass matting in across the back of the rear skirt and a first layer of chopped strand over the top, hopefully get some top layer filler in over the next couple of days.



Just to finish off the evening I got the front end dragged out of the garage and placed back on the car. Basically just to free off some room in the garage. I am really liking that bonnet and thinking what can I do with the rest of the front end to steer away from the GTO look and more towards the muscle car look. We will see.

Good luck with that .
See you at a show soon ? Hopefully my 250c will be up and running too.

socking great chin wedge. use an MX5 ducktail spoiler upside down.

Good to see it is back on track op2:

One question about the rear lights though - since their orthogonal design was one of the main things that screamed 'muscle car', for me at least, maybe some other units of the same general proportions would be more suitable if you plan to retain the look?

I've been having similar thoughts with my plan too. I quite like the muscle car idea too, but also want a slightly modern take on it, so I am currently torn between:
the style which was on this car in the first few pics, which look good for a retro style.
the style used on the 2005 mustang, but I think will be too big to look right on the back of an MX, so would need to be some sort of custom version, scaled down to size.
a truck-trailer set of lights, with a GRP cover round & over it, to get the desired shape without worrying about conforming to road laws.
a different route, like the rear from a lotus elise.

For my budget, my current preference is to use a set like this, and add a GRP cover over it:

so the rear of the car would look like this photoshopped version... on the left side, so the above light cluster would then slot in behind it:


I'd be very interested to see what you can find which works, cos this car is looking rather good already

Interesting thoughts guys, and thanks for the interest. For me I think the BMW lights will give the look I am looking for - a combination of retro and muscle car. If any one is interested the lights that came out are for sale?

BMW Z3 lights? Or u mean from a 3 series?

The round ones from an old 2 series in the pic near the top.

I am liking that idea!!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MX5-Ducktail-Spoiler-Mk1-NA-eunos-XL-Drift-style-racing-Miata-Mazda/183876860423?hash=item2acfea3a07:g:gn4AAOSwJ7RYUvN5

I think that could work!

I am also wondering if these could possibly work in the front?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-One-Cooper-R50-Halogen-Headlights-Pre-Facelift/113789918532?hash=item1a7e685d44:g:SyUAAOSwSXRdCkqP

To change the look at the front

a completely different grill shape would work and lose the small scoops as well at the front edge???

It is great to see this one reappear. Good luck with the build, I like the approach.

306craig - Obviously, your car, your rules.

But…

If it is the muscle car look you are after, then…

Ditch the idea of Mini headlights.

Take an angle grinder to the front end.

Follow RedRatBike's different grille shape idea.

And before you know it, the front end will look like this.



Note:
I take no responsibility for all the extra work involved and the fact it may look terrible.

Jokes aside, good luck with whatever route you go down.

Cheers, Paul.

Thanks Paul. If I had the confidence with an angle grinder and fibreglass matting I would be doing something like that. The very first time I saw the rear of an MX250 I immediately thought of the GT500. I wonder if Chris would do one off Elanor kit for me????? V6 KL conversion, OMG!!!!!!

So, a bit of work today on the rear 'holes' where the new lights will be fitted, pictures to follow tomorrow. Also been doing a lot of digging on Fleabay looking for suitable front grilles following redratbike's advice. I think the 3 kidney holes are getting smoothed as he suggested and then I started looking for suitable width / depth grilles. I started thinking new Mondeo / Focus / Fiesta but they are too tall and would require mucho fibreglassing. Then I came across this:

2QAAOSwPXBdIZ5u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mondeo-MK3-Lower-Grill-in-good-condition-all-clips-intact/113809703459?hash=item1a7f964223:g2QAAOSwPXBdIZ5u

Then started looking further and came across this which I think has got possibilities:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-FRONT-BUMPER-GRILLE-SKODA-FABIA-II-07-10-5J0853677/173953864386?fits=Model%3AFabia&hash=item28807552c2:g:TpcAAOSwcSJcZC1s

I am thinking turn it upside down and it would look good combined with a huge chin wedge as suggested by Redandy.

Viper SRT styling perhaps......

Now THAT is a good idea and would really work with the flowing lines and curves of the kit.

eace:

If it helps, I had no idea what I was doing when I took an angle grinder to my car.

Not sure you've seen SeaNick's MX250 build thread?

He did a LOT of fibreglass modifications and these included filling in the front three vents.

The thread is here:
http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3924

And the vents start getting sealed in from Page 7.

Good luck, Paul.

Thanks for the pointer Paul. Had a good look at SeaNicks thread. I think getting rid of the 3 vents is within my grasp, however was thinking about going about a different way. Was thinking of basically cutting them out, fibreglass matt across the back (probably with a few bits of steel / ally in there for strength) then chopped strand from the front.

Alternatively you could go for vent covers as per the original http://www.ferrarispares.co.uk/250gto.build.html

Craig - You shouldn't need to add anything for strength if you 'overlap' the fibreglass on the inside.

One option would be to:
- Fix a 'former' to the sunny side of the bonnet where you've cut the vents out.
- Add fibreglass matting from the inside of the bonnet, over the former and across to the rest of the bonnet.
- When that has set remove the former and you will be left with a messy join on the sunny side.
- Grind this down and cut back the outside edges of the bonnet where you made the cut into a "V".
- Then fill in the gap with overlapping layers of fibreglass matting.
- Then do the normal round of filling and priming on the sunny side.

The key is the strength in the join comes from the rear, not the front.

I hope that makes sense, if not, I can add some photos from my own build if it helps.

If you weren't based in Belfast, I'd have offered to drive round and show the butchery I committed to my own bonnet.

Good luck, Paul.