Updated Views
 

Pictures taken this morning. The lines and proportions are coming together, but we are agreed that Chris can now match the unfinished side to the one viewed. There will be some minor tweaks along the way. But we are just about at the stage of filling and smoothing. I left one of my AM fuel filler caps so that the rear wing can be modified to suit.

Front 3/4
http://i63.tinypic.com/sl1qg2.jpg

Updated Grill
http://i68.tinypic.com/2natanq.jpg

Rear wing line/boot
http://i63.tinypic.com/2rzcp5u.jpg

Coming along very nicely!

Well that looks.....really very, very nice. That roof line and rear screen is a big step forward from SWB. There's some lovely curves - love the front but the roof back is really gorgeous. Looking quite the package. FFS don't badge it!!

Big step forward, looks the business.

I think it should be sold without the vents, customer would have to add them themselves. Should be made to sign a disclaimer when buying saying they won't infringe any trademarks by miss badging it. Don't know if it would hold up but at least it would show that Tribute were trying to avoid any copyright infringement.

Looking really good, well done Tribute. Rear wings look like the AM pic on page 1. .Just my taste, but the transition between the rear screen and the rear wing looks a bit odd, perhaps its just the angle of the photo.

Is it not because it's a separate piece at the moment before being being finished for splashing? I'm guessing, I don't know.

It's never going to be correct but as an interpretation - hell just as a very pretty car - it's really working for me.

I really like it. Great to see a development thread coming together.

Wonder what a Zag front and Kobra rear would look like:)

You are right. raising the area under the rear screen join to the window up a bit is in the plan, so that the line is smoothed. The boot opening will extend up to the black line, so as to give a half decent boot opening without making any hacks to the chassis.

Smash, point taken. I'll address several replies in one go here. The whole design takes loads of Zagato cues from different marques. Without a doubt in my eyes, the AM version is the most beautiful car overall, but this shape varies considerably in many areas, so badging would be mis-representative in the extreme, and not my intention (apart maybe from some BMW "Z's" on the front wings a la Zagato). For example, the bonnet is modified SWB, the roof is modified 275, the rear is chopped 250 coupe, the cills are Cobra and a Micra rear screen is nothing like any of the Zagato models, not to mention the Ford nose. The side grills are from an unknown vehicle that Chris picked up from an auto jumble some years ago.


All along, and discussed again this week with Chris, I just wanted a beautiful car that I could drive as a daily runaround in my retirement, and the 250 SWB didn't quite do it for me. :eusa_angel:

It took a long time to convince Chris to have a go at this (about a year), and only on the basis of cannibalising as much of existing panels as possible. Also, that it would only get done when it got done. My fallback plan was a narrowed 250 bonnet a la WCA, cobra rear and a Z3 hard top. That would have been much cheaper, and on the road by now!

You've definitely achieved your aim - it is beautiful - best looking, best proportioned (as much as you can tell at this stage anyway) Tribute ever.

Are you going wire wheels? I certainly would only go painted if having wires again. Im guessing not if daily. Have you seen the image fake wire alloys. There's a DB replica for sale woth them on and they do look well.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...01809080294119

Did you have a problem with your wires? I have been hoping to get some direct from China but they are having problems with the size and ET that I want. Next option was going to be your Dayton's but in 15"

Hi mate - yes they got surface rust quickly and had some pitting by time of sale. The car was kept out side to be fair but yes they needed a lot of upkeep to prevent deteriatuon.

My advice would be either full stainless or painted but steer clear of chrome unless you have dry garage and,are prepared to dry wheels every time it goes away. Chrome great for Dayton land - not good here! Honestly think long and hard if you can't go stainless.

Painted or powder coated look best IMO.

I put a set of MWS chrome wheels on my MK2 back in 1993 and they are still (almost) rust free. The car is not garaged most of the time.
I did get rust marks when I first had them and was told by MWS that it was contaminates in the brake pad material. I changed over to "Green Stuff" brake pads on all 4 wheels and it seemed to stop. I do have a hose on a recoil drum and whenever I used the car in the wet or in the winter I give the wheels a quick rinse which only takes a few moments and I think helped a great deal.
I put "chrome" powder coated wires on the 250 which looked good but not when parked next to the Jag with proper chrome wires. I have been giving the 250 chrome wire an occasional squirt with WD40 as it lives outside and they seem to be holding up but hard to tell as they were a second hand purchase.

The wheels on the picture are Caliber Classic, same spec as Ericholm used on his 250 soft top California. I may have a look at dummy spinners, but to be practical, and being lazy, I'll stick with these for the time being.

Barber - The completed front end looks great. :cool:

I am sure the back end will be just as good when it is finished.

Good luck, Paul. :)

It's great, very impressive. I like that it has a sort of 'caricature' quality to it - I mean that as a compliment. It looks stubby and purposeful. Love that the original doors are retained, too. Keep up the great work, all!

The nose is longer than the SWB but shorter than theZ300 and 275. We took it far enough to encompass ac fan, but also to profile the droop nose.