kit number 4 swb convertible
 

I must be a glutton for punishment or just enjoy build kits one or the other.
Kit on order swb convertible for a change planning to have it ready for stoneleigh I did say planning.
car arrived thursday had the weekend in the rain stripping it
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as I am waiting on the kit I decided to go through the car, so I have ordered vented discs and new pads all round and splashed some under seal in the soon to be unseen areas.

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let's hope the weather holds out for next weekend:rain:

What are the advantages of cutting the holes in the door?
Any chance of a close up picture of the door handle hole?

from experience makes life easier to adjust and fit the door handle same again with the mirror. no point been bashful and struggling with small holes been there pain in the backside. you will not see it when the new skin is fitted. cars wrapped up and its raining but will take you a pick next time working on it . think my last swb thread had some pics of the door handle set up. andy

You found a six cylinder car in the end ?

2lt lower end but straight 6 could not do the 1.9, shame its not based on the z4 they seem to be selling cheaply and all seem to be the bigger engine nice interiors tooooo

redesigning to s4 would be good for longevity

I think the Z4 sits and looks a lot better even the interior

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it would look sweet with a SWB kit on with the longer noise and window screen more laid back wonder if chris as ever paid it a thought.

Z3's are still considerably cheaper than Z4's but the 4's do all seem to have larger engines. I've been looking at Z4's for a donor for DNA's 365 Daytona but nothing much coming along in the bargain basement department. My Z3 2.8 donor was pretty much free after I had sold off all the parts, can't see that happening with a Z4.
As the Z3's become too old to warrant the expense of a conversion, I'm sure Chris won't have too much trouble converting it to a Z4 version, he's already done all the hard work.

I'm not sure how the sill sections fit to a Z4 , they look far more involved than the Z3. Otherwise they would be a better, more available donor. The Z3's look like they are on the verge of becoming collectable in their own right and is reflected in the prices being asked at the moment.

Hmm, I hadn't noticed but it does look longer at the front. The 275 would look the part on a Z4, maybe ?

now that is nice we should be on commision

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wheels have arrived etype series 1 , hubs will be here for morning praying the brakes get here before the weekend so I can get stuck in raining or not

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We are all looking forward to the up and coming NART 275 Spider from
"Old No 7"

nice to see the bumpers and improved side widows, the windows in the swb hard top were not the best. If I did another hard to I would work on changing them more to the stock not sliders. When or is it coming into production not that I want one this year I already have 3 projects on the go a divorce would be in the air. but maybe next time :spy:

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I think they will only be offering the soft top Spider version as a kit. That will retain the stock Z3 windows as per the 250 SWB Kalifornia

think the brakes did need changing
 

The brake disc did not look to bad no groves etc all the surface rust is from the rust stop I used. but I ordered a full set anyway good job I did when I finally got them off.

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nice new ones

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what a pain in the arse think they were original to the car and it did not want to give them up it took twice as long as it should have but worth it.


wire wheel hub fitted
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and wheels fitted
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The second picture from the bottom looks quite cool in a rat rod sort of way. I wonder how far from legal it would be to drive. A couple of discrete front light clusters hidden somewhere and go cruising...

The wires do look very nice.

Worth getting a spinner removal tool made in aluminium.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ferrari-Te...8AAOxyHntSYE5g

He also makes them for 2 eared spinners, he made me one a few years ago for my Jag. You can tighten and remove them without damaging the spinner.
A lead mallet will damage them, I have tried the wooden tool and and it isn't worth buying as it splits and splinters very quickly. There is also a metal version available but it marks the spinner as well so not worth bothering about.

Worth getting a spinner removal tool made in aluminium.

Probably true. The wooden tool I was given with my spinners split the third time I used it.

I now put a bit of sacrificial ply over the ear and smack it with a 4lb lump hammer. I have dented spinner

the eagle has landed
 

kit arrived this morning I would have photographed it on the pallet as you do but the wind was 40mph and raining typical.

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so part under a sheet and part getting wet heres where im at day one

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quality of the kits is getting better from the first one I did to this the gelcoat has a much better finnish . The wheels fit the arch so no flaring out this time saves me and the bodyshop work another plus. If it stops raining for long enough tomorrow I can get the rest of the body on and start on the tweaking.

You just wait until you fit the doors!

To be honest it all fits together very well except for the doors, hopefully yours may well fit better as it is a later kit. It wouldn't take much to produce a new door skin.

I don't think the door gaps are bad for a trial fit the drivers side I got a bit happy with the sander and trimmed it back a bit too far.

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still adjustments to do but I am waiting on the PU18 to arrive to do the final fix and fit.
passenger side was a much better fit because I put the sander away.
For anyone wondering why the wood a screws it's so I can adjust the skin and get the gaps better. first one I ever did I used clamps with the door open. When it was dry I removed the clamps the fit was crap so now do it with the door shut.

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fitted the door handle way to high using the marks in the gelcoat for a reference school boy error .

I have glassed the bonnet in and started to fill it out

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plan to hold it down using these bad boys they are the bigger 60mm top fixing

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rain off again great

day number4
 

day number 4 of the build and we have working lights and a boot lid.
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if the weather hold off tomorrow should get the doors sorted .:high5:

Looking good ! Are you on it full time or just a couple of hours a day? I know once you've built one car the subsequent ones go together much quicker .

Interesting that these wheels fit and on your other kit you had to flare the rear arches. I don't think Chris has changed the mould.
I seem to remember that the last set of wires were from an Aston and these are from a Jag.
Any chance next time you have the wheels of of taking a measurement as the wheels can be trued with the spokes for different offsets. If you place a flat 2x2 wooden batten on the front surface at the wheel centre and then take a measurement from the outer rim to the batten. That will give us all a measurement that we know works.
I have a set of Aston wheels in the garage, I will take the same measurement from mine. With this sort of information you could ask an Ebay seller this measurement so that you don't waste your money on a set of wires that sit too far in or out.

Back at work next week so it will slow down a wee bit more or less been full time this week bar the bloody weather it's a outside build.
looking at the wheels the offset looks nowhere near the last set I had I will take a measure them when I think on, there off a etype jag.

rained off all day saturday so had a go a making some door panels 5mm exterior ply with a bit of cut down square drain pipe for the top.

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used on old quilt to give it a bit of padding its given them a diamond pattern showing through, bought a set of lucas original chrome pull handles should look good fitted.

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spent all day working on the door locks been a proper pain in the arse you get them days . walk away think about it figure what you're doing wrong try again. I wouldn't mind but there the same as the last build and I had no problems getting them to work:eusa_wall:

It's going really well. My progress was much slower. Door locks seem to be the hardest things to sort.

Like the bonnet fixings, they look great and seem familiar...


...make sure you have something underneath to push the bonnet panel up. I have to open my bonnet on the left side first otherwise the right side opens and then nothing.

I think you may have to rethink the door handle. It just looks far too low, sorry.

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holding the wood to the wheel the hubnut part is about 20mm proud of the rest of the wheel I suppose you could say a negative offset

day 6
 

this weather is been a pain in the arse soaked again

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well finally got the doors to work but no central locking the battery is flat in the remote fob always something.
heres what I came up with for the doors

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The door handles are a little low but it works and after two days of playing with it I will not be changing them they will grow on me . The door locks need to be set spot on to release the locking mechanism otherwise it will lock but not unlock. you need to listen for a click when it locks and unlocks that's what took me so long it would not release it fully.
Managed to get the hood pins and fog lights fitted this weekend in the pouring rain.

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bought some bb classic bucket seats but don't like them mega uncomfy so back on ebay and the seat hunt starts again.

Setting the door handles for dwarves may shrink the resale market.

there could be a midget out there just looking for a low handled car to use on short journeys

:laugh:

almost ready for paint
 

I reckon a couple of good days will see it ready for paint

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managed to squeeze a pair of jag leather seats in and I do mean squeeze

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had to try the door cards I have made

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I know they need to come off for paint but they fit well and look better than the stock Z3, I may have to ebay a pair of speaker covers not sure on that one
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Great to see another approach to the build process. Looking forward to seeing the painted car.

ready for paint
 

spent most of the weekend filling and sanding as a rule I normally leave it to the pro but almost everything else is sorted and for once the suns out.

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doors turned out well
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I have dusted it with a spray can just to see how the Finnish is it looks patchy but its smooth

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plan for this week if pos get it booked in for the exhaust fitting and paint when thats sorted fit the new roof

Hi Andy,

Would love to see your pictures but link on thread is just normal text, how do I see them?

Cheers.

Ha Ha, I tried Chrome and they came up fine, but I mainly use Firefox, Weird...!

Wow you certainly move fast on these builds Andy, You have done what took me 1 year in 2 months! :bolt:

Those Jag seats look big & comfortable and the filling in the the smaller bonnet piece looks interesting, no fiddly gaps to contend with on that one now.

It will be intersting to see what the car looks like in paint, what colour are you going for?

Cheers.

it will be in red sadly its not a keeper I just built it to take to the show , I must finish the hot rod and my splitscreen while I still have a wife