Alex - Hi Graham,

I'd be another +1 on agreeing that Jeff H will do a great job on your car.
( Which is coming together very nicely Gary. )

Here is a great photo of three Tribute SWB 250s that Jeff painted. :cool:

http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/...psgwlafzuy.jpg

To me, these look like they have just rolled out of the factory door.

Good luck, Paul. :)

I got stuck in to the bootlid today ...Graham decided he wanted internal hinges on the bootlid , which I think is the right choice for this car ...I will probably do my own car with pins to slot it in on the top edge and latches on the bottom ..bit like the Maserati's ...but this one is getting a different approach ...I used a pair of my door hinge blanks and made a bolt on pivet point .

http://i64.tinypic.com/51yqs1.jpg

I also bonded a strip of wood into the top internal edge of the bootlid . The wooden strip has 4 x 8mm studs sticking through it ...the hinges will locate on these studs ... When I left the workshop the bootlid was in place , mounted and operating ...but not glassed and final fixed .....I will take pictures tomorrow when its all fully glassed and fixed and not propped together ...

Hi Paul,great photo they certainly look good, sure Jeff will do an amazing job

BOOTLID UPDATE :-

Here's the boot hinges in place and mounted to a 2mm steel plate holding them together which the wooden braced bootlid is attached to ...currently just screwed in place , but after paint will gain some adhesive as well ...

http://i68.tinypic.com/29dvj3c.jpg

The bootlid in the closed position ...I have gapped it a bit , but will leave final gapping in the capable hands of the Jeffmeister ..

http://i66.tinypic.com/10n5ok5.jpg

Graham asked if we could create a little boot area rather than the spare wheel cradle that is normally the case ...I shaped some 3mm ply to give him a curved boot floor , added a 3mm back edge with acess hatch to get to the number plate area and path for the loom ...3mm front face with slot cut to accept the front of the spare wheel and give you access to the diff , rear spring area ...some 12mm sides and ledges give some space under the rear wings and tie the bootfloor into the inner arches which are joined with screws , adhesive and fibreglass ...A combination of rivets , glue and fibreglass bonds it all together ....

http://i64.tinypic.com/2hwzdj6.jpg

The plan is to carry a stock 13'' 'spacesaver' spare , which with removal of the wire wheel and adaptor will get you home ...the removed 15'' wouldn't fit back in the boot , but in an emergency or get you home measure could be put in the passenger side footwell/seat area or clung onto by the passenger ! , not ideal , but better than no spare ... I suggested Graham carry an aerosol tyre inflater foam as well and if the tyre is still on the rim , he has another option to limp home too ...
Even if you never use the spare , the extra bit of ballast won't do any harm on these cars lighter rear ends either ...

I started working out the dash and stuff this week ...holes are cut but gauges aren't fitted yet ... A centre panel utilizing the framework that forms the front section of the tunnel seemed to be an obvious thing to do and keeps the dash uncluttered as well as giving it a race car feel ..The steering column has had the switch holes blanked off with rivetted aluminium plates ...

Battery cutout switch is mounted just in front of drivers door hinge points too ...

http://i65.tinypic.com/dwx9af.jpg

I have also made a start on door frames and hinges etc. The hinge plates I had cut have had a small section of 12mm tube welded to the 8mm pivot hole and oil lite bearings fitted into the tube ..an 8mm bolt acts as a hinge pin .
The internal frames are still ongoing , but I sprayed a bit of silver on them to highlight their styling ... They are fully functional ..pretty much done , I just need to add a couple of mounting tags so they can be fixed to the doorskins in both shuts and the bottom edge to avoid external fixings ...
The passenger side one took a bit of working out , but I will hopefully nail the drivers one tomorrow in half the time ...

http://i64.tinypic.com/8z30nq.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/2w4jh53.jpg

I have been using a pattern set of doorskins to work it out - a new set of doors will be made and they will be flowcoated to match the body ...

http://i65.tinypic.com/10dtzl5.jpg

Gary - Great progress and both the door and boot lid hinge arrangements look very solid. :cool:

Is your 'space saver' wheel just a standard 13" one?

As I've been toying with the idea of joining the inner section of a Spitfire wheel to the outer section of a modern space saver wheel.

So almost the reverse of 'banding' a wheel, but to be cut and welded by a professional.

Unless you know of any modern spares that would fit the odd Spitfire PCD.

Cheers, Paul. :)

Yes Paul , its just a stock 13'' rim .. I used the term space saver to just denote its not a 15'' wire wheel ...sorry for the confusion ..

Bit more work on the doors ...saddles made to accept Grahams latches and the dovetail style catches fitted as well ....a piece of 2mm plate was cut to shape and fitted to the rear of the B pillar , this will be tied into the frame when I've finished fettling in that area ...

http://i64.tinypic.com/29ni4xz.jpg

Saddles are made from 2mm plate as well and stand about an inch proud of the location on the frame so this style of latch is accessible in the door from outside fairly easily , but not intruding on valuable cockpit space ....the large Landrover style dovetails take up the space in the shut perfectly ...Glan made the shuts so that a standard slam style latch could be used or , if required or desired , a bearclaw style latch and pin will still fit in the space easily ...

http://i68.tinypic.com/nbc7ie.jpg

Gary – I think there is something very cool about reaching into your car to open the door. :cool:

Some updates ..nothing hugely photographic ( just as well with photo hosting issues at the moment !! ) but lots of little jobs leading up to the date at the paintshop in about a week to ten days ...roughly ..

Bonnet latches fitted ...difficult to see , but they are D type handles and home made latch plates ...

http://i67.tinypic.com/2dv1oyd.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/2z8nfwm.jpg

The top picture also shows the screen fitted and the mirrors ...all trial fitted and ready to be removed again before Jeffy Baby gets his hands on her to paint.

Graham didn't want to go with the screen I had patterned up to work with the screenposts and will be fitted with or without sidescreens ...He likes the S*mmio screen ( good taste ! ) and I suggested a Porsche 550 Spyder screen , as that was the starting point for the S*mmio ones - the first S*mmio used a 550 one too .....I collected the 550 screen this morning and popped it in place ....I have to say it does look rather good ...definitely an option to consider in future ...they aren't the cheapest screens in town , heat formed Porsche item and all that ....but they are rather nice ....I am going to get my local ally fabricator man to make a strip to go around the bottom , to look more Ferrari-esque ..

http://i68.tinypic.com/abp9ut.jpg

I fitted a cigarette lighter in the passenger A pillar area as well , it balances the battery cutout switch I fitted on the drivers side and gives Graham a electrical socket for a Sat Nav etc...

http://i67.tinypic.com/2ngyecw.jpg

When STS first fitted up the chassis , I supplied them with a 60mm lowering block as that was what I tended to use on previous S*mmio builds...as the project develops into a car , it is obvious that the Formosa is heavier than it's cousins and 60mm was too much ...I removed the block , cut it down to 40mm , recapped it and fitted it back with appropriate bolts ...now she sits lovely ...
Whilst the wheels were off , I remembered that I hadn't boxed the front of the inner arches ...I intended to come back to them after bulkhead and seat belt mounts were done etc. in case I had restricted access ...so last job of the day before the wheels went back on was to box in these areas and glue and glass them to the existing inner arch and the body ...lovely and strong now and fully boxed off ...this area will be fully treated before the car is finished ...

http://i67.tinypic.com/25uu0jt.jpg

At this rate your car will end up painted before mine. :rolleyes:

Can you say what the colour will be, or is it a secret?

Good luck, Paul. :)

Looking really good coming along well Kev

No secret ....I flowcoated the inside Traffic red as that was the closest Gelcoat colour I could get to Rosso red ....

Graham is very keen on the Ferrari's of this period and the similarities are obvious ( I see Maserati more than Ferrari , probably the pout ...but influences came from all directions !! ) so wants a Ferrari-esque feel to the car ...so Rosso red with white roundalls is the order of the day ....

Really great job here and following with interest.
I think the colour scheme will look great.
keep the updates coming.

Wiring ...........................

wiring ................ and niggle jobs prior to paint ...

http://i63.tinypic.com/68zdqw.jpg
aluminium panels for harnesses etc.


http://i68.tinypic.com/24msro1.jpg
shift gate box and side floor aluminium patches to tie floor to body



http://i68.tinypic.com/14y8sj8.jpg
bulkhead extension to shield upper bulkhead from excessive spray etc.


http://i67.tinypic.com/dyvyup.jpg
modified Herald bonnet stay to support bonnet

All these nice little touches will make a big difference to the overall look of the car. :cool:

Paint date has been postponed for a few days ...Jeffy Baby is cool with that ..he has no shortage of customers !

I'm now aiming for mid week to get it over there ...The wiring and a few bits are just quite time consuming and I am trying to get as much fitted and dealt with before paint to minimize drilling and climbing all over the car afterwards ......Glans working his way through the main wiring and we are close ...very close , but don't want the deadline pressures that can make mistakes .....

wiring ....... bled brakes .......wiring ........bled clutch .........wiring ....... stoneguarded rear arches ........wiring .........fitting final sundry items ......wiring .......oh ....and wiring ....

Hoping to get last wiring and fitting up jobs done tomorrow , have a play with the door frames , final gapping , Glan is laying up fresh doors tomorrow as the ones we have been using to make doors , latches , hinges etc work are a bit knocked about ...... Plan at the moment is release doors from mould Wednesday morning , trim them and take the car to Jeff Wednesday afternoon ...

Wiring caught me out, thought I would have it finished in a day, how wrong I was.
I had bought the waterproof style connectors but they were an absolute bitch so junked them and bought simple white connectors, much easier but still time consuming.

It is incredibly time consuming ...this isn't a simple re-connect like a Tribute either , it was a full re-wire using a partial new loom and a Vitesse one , with most items in different locations and the wider bodyshell and dash layout differences meaning many wires were needing to be added to or lengthened ...add the ignition key and starter button change , all switch gear removed from column , a battery cut out , a cigarette lighter/power point addition etc. etc. and it got involved .......we are there though ...pretty much , all connected and gauges stripped back out for paint ......

I did some final ally bits , clipping wires and cables etc. , addition to tunnel , bonded the floor to body sides , an extra brace between rear bulkhead and body .... drilled some holes for side vents ( getting Jeff to finish those ).....everything except fitting doorskins ...( The plan is to final fit the doorskins at Jeffs after the door framework has been tidied up and re-painted )

so I think that after trimming the doorskins and trial fitting them tomorrow morning , a bit of flowcoat touching in , final check around to make sure nothings missed .....we are good to go to the paint shop ... exciting times !!

Car was rolled out today , loaded up and taken over to Jeff H's to get the paintwork underway ...

Jeff is going to help me straighten out a few minor bits and I am going over to fit the doorskins etc just prior to him starting on her ...

Loading up the car has highlighted a couple of jobs that need looking at , primarily raising the exhaust a bit just in front of the rear diff area ...When it comes back from Jeff , I want to put her on a lift and put some sort of underbody protection on her , I'll take the opportunity to deal with the exhaust then ...

Some pictures ....

http://i68.tinypic.com/23vndqq.jpg


http://i68.tinypic.com/2wnn2av.jpg


http://i65.tinypic.com/24ys4ev.jpg

Looking forward to seeing the reflections in Jeff's paintwork. :cool:

Its the roundalls , numbers , screen , grille etc. I can't wait to see in place ...

Very pretty car - can you PM me a build cost (turnkey)?

looking good

Thank you both of you ..its shaping up very nicely , took a little longer than I would like but it's the first one , so it became an exercise in development and head scratching as well as construction.

I have sold another one recently and an order for a frame with body to follow is nearly satisfied - (waiting for some powder coating to come back ), so its starting to move ...I think this one finished , fully dressed and photographed will get things moving properly ...

NOT MUCH TO UPDATE AT MOMENT ....I have had a bit of a play with the doors , messing about with the shuts etc. and removed the exhaust to modify the Y piece to change its direction slightly ...other than that , it's being looked after by The Jeffmeister , who I daresay , will update as and when its relevant ...I'm going over to Hilltop tomorrow to do a bit more door magic , so if its looking photogenic , might add a few myself .....

Anyone looking for inspiration could do worse than watch this 1956 Film based around the Mille Miglia of the same year ...some excellent footage from about a third of the way in to the end ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbpNV_R-R8c

Good video, thanks!

Read a little about this today ..using genuine footage from the Mille Miglia and some well known parts seen in many photos , the long straight through the trees etc.... The Warren Imgram cars are clearly Aston's and Lagonda's , but lots of stuff in the background , notably , for me the Ferrari's ..Fangio and , I think Portago in his 335s ? I think this might be the year Portago died ...

Another interesting fact is the Aston that goes over the edge and ultimately into the lake , was a fibreglass stand in ....this being 1956 , would that make it one of , if not the , first Aston Replica ?

Wonder where those moulds are ...... :-)

Similar concept very nicely done. Looks like a chopped speedster screen which gives it a modernised custom feel.

https://www.rcnmag.com/garage/flight...ampaign=170809

Whilst Graham's car is at the paint shop ...I dug out the box of stripped Vitesse bits another customer left at my workshop a few weeks back , and put them together well enough to create a basic rolling chassis ...I put his frame and body on top and it's ready to be delivered to Cornwall ...

https://preview.ibb.co/cKccxF/IMG_20170810_160220.jpg


Stuart is going with a 300 SLR theme and we laid his up in grey as a result , as he wants to go Silver ... An extra hump was made too ..Stuarts going to double hump it himself and re-work the boot aperture to fit around the new rear end styling ....The car looks huge in the lighter colour , so I think the whole 300 look is going to workout quite well ...

Pictures show second hump just sat in place for an overall preview of Stuarts intention ...

https://preview.ibb.co/gGvVHF/IMG_20170810_161345.jpg

https://preview.ibb.co/cosAHF/IMG_20170810_161317.jpg

I have spent just over a day improving the hinges on the car ....Poor old Jeff has been trying to get the gaps really nice on a door that kept changing its height due to over engineered door frames and under engineered hinges !!

I tried to upload a picture but it is huge ...so I will try again tomorrow ...

The hinges are now angle iron style instead of flat plate , they have been welded to the frame in extra places where they touch , have been braced and tied together with a studded 8mm bar inside a crush tube and the oil lite bearings and 8mm pins have been replaced with roller bearings in machined housings with 6mm centres and some hole reducer inserts added to the frame so I can use 6mm bolts and nylocs as the hinge pins ...it is so much better , supports itself and opens smoothly and repeatedly without trying to re-adjust itself !

Nice one

Gary - looking really good.

How much for 2 humps.......and don't be vulgar. They look like they would save me a lot of time.

Excuse my ignorance ...Price for 2 humps separately ? or a Formosa body with 2 humps ?

Gary - My guess would be for two humps separately to be grafted onto this.

http://www.thewebsofa.com/carpics/f313.jpg

Oxford - Come on, I've been waiting all Summer for an update on your build tread. :rolleyes:

:icon_wink: