New London based build
 

Hello everyone,

It's finally time to introduce myself to this forum.
After years of lurking and reading people's threads (end getting excited) I have bought myself a kit from Micky (original sammio Alpha design) and soon after I have found a suitable spitfire donor.
So here I am, my journey starts here and there. I hope to share some build progress with you guys as I feel I have learnt so much reading other people threads and hope to chip in my contribution. Also there isn't any other sammio build at the moment so hopefully it will give you something to look for in covid restricted world :) jokes aside, hello and soon I would post some photos...but first I have to learn how
Also big thank you to JohnMK for allowing me to re-register :)
Regards Kuba

Welcome Kuba, looking forward to seeing your build updates :)

This is what I am starting with. I am planning to modify spitfire in the same way as per alpha build. Bulkhead going to stay as well as floor pans and boot floor.
Thank you JG

Welcome to the forum, Kuba. It's nice to see another build start and it looks like you have a very solid donor. That's a great starting point and I hope it all comes together smoothly for you, with the odd challenge thrown in to keep it interesting. :)

Thank you Mister Towed.
If I could produce half as decent car as yours it would make me very happy.
My donor isn't bad but isn't great either. Driver side floor pan needs replacing along with few other bits and pieces before i even intend to bond a body. But it is running and that what
matters :)

I have spent around a week (on and off) on the car so far early in January in the freezing garage. I managed to strip it a bit as well as to play with angle grinder. I dry fit a bonnet and then played with angle grinder even more.
I would like to fit body so its seats in the lowest possible place on spitfire shell. Also I've decided that flip bonnet is a must so got angle grinder out again :) I also managed to cut out lights and opening for scoop or bulge and started modifications to dashboard panel and dashboard itself.

Thank you Mick O'Malley.
I will do my best to keep updates coming regularly.

Hello.
So today I managed to squeeze few hours to further work on my dashboard. I wanted to add some depth to it so its a bit more interesting. So I came up with this.
If anyone likes that, this was a can I've used, it's an excellent fit and practically supports speedo and rev gauge by itself. I still covered entire tin in fibreglass as walls of a tin were a bit too thin :)
Then I painted entire dash just for fun. This will develop further in due course thanks Kuba

The build threads keep the forum going, good to see another starting ! You're obviously not afraid to get in there with the angle grinder, go for it !
Good luck with your build, check out my Formosa build project on the other page.

Hello Lucky@Lemans

Thanks. I will definitely check you formosa build thread.
I was very tempted by formosa kit myself as i think it has great proportions.

Kuba – A belated welcome to the forum. :cool:

I could be wrong, but I don’t think there has been a previous build thread for this version of the Alpha.

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/foru...0&d=1612388988

Until you mentioned rust, I was going to say it looked like you picked up a nice donor car.

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/foru...1&d=1612388988

It certainly looks like you know what you are doing, based on the nice job you’ve done on the dash.

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/foru...0&d=1612467793

Where abouts (roughly) are you based?

I’m near Wembley and might be able to swing by and say hello at some point.
(After Covid restrictions are lifted and I’ve got my car back on the road. :rolleyes:)

Good luck,

Paul. :)

PS
“freezing garage”

[ Insert Variation of Four Yorkshireman sketch here ]

“Luxury!”

:icon_wink:

Thank you so much Paul for warm welcome.
Re knowing what I'm doing...I'm not so sure about that :) but i have lots of ideas, only time will tell if i can execute them correctly.
I have to mention that it was your build who got me eventually started. I have read through your build thread over Christmas period and I loved every minute of it. This brings me to your your other "garage" mention :) it was exactly what I thought when I've been reading your thread. I basically had no excuse not to start so I did.
I am in south west London near Croydon and you are welcome to visit when time allows.
Once again thanks and later i would be posting some updates as I couldn't resist to "pop in" to a garage today.
Kuba

Welcome Kuba, it will be great to have a thread to follow. After 10 yes 10 years I am at the other end of the build with MOT booked for next Friday. I had to cancel 2 previous appointments as it was raining and I had no inner wings - now rectified, so fingers crossed
Good luck and enjoy
MikeD

Hello MikeD,
Thank you. Best of luck with an MOT.
I will make sure to keep this thread alive to hopefully provide some entertainment.
Best of luck Kuba

Hello. Just a few update pictures.
I have managed today to add indicators opening, carb bulge although I'm not 100% sure about this shape so I might reshape it at the later stage. Also tried wheels with larger tyres as I think I'm going to run on 13". A little progress on dashboard too. All together good day in the office :)
Regards

Loving the instrument cowlings.

13" wheels might look a little small imho. I'd seriously consider fitting wire wheel adaptors with MGB 4.5x14 wires wrapped in 175/80/14 tyres. If the Alpha shell has the same width as the original Sammio Spyder body they should fill the arches perfectly without fouling, you may just have to clearance the front bulkhead a little (I used a lump hammer...)

Some builders have fitted 15" wheels but they need low profile tyres so lose that classic tall sidewall look.

Having said that, I have 15" wheels with 165/65/15's on my Speedster project and the tyres do still look period correct, mainly because the original cars had such narrow tyres that the sidewalls weren't that tall in the first place.

Keep up the good work!

Thank you MrT.

I see your point with 14" wheels. I went through wheel threads few times as I know 14 would be a better option. However I have few sets of 13's and it would be a good idea to utilise at least one of them.
Tyre on the wheel in picture is 165/80/13 and it's slightly bigger then standard spitfire wheel.

Last year in excitement I have bought nice wire wheels but then found out that they would not fit spitfire (came off Jaguar) so they would be for next project if one arise:)

More progress later today...
Kuba

Interesting...I will explore this further. With this kind of footwell who needs an engine :laugh:Thanks Kuba

I loved the TR6 wheels on your A352, Mick, they really looked the part.

The issue with 15" wheels on the Sammio was actually clearance on the inner rear wheel arches - anything bigger than 175/80/14 with the added width of the wire adaptors would make the tyres foul the inside of the body on every bump. and widening the arches would ruin the look of the car (imho). That's not an issue on the A356 as the wheel areches are much wider to start with.

Kuba, I'm sure you can get adaptors to fit Jag wires to almost anything. Try Midland Wheel Services (MWS) -

https://www.mwsint.com/site/cms/cont...sp?article=684

I'm sure they do blank adaptors that you can have drilled to your own PCD.

Thanks MrT for a link and info. I will give this a second thought.

So a little update from today.
I worked on my dash to give it it's final shape. A little more preps and it would be ready for paint. I still haven't decided what would be in the console on the left but most possibly some sort of switches and warning lights. Both console panels would be removable.
Also I managed to uncover more rust on the bulkhead but didn't take any photos. Till next time...
Regards
Kuba

Hi Kuba, nice to here from you again. :icon_smile:

I remember when you collected the body you bravely produced an angle grinder and set about cutting it down so it would fit into the back of your van!!!
I was a little worried at the time but wow, what an effort!!!

What you are building is a unique effort as never before has one of these been assembled and IMHO you are doing a fantastic job !!

Only 3 of these bodies have been moulded, your's, one that was used as the Alpha prototype and one is hanging from the ceiling in my workshop (awaiting inspiration).:pray:

Keep the up-dates coming and again well done! :amen::amen:

Hi Kuba, meant to say wire wheel come with 2 basic hub sizes.

I believe it's 42mm and 52mm and because the Triumph PCD is 95.25mm you have to use the smaller hubs.

Most 14" wheel as fitted to MG's use the smaller size hub.:smile:

Hello Micky

Good to hear from you too.
Thank you for words of encouragement.
Yes amazingly over a year went past since I've collected this very body. I have had quite a busy year but eventually went for it and started my build and this thread as I've said I will.
Hopefully this will help you sell few more of those kits in the coming future.
Watch this space :)
Best regards
Kuba

Yes that is what I discovered when I was trying to source adapters.
I will revisit this subject later. Thanks again

Seats and rust :)
 

Hello lovely people,

Today's update:
I went to Essex in the morning to pick up seats I bought from fleebay. And as you do I ended up buying another set. Two sets for 300 not too bad. It was a classic car and kit car workshop, with at least 10 Cobras, few gt40 and other wicked cars on display. Quite an amazing start of a week for me.
Later today I thought I tackle more rust finding:) I knew that drivers floor is beyond saving but wasn't so sure about passenger site. Previous owner done quite a good job of hiding actual state of a body. I believe I collected good kg of filler, paint and flashbound?! from floors alone. Well, well we live and learn...
Till next time
Kuba

Which company had all the kits etc ?

They are called total headturners.
If I understood them correctly they also building xkss replicas too. With bespoke chassis and i think xks engine. I was well impressed...

Rear
 

Today I was going crazy with grinder again. I have removed drivers floor pan and rust proof passenger floor. I think with few new bits of metal plating it would be good as new.

After successful cutting session I moved to the rear. Bit by bit I was removing body panels until I ended up with quite satisfactory fit.
Then I started stripping boot floor paint to look for more hidden rust luckily my boot floor is quite decent.
I also discovered that I need around 4" extension so each side of my sill can meet.
Pictures will tell the story.
Regards
Kuba

can i ask why it needs an extension
it was designed to fit a cut down spitfire bodyshell?

Not sure about that :) An original Alpha is design to fit on spitfire shell. My body is a prototype from which Alpha was shaped so it's not necessarily the same. I also moved bonet a bit further out for better stance and to clear chassis front frame.
Kuba

My shell came as one piece since then I chopped it in to bits. If you look on my first photo, front wheel arch on original shell was very close to end of a bonet. I have moved arch around same distance (4") Kuba

Today's progress:
Today's plan was to tacke boot floor. First I finished scrapping paint, smooth it down and painted with red oxide paint.
Then I made a little fabrication for boot floor for additional strength and for a little better look when I eventually open up rear for booth.
I'm planning to swap self tapping screws to rivets (the one's I've bought were a bit too short)
This would be all for some time as work doesn't permit me to take any more time off.
Till next update.
Kuba

thank you :wink:

Not a problem:) and to answer your questions regarding hinges, yes I saw them. I like them a lot along with a handbrake...decisions, decisions, decisions

Hello.
So it turned out I couldn't stay away from my build today. This car building stuff is seriously addictive:) I'm beginning to worry...
Today's progress:
Rear light. I have made a mould for rear lights first, then cut openings, glassed them, put some filler and gave them quick coat of primer.
It pretty much took all day. As my indicators haven't arrived yet I put some other ones I had laying around.
Till next one
Kuba

Hi Kuba

Just had a quick read through your thread and it brings back some happy memories all be it a few years ago, loads of ideas and stuff to buy ohh happy days.

Keep on posting with plenty of photos as the guys on here love them and i wish you luck in seeing the build through to the end.

Cheers....

Yep, loving the up-dates :eusa_dance::eusa_dance: