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Just got back from a session at the lair.
first job was to finish the grinder tree, couple of cheapo wheels off the bay, couple of box section offcuts and some 12mm thread bar gave me this: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7...5201_19_26.jpg The wheels are just to allow easy movement of it around the workshop, when in use the wheels sit just off the ground but a quick tilt back means it can be wheeled around easily: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6...5201_19_25.jpg Next job was to tidy up the last of the filler work on the drivers side. Front flash line sorted: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0...5201_21_36.jpg Front of rear imperfections sorted, I have gone through the gel coat in a couple of places but there is plenty of glass underneath and as I'm etch priming first I'm leaving them as is they look rough but in fact running a hand over the patches are dead smooth. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Q...5201_21_36.jpg https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l...5201_21_36.jpg Also sorted the previous wing stretch at the rear but forgot to take pics. Blocked the passenger side next and then dye coated it, came out ok, the areas that needed work were almost identical to the drivers side so a skim of filler was required. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-C...5201_19_27.jpg https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-k...5201_19_27.jpg https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o...5201_19_28.jpg Filler went of super quick as it was quit warm and humid. by the time I had given the grinder tree a final coat of paint it was fit to be sanded, and so I did! https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C...5201_21_34.jpg https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I...5201_21_34.jpg https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-v...5201_21_34.jpg Final job before I left was to make a start on getting the seat buck into a state fit to take a mould off it. I had been a little ott with the filler so started with the grinder, then moved onto the DA and finally sanding by hand. I'm not after a show finish on the seats as they are shells which will be fully upholstered so the odd imperfection is irrelevant but they need to be reasonably smooth and true so before I headed for home I put a final skim of filler over the joins. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-a...5201_21_35.jpg Back up on Thursday so am hoping I can get the seat buck done and painted and will also be making a start on the rear fitting the lights etc. Once that job is done then the shell is for all intents and purposes ready for primer. The only area I haven't tackled is the bulkhead as I'm removing the engine and gearbox for painting and it will be much easier to get access to the bulkhead without the engine in the way. If things go well on Thursday I may even make a start on the bonnet :eusa_pray: TTFN Mac |
It's coming along very nicely Viatron and it looks like the body has not required to much work.
Where did you come by the seat buck, I've been looking around for some time and so far have acquired two plastic seat bases which were being thrown out at a local school. My intentions was to use them as a buck for two fibreglass seats with a little bit of modification. |
Looking good. Not long before that tub has some colour on it...........
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Cheers Swifty, enjoying your build also,
Its actually I mini bucket I got off the bay, I then stretched it for my more ample frame as it was obviously made for a midget originally! If the finished product comes out ok I could probably knock out another couple pretty cheaply as long as your going to upholster them as they certainly wont be suitable for a plain painted seat. Mac |
Mac - Looks like it is really coming together nicely now. :cool:
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I also plan to add some extra fibre glass on the inside of the shell to beef up some areas. Good luck, Paul. :) |
A few hours up the lair again this afternoon and in fact got in trouble with SWMBO as I wasn't back until 21:30! lost track of time as I was on a roll, more of that later.
First order of business was to finish the Grinder Tree as my RBD protected waterproof double sockets , cable etc had arrived. About 45 minutes had it all finished, just need to extend the mains cables on the power tools which ill probably do tomorrow if I remember to take my soldering iron up to the unit. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-t...o/IMG_0374.JPG A simple loop in the cable allows the tools that don't have a suitable hole to hang from to be hung. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K...o/IMG_0373.JPG and Ta Da! https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-O...o/IMG_0372.JPG Flushed with success early on in the day I set too on the seat buck and about an hour of sanding down filler and flatting the whole thing back with 150 grit saw it ready for paint. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-d...o/IMG_0367.JPG Luckily I had half a can of etch primer handy as I really didn't want to break out the spray gun just for the seat. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l...o/IMG_0368.JPG Couple of small runs but nothing that wont flat out tomorrow. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-g...o/IMG_0370.JPG Looking through the odds and ends of paint I still have about half a litre of the epoxy primer that was used over the galv on the chassis, as these are going to be covered I don't need a mirror finish on the gel so I think a couple of coats of that then a good 3 or 4 coats of wax will suffice to take a reasonable mould from. So far 2 things have gone to plan today, it cant last....... stay tuned for part 2! |
Part Deux
So finally with 2 successful sub projects done I decided it was time to attack the lighting plinths on the rear of the body, a job that to be honest I have spent far too much time thinking about and not enough time doing! Stage 1, tape up a light unit so it doesn't get covered in filler! https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i...o/IMG_0376.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V...o/IMG_0377.JPG stage 2 Decide on the position and orientation, I faffed for a good 30 minutes but decided on this: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H...o/IMG_0378.JPG Which meant I had quite a large area to build up! https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-d...o/IMG_0379.JPG So marked out the outline https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u...o/IMG_0380.JPG I am conscious that this is going to be a reasonable size lump and to help key it to the body I drill some holes through so that the initial layer of fibreglass bog has something to key into. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H...o/IMG_0381.JPG First coat looks absolutely horrendous but working on a vertical surface isn't easy! its got to look worse before it starts to look better! https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_...o/IMG_0383.JPG When I did this first layer I made sure that a fair amount was squeezed through the holes in the body and then smeared the excess around o the back of the panel to lock it all in. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-j...o/IMG_0382.JPG Still a ways to go! https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-M...o/IMG_0384.JPG but a few more layers and a bit of profiling with a sharp knife when it was still green plus some rough sanding and it started to take shape. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-t...o/IMG_0388.JPG Constantly holding the light unit up to the body and using a read marker to remind me of where I needed to build up helped. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R...o/IMG_0391.JPG in between trimming and sanding it still looks horrible! https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x...o/IMG_0392.JPG Slowly but surely it started to look like the picture I had in my head....amazingly! https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t...o/IMG_0396.JPG And the light unit was even starting to fit! https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M...o/IMG_0399.JPG Nearly there now.... https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Y...o/IMG_0400.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J...o/IMG_0403.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-N...o/IMG_0404.JPG and all of a sudden the light unit fitted and the basic shape was done, and very solid it is as well. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X...o/IMG_0405.JPG One disadvantage of the really good surfacing filler I have been using is its as runny as my nose without hay fever meds! so very difficult to use on a vertical panel but managed to get a first coat on and I reckon it'll only take 20 minutes or so of sanding in the morning to have it looking pretty ok. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-K...o/IMG_0406.JPG so check back in around 10:30 in the morning and ill post a picture of it post first sanding! All in all a good day. hope tomorrow is as good. I have Dave and my mate Sean coming up tomorrow to lend a hand as were hoping to get the bonnet sort of on and trimmed and many hands will help. TTFN Mac |
Mac - Your tool tree is a great idea and I love how you just "knocked together". :cool:
Can I ask a question about the mounting you made for your rear lights? Quote:
Thanks for the "drilling holes" tip to help it stick to both sides as it were. And finally good luck with your plans for today... Quote:
Cheers, Paul. :) |
Paul I think the thickness I have had to use is probably close to the limit I would be happy with. Drilling they key holes was important as without it I would have always had a nagging doubt. In addition to the holes the area was prepped with 80 grit before I started and then wiped down with thinners to a point where the surface became slightly tacky. All these steps means it is for all intents and purposes part of the body not just an added lump.
The other thing you have to carefull of is thermal runaway. Once I had built it up 3 layers thick I had to wait about 30 minutes as the heat that built up was getting a bit too warm. Ttfn Mac |
Quick flat back:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y...o/IMG_0407.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-T...o/IMG_0408.JPG just filled the marked areas hopefully this will complete the shaping and then just need to get the finish right. |
so onto the main event, today was nominated as bonnet fitting day as there were 3 of use up the youth (ish) club!
Plonked it on to get an idea of where to start. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M...o/IMG_0409.JPG we needed some way to set a datum to measure from on the body, Sean (in the background of the previous shot) had a moment of clarity and thus was born the transferring measurement from tub flange to body thingy! Take one piece of 2mm Ali strip and cut to a random length and trim corners at one end thus: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f...o/IMG_0411.JPG Insert into vice and ben a 90 degree (ish) angle on the end that the corners have been cut at. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r...o/IMG_0414.JPG Next drill a hole at a random distance from the end just big enough to take the trusty red whiteboard marker: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f...o/IMG_0416.JPG Jam the marker pen into the hole https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o...o/IMG_0417.JPG You now have a neat little device that slides along the front of the bulkhead and allows you to transfer a relatively accurate line rearward on the body at a constant distance from the bulkhead flange (FLANGE! FNARRR FNARR) https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O...o/IMG_0419.JPG by sliding the tool along the bulkhead we managed to get a good datum to do the bonnet trim from. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G...o/IMG_0420.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f...o/IMG_0424.JPG Once the line was done we using thin red gaffer tape to give us a more accurate line to work from. Measuring at approx. 4 inch intervals we confirmed that the magic number was 78mm... next we got the bonnet into what looked like the best position and fixed the bottom rear at both sides with a self taper. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-D...o/IMG_0432.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-v...o/IMG_0433.JPG We did try using a tape measure but came to the conclusion that we would be there all day and the best policy was to pick what looked right and run with it, remember the bonnet is still from the original Sammio moulds so I wasn't expecting great things... With a trolley jack supporting the front in a position hat looked ok I then marked the cut line by simply making a mark every 2 inches 78mm from the front of the tape line on the body. The dots were then joined using more red gaffer tap and checked again to make sure the distance was a consistent 78mm. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L...o/IMG_0441.JPG One quick cutting wheel session later and tada! https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3...o/IMG_0443.JPG The panel gap is still a little wide in places because the transfer tool was running at the bottom of the bulkhead flange and its not quite 90 degrees in places but nothing a small skim of fiberglass filler wont cure. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g...o/IMG_0444.JPG To support the bonnet whilst refining the alignment we taped some 10mm electrical flex in place to sort of simulate the rubber seal that will eventually live there. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-a...o/IMG_0446.JPG and there it is... https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--...o/IMG_0449.JPG Couple of issues cam to light during the fitting, the alignment in the arch of the drivers side wheel was fine although the arch itself needs work to actually make it even vaguely round: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-M...o/IMG_0453.JPG Passenger side though has the arch way too far back, the tyre almost touches at the front. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-U...o/IMG_0452.JPG This shot of the front looks like the bonnet is too far down on the right when you compare it with the front of the chassis visible in the nose opening but its just an optical illusion its actually pretty parallel. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K...o/IMG_0454.JPG but check out the area between the inside edge of both hand lamp mounting flats and the outside edge of the projecting bonnet opening! The gap on the right is about an inch and on the left its nearly nothing. Ill go into measurement's on a separate post but its not pretty, not surprised Gary sold up when he did, if he had sold many more of these I reckon there may have been a lynch mob at his door! Other curious include differing distance from the back of the bonnet to the top of each headlamp mounting surface, if you fitted a headlamp to the drivers side all you would see in the dark would be clouds etc etc etc. A bigger problem that I didn't get a shot of was that the drivers side tyre sticks out beyond the wheel arch by about an inch. grrrrrr Since the bonnet was border line as a bonnet I decided to use it as a white board instead. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--...o/IMG_0455.JPG Sounds bad but all in all I'm happy with the way today went at least the bonnet is trimmed and on, just need to keep my head down and get on with it. Watch this space for bonnet butchery in the next week or so! TTFN Mac |
Mac - Thanks for the step by step guide, it is a big help. :cool:
Can I just check that when you screw the bottom of the bonnet into place, the rest of the bonnet is sitting on top of the body shell. I look forward to seeing how you hinge the bonnet & "adjust" the arches. Good luck, Paul. :) |
Yep screwed into the body behind where the cut is going to be made it meant drilling a hole in my freshly prepped tub but it was a necessary evil to get the position locked in and will only require a dap of filler afterwards.
Just ordered the 19mm hydraulic tube for the tilt frame, have used this stuff in the past and it welds nicely and is just a little softer than plain steel tube so bends easier. TTFN Mac |
Mac - I posted the first part of my bonnet review on my build thread.
I still have a few photos to take, but rain stopped play. Good luck, Paul. :) |
cheers mate off to have a look now...
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I've just posted the final round of bonnet photos for you in my build thread.
Good luck, Paul. :) |
So todays task up the crèche was to try and formulate a plan for the bonnet that didn't involve making one from scratch as the one I have sort of fits if your blind and viewing it in the dark. Decided I needed first to establish a datum to measure from so picked up a laser light thingy:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R...o/IMG_0471.JPG This allowed me to throw a line from the back of the car ensuring it passed exactly down the centre of the chassis by measuring in from either side of the centre chassis rails to find the mid point onto the dash and through onto the bonnet. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z...o/IMG_0472.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-m...o/IMG_0474.JPG One I had established the centre point I marked it with tape. The centreline is the right hand edge of the tape in this pic: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-c...o/IMG_0475.JPG a bit of ruler and tape measuring gave me some basic, but disturbing dimensions. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6...o/IMG_0476.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-U...o/IMG_0477.JPG In the above pic you also get some idea of how much the drivers side wheel projects out from the arch but to clarify, here is the passenger side: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8...o/IMG_0458.JPG And the drivers side: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-g...o/IMG_0459.JPG And if you don't think it looks that bad try this: Passenger side https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K...o/IMG_0466.JPG and Drivers side: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4...o/IMG_0461.JPG So a bit of a problem. Next Problem are is the gap between the nose projection and the headlamp rims. Drivers Side: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m...o/IMG_0467.JPG And Passenger Side: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-g...o/IMG_0468.JPG To be honest this is annoying but I can probably disguise most of it with some judicious filler work but the drivers side tyre projection is a show stopper as not even my friendly MOT man would let this pass. And the measurement on these pics show how this has occurred, measurement are from the centreline to the outer edge of the wheel arch: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-H...o/IMG_0479.JPG And https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A...o/IMG_0482.JPG So the drivers side of the bonnet seams to be approx. 80mm or approx. Now this seemed far too much so as an exercise I halved the difference and put in a temporary new centreline thus (the right hand shorter piece of tape is the theoretical centre of the bonnet forgetting the original laser line. (Now edited as just realised I can't count!) https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7...o/IMG_0484.JPG But its plane to see that that just looks plane wrong... https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-U...o/IMG_0485.JPG You can just see a small marker line between the 2 tape lines above the nose projection, that's the centre of the grill orifice. Confused, yeah me too. So I am guessing that the real centreline seems to be somewhere between the right hand piece of tape and the small marker line. At this point I curled up in a corner and sucked my thumb and cried for my mummy..... |
Is it worth buying a new front end... one way to disguise the perculiarities once finished would be a racing stripe (offset).
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Part the second.
At this point I'm not really sure how I'm going to make the bonnet cover both wheels but its definitely not going to happen without some major surgery but in the best traditions of a man in a shed I decided that thinking about it wasn't going to help at the moment so decided to implement a mod that I have been considering from the start which may also give me more scope for correcting the wheel arch issue. This pic from Ribble HQ shows how im going to initially proceed http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9854f769.jpg At least if I can get the 2 rears of the wheel arch roughly symmetrical and covering he wheel on both side I can work forward from there. So CAD work required: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5...o/IMG_0490.JPG flipping the template over to the drivers side was an interesting but ultimately predictable exercise: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A...o/IMG_0492.JPG I have decided to use 2mm Ali as I want the strength. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6...o/IMG_0494.JPG Added material for the arch return and the top flange the bonnet will sit on. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o...o/IMG_0495.JPG Cut it out using the jigsaw, The curve of the arch BTW is actually a constant curve this time instead of a 50 pence piece as I used a piece of wire taped to the marker then tape the end of the wire to the floor so I could play with differing radius curves until I got what I wanted. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l...o/IMG_0496.JPG I have never done any Ali bodywork before and only had a the vice a standard hammer and a pair of pliers so for those Aluminium aficionados I apologies in advance if my ham fisted methods affect your sensibilities but sometimes you just have to work with what you have. Started to form the lip of the arch with a pair of pliers just working along slowly using the marker line as my guide. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-z...o/IMG_0497.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A...o/IMG_0498.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b...o/IMG_0499.JPG Pretty soon I had the return on the arch formed, the process had introduced a bit of a curve but by using the vice as a dolly and gentle work with the hammer along the flange (oo err) I managed to stretch it so that the panel returned to as close as flat as made no odds. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-k...o/IMG_0502.JPG Next I formed the top flange using the vice a block of wood and the trusty hammer. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O...o/IMG_0503.JPG Cut the relevant section off the bonnet and first trial fit https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r...o/IMG_0506.JPG The gap at the rear on this pic will disappear but the bonnet was sagging a bit when I took the pic: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7...o/IMG_0507.JPG A bit of gentle knee work had the right curve in the panel https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-h...o/IMG_0509.JPG A little fine tuning and a going over with some 240 revealed the hammer marks left but im hoping with a bit more gentle persuasion I can get rid of most of them and those that remain will require only a light skim of filler, they look worse in this pictures because the sanding has highlighted them. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a...o/IMG_0510.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o...o/IMG_0511.JPG at that stage it was nearly 19:30 so locked up and walked away feeling that at least I had accomplished something. Hopefully back up on Thursday so will try and replicate the panel on the drivers side. TTFN Mac |
Gary the problem is that the bonnet moulds are still the original Sammio ones so until they are reworked, which im sure is on the cards it is what it is and I have to make to a remodel what I have,
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Glad to see your time in the workshop ended on a positive note. :cool: Good luck, Paul. :) |
And for those of you not paying attention I have just taken my socks off and recounted and realised the difference in measurements between the 2 halves of the bonnet was in fact 80mm not 120 as I had somehow come up with bit I will revisit this on Thursday when I'm back up the unit.
Ttfn Mac |
Nice use of modern technology - not the laser, that's so 1960's spoof spy movie - but the 'CAD' or Cardboard Aided Design system.
I'm sure you'll get your bonnet sorted soon. Given the two issues you've highlighted, the difference in gap between the snout and headlights from side to side and the offside wheel protruding from under the arch, I'd be looking at cutting a line from the rear of the bonnet to between the snout and offside headlight and putting a slim, triangular fillet into the gap to widen the front on that side but keep the rear matching the bulkhead. Hope that makes sense... Oh, and I love the alloy bonnet corners. I'd be tempted to not prep them for paint that well and scuff off the surface at the edges to show the alloy below. That would give it the vintage, hand crafted aluminium (expensive!) body shell look. Keep up the good work. :) |
Hello,
I wish i had known all of this a year and a half ago! The Spyder bonnet has some of the same problems,for example my left wheel is further in then my right..... I,ve had sleepless nights over that and nearly broke up my whole floor-and bulkhead section because I was confinced I had build things "out of the center". At last I was confinced by my sons:"You don't look at two sides of the car at the same time!"" Now I can live with it. Success,Rob |
Towed
That's pretty much my plan but if I do it with the parts I'm replacing in Ali still part of th bonnet I will still end up with the back half of the tyre too exposed. I'm hoping that by going the route I have started down I can get the whole wheel covered...... Well that's the plan anyway Mac |
Rob
I agree with the you can't see both sides at the same time theory but at the same time I would like to get it symettrical when measured only in feet and at the moment it wouldn't pass that test! The biggest issue is the covering of the DS wheel for the MOT all the other niggles can be lived with or worked on later, thanks for your interest btw Mac |
Don't get too bogged down about symmetry. Apart from the scoops to clear the engines, none of these had major bonnet surgery -
http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps81409e13.jpg http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps29222155.jpg |
Towed I totally understand where your coming from unfortunately unless I'm wrong none of those are Navigator / Cordites so were dealing with an unknown quantity!
Mac |
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Not in the office/workshop right now (More on that later) but although the lack of symmetry has never been in doubt, I'm not so sure as to what is causing the wheels to be outside the bounds of the arches. The following photos show a Pilot with a Navigator bonnet and a Navigator with it's native bonnet from both sides and you can see the wheels are well within the arch boundary.
http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/...ps16fe90f0.jpg http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/...ps33839c11.jpg http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/...ps50010720.jpg http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/...psbae49676.jpg Note too that the Yellow car has an early Navigator bonnet which was laid up before the arches became 'rounder' and less like 50p coins. |
Mac - I guess these photos...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5...o/IMG_0490.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A...o/IMG_0492.JPG Are related to the different angles I found on the bonnet lips of my body shell. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-v...o/DSCF3086.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g...o/DSCF3087.JPG I also took another photo of my passenger side wheel arch today. ( With the car back on the ground, but the bonnet stuck up in the air. :rolleyes: ) https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i...o/DSCF3316.JPG I guess the fact I am using 13" wheels, compared to your 14" ones gives me a bit more clearance. Although do you know if the original Cordite bonnet was adjusted to match the new Navigator buck? Because I have left the passenger side of my body shell untouched & therefore sitting ahead of the driver's side. Whereas, looking at the work you did on the new Navigator buck, the passenger side was "cut & shut" backwards. Either way, I am looking forward to see how you go about fixing things. Good luck, Paul. :) |
Paul, the bonnet mould wasn't touched. Im still a bit mystified as to how Ribble HQ manage to get the wheels clearing. The only thing I can think of is that the choice of wheel comes into play but that still wouldn't account for the difference side to side. Confused but determined not to be beaten by a lump of inanimate fibreglass...
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Hi Viatron I had not realized these kits are that far out in alignment, your cad system and laser have highlighted just how far they are out in relation to the wheels.
Am i correct in thinking you have had some input with the new Navigator buck, if so do you know if the issues you are having along with paul have been fixed? |
Swifty,
I am more than a little "invested" as did a lot of work on the buck for the new Navigator body moulds. Have to say that its not my day job just an enthusiastic amateur so cannot claim that the new body moulds are 100% exactly right in all respects. The Gen II Navigator bodies though, in my opinion, are at least usable and represent good value for money but be under no illusions that they are "paint ready" though. Andy and Ribble HQ seem to be making them work and maybe I'm just being a pick pickier because of my previous involvement. That said if you want some bed time reading follow this link for a brief (ish) write up I did on the process that will show what perfection the current Navigator body is compared to the original that in no way was of saleable quality in my opinion, probably why the project was sold when it was...... https://www.dropbox.com/s/8okihbriew...tor%20Buck.pdf |
Is your body the navigator genII.
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Yep :( but the bonnet which is the only bit that is giving me a major headache is Gen I
Mac |
Quick visit to the lair this evening. Managed to fit my Ali panel and get the filler work about 80% there
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u...o/IMG_0512.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9...o/IMG_0514.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j...o/IMG_0516.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x...o/IMG_0517.JPG Hopefully will get a few hours in tomorrow as well then all day Saturday so am hoping to make good progress. Target for tomorrow is to get what I have done today replicated on the drivers side and then move on to tackling the inside of the panels to make them very very rigid! watch this space. TTFN Mac |
It doesn't take you long to do the mods with the fiberglass, i like the way the bonnet trailing edges are made part of the main tub, less to catch your head on when the bonnet is hinged up.
How will the bond between the ally to fiberglass hold up when on the road with vibration etc? Enjoying the build and it won't be long until it's on the road. |
Swifty, they will hold up fine, they are fixed with a combination of fibreglass, PU adhesive and Qty 3 M8 countersunk bolts. In addition I plan to make another Ali closing panel for the rear which will be riveted to the tub, wheel arch and the top return to close the panel in totally at the back and add a lot of rigidity..
Mac |
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