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Got one of those sitting in a lockup....built if with my dad..his car..then he moved to Spain and left it there..been 6 years

Although I most likely will make the Morris screen fit, if any of you fellas out there have any better suggestions as to an alternative, I would be interested.
I have been all over the internet, and most 50's cars have flat screens, and it seems all the curved ones are too wide.
A chesil speedster one would have been nice, but again far too wide.

Your ideas are very welcome, if you think it will look better than what I have already!

screen size
 

Should have given measurements so here they are[IMG]http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc9f4bb72.jpg[/IMG]

Whilst its not as curved as the XKSS screen I would have thought that the Spitfire screen would have looked close enough not to look too out of place and is also guaranteed to fit width wise.

The MGB roadster screen wouldn't look too far off either although I'm not sure about the width.

Thanks for the input Gaz, I appreciate it, but I’ve been there already, the lines are just not curvy enough for me, and the shape would be more difficult to blend in than The Morris one. The following pictures illustrate it better than words:
[IMG]http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps385bcad2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf0446a61.jpg[/IMG]

While the jag body is wider than the Spit, the actual lower screen curve that Chris ended up with, (for the perspex) is narrower than the Spit screen, which is why its too wide.

I think the morris scren with a bit of work is the answer chummyboy. I like the solutons you are coming up with on this build.
just for your interest like , this car was built about 14-15 years ago by the Sammio founder , Gary J as he is known on the other forum. he used a morris minor back window to. great minds and all that malarkey !

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/gall...%20Dooster.jpg

Screen
 

What about the Lotus Elan windscreen? This is used by sylva on the vectis.

Very nice too! You have kind words, but I can't claim all the credit for using the Morris back screen, as Chris had suggested he may use one/both/ either on his future A352 hardtop version!
I took a look and thought " Yep, that's the one"

Lotus elan? don't know the width, but a pound to a pinch of s**t it'd be too wide.

It's pretty small if on the vectis - measure one at the next show? Or maybe ask kindly on the Sylva forum. I suspect the shape is perfect. It could be narrowed, but of course you'd then lose some of the wrap-around (unless you cut it out of the middle and had a centre bar) :biggrin:

Thanks for that, I now am waiting for an answer from Jeremy of Sylva Kits
on the dimensions of it, but to be honest, I'm not holding my breath!!

Hello Scottie22, I have now your answer... Sorry for delay. The weight of my last D type (green one) with the straight six Triumph Vitesse is 764 Kilos with 15 liters of fuel. Regards

Patoune,
Thank you for your reply, that is much lighter than a real D type, you must have been pleased at the time!

Normally I'd agree.... But having experience of Mr PHILIPS i'd say the reply will arrive - He's a real gent and deserving of great praise as one of the best kit designers/suppliers.

:neutral: would it not be easier to fit a mgb convertible window frame. they sit quite low. not bin watching your build long but comes ready shaped. have you got the suspension set up.

Mitchelkitman,
When I said I was not holding my breath, I was not refering to Jeremie's integrity, but to the fact that I'm fairly sure the screen will be too wide!

Zagmad

If you look closely at the pictures I posted showing how the Spitfire screen does not follow the curvature of the body shell screen top area,
you will probably realise that the MGB screen will not follow the curve either, and it has to.
The Morris screen I am working on does, and only needs a bit of
welding / tweeking at the edges to get it perfect .

I am really grateful for all this input I am getting, but it has mainly served to reinforce my belief that the Morris screen is the right way to go.
When I get it right I will post the pics. Thanks again for the input!

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Scottie, thinking about alternatives I came across another possibility: the rear window of a Renault Dauphine - total width of that car is 60inches - so a bit less for the window I guess.

Sourcing one including frame might be another thing though...

Baz from Brussels

Thanks Baz, I'll have a dig about in that area!

XKSS windscreen
 

Well I've had a good in depth look at the Renault Dauphine rear screen, it is a good shape, good curve.

If I had one, I'd be inclined to give it a go but I have'nt, and they are so rare now, commanding quite large price tags.

Even if I could get one and rip it out of the car, if I got caught, I'd probably get lynched by the Dauphine owners club!

Also, it would be be a sin to ruin an otherwise acceptable classic.

As the Shadow said: "go with the Minor screen" so I shall.

Thank you for all the suggestions, I do appreciate your help.
[IMG]http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps403da6b3.jpg[/IMG]

I believe Banham used the classic mini front and rear screens for their 550 hard top version -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-55...vip=true&rt=nc

Cheap, plentiful and could work. Just a thought.

Oh, and I've just got back from a blast in my Spyder. 'king glad I fitted a heater :)

Thanks for that Mr T, That heater you fitted (like a jam jar) is it efficient enough in this weather?

[QUOTE=Scottie22;48562][IMG]http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps84ea4c66.jpg[/IMG]

I'd have a look at Sunbeam Alpine screens.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/sunbeam-al...item338747bda2

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/sunbeam-al...item3a8739008a

Or you could try sunbeam supreme


:wave:

Al

Sunbeam alpine screens
 

All far too wide I'm afraid!

really? a alpine has quite a narrow cabin?

I'll be seeing my pal in his tommorow. I could measure it to confirm?

Still using my car for every journey I can, even when it's freezing - this was earlier tonight.

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psc6ab574d.jpg

The micro heater keeps the cabin warm enough so long as you're wearing a hat, coat and gloves, it's just your face that gets a bit cold at higher speeds. For longer journeys in cold weather I've now got a Caberg motorcycle helmet. It's open face but has a full visor like a fighter pilot's helmet so it stops the wind chill factor from giving your lips frostbite. :eusa_shifty:

Like the ideas you're putting in with a full windscreen - I had considered building another Spyder, but with a roof and screen, but that'll have to wait until funds allow :(

I was thinking of using a mini screen and Spitfire fibreglass roof with a VW New Beetle hatch grafted on the back to give a similar look to the hard top version of the Porsche RSK 718.

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps51b56bbb.jpg

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-BEETLE-...item416e079849

Not sure if you can 'see' what I mean, but it works in my head...

Mister Towed,

Yes I do see what you mean. You've really got the bug! I hope I don't feel like you when I've finished mine, I'll never have any cash or free time.
That Porchey thing looks nice, of course it would remind me of a Jaguar,
little bit like the lightweight E Type.
While I'm on to you, one thing has puzzled me for ages:
you had that lovely dark red Maserati/ Lancia type car as your inspiration for two years, ended up with a really cracking car, then painted it.............
silver! Why? What happened to the red inspiration?

Scottie . if you read towed thread . I have read it all ! you will see that towed originelly wanted a Porsche RSK or spyder and for various reasons that wasn't hapeninng . then he saw the Sammio and knew that was a viable optoin for him. the lancias all pretty much seem to be red so any inspiratonal pic is going to be red. a silver spyder is nearer to the original dream car for towed with its Porsche influance .
I think thats about right. tHe Towedmyster will put me right if im wrong.

That's spot on 'Shadow.

I saw a GP Spyder Porsche RSK 718 replica in a car park in Bridgend when I was 19 and just fell in love with it. As an aircraft engineer I'd always been captivated by the exceptional standard of engineering built into the pre war Auto Union and Mercedes racers, and the RSK offered that in a very pretty body. When the mate I was with explained that it was a kit car that you could build yourself I decided on the spot that, one day, I'd build one.

Fast forward exactly thirty years to early 2011 and I still hadn't realised that dream. I found that I didn't fit in the 718, bought a donor VW Type 3 squareback to turn into a Covin Speedster just as they went bust, watched with dismay as Paul Banham's Metro based 'New Speedster' briefly offered some hope before vanishing into the ether, and did the career/house/wife/divorce/house/new wife/family/new career thing, which swallowed up the decades and the money in what feels like the blink of an eye.

On my 49th birthday I knew I'd never have the £15-20k needed to put a 356 Speedster on the road, I'd bought an MX5 and sold it because I found it somehow soulless, and I'd pretty much given up the dream of building my own sports racing car.

But something kept nagging away at me and I'd regularly ebay search Spyder/Speedster/Moss Monaco, etc, hoping to find an unstarted/unfinished project on the cheap. That's when Gary J's very pretty Spyder popped up at a price I could actually afford without having to pay for another divorce.

OK, so it took me four times as long and twice as much money to build as I'd budgeted for, but I ended up with a very nice car, built in two years for about five and a half grand.

And seeing as almost every other builder was painting theirs red, and almost every car I'd ever aspired to own was silver (even the MX5 I had was silver) after a lot of deliberation I decided to stick with my dream of owning a silver arrow, albeit with Lancia badges rather than Porsche, Mercedes or Auto Union ones.

It's a period colour - pretty much the only metallic one as far as I'm aware - and turned out to be a very forgiving choice for a first time sprayer. The finish I've achieved isn't perfect but it looks like it was sprayed on six decades ago and convinces almost everyone that the car's the real deal, even a chap from the Lancia owners' club at Goodwood.

Anyway, sorry to go on for so long but you did ask!

I guess you're going with BRG or Ecosse Blue for your XKSS? Unless you're prepared to fly in the face of convention, that is...

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps106a6e6c.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psea6d9342.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0431ef0a.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psa9bbdc70.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1e8df987.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psd5ea1f73.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8d8a4d50.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps81409e13.jpg

Simple...

Mister Towed,
Thank you for such an in depth elegant reply.

When I read the piece by Shadow, I understood then, why your car was silver, He put it really well.

But having read your bit, I am well educated as to where you came from, going to, and ending up!
And do not make apologies for “going on” going on is only unacceptable if its boring!

Your journalistic masterpiece was far from that!

Love the pictures, not to be outdone; I am looking for a pic of me in a mask of some sort.

Now its my turn to ramble! Some years ago I paid a deposit of £2.5 grand on a Jaguar XJ13 body shell.
As usual I squirreled away lots of bits, namely a totally rebuilt 4.2 triple-carb Jaguar engine, 4 bolt on chrome wire wheels, manual gearbox, rebuilt back axle and so on.

The bloke went bust, I lost every penny, and it put me off somewhat. I went off the XJ13 And the dream was replaced by the XKSS.

But I could not, for the same reasons as you, afford one (even self build!)

Then I saw Chris’s A352, and I saw the potential to have what looked like 120 grands Worth for peanuts, and went for it.

Yes it will be British Racing Green.

To me, BRG is the colour that Jaguar painted their race cars in, to race at Le Mans.

It was so dark, it appeared black at first glance, and you had to look again to notice it was actually GREEN!

What is passed off as BRG today, does not do much for me.

I was most impressed by that pic of you in a mask! A hard act to follow, but I’ve done my best with an old mask I used to wear back in my army days!
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For goodness sake WCA!
This is a kit car site,not a sexual deviants paradise!

It was the only mask photo I could find to join in the game...

Ah yes, the stylish yet functional S10 rubber face. I sweated buckets through one of those, and its predecessor, the S6, doing operational turn rounds on RAF jets (OTR's, essentially refuel, rearm and check the oil before the next combat sortie) for 23 years.

Agree with you about the more recent BRG being two shades too light, you might want to drop Phil J a PM over on the Sammio forum for the paint code for the original fifties Jaguar shade he's used on his Spyder (no.2) -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps51d93a64.jpg

Having said that, silver's nice...

Might just do that Mr T

Exhaust Dome
 

Did a bit more to the dome, it's a shitty job that I dreaded doing,
and all my fears seem justified. However it WILL get done in the end and I am moving slowly towards that outcome.
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Rivnuts
 

Rivnuts,

I won’t explain what they are, as if you don’t know you can’t help me!.

I have known of these for some time, but never had a use for them but do now.

Does anyone out there have experience of them?

My body shell fibre glass varies from 2.5mm to 6.5mm Thick depending where it is measured.

I want to use rivnuts to attach all sorts of things, is this viable?

6mm splined rivnuts look like the size I need, but the “grip area” seems to vary so much from manufacturer to manufacture, (some don’t even bother to give spec)

Most seem to be for thin materials, and I am worried they might fracture or split the fire glass.

Answers most welcome.