Yes that HAZ can be a real pain. Many's the chassis design that has had to be re-thought because stresses fed the wrong way show that up. Causes brittleness and breakage 1-2cm from the joint.

14" Nardi wheel now acquired -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psnvg30woi.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...pshbh67nud.jpg

Still missing a suitable donor though. :(

you would have been better of with a 15" diameter....

PAS on the BMW

It's a lovely wheel and getting in and out will always be easier with the smaller wheel.
I've got a 13" wood rim wheel. Not as nice looking as yours but I'm building the car to suit me, not trying to make an exact replica and I can always change it later.

Cheers, Bob.

Yep, probably should be a 17" for maximum authenticity. One of the things I noticed when I test drove a Z3 though was how little space BMW allowed to fit unnecessary fripperies in the cockpit, like legs.

As Hurnleft points out above, you've actually got to be able to get into the thing to be able to drive it. Plus I like a 14" wheel, it's the Goldilocks size for me - not too big, not too small, but just right. :icon_mrgreen:

I used this Mountney model and attached it to a snapoff lock

Here is a pic of it

The cavallino rampante on the steering wheel centre matches my 17 inch custom made wire wheels with hubs and spinners....😄

Better pic

On the car

Nice wheel, looks to be the same as I fitted to my Spyder -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps33d63e0f.jpg

A popular choice
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-h...610_102028.jpg

although I went for the shiny boss
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S...610_102013.jpg

And Maserati engraving
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1...923_132103.jpg

I still miss the "clock" WCA!

Seat dimensions?
 

Mister Towed, I notice you have bought some Rover 45 seats, if you have them to hand could you please tell me how wide they are at the bottom, the bit you sit on. Would they squeeze into an 18 inch gap between transmission tunnel and door?

I have a pair of seats for the Berlinetta but they aren't particularly comfortable, in fact they are particularly uncomfortable! Not what I would like to be perched in for six hours anyway.

I'm afraid the Rover 45 seats will be too wide at 55cm, just under 22 inches across the base (including the adjusters).

Here's a little diagram I, erm, got a four year old to draw showing the dimensions -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psf2ljyejq.jpg

Good luck finding something suitable.

Thank you for checking the dimensions. Your four year old is very proficient! Pity about that. I take it the adjuster housing isn't optional... It looks like it accounts for at least 2" (50mm) From about 4" above the floor the transmission tunnel starts to radius, so there's more room at the actual seat level. I wouldn't need the seat belt socket either.

I know there are some Rover 25/45's at my local breakers but don't know if they still have seats.

I really think I need to do something to improve the seating but it will have to be cheap.

I've been out and measured again, the runners are 20" total width and they exactly match the width of the seat base.

The adjuster housing protrudes 1" further outboard while the seat belt anchor is actually inset so it doesn't add any extra width.

I guess you could remove the adjuster housing and adjusters and weld/bolt the mechanism into a fixed position, but you'd still have a 20" wide seat.

The Rover 75 seats that were fitted in one of the Nubodi Kobras had been swapped passenger side with driver's side to 'buy' an extra inch, but it would depend on the exact shape of your car's interior whether that would help.

Have you considered Land Rover centre seats? Very cheap and versatile I'm led to believe.

Thanks for measuring again, to get 18" means cutting the inner cill flange off to gain an inch. Really I currently only have 17" but it could be increased to 18.

I will take a look at Land Rover seats on Friday when I go for the boys, thanks for the suggestion, last time I was at the breakers they had 3 LR Discoveries so they may have something.

Crikey from those dimensions you need saddles not seats:shock:

LOL!

To say it's a narrow cockpit isn't understating it, the seats I have are 400mm wide, In fact the passenger seat is only 380, somebody has narrowed it a bit. Definitely no room for anything in my pockets while I am sat in the car.

When I make my own back tub I think I will try to widen the seating area. This is the thing, until I have driven and used it for a while I don't really know what I want or need.

I know you have been busy with the sammio rebuild/rebirth but any further forward on your parts stockpile for the future project?.

Hi RRB, thanks for thinking of me, I'm afraid my SWB project is on hold for now as my finances didn't come together as I'd hoped.

To cut a long story short I had expected to take early retirement at the beginning of May, which would include a substantial lump sum in addition to another monthly pension payment to add to the one I already get from my military service :) , but that didn't happen due to endless red tape.

I might be able to retire later this year or early 2016, and I have a definite option to take the money and run in January 2017 (although I could stay on until January 2022), but I need the lump sum to fund the SWB as I don't want to sell my Spyder.

Until then I'm afraid I've just got to sit on my hands. :juggle:

Oh, and it's not me who's trying to resurrect the Sammio brand, I'm just a satisfied customer.

Ha ha no I meant the work you had done to yours over the past couple of months ..I phrased it wrong!!

Yes..finances ..I'm allowed a car but on condition the house is sorted first which this year has sucked up about 15k so far and probably the same next year so ..no car in reality !

Unfortunately as both wifey and I are public sector workers our finances were hit quite badly by the coalition austerity measures. So badly in fact that we're thinking of burning the Greek flag.

Mind you, if you do look at what's happening in Greece at the moment, that's what would have happened here if not for the cutbacks we already suffered. Tighten your government spending belt or your country goes to rat shit when the money and time run out. Should be a no-brainer really. :eusa_wall::tinfoil3:

Bought any more bits for the future project????.

Hi RRB, no more bits bought just yet I'm afraid. Project is on hold for financial reasons - my expected early retirement didn't happen so I've now got to wait until January 2017 before I can get properly started. Still, that's only fifteen months away now.

I did suggest to my wife that I might sell my Spyder to fund the SWB, but to my complete surprise she's forbidden me from selling the Sammio.

It'll also be interesting to see where Tribute take the body styles by then - I love the SWB coupe shape, but I'm also sorely tempted by the convertible, especially if the back end could get the finned look that they've already added to Joe's alternative MX250 hard-top.

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/...pswasgpuov.jpg

So it's just a question of me sitting on my hands until 2017. :pop2:

I knew you were not in a position to go ahead just wondered if you had snaffled anymore bargain hits.

Sounds like by the time you come to build ,it will be a completely different car then originally planned

Could be, I still haven't decided whether it'll be a coupe or convertible. Either way it will get built. One day...

While looking for a cheap tow car on ebay I came across this Rover 75 diesel going for less than three hundred quid -

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psrvnrgp4g.jpg

I have a feeling there's just some broken glass and a parking space there now though...

What on Earth possesses people to put such a picture on their ebay listing? It doesn't exactly inspire trust in the seller.

Cheaper than having a towbar fitted!

Apparently the diesel 75 has a bmw engine so if any parts need replacing they'll still be available Unlike the petrol version. Man in the pic does look dodgy.

Maybe he'd bumped into T before...

I thought that was towed

Its not Swiss Tony !

Maybe its the grey man from the bumper thread.

Unfortunately, this project is now on long-term 'hold'.

Personal reasons stopped me going ahead with buying the kit when I wanted to in early 2015, but I still had every intention of making a proper start in January 2017 as a retirement project.

But, I've always, always wanted a Porsche 356 Speedster, and an unstarted bodyshell popped up on ebay last week at a fair price. I just couldn't resist it and drove a 700 mile round trip to collect it from Cornwall at the weekend -

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...psvc9kdkmz.jpg

So, the space reserved for the 250 is now occupied for the foreseeable future by what's going to become an outlaw 356. Eventually.

This means I won't be using most of the parts I bought for the 250. I've already sold the wheels and you'll be seeing them fitted on a car fairly soon hopefully, which I'm rather looking forward to. If anyone here wants any of these other items, please PM me -

Genuine Nardi 14" steering wheel with boss for E36 BMW and (genuine) Ferrari wheel centre cap (you will need to source/fabricate your own horn push to hold the cap in place and make the horn operate) £150

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psnvg30woi.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...pszhew4abr.jpg

Pair of coffin side repeaters £40

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psaazvtfv0.jpg

Pair of Rover 45 front seats in black leather. Very comfortable and in excellent condition from a low-mileage car. Manual adjustment with runners fitted. Complete with headrests and rear seats for spare leather. Very close in looks to original Ferrari 250 SWB seats £100

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...psm6jfevtv.jpg

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...pscazojix8.jpg

These will be 'buyer collect' or arrange your own courier and if nobody's interested it'll all go on ebay in a week or so at higher prices. Oh, and payment can be by cash on collection, bank transfer or paypal.

Thanks everyone.

An interesting new project - what chassis/parts are you using? The Pie Valley chassis for MGF parts which I saw at Stoneleigh ooked interesting for a project such as this.

Gotta be a VW BASED or derivative of with a 356 IMHO ...

I really like the 356 , I've had a couple in the past , but never finished one ...great looking cars and an outlaw version would be awesome ...

Interesting new project there MrT, the missus has always liked the 356 ever since she seen a replica at a show many years ago. Do you know who made the body.

Looking forward to the regular updates with plenty of pictures of course.

Are you planning a new build thread.

Ive been looking around for a new project for a while now and must of missed that unfinished kit on ebay.