Mac - I'm certainly looking forward to seeing you cross the finish line.

Hope the last few jobs goes smoothly.

Good luck, Paul. :)

Started fitting the gearbox cover this morning and ran into an issue. I'm using the spitfire gearbox cover by Honeyborne Mouldings and although the cover itself is of good quality either I have ordered the wrong part or they have supplied the wrong part or something else has gone awry possibly with the frame I built?

As you can see from the picture below the gear leaver is exiting way too far forward and the size of hole I have had to cut to get the tunnel to go in is massive. Unfortunately I think I forgot to take a picture of the cover in situ which would make it much clearer but once I have the next little project finished I will post a picture which should make the issue clearer.

Anyway end result is that I have to make a cover to go on the cover! rats!

First picture shows the size of hole I'm dealing with.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G.../IMG_02180.jpg

Rough fitted some foam to get the rough shape I want.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K.../IMG_02181.jpg

Covered the edges with clear packing tape.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N.../IMG_02182.jpg

Slathered the lot in fine easy sand filler to hold it in place and give a starting point for sanding.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f.../IMG_02183.jpg

Whilst I was waiting for the first of the filler to go off I fitted the seat belt anchors and made some small cover plates to make them weather tight as the hole required in the interior to get them in was bigger than I wanted.

Just cut some Ali discs using a hole cutter them drilled 3 holes in a line then filed them into a slot.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i.../IMG_02184.jpg

Quick coat of gloss black paint then glued them over the anchors using some PU adhesive.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0.../IMG_02185.jpg

Picture of one of the rear anchors before the cover is fitted:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B.../IMG_02186.jpg

And with the cover fitted, used enough PU that the anchor is totally sealed.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-c.../IMG_02187.jpg

The outer anchors required that the bottom of the cover was trimmed a bit but fitted ok after that:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r.../IMG_02188.jpg

Back in a bit with more progress on the gearbox cover

TTFN
Mac

A fair bit of filler and sanding later I got a couple of coats of primer on it, still a couple of bits that aren't perfect but its good enough to take a quick and dirty mould off.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w.../IMG_02189.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2.../IMG_02190.jpg

Then a couple of coats of gloss black to finish it off

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4.../IMG_02191.jpg

Going to give it half an hour to dry off then will give it a few quick coats of release wax, I use this:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8.../IMG_02192.jpg

As you can see from the state of the tin its been around a while! seems to last forever :-)

TTFN
Mac

Mac - By chance, I was actually playing with my own gearbox cover today.

Whilst it is definitely different to the one you have, I think you also have an earlier model Spitfire to me.

Either way, great job on building up the shape to take a mould off. :cool:

Good luck, Paul. :)

Hey Mac, that cover you have really does not look like a Spitfire one.
I am fairly familiar with the shape it should be, and yours looks all wrong. I would guess they sent the wrong one?

Good mod btw!

Done a bit of googling and i think what i have is a GT6 gearbox cover, either way it covers the gearbox and will fit once the cover is made so its going in!

TTFN
Mac

Quick pic of the mould laid up on the plug:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-H.../IMG_02193.jpg

About an hour later it was still green but set enough to trim and remove

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-d.../IMG_02194.jpg

Now just touching up the few scuffs and scrapes from the moulding and removal before it gets its first coat of.......

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-d.../IMG_02195.jpg

Back in a bit

TTFN
Mac

A quick pic of why the cover is required:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b.../IMG_02196.jpg

TTFN
Mac

First coat of stone chip and it looks 100% better already.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-D.../IMG_02197.jpg

A nice stippled finish similar to the bed liner used on the rest of the cockpit. Unfortunately I ran out of bed liner and didn't want to buy a 4 litre pack when I only needed about 500ml so this is the alternative....but with a twist!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D.../IMG_02198.jpg


TTFN
Mac

Once dry the stone chip has a nice matt finish that should be pretty hard wearing:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0.../IMG_02199.jpg


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I.../IMG_02200.jpg

but still not quite what I want, too much black in the cockpit area wont be good sooooooooo

TTFN
Mac

Soooooo have decided to spray over the stone chip with body colour. Popped in to my local paint place on the way in this morning with a scrap of painted body and they matched it and made me 2 cans of celly. First dust coat has just gone on hopefully I'll have enough coats on by days end to let it dry overnight and fit in the AM. Another delay to finally fitting the seats but im concious that rushing at this stage could be fatal...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g.../IMG_02201.jpg

TTFN
Mac

Looks much better after a second coat
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S.../IMG_02202.jpg

TTFN
Mac

Mac - The blue cover will definitely add a splash of colour to your interior. :cool:

I guess painting mine BRG wouldn't have quite the same effect. :icon_wink:

Good luck, Paul. :)

Neat work on the gearbox tunnel mod Mac.

Found a few blemishes on the cover this morning that I wont be able to remove, one of the disadvantages of using stone chip is sanding it back and trying to blend it in is a nightmare. Needed to think a little out of the box so came up with this. Not only will it serve to hide a few marks but will also give the passenger and drivers knees something to rub against rather than the paint.
Its Ali sheets faced with leather.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0b...Y=w439-h585-no

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p.../IMG_02204.jpg

Back in a bit with pics of it fitted but need to pop out to the fastener shop to get some suitable stainless screws.

TTFN
Mac

Couldn't find any screws i liked so have gone with rivets. Very happy with it though. The body colour on the tunnel will add a splash of colour to the otherwise black cockpit and the blue leather panels will tie in with the matching seats and headrests tying it all together.

Off to do the drivers side now.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_.../IMG_02205.jpg

TTFN
Mac

And the finished article, I'm very happy with it...so there!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c.../IMG_02206.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w.../IMG_02207.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-R.../IMG_02208.jpg

Off to fit the overdrive wiring then it going in!

TTFN
Mac

just put the car in the air to drain the gearbox and OD unit as I would rather fill with oil now before the cover goes on even though it is possible to do from under the car you need to break your wrist in 3 places to do it!. Spotted that I hadn't yet covered the bare ali floors:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o.../IMG_02209.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V.../IMG_02210.jpg

A new can of stone chip later:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--.../IMG_02211.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k.../IMG_02212.jpg

Really glad I remembered to scuff the panels up before fitting as the thought of doing it on the lift made my neck and back tweak just thinking about it!

TTFN
Mac

Also realised (after I had stone chipped!!!) that I hadn't yet used "Big Boy" rivets in the floor from underneath that in conjunction with the PU I used will keep the Ali box section risers I ended up putting in to raise the front of the seats in place. Thank god for a 90 degree drill attachment as without it I wouldn't have managed.

TTFN
Mac

And its in....... oohh errr

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1.../IMG_02214.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-M.../IMG_02213.jpg

Seats in in the AM....yeah right heard that before!

TTFN
Mac