Quote:
Originally Posted by peterux
Sounds like a great project Ed!!
A Berlinetta with a V8 will be a pretty cool car 
Keep us posted on progress.......... |
Thanks Peter, I am starting to enjoy myself again!
I have almost finished modding the pedal box to incorporate a hydraulic clutch master cylinder.
Is there any interest here in body shaping? I have made myself an English Wheel and I am creating some of my own body panels from aluminium.
As I got my Berlinetta it had no bonnet or boot lid. I also feel some of the original fibreglass panels look a bit naff, they lack shape, particularly the scuttle and the front wings. I have made my own scuttle with a curved profile rather than the standard Marlin flat panels having a distinct central ridge where the hinge is. I don't like the large, absolutely flat areas; fine on a utility vehicle like a Land Rover but on a sports car, a 'body beautiful' - curved, is very important. Quite apart from the aesthetics which of course are subjective; large flat areas tend to show distortions and tend to flex far more than a single curve; a slight double curve or crown is even better than a basic flat panel, which to my eye looks 'cheap'.
While wheeling curvaceous and elaborate panels is a highly skilled art, simple, modest and straightforward panels are not that difficult with a methodical approach. I have done trial runs for each panel I have created at a smaller scale from scrap to find the snags in the shape. That way I can plan the best way to sequence the shaping. So far I haven't had any disasters or created a large heap of scrap aluminium!!
If there is any interest I am happy to share my (limited) experiences. So far I have made a kids Land Rover and a new scuttle for the Marlin. I plan to make the cover for the Marlin gearbox/clutch housing, the bonnet and side panels with louvers and hopefully a nice pair of front wings with crown rather than the basic flat slabs which come as standard.