Mister Towed's Tai Chi build

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by tlrtone

Looks great Mr T!

Every night I put the body back on mine and put the cover over it. As you say, it gives you a great boost.

I am only a little bit ahead of you, so race ya to the finish!!

I'm afraid you'll win that race hands down so I won't be putting any money on the outcome!

Quite a satisfying stage of the build though, eh?

[tlrtone]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

Quite a satisfying stage of the build though, eh?

Too right. I have even started to plan the interior on mine now!

[Mister Towed]

Funnily enough that's exactly what I've been doing. Having done exactly ten square inches of fibreglassing in my whole life i now feel confident enough to start moulding a Lancia D24 instrument binnacle...

[tlrtone]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

Funnily enough that's exactly what I've been doing. Having done exactly ten square inches of fibreglassing in my whole life i now feel confident enough to start moulding a Lancia D24 instrument binnacle...

LOL, I have been watching so many Youtube videos on custom door panels and car seat recovering that I reckon I have too many ideas to fit in my car!

I did my Herald Convertible interior and it turned out okay:


So I am getting bold on my designs for the Spyder!

[Mister Towed]

How bold exactly?

[davecymru]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

Today it looks like this:

Someone looks a bit chuffed!

So is this the Sammio version of the Cowl-less motorbike, the bonnet-less Spyder

[tlrtone]

Originally Posted by Mister Towed

How bold exactly?

I am going for a hinged bench seat back that will be built in MDF with a metal frame, with a hidden catch. It will be red vinyl with contrasting cream fluted panels (the car will be cream). I may incorporate a hinged armrest in it too for good measure.....

The side panels will be two tone as well with horizontal fluted panels and the opening for the 'door' pockets. The dash is being modified to include a centre console so I am making my own gearbox cover rather than using the old vitesse one that doesn't really blend into the square centre tunnel. I will be adding arm rests and grab handles on the side panels as well.


Well that's the idea anyway!

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by tlrtone

I will be adding arm rests and grab handles on the side panels as well.


Well that's the idea anyway!

I think you'll struggle to fit those in given the narrowness of the cockpit. Rest of it sounds good though.

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by davecymru

Someone looks a bit chuffed!

So is this the Sammio version of the Cowl-less motorbike, the bonnet-less Spyder

Chuffed ain't in it! Like a dog with two tails. And three ccks...

[froggyman]

Great progress, must be such a high point after your chassis woes. Yesterday a go kart, today a Sammio. Brilliant.

[Mister Towed]

Spent some time working on my floors yesterday, specifically the issue of getting my (huge) MGB seats into the Spyder cockpit.

Although the Cordite floorpans Gary and Mike are now producing look pretty good value given the time and materials needed to make them, they wouldn't provide a deep enough drop or a wide enough lowered area to fit my seats into. Given the size of the seats I want to fit I need just about every mm of space width wise to get them in together with a five inch drop...

So, I've lowered the back of the floor by five inches and the front by two, which will allow my seats to fit just under the body line, give extra leg room and leave my eyeline just above the wind deflector -











It's still very much a work in progress at the moment - I've only tackled the driver's side so far and the whole thing needs glueing/bonding together and some kind of support adding underneath so they don't drop out, but I'm pleased with the way it's turning out given my extremely limited cabinet making skills.

Oh, and while I was working in the sunshine yesterday afternoon there was a sound akin to the arrival of the four horsemen of the apolalypse which heralded a pleasantly unexpected visit from Phil J in his breathtakingly good BRG Spyder 'No.2' -





It was great to see Phil again and seeing his car on my drive with my rolling chassis has spurred me on to get mine finished and on the road. I also consider myself very fortunate to have Phil, who's already finished one Spyder and is building two more, just up the road as a source of valuable information and advice. Cheers Phil.

[garyh]

these are the best photos yet T. If you don't have someone like Phil, living on your doorstep... these are invaluable. garyh

[davecymru]

Looking really good, apart from that fact that some dodgy guy in a norgie seems to have stopped for a sit down in one of them

My seats are also quite wide, so once you've got the floor roughly sorted i'd suggest placing the seats in position and then putting the main part of the shell on just to see where the tops of them fit as i had to trim the rear curved corners of mine off in order for the seats to fit nicely.

Also I may have said this before, but I am very jealous of your garage!

[phil9]

nice to see you to.... here if you need help just ring.... be nice when got barry and yourself out for a run in the sun just doing a bit on barrys sammio to day keep up good work.

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by davecymru

...once you've got the floor roughly sorted i'd suggest placing the seats in position and then putting the main part of the shell on just to see where the tops of them fit

Thanks for everyone's kind words of encouragement.

I've had to admit defeat with the MGB seats today. I hadn't actually read DC's comment above about trial fitting the seats into the shell once the floors have been dropped but it seemed like a sensible idea anyway. I knew the seats would fit if I could get them close enough together - one reason for going for a very low profile prop-shaft tunnel. What I hadn't bargained for was that the main chassis rails are in the way and push the seats outboard as you go down



OK, so they'd be fine for a really steep banked racing circuit, but they're not much good for anything else. As they're just too big they'll be going back from whence they came, ebay, over the weekend while I search for some narrower alternatives.

I did manage to console myself by making a start on my prop tunnel and, yes, that is an off-cut of plastic guttering.





Oh, and my wife has just said she likes the idea of red leather. I think she's referring to the seats so I've either got clearance to increase the budget or my luck could be in when I get home from work at 3am tonight...

[garyh]

I like the original thinking, just don't screw the handbrake to it!

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by garyh

I like the original thinking, just don't screw the handbrake to it!

Ha ha! No, that wouldn't work. Handbrake is an umbrella handle style from an ancient Austin A55 van that will run alongside the gearbox cover with the cable running back inside the cockpit alongside the prop cover in a polished copper tube. That's the plan anyway.

[tlrtone]

never mind Mr T, these cars love a bit of trial and error!

At least you've got nice lowered floorpans for when the right set of seats come along!

Good luck with the leather - either way you win!

[lancelot link]

Dropped pans are looking good.

We used Morris Minor seats in Ol'66 but they needed fettling - not a 5 min. fix !

Seat choice is quite important - balancing looks and comfort.

You could fabricate some simple straps to support the pans after they are glassed , glued together - something similar to heavy duty fuel tank straps in style...

Your car is coming along very nicely and it looks like you have a good new mate in Phil .....how good does his car look in the sunlight ? and its stance is really good too...

I love the fact that there are some very nice examples being created ...nothing wrong with them at any level , budget is cool as well - Pats car proves that but the fact that examples that will hold their own at any car show are being built as well is good for the product and hobby....

I know about Barry's car , but which other one is he building ?

[Mister Towed]

I believe that'll be a full on race special for sprints and hill climbs - not road legal...