Tribute Z3gato (?!!)

[Welshkiwi]

Real nice Barber, well done! Can’t wait to see this progress and as much as you will probably disagree with me this will look stunning in Aston grey/silver. Classic and very classy. Real progress. Very worth the time spent on it.

[smash]

Have you got a candidate for rear quarterlight glass?

Or is it perspex. Guess so to match door glass curve

[Barber]

Originally Posted by smash

Have you got a candidate for rear quarterlight glass?

Or is it perspex. Guess so to match door glass curve

It will be custom glass. Chris knows where to get it made. He just needs to make the template.

[IanA]

Originally Posted by Welshkiwi

Real nice Barber, well done! ...

+1 from me. It must be great to see a shape come together as a result of your own design decisions to create something unique.

All credit to Chris and Dan for having the build skills to bring it all together- you chose the right team there.

When will there be something that you can drive down the road?

[Barber]

Originally Posted by IanA

+1 from me. It must be great to see a shape come together as a result of your own design decisions to create something unique.

All credit to Chris and Dan for having the build skills to bring it all together- you chose the right team there.

When will there be something that you can drive down the road?

Early spring 2019 at the best. The buck prep will take a lot of time. Chris has commited to a proper paint job so that the molds are best quality.

[Barber]

Originally Posted by Welshkiwi

Real nice Barber, well done! Can’t wait to see this progress and as much as you will probably disagree with me this will look stunning in Aston grey/silver. Classic and very classy. Real progress. Very worth the time spent on it.

These things always take longer than we hope or expect, as you know. I trust that your knee is getting back to usable and that you can now make some real progress on your own star. There are scores of hungry boarders waiting for some titbits.

[Welshkiwi]

Originally Posted by Barber

These things always take longer than we hope or expect, as you know. I trust that your knee is getting back to usable and that you can now make some real progress on your own star. There are scores of hungry boarders waiting for some titbits.

Cheers Barber, the knee is getting better, probably about 80% now so well on the way. Shouldn’t stop me too much now. Had a multitude of things on that have caused many valid and some non valid excuses for the lack of progress, but the good news is I have got clearance from the certifiers to proceed with the build. My boy has started cricket this year so you can imagine the time sucked up with that, but I have got some time planned in the man shed over the next week or so. Fingers crossed for some good progress.
Really liking your shape coming on, I love that front end.......

[Lucky@LeMans]

Is the plan to offer this as a new kit from Tribute / Old No7 or is this going to be a one off ? Any news about the 275, there isn't anything on the Tribute website, just a 275 link that doesn't work on the A352 page.

[Barber]

Originally Posted by Lucky@LeMans

Is the plan to offer this as a new kit from Tribute / Old No7 or is this going to be a one off ? Any news about the 275, there isn't anything on the Tribute website, just a 275 link that doesn't work on the A352 page.

That is a decision for Chris. The project cost was discounted so Chris had rights to reproduce panels. I do not know if it will be offered as a kit, or turnkey only. It means I have to pay a premium over panel cost, but I am good with that, it was the only way to get the car I wanted at an affordable price. The details are of course confidential.

[Barber]

I saw this in the background to an ebay ad for the A352. It looks unexpectedly good.

ps Tinypic is down, so cannot get the image directly into the post. Yes, I know there are other hosting sites, but I am old and resistant to change.

[Munky]

Looking good Barber
I check back every other day, just in case there have been updates...
Any news?

[Barber]

Hi Munky, the progress of panel styling has not progressed much, the passenger side needs to be profiled the same as the agreed driver side as pictured. Then there is loads of work to fill and smooth the buck, then paint, then the moulds. It will be spring before the panels for my build are available.

However, I still have the custom dashboard as pictured earlier in the thread to finish and fit. Progress has been on hold whilst we had the kitchen and bathroom re-modelled in our house, but that has just finished. I did the stripping out to reduce contractor costs, and also insulated much of the roof at the same time. I had planned to cover the dash with vinyl, but after visiting JaguarTVR to see his projects, he has convinced me that crackle paint is the way to go. I plan to try it out in the very near future, and if it does not suit, can still use the vinyl.

I have also been slightly diverted by another project. As Chris quite rightly insisted on building the first Z3gato, my big retirement project diminished in work input from me. Chris will deliver a road legal car, but with untrimmed coloured gelcoat panels, so all of the prep for painting etc will need doing, and meantime, I need to buy all the lights.

My plan to keep myself out of the way of Mrs Barber is to buy a classic Lambretta scooter wreck and refurbish it. To that end, I have been making a motorcycle lift by converting a £80 table lift by building an extended base, table top and stabilising struts from scrap angle iron. I just began my first welds (after a basic induction training / practice) this week. I am waiting until after Christmas for the one or two projects that will come up on ebay as some folk realise that they have spent too much over Christmas, and that the work involved is more than they realised, so want to sell off the projects. A friend is trying to convince me that we should go on a road tour and source the scooter in Italy, and bring some others to sell on and finance the trip. Tempting.

Meanwhile, I was going to change the Z3 interior to black, but when explaining the project to an inquisitive neighbour, realised as I was saying that California Sage Green was the intended paint colour, that the current Oregon Beige interior would probably look OK. The challenge is to get the custom dash to match that colour. I will probably have to have paint made up to match the gear lever gaiter.

I also need to strip out the storage box etc and use the vinyl to re-cover that area. I will not remove the roll bars until the car is due to go down to Chris for the build next spring. Chris will let me have a rear shelf to cover in advance of fitting, and will also make an interior roof panel (same as Kidge did on his 275 build) so that I can prep and line it ready to fit into the build.

The upshot is, it will be spring before any meaningful build stuff appears. I cannot wait to get the car. We have a wedding to attend in eastern Poland next summer, and I would love to take a leisurely tour in the car to get there (even in an unpainted state a la IanA).

[Munky]

Wow - thanks for taking the time to provide an update. Sure seems like you have a lot going on in life right now!

You may also want to think about a scooter from the US.

They crop up here from time to time (as projects) for the sort of money that they were in the UK when I was a teenager. And that was a loooooong time ago!

I’ll keep checking by. I just missed out from buying a SWB coupe around a year and a half ago due to bad timing. I ended up buying a couple of 911 projects instead. One is close to being done and the other is probably another 8 months or so away.

[Jaguartvr]

If you look at some of the interiors on the finished DNA cars you will notice a few light tan interiors that look very good. They have all kept a black strip at the top of the doors and all of the dashboards are black. Yours would look good with the beige interior and black accents. You could start now as it will be much easier to do before you bond the roof on.

Again on the DNA site there is a white 250 with a gorgeous red interior, unfortunately having a pale blue car with a dark blue roof it won't work for me so it will be boring black or maybe navy blue.
I have a set of MGB seats to go in and should have some interior trim panels coming from Classic Conversions in Basingstoke. Should be ready by the end of the week, I already have one of Chris's dashboards so just need to find the money for a set of instruments, that's the tricky bit.

[IanA]

Originally Posted by Barber

...is to buy a classic Lambretta scooter wreck and refurbish it...

But "everyone" does that. May I suggest that you look for a Moto Rumi Formichino - a much more interesting device !!!

By all means bring back some Lambrettas and Vespas to finance the project.

Just my 2p.

[Barber]

Originally Posted by IanA

But "everyone" does that. May I suggest that you look for a Moto Rumi Formichino - a much more interesting device !!!

By all means bring back some Lambrettas and Vespas to finance the project.

Just my 2p.

I had considered BSA Bantams, or even some of the Italian mopeds.

But the key consideration is, that I did all the maintenance and fixes in my late teens, on Lambrettas, so I know can do it. Also, there are top end upgrades for the small block Lambrettas, from 175 to 186cc. Even a 1215 can have a couple of gears swapped out, and a GP200 crank. So long as I cover my costs, and sell at just under the going rate, it is a free hobby and should also pay for the drifts and punches required (about £375). So far my outlay has only been £70 for the lift, £60 for the Aldi welder, £8 for rods and £43 for the welding mask and gloves. And I have had a lot of fun planning and implementing.

Here is my motorcycle lift in progress. The foot frame and table top have been welded, but are not yet welded to the £70 red lift that I bough off ebay. I have yet to fit the adjustable stabilisers to the frame so it doesn't rock. But with a bit of luck, finished this week.

It is more robust than it appears.

[Barber]

Originally Posted by Jaguartvr

If you look at some of the interiors on the finished DNA cars you will notice a few light tan interiors that look very good. They have all kept a black strip at the top of the doors and all of the dashboards are black. Yours would look good with the beige interior and black accents. You could start now as it will be much easier to do before you bond the roof on.

Again on the DNA site there is a white 250 with a gorgeous red interior, unfortunately having a pale blue car with a dark blue roof it won't work for me so it will be boring black or maybe navy blue.
I have a set of MGB seats to go in and should have some interior trim panels coming from Classic Conversions in Basingstoke. Should be ready by the end of the week, I already have one of Chris's dashboards so just need to find the money for a set of instruments, that's the tricky bit.

That is an interesting idea, I will look into it, and it also reduces the risk of different shades of beige in the trim. I plan to change the steering wheel for something a tad smaller, and the chances are it would be black, so that works out too.

[Jaguartvr]

I had a couple of cheap motorcycles scissor lifts, under strain I found that they were prone to twisting.
I'm afraid I think that is what will happen to yours as all the weight will be on the wheels at the front and back.
I bit the bullet and bought a proper ramp and it takes a Rocket 111 or a big Harley with no problem.
I know a scooter isn't as heavy but once the jack starts twisting there is no way of stopping it until it hits the floor.

[Barber]

Originally Posted by Jaguartvr

I had a couple of cheap motorcycles scissor lifts, under strain I found that they were prone to twisting.
I'm afraid I think that is what will happen to yours as all the weight will be on the wheels at the front and back.
I bit the bullet and bought a proper ramp and it takes a Rocket 111 or a big Harley with no problem.
I know a scooter isn't as heavy but once the jack starts twisting there is no way of stopping it until it hits the floor.

There may be a risk, but probably not great. The Lambrettas rest on the parking stand (leg each side) and the back wheel. They weigh less than 200kg, and the lift is rated for 750kg if my memory serves me well. I will be having lockable support struts supporting each corner. Most importantly, the legs on the parking stand will be directly above the side rails of the table and foot frame. Also, the lift will not have to raise more than around 600mm from the ground. I am comfortable with it.

[IanA]

Originally Posted by Jaguartvr

I know a scooter isn't as heavy but once the jack starts twisting there is no way of stopping it until it hits the floor.

Make the table frame larger than the base frame and fit legs???

I did all the maintenance and fixes in my late teens, on Lambrettas

Go with what you know.