Another Cordite Is Born ...

[DaveP]

117 pages in this thread. Paul you are the bird thread hero

Sorry about dropping the piece today. I'd have had a very blue-aired drive if that happened.

Dave

[Paul L]

DaveP - Cheers, although by now I had hoped my build thread would have been replaced by an "On the road" one.

Ironically, I wanted to box this "hole" in so there was no chance of dropping the side mirror bolts where I couldn't reach them.

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Friday - Part 1:
The forecast said there was definitely going to be rain arriving today, so I had to be quick…

Scraped up the very last on the bonding paste.



And applied it to this join on the driver's, where a clamp had previously been fitted.



Also had the brain wave of bonding in the next piece of fibreglass for the "hole" on the passenger side.



Roughly sanded down the fibreglass where the bulkhead meets the floor pans.
( Which I hope makes it easier to see what I am doing. )



This join was extended on both sides by the next round of fibreglassing that I did.



Which also included the mirror mounting access hole on the passenger side.



I made those paper templates of the framework along the cockpit sides incase I was going to fix ally panels in place.

I wasn't expecting to use one so soon to drill a dirty big 4" hole into my newly fitted panel.



I thought I'd better fit the depth gauge guide to my drill to avoid drilling out through the other side of the cockpit.

But the hole saw was too wide for the guide to get past.



So I was extremely careful while drilling the hole out and you can see where the missing bit ended up.



At least the hole was big enough to get the hoover head in to clean up the mess.



End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

Friday - Part 2:
I then did a small (100ml) batch of fibreglassing which made a start on the driver's side hole.



And a start on the top edges of the rear cockpit wall on both sides.



I was just finishing up when I felt a few drops of rain, that stopped as soon as they started.

But it was a good reminder not to push my luck with the weather, so I called it a day.

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22/04/2012 - My donor Spitfire was delivered to my house & put under a cover.



Four years on and it now looks like this.



So clearly the cover has got lower and the hedge has got higher.

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Until next time, take care, Paul.

[Scottie22]

Looking good Paul, you will have an incredibly strong structure when all the glassing is finished!

The body certainly will not be coming off the chassis for any repairs!!

Not long now.

[Paul L]

Scottie - Thanks and the longer the bonding paste & fibreglass has to fully cure, the stronger it all feels.

By the time I am finished, I think my new Swordfish body tub could be lifted clean off, just like my old Spitfire one.



Although, I really hope there is no need to do any major repairs requiring that in my life time!

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Saturday - False Start:
It was pretty chilly outside this morning.

I started off by trying to work out if there was a better way of boxing in the side mirror access hole on the driver's side.
( As building it up in small steps is both fiddly and time consuming. )

Obviously, it seemed like a simple thing to do when I originally mocked it up in cardboard.



I now have a plan, so let's see if it works.

I taped up the hole I cut out yesterday before making a mess tidying up all the stray bits of fibreglass.



But I was in the middle of cutting out the shapes I needed when I felt some rain.



I couldn't risk the matting getting wet, so the covers went back on and I came inside.
( At which point I realised just how cold I was. )

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Kitcar Magazine:
I picked up this month's edition because there was a Sammio Spyder featured in it (plus the yellow Tribute MX250).



This was a rare Spyder with doors and it also had a lot of modification work done to it.

I really liked the tail pipe exits and side mirror mounting pedestals.





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Right, the sun appears to have returned outside, so I'm heading back outside.

Cheers, Paul.

[Paul L]

Saturday Continued:
Whilst it was fair to say there were blue skies overhead when I stepped outside…



There was also a very dark cloud approaching.



So it was a very nervous fibreglassing session, but I managed to cover a few areas:

Mirror access holes on both sides.





The join along the bottom edge of the rear cockpit wall.



The join between bulkhead and floor pans (on both sides).



But by the time I'd finished the weather was definitely turning again, so I quickly loaded everything into the cockpit…



Before pulling the covers on again and it just started raining by the time I'd finished.

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When I went back out for my third session of the day, the matting I'd applied earlier was still tacky.

So I mixed up a batch of fibreglass filler in an effort to improve the top edges of the cockpit.





This might look a bit rushed and that is because it started raining on me while I was applying it.

Obviously the sun was back on by the time I'd finished, but I'd already had a major sense of humour failure by now.

So I just did one more quick job before packing up completely...

I made 3 small brackets out of my aluminium off cut.



Then nailed them to the back of the plywood "hole" I had cut out of the cockpit side panel.



I will then be able to nail this piece to the side panel when the time comes to fix it back in place.



As, given my clumsy nature recently, I could see this dropping into the hole and rolling away out of reach.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[lancelot link]

Might have to actually buy Kitcar magazine this month then ...not seen that one ...does it mention the builders name at all ?

[swifty]

Think the guy is called George Hodges.

Like the look of the wing mirror mounts, might pinch the idea for mine.

[lancelot link]

Raised wing mirrors always look quite cool ...and it means you can actually use them !!
Towed has raised mirrors on his , looks the part ...

Some nice little touches on that car ....the bonnet bulge looks serious and the little ferrari-esque rear vent is cool ..

[Paul L]

Lancelot Link & Swifty - Yes, George Hodges was the builder.

There really are lots of nice touches on that car.

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Sunday - Being woken early by the sound of the rain lashing down outside is never a good omen.

So let's see if I can squeeze some car work in later on (around family stuff).

Cheers, Paul.

[jones]

When will the rain ever stop?!? My back garden is like a swamp. Paul with that in mind you have achieved more than most are able with an outdoor build, you should be proud of the constant progress you are making. Plus rain = opportunity for a brew!

[Paul L]

Jones - Cheers, I am still amazed at how much I have managed to achieve by trying to constantly chipping away at this.

But I must confess the recent run of sudden showers has slowly driven me mad, as getting the covers on & off wastes so much time.

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Sunday - Plan B:
A major change in plans saw me join my wife & teenage daughters on a shopping trip for clothes/shoes.

By the time we got back (and my trauma councillor had left ) I could only get a little bit done...

Ground/sanding down the fibreglass matting I laid on yesterday.

Which makes it easier to see this join slowly expanding.



But while cleaning up the mirror access holes I had a very bad feeling about the space I had left.

In my head I was looking at the space for a nut & washer to fit on the end of a bolt, no problem.

Except that it will be a bolt pushed through from the inside and fixed to the mirror like so.



Obviously, I had to pull the mirror out of its storage box just to check I had't messed things up.

Thankfully, there is plenty of room for the bolt (which will be cut a bit shorter) to fit in.
( Sorry about the blurred photo. )



I then did one small fibreglassing session to finish off the access holes on both sides.





Note:
You can see that I have started joining the top corners of the Spitfire bulkhead to the body shell at this point too.

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Fibreglass Air Pockets:
It is a shame to read about the problems Smash is having with his 250 SWB "next door".

As his custom made bumpers looked amazing.



Apart from some rough "patches" that were there when my kit was delivered, < Touch Wood > my car's body work seems OK.

It has been kept outside for years now in sub-zero temperature during the Winter and over 90 degrees during the Summer.

Although Mister Towed made a valid point about how dark colours (mine will be BRG) get hotter than lighter colours, such as his silver.

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"Real" Work Update:
I will be back in the office tomorrow morning for a briefing on my next project.

So this will give me a much better idea of how much car time I will have in the next few months.

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Until next time, take care, Paul.

[micky1mo]

Originally Posted by swifty

Think the guy is called George Hodges.

I'v been in regular contact with George over the last few month and your right he is a real nice guy and although he 75 years young he's still a bit of a "petrol head" on the quite.
Interestingly he told me he brought the body tub from Mike in Poole!!

This is his latest project, it's a NCF Torino (I thought Starky and Hutch drove a Torino).


I have asked him to use this forum but he's old school and not into computers

[Paul L]

Micky1Mo - If you get the chance, please let George know that we like his Spyder build.

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A Mildly Manic Monday:
Given the forecast, I was taking a chance to quickly peel back the covers and start working on the car this afternoon.

I just managed to enlarge the holes on both sides of the hand brake panel, where the seat belt anchor bolt goes.
( It was a rushed job. )



During which time the sky looked like this.



But a quick look in the other direction told a different story.



I was just about to mix up some fibreglass filler to seal up the gaps around these holes when I knew my number was up.

Thankfully I got the covers on just as the rain started and I was safely indoors when the hailstones arrived!

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Even though I haven't managed to get any work done on the car, there have been some major developments…

First of all, I popped into the office this morning and my next project has a kick off meeting at 8.30am tomorrow!

I've also been enrolled me on a 5 day training course next week, so this is all good news for me (& my family).

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Secondly, you might remember that I posted this "Next Steps" plan a while back.

Phase 1 - "Home":
- Reshape the rear driver's side arch.
- Extend the rear inner arches to meet the body shell.
- "Seal off" the remaining gaps at the rear end of the car.
- Fit the internal cockpit panels.

Phase 2 - "Away":
- Triumph specialist help, including wheel alignment.

Phase 3 - "Home":
- Reshape the front arches and extend the sides of the body shell.
- Complete all remaining work required to get the car on the road.

As I have almost completed Phase 1, I dropped an email to the Triumph specialist ( www.jyclassics.co.uk ) this morning.

Normally they have a waiting list, but, due to a late cancellation, my car is now due to be collected at 11am on Thursday!!

Obviously, I have explained the car is still (very much) a "work in progress".

The current list of work includes:
- Engine - Full service / set up.
- Clutch - Pedal will not budge, so it is currently stuck in neutral.
- Brake & clutch fluid - Replace.
- Set up hand brake
- Oil pressure gauge - The broken gauge currently fitted in the engine bay needs to be replaced with a sensor for the new electric gauge I've fitted in the dashboard.
- Set up wheel alignment and tracking
- Fix sheered off bolt in the rear passenger drum brake
- Fix cross threaded seat belt mounting on hand brake panel
- Check gear box drain plug, as I think that is cross threaded too
- Replace temporary fuel filter arrangement with a permanent solution

I am actually really excited at the prospect of being able to drive the car when it is returned.
( Even if it is only for a few feet forwards and backwards within the confines of my driveway. )

Although the real leap forward for the build will be the fact the position of the front wheels will be correct.
( I will have to keep my fingers crossed when the rear wheels are set up properly. )

Which, in turn, will allow me to start "Phase 3", which represents the last major bit of modification work.

From that point on, it will be a case of working my way through the final tick list of jobs to get ready for an MOT.

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Until next time, take care, Paul.

[lancelot link]

Originally Posted by micky1mo

Interestingly he told me he brought the body tub from Mike in Poole!!

I think , in the early days of Miglia , Mike might have p/ex a Sammio kit against a Miglia , rings a bell ...would be around 3 years ago , so if the timings fit , that may be the body George bought ..?

[Paul L]

Tuesday:
Tried to do a bit of work on the car this afternoon, but it all got a bit messy.

It started well enough, as I just unwrapped the front of the car.



So I could remove the battery.



I want to give it a quick charge today, before attempting to restart the engine tomorrow.
( Before it gets collected on Thursday. )

Then the front got covered back up and the back was uncovered.

I then sanded down the body shell where drops of resin & filler had made a mess.



I then cleaned up the inside of the cockpit and it was all so far, so good.

The sky was looking OK, so I put some etch primer over the sanded down sections of body work.

Rather than stop to take any photos, I went straight on to mixing up some fibreglass filler.

And I was in the middle of applying this when I could see SNOW landing all around me.

I couldn't believe it, as it has come out of nowhere.

So there was a mad dash around as I tried to get the covers on the car and everything else indoors.

What a pain in the

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[Paul L]

Wednesday - Part 1
Peeled off the covers to see if yesterday's snow had any effect on the primer.



Thankfully, it all seemed OK, apart from the fact the snow left water under the covers.



And the filler I abandoned mid application needed to be cleaned up.



I also had to clean filler mess on the inside & edges of the cockpit, which then required a touch up with etch primer.

I had apply some filler over one of the fibreglass joins near the bulkhead.



So at some point I will do this properly over all of the fibreglass on the inside of the cockpit.

My close up photos were rubbish, but I needed to seal off some small gaps between the bulkhead and body shell.



I used some tiger seal and this was the best I could do for the 'after' photo.



As I had the tiger seal out, I nailed the "hole" back into position.



Before sealing the edges and pilot hole in the middle.



Once this has set, I'll add some fibreglass over the top.

Hoovered the boot and this is the cleanest it has looked in ages.



I then wrapped the rear wiring loom in a dust sheet to keep it out of the way.



Put some etch primer on the filler I had used around the seat belt mounting holes on the hand brake panel.



While I was at it, I also sprayed some other sections in this area.
( Obviously, I still need to come back and do the whole interior properly. )



End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

Wednesday - Part 2:
Pushed the car along the driveway so I could get a better look at the new twin pipes.



They seemed very low to me & a quick check confirmed there is currently just over 4 inches of clearance.



So getting the car over the lip of my driveway without hitting the pipes may be a challenge.

Anyway, while the car was "out", I took a few photos of the cockpit.









I know it still looks very rough at this stage, but it all feels very strong.

I also took my usual 'before' & 'after' photos of the driveway.





However, in between these two photos Mr Clumsy struck again…

As I managed to break the hose connection…



Which covered me in water before I could turn the tap off.

Then to make matters worse, the weather suddenly turned and I had to get the car back in position and the covers on ASAP.



At least this time the light rain/snow/hail mix landed on the outside of the covers.

End of Part 2…

[Paul L]

Wednesday - Part 3:
Unfortunately, everything else was piled into the porch.





But I had to wait until the weather improved before I could carry all of this to the Summerhouse/shed at the end of the garden.

Both of which are now a complete mess (again), but at least the porch is tidy.





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Close, but no cigar…
I then tried to make the most of the dry weather to restart the engine.
- I got some "fresh" petrol to add to the tank.
- But the battery back in & a seat to sit on.
- Turned on the ignition and absolutely nothing, I was gutted!
- Eventually traced the problem to the wires for the heater switch as these were hanging loose & shorting out against the bulkhead.
- With the wires taped out of the way, the ignition light came on.
- My glass fuel filter lets me see that petrol is getting through.
- But despite using some 'easy start' it just wouldn't start and run.
- It would only fire up for a few seconds before cutting out again.

Whilst this was disappointing, it will shortly be in the hand of people who know what they are doing.

So until next time take care, Paul.

[Paul L]

Thursday
I found a couple of photos to compare my twin pipe set up with other Cordite/Navigators:

Me



DonnySoutherner



Mac



It is always hard to tell from the angles of the photos, but my pipes don't look too low.

Actually, I really love the way the back end of my car looks.

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Thankfully the pipes passed their first couple of "tests" today.

Test 1
The guy from JYClassics arrived with the car trailer and there was nowhere to park.

So he had to stop in the middle of the road and my neighbour helped as we pushed the car out of my driveway.

The pipes cleared the edge of the drive, where it drops down from the pavement towards the house.

Test 2
Pushing the car onto the ramps on the trailer tipped the nose of the car up & the pipes down.

But, again, the pipes cleared the road (although there wasn't much in it).

As it was all a bit of a rush I didn't get a chance to photo the car on the street next to a "normal" car.

However, seeing it on the road for the first time really highlights how tiny it is compared to everything else.

Even sitting on the trailer it is still lower than the Golf parked behind it.



So my car is now in the hands of Triumph specialists and I am sure they can sort out all the issues that are beyond me.

It seemed very strange to be looking at a completely empty driveway.



Later on, when my wife swung her Micra into my "workshop" it looked like a 4x4 by comparison.

Until next time take care, Paul.