Scottie's Tribute A352 build

[Scottie22]

I want to be able to drive the car in all weathers, but that will throw up all sorts of problems.

Have a good look at the doors? They are tiny, as far as I can tell, even with the real Mcoy, entry and exit cannot be achieved with the roof on.

Therefore, even in the rain. the roof will have to be lowered all be it briefly,
to allow you to get in and out.

I will try to sort something out in that area, but Jaguar didn't!
Mind you, I knew all this before I started the build, but still could not resist.

Of all the reviews that have been written on the car, they all agree that the "roof" was just an "after thought" Hmmmmmmm.............

Watch this space, but don't expect miracles!

[dougie.doo2]

Good Morning. I am looking at Spitfire based cars and yours looks great.

Is using the steel tub of the Siptfire a good idea, eh?

[Scottie22]

I think so. The steel tub remains on the chassis, and the car engine will start throughout the build, so it can be moved about.

What you end up with, is a car that looks like a fabulous Jaguar, but does not have the hefty running costs etc. Also, being much lighter than the original donar, the performance is much better than a Spitfire and so is the fuel economy, go for it!

[WorldClassAccident]

Hmmmm, almost like basing it on a modern 6 sylinder car...

...I could post a picture but I seem to have drunk a bottle of wine ;-)

[Scottie22]

Wine seems to ruin your spelling as well! :-)

[Mister Towed]

I like the look of your bracing for the central cockpit extension - I think you'll find that's where your hand will naturally fall and take your weight when you climb aboard.

I know you're looking to be as authentic as possible when detailing your XKSS-alike, but you're right not to get too hung up on the tiny details. Most people (including me) have never seen a real XKSS, so your homage won't stand out as a copy. My humble effort actually fooled the chairman of the Lancia owners' club into believing it was the real deal at Goodwood...

I recently read in a copy of Octane magazine that the owner of a genuine 60's $500,000 Shelby Cobra is fed up with being constantly complimented on how nice his kit car looks when he takes it out in public.

Now get on and get it finished and we'll have to arrange a Jaguar v Lancia Le Mans start style b&w photo shoot of us jumping into our cars.

[Scottie22]

Looking at some of the other builds, especially Paul's, I think perhaps I should make a couple of points.

Chris's (Automotive) A352 is a fairly straightforward build, and if I had chosen to build it as he intended, I would most likely have finished it now.

However, I have chosen to use the A352 body shell to re-create specifically a Jaguar XKSS.

In so doing I have made the build so much more complicated than it would be for a "normal" car build.

I hope this has not put people off, as my build is only difficult because I have chosen to make it so.

I sometimes think "why did I not build a normal one?" But I didn't, because I knew what I wanted.

When I first saw Chris's original the advert on ebay, I could immediately see the potential, and thought- "XKSS I want one"

And here we are now!

So any of you out there wanting to have a go at one, do it! It HAS to be easier than what I'm doing!

Just look at Patoune, he bangs them out in a few weeks! And very nice too.

[Scottie22]

Mister T.

You are spot on with all your comments.

read something you had put on your thread about entry and exit from cars with no doors, and where the left hand was positioned.

My car has doors, if you can call them that!

But I have to use the same method as you for entry, so it was imperative that I had to do something in that area.

When the extension goes in, that will sit on a frame which will also need to withstand the hand!

I can identify with your feeling of elation when your car fooled that chap,

when I had my "seven" on the road, a fella in a Lotus Elise offered me a
straight swap, because he thought it was an expensive original !

I turned him down as I actually proffered what I had, plus he would have been a bit irritated when he found out the truth!

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by Scottie22

I can identify with your feeling of elation when your car fooled that chap,

when I had my "seven" on the road, a fella in a Lotus Elise offered me a
straight swap, because he thought it was an expensive original !

I turned him down as I actually proffered what I had, plus he would have been a bit irritated when he found out the truth!

Ha ha! Yes, I've had a genuine offer of a straight swap for a 62 plate Astra SRi.

Crazy as it may seem the answer was thanks but no thanks.

[Scottie22]

The main reason for refusal is that any Tom Dick or Harry can buy a 62 Astra, but certainly cannot buy what you are driving around!
And that is why he wanted yours!

[Paul L]

Scottie & Mister Towed - I think you both right that you do not need to create perfect replicas.

Instead you have/will have achieved the essence of the two cars that you both admire.

I think most people can see you are putting extra effort in compared to a standard build Scottie.

I know I keep telling people no kit will be as much of a pain in the **** as my Cordite.

But I hope that people who have read about Mr T, or myself, will see what "normal" people can do.

The list of things Mr T did for the first time has always inspired me to give things a go.

Whilst I would have preferred everything to bolt together, I love the fact I can now weld (sort of).

Cheers, Paul.

[Scottie22]

I felt creative today, so I started with a flat sheet of aloominum, as our Americano friends call it, and bashed away with a hammer for a few hours, and, all of a sudden it took shape!

Just look what I made! Not bad for a first attempt…….





[IMG][/IMG]


Seriously though, I did start with a sheet of alloy, which I would
fabricate into the rear seat cockpit divider, I will make a frame to support it before I fit to the body. As Mr Towed pointed out, this will be the bit that the left hand rests on when getting into the car,
so it needs to be robust.


[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

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[Scottie22]

I forgot to add:
The picture of the alloy body above was hand made from flat aluminium on an “English wheel” all done by “eye.”
You can plainly See where all the panels were joined together
What skill must that take? Fantastic.

[landmannnn]

Amazing, particularly since aluminium stretches and hardens so quickly.

[Scottie22]

I would like to make it clear that I did not make the alloy body.............

[Scottie22]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Mister Towed]

Wow Scottie, I like the body you made in your first picture.

How did you manage to hammer the alloy so thin it went see-through to make the screen?

And what diid you use for the compound curves on the bonnet, the English wheel or the Irish blarney?

Sorry Scottie, I know you didn't really make the alloy body. I do like the bit you have made though.

I'd be tempted to not prep that bit too well for paint, then deliberately buff some of it off after spraying to expose the aluminium beneath.

That should give part of the car a distressed antique feel and help with the deception that it's sixty years old. Up to you though.

[WorldClassAccident]

I like the idea of leaving a bit of the ally exposed through the paint. That way when people are poring over the car they will see it is a genuine aluminium body and not a plastic replica ;-)

I saw some houses being built in a little village once. All the other houses were stone built and white washed. The new ones were breeze block and looked awful during construction. At the last moment they stuck a few stones onto the breeze blocks, gave a rough render and white wash leaving the stones exposed. The finished houses looked just like all the old houses in the village, remarkably effective disguise.

[Scottie22]

What a brilliant idea WCA, I'm just a bit concerned that if I stick too many stones on the car, it will slow it down too much!

[Scottie22]

Mr T, I think it may have been the Irish blarney!

I like Your idea about the distressed look, particularly as when I finished it,
I did think "what a shame to have to paint it"

What do you think about WCA's idea about covering it with rocks?