Tribute Z3gato (?!!) - Page 16

Jaguartvr · #1 15th September 2018, 12:45

I fitted a new battery to mine but it isn't taxed so not being used. I get in it turn the key and nothing or sometimes a clicking. Connect a battery pack to it and it starts first time. Remove the battery pack straight away and it will still start and will do so for about a week. After that it needs the booster to kick it back into life. New battery, clean terminals, can't work it out unless ut goes into sleep mode when not used for a length of time, my Harley does this but I have never heard of a BMW doing it.

Barber · #2 19th September 2018, 20:09

Lancelot Link raised a valid point about not enough pictures of how the car is shaping up, soI thought I would share some of the thinking about how Chris and I are evolving the Z3gato.

For the side profile, all the Zagato/Pininfarina influences of the 1960s come into play in part. However, the images below of the Lancia Flamina and the AM DB4 models give the general impression best, though at the front, the AM more round wing profile and the Lancia Appia is more where we are going. At the rear, we are definitely going for a longer boot as the Lancias and AM show, rather than the short one on the Bristol. The Lancia Flamina’s front wings have a bit of the Jaguar look about them, and we are not going for that.

The Bristol gives a better idea of where the rear quarter light is going to be, though it is not too dissimilar to the others.

Note the slight flares on the Flamina’s arches. The Appia and Bristol have none, and the AM only on the front. Though the Z3gato arches are rounded, they will have the flares. The hump over the wheel arch will be more like the Bristil/AM, and the wing will taper down as per the lancia Appia and the AM.

Lancia Flamina Side

Lancia Appia Side

AM Side

Bristol Side

For the rear, you can see from progress so far, that the wing profiles are quite different. The AM is horizontal/rounded, whereas the Lancia Appia has quite pronounced sloping shoulders. The Z3gato will be somewhere between, and is looking good to me (which right now is all that matters).

Rear lights will be more like the AM, ie separate units, but set within a single recess. The number plate light unit is going to be the plate/reverse light as per Jaguar, AM and several others of the period. The AM has a molding on the boot that flows into the light unit, whereas the Lancia is flush to the boot surface. So we are aiming for the smaller AM type fitting, but with a flush fitting against the boot.

I am not going for bumpers, so the rear wings / valance will be more like the AM, though not exactly the same. I’ll get better pictures next time.

AM Rear

Lancia Appia rear

Hopefully for next time, I’ll have some update progress on the front to share.

Jaguartvr · #3 20th September 2018, 13:21

Door window of the Aston reminds me of the Z3 coupe window.

Barber · #4 2nd October 2018, 10:56

Chris has made more progress on the front, lengthening the bonnet aperture and air scoop. I can see why the shaping of the scoop mouth has been done, but prefer it to be more snub nosed like the pictures posted earlier.

Happy times though.

That lip looks a bit like Rio Ferdinand's wobbly flap. ;-)

The grill obviously looks much better with the grill in place.

Jaguartvr · #5 2nd October 2018, 12:45

Looking at the second picture, it looks as if Chris is using a full width 250 bonnet and necking it in to fit a Z3 using existing doors, ie no door skins.
Does this mean it would be not a major job to graft the Z3gato grill and light area to a standard 250swb bonnet?
Ideally would like the Z3gato in widebody version but as the convertible. Quite happy to stick with the current 250 convertible rear end, just delete the vents on the front and rear side panels.

Jaguartvr · #6 12th October 2018, 08:01

Has MrTowed had a helping hand in that bonnet scoop?

Barber · #7 24th October 2018, 11:49

Chris sent me some updates in the past few days. I am going down to see progress in the flesh tomorrow, so may have some more photos.

Fuel filler location, and slightly more built up rear wing profile.

Rear wings to be dropped more at the back,
wip obviously

Note the rhs is now higher than the untreated lhs at the top of the wing. Both lower wings are further down than previously.

Scoop leading edge has been made more of a 90 degree cut,

Jaguartvr · #8 24th October 2018, 11:56

Looking good, such a shame Chris doesn't post anymore as the development of new cars is the best part of the forum.
When you go down can you ask Chris if the front section could be grafted onto a 250swb front clam.

I don't think I can wait for the development of the convertible, you 2 are working so slowly

I didn't think the rear window would work but it now looks very good.
Did Mouller help with cutting out on the fuel filler?

Barber · #9 24th October 2018, 12:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaguartvr

Looking good, such a shame Chris doesn't post anymore as the development of new cars is the best part of the forum.
When you go down can you ask Chris if the front section could be grafted onto a 250swb front clam.

I don't think I can wait for the development of the convertible, you 2 are working so slowly

I didn't think the rear window would work but it now looks very good.
Did Mouller help with cutting out on the fuel filler?

The fuel filler at the original location was cut out so the the fuel could be topped up. The buck car still drives. I believe that the front is more akin to WCAs narrowed SWB bonnet, but I'll check if the new nose can be fitted to a regular 250 SWB bonnet.

Barber · #10 24th October 2018, 14:06

I have just been away for two weeks, and the battery did not go flat. This afternoon I started the Z3 up and it kicked into life first time. I have been using an uprated windscreen solar trickle charger, as per:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AA-50601146.../dp/B00AC1LLQY
note: this is a 2.4W cell. My forst one was 1 point something and proved to be useless. The current one is either 5 or 6 watts. The extra £10-£20 is worth it.

I took the car for a vigorous spin to charge the battery up. Everything as expected, other than a peculiar high frequency reedy noise at speeds (let's say) around the legal limit.

I pulled over, opened the bonnet and had a poke around. Nothing obviously amiss. However, seeing as it is autumn, and we have an abundance of chestnut and beech trees near us, there are plenty of leaves around, and one (of the many trapped under the bonnet) had become caught under the windscreen wiper. Once everything was cleared, the noise seems to have disappeared. I'll have to give it another spirited test tomorrow.

Barber · #11 25th October 2018, 12:56

Pictures taken this morning. The lines and proportions are coming together, but we are agreed that Chris can now match the unfinished side to the one viewed. There will be some minor tweaks along the way. But we are just about at the stage of filling and smoothing. I left one of my AM fuel filler caps so that the rear wing can be modified to suit.

Front 3/4

Updated Grill

Rear wing line/boot

molleur · #12 25th October 2018, 13:24

Coming along very nicely!

smash · #13 25th October 2018, 15:42

Well that looks.....really very, very nice. That roof line and rear screen is a big step forward from SWB. There's some lovely curves - love the front but the roof back is really gorgeous. Looking quite the package. FFS don't badge it!!

molleur · #14 25th October 2018, 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by smash

Well that looks.....really very, very nice. That roof line and rear screen is a big step forward from SWB. There's some lovely curves - love the front but the roof back is really gorgeous. Looking quite the package. FFS don't badge it!!

Big step forward, looks the business.

Barber · #15 26th October 2018, 09:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by smash

Well that looks.....really very, very nice. That roof line and rear screen is a big step forward from SWB. There's some lovely curves - love the front but the roof back is really gorgeous. Looking quite the package. FFS don't badge it!!

Smash, point taken. I'll address several replies in one go here. The whole design takes loads of Zagato cues from different marques. Without a doubt in my eyes, the AM version is the most beautiful car overall, but this shape varies considerably in many areas, so badging would be mis-representative in the extreme, and not my intention (apart maybe from some BMW "Z's" on the front wings a la Zagato). For example, the bonnet is modified SWB, the roof is modified 275, the rear is chopped 250 coupe, the cills are Cobra and a Micra rear screen is nothing like any of the Zagato models, not to mention the Ford nose. The side grills are from an unknown vehicle that Chris picked up from an auto jumble some years ago.

All along, and discussed again this week with Chris, I just wanted a beautiful car that I could drive as a daily runaround in my retirement, and the 250 SWB didn't quite do it for me.

Jaguartvr · #16 25th October 2018, 15:55

I think it should be sold without the vents, customer would have to add them themselves. Should be made to sign a disclaimer when buying saying they won't infringe any trademarks by miss badging it. Don't know if it would hold up but at least it would show that Tribute were trying to avoid any copyright infringement.

Gamphy · #17 25th October 2018, 17:12

Looking really good, well done Tribute. Rear wings look like the AM pic on page 1. .Just my taste, but the transition between the rear screen and the rear wing looks a bit odd, perhaps its just the angle of the photo.

smash · #18 26th October 2018, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gamphy

L but the transition between the rear screen and the rear wing looks a bit odd, perhaps its just the angle of the photo.

Is it not because it's a separate piece at the moment before being being finished for splashing? I'm guessing, I don't know.

It's never going to be correct but as an interpretation - hell just as a very pretty car - it's really working for me.

DaveP · #19 26th October 2018, 08:49

I really like it. Great to see a development thread coming together.

Wonder what a Zag front and Kobra rear would look like

Barber · #20 26th October 2018, 09:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveP

I really like it. Great to see a development thread coming together.

Wonder what a Zag front and Kobra rear would look like

It took a long time to convince Chris to have a go at this (about a year), and only on the basis of cannibalising as much of existing panels as possible. Also, that it would only get done when it got done. My fallback plan was a narrowed 250 bonnet a la WCA, cobra rear and a Z3 hard top. That would have been much cheaper, and on the road by now!