Triumph Spitfire 2.5.

Chalkies mad 3.31.

2011-01-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

P' Street in the snow.

2011-01-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

Mr Dids does "The Rising".

2011-01-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

Multi Mold Rear sides.

2010-05-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Jobs are getting simpler.
At least for a while.
Using the lines already layed in place, I can use the mini grinder to draw a line.
Guess i'm using the same principle as sanding a block of wood, on its edge.
Following the line through.
Its just as workable to use a inked line, building the filler up to wards its mee ting point.
Either way is cool.
Its handy to rub a smidgen of release wax, on to the plugs, before applying some cellotape.
The paint is reasonably delicate, for the process.
Laying in filler, using the groove.
Chisels and paper flatten, and blend in bottom groove line, so, 1.5 soon becomes 2.
I like to remove, the framing/cellotape, etc, over night, at this stage.
The locators, for the various sections, are luckily assisted by some metal feet, for, generally , items of furniture:)
The other split lines, look easier to seal.
Strip of wood, from Diy, for front.
Card, clear plastic covering, plus assorted for outer/front most line.
Sourced , for inner.
Alittle spray, and corners should be set in place, ready for release wax.

Rear alterations 4.

2010-04-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

Rear alterations 3.

2010-04-24T02:57:00.001-07:00

Rear alterations 2. Dash switch board CF.

2010-04-24T02:54:00.000-07:00

Rear alterations 1.

2010-04-24T02:48:00.000-07:00

Centre section, under rear number plate 5.

2009-09-18T04:19:00.000-07:00

Rough position of new plug.

Centre section, under rear number plate 4.

2009-09-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

All work boards photoed upside down, from how article will sit on car.

Centre section, under rear number plate 3.

2009-09-03T04:04:00.000-07:00

Centre section, under rear number plate 2.

2009-09-03T04:02:00.001-07:00

Centre section, under rear number plate.

2009-09-03T03:59:00.000-07:00

Roof plug pic's.

2009-08-31T02:57:00.000-07:00

Weekend work bench 2.

2009-08-17T02:16:00.001-07:00

Weekend work bench.

2009-08-17T02:12:00.000-07:00

Replacement dash & Rear badge mix.

2009-08-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Replacing dash Top looks straight forward.

If I need to save CF, I can use a layer of Fiberglass Cloth.

Can remove quite a lot of the chrome housing. Maybe even open a little of the top, to allow me to

posistion closer to rear number plate.

Letters for badge replacement, are a little bigger, but will still look ok I hope. I'll still keep most of the "Chrome framing" from the Chrome housing.

Rear light panels 17.

2009-08-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

Made the template, by roughly cutting piece of straight plywood. Drilling holes, on edge to hold filler. Sticky tape, to protect surface. Fast cured filler, so only had to hold for couple of minutes. After removing the inner edge, it'll give me a pretty good line for other side.

Rear light panels 16.

2009-08-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Rear light panels 15.

2009-08-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

I'm liking this version better. It ticks all the boxes, for me.

Still need to finish lines, add to inner light pod, and choose a line, so that I can add divider panel, and lower diffuser, later on.

Rear light panels 14.

2009-08-07T07:06:00.001-07:00

Rear light panels 13.

2009-08-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

While taking measurements, to continue other side, I figure on trying to raise curve up, infact, cut out entire section, and replace.

I could sweep in as it is, but I'm more in the mind of allowing more ease on any flow, exiting easier.

I've lost the other lower additions for now, making it easy to template things up abit.

Rear light panels 12.

2009-08-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

A few lines need smoothing.

The right "pillar" for licence plate (Terrible bit of sanding:) needs to round off into, centre.

The harsh, horizontal line in centre, needs to go, so the centre section curves, sweeps, in.

All needs going over again, at a later date. But I need to finish up this side for now.

Rear light panels 11.

2009-08-05T11:26:00.001-07:00

Rear light panels 10.

2009-08-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Rear light panels 9.

2009-08-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

Have to now, make sure theres an effective seal around the rear number plate chrome light housing. Trim as the rear, of the plate holding chrome light housing, bring the line down, from end of wings chrome edging, to newly added pieces.

Rear light panels 8.

2009-08-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Rear light panels 7.

2009-07-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

Rear light panels 6.

2009-07-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

Think I have some good angles on the various features, so far.

Rear light panels 5.

2009-07-31T10:07:00.002-07:00

Rear light panels 4.

2009-07-31T10:07:00.001-07:00

Rear light panels 3.

2009-07-31T09:59:00.001-07:00

I went for a triangular formation, of rear side lights.

Did contemplate vertical line, etc, but wanted to keep the lights, relatively high.

The overall angle is curving out, in line with back of rear spoiler.

Pointed bottom rear side light down, to add effect.

Rear light panels 2.

2009-07-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

I could have put the rear lights, in the back of rear spoiler.

Although, I have some room to play with, volume of air coming in,

to being channeled out.

The rear side light panel, will have to be molded/ made, seperate to the inner side radiator panels, which need to made to allow for the thickness of rear side light panel.

Rear light panels.

2009-07-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

The start of panel was abit of experimenting. I could see the possibility to pinch the wing lines, into the downward line of rear spoiler. At the same time, blending in rear light panel.

Rear lights.

2009-07-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

I would like to include various bits of chrome, at the rear of car.

The side , end of wing chrome strips, part of the rear licence plate light holder, and maybe some of bumper. Aswell as chrome around lights, I figure, will compliment each other.

The bumper I'd like to leave deciding about for now. Leave my options open, as to a bikini style, maybe sections at side joined by a Carbon Fiber "replacement section." Maybe complete CF, or none at all. Either way, the rear bumper has been sectioned with the grinder, ensuring I have the piece I need more so now, the rear Licence plate light holder, and "Base plate."

2009-06-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

2009-06-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

Removing of mold, was quite straight forward, when i approached the task, in the right way:)

I found that there was nothing really to push against, or, split against, using wooden chisel shaped strips. So, i un bolted old roof, which was skeleton for plug, and jacked the whole assembly up. Then went to work on splitting plug from mold. Plug split in several pieces, some areas stayed on mold, nothing drastic. Few areas of paint etc need cleaning off, but i always expect to sand a little, so all part of process.

2009-06-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

2009-06-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

Fibre glassing, (Laying up) went well. Lost track, slightly, of how many layers, so calculated on weight. In all, i used 30 kilos of resin,

for the three main sections, of roof mold.

Roof plug 37.

2008-08-28T03:03:00.000-07:00

Plug not looking too bad. More alterations needed, but overall quite pleased with progress.
Side vent molds have been taken. These will be filled completely.
As will the plug areas.

Roof plug 36.

2008-07-29T02:35:00.000-07:00

Side vents have also been changed....yet again!
But these are the last , and final version.
Now , i will spray plug, sand, to take out the slight imperfections.
The side vents will be molded , and then those areas, filled in.
I have to take a quick shape template of front vent, middle line, so as to mold this area in two.

Roof plug 35.

2008-07-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

Removable panel sections, have decent frame work area aswell.
Central vent section has had slight shape change.

Roof plug 34.

2008-07-29T02:23:00.000-07:00

Well, after being away, on a working holiday, of sorts, i have been altering various parts of the plug.
The dimple effects, at front of rear cut out, kinda bugged me, so there gone now. And ive quickly stuck in a section, at rear, for mold frame.

Roof plug 33.

2008-05-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hopefully tomorrow i get to take a mold from this plug.
My concern is for the lower radiator mounting holes, seen in photo. These are bordering a trap for release. So ive lightly filled these into
plug, If they stick, i can carefully cut off, and sand mold more appropriately.
I have some color ready for Gelcoat, and resin. Green for molds,
Black for articles.
I always find Gelcoat works better with color added.
Figure on using around four layers of 600 for mold.

Getrag Bell housing.

2008-05-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

After quite a wait, the Getrag Bell housing has arrived!
Needs tidying a little, and obviously i need to check the measurements etc, but its here!!!

Roof plug 32.

2008-05-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

Not much done since last post.
Have had to spend more time, than i'd like, pricing, and preparing for a job.
Luckily though, as the job is fabricating a pond, i had to go to the Fiber glass suppliers, and was given a roll of Woven matt. Wooooaaahhhhh!!
Rivnut gun looks cool. Will use it over weekend hopefully.
Cut some new side panels, using MDF. Not
the best medium to use, as filler needs a
decent key to fix properly. But should be okay.
So, i need to fix these MDF panels, using Rivnuts, and rounded bolts.
Fill to wheel arch plates, (Seen in pic) then fill over to
"L" shaped semi circular center panel
sections.

Roof plug 31.

2008-05-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Good thing about the additive sculpture technique, is that
it allows changes as you go through the process.
So, rear spoiler sides match better now.

Started making plugs for new designed rear radiator side panels.
Although i cant do much at the moment, as im waiting for a Rivnut kit, as suggested on Sideways Technology's, by GT6Steve.

And ive now removed the boot floor section completely.
Found few bits of rust pockets. But otherwise looks ok.

Roof plug 30.

2008-05-09T05:21:00.000-07:00

One side plate for rear spoiler is nearly completed.
Have also blended in underneath, to meet the
original gutter for boot lid.
And have started to add rear number plate section.
This will be slightly curved horizontally,
filled in, and given a similar vertical line as original location.

Roof plug 29.

2008-05-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

So, posted on a Mathematics forum, to find out how i calculate MPH, of smoke test.
Answer..."how long of an 8" pipe, in miles, would it take to encompass 1600m^3? Since the hours cancel each other out in the division this length would be your answer."
Each extractor was 8 inch in Diameter.
Figures says its 1600m3/hr.

1600(M^3) = 56503.4668 FT^3

1 foot of 8inch tubing is 0.349 cubic feet.

Divided. Got:
161901.051002865 FT.
Converted above to miles.

That equals= 30.6630miles.
Which in turn equals the MPH of test.

Roof plug 28.

2008-05-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Radiator housing sides need to be altered.
Got a nice gap, between these side sections, and inner sides, of rear spoiler end plates. So, anticipating an effective sealing point there.
It would be great to fabricate this radiator housing in one, and being able to just drop it in, bolt down. The spoiler will be removable, so possible, if im concious of angles, of spoiler inner sealing surfaces, rear vent, and attachment to underneath of roof.
The central metal panel, which has the petrol filler cap, usually found on Spitfire will be removed. Just have to find the logical positioning for air feed from NACA's,
and front central vent, aiming at radiator.
As well as water tubing.
Maybe i'll have opportunity to replace original petrol tank........
Started filling in drivers side spoiler end plate.
But think ive messed up on the height abit.
So need to triple check that tomorrow.

Roof plug 27.

2008-05-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Smoke test went pretty well, i think.
I had some trouble lighting the pellets,
in a cage, to stop them from drawn into air .
But managed to light two at a time. Eight in total.
As i was lighting second pellet, smoke was gathering,
then when i lite second, switched extractors on, and whoosh!!
Smoke hit rear rad, pretty much full on.
Im wondering how this will change, if any, at higher speeds....
I didn't bother testing NACA ducts, as firstly there blocked, and secondly, i regard the roof as main feed.
I can easily block either side of rear rad', to rear spoiler side fencing.
One thing i did notice, was observing from rear, small upward trickles of smoke, from bottom of rad'.

Roof plug 26.

2008-05-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will hopefully see a smoke test. Making my own smoke , has been replaced by purchasing smoke pellets.
Have a radiator, (Can see it in background) to place in rear section. And some odds and ends to help out.

Roof plug 25.

2008-05-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

Went for removing rear metal panel completely
figure i can get enough strength from rear wing, and vent , to be
added below that. Options seem to be a shelfed vent, or just rounded in line with back of car.
Decided to wait for airflow test. It seems its possible to make your own smoke pellets using Potassium Nitrate , sugar and i believe Baking powder, to slow the smoke process down. Also Dye can be added , which might be a possibility worth considering.

Roof plug 24.

2008-05-02T06:41:00.001-07:00

Rear section mostly cut out. Tomorrow, i will be
testing airflow again, with smoke hopefully.

Roof plug 23.

2008-04-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

Adapting rear downforce section, will see the "n" shaped
surround blended into rear of roof plug.
I have cut two sections of batoning, and sat them into channel,
and leveled "n" section to meet trim edges (Rear). Then filled up to side wing lips, and placed, what i hope will be new profile, on outer edges.

Roof plug 22.

2008-04-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

Focusing some attention on rear section,
rear air outlet, and rear spoiler.
Im hoping to fabricate a mold from wood,
for rear air outlet, then lay up
GRP around it, then cut wood off.
Rear spoiler needs altering,
mainly end "plates",
to fit flush with back of roof .
Bumper section , and rear license plate,
are abit of a concern, at the moment.
Aswell as section between rear lights, and lights themselves.
I would like an additional rear air outlet between lights.
Id also like to change rear lights to round type, to match front.
License plate, might place on back of rear spoiler,
with a mounting area, incorporating a number plate light.

Roof plug 21.

2008-04-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

Contributions from Davesideways, JohnD, and Cliftyhanger led to a search for possible alternatives for testing airflow of new roof plug.
Problems being, that it is of course, unknown if air will flow to a rear mounted radiator.
My initial thought it to have two radiators, one smaller than used before, at front, and aux' at rear.
Then experiment to see how much rad' surface i can lose at front.
Bearing in mind that all im hoping to test is airflow, at this point, i thought these info' links looked promising.

http://www.first-to-fly.com/Adventure/Workshop/1901_wind_tunnel.htm
http://www.theplanpage.com/Months/2306/tunnel_files/tunnel.pdf
http://www.theplanpage.com/Months/2307/wt_pt2_files/wt_pt2.pdf

Roof plug 20.

2008-04-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Basically the roof plug is just about finished.
There are a few small areas that need finishing,
but nothing too time consuming.
So my attention will now be heading towards rear section,
outlet vents, rear spoiler. And of course doors..........

Roof plug 19.

2008-04-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Roof plug 18.

2008-04-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Fitted rear cut-out section.
Protruding rear side pieces will be trimmed.

Roof plug 17.

2008-04-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Busy week. Still managing to spend a few hours sanding, and preparing rear "cut out" panel.
Happy with progress, and result. Not likin the "crease" seen in photos, at rear left........

Roof plug 16.

2008-03-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Typical !! Tried several different side vents, and settled on the original
NACA air vents, i originally used in previous roof.
"Basically a NACA scoop is a recessed vent that aerodynamically draws air into it from the surface boundary layer air stream with very little penalty of drag."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NACA_duct

The rear section , as can be seen, has been removed , to allow for a drop. I have actually today, slightly widened this removed section.
Tomorrow, i plan to cut two NACA ducts, and use one half of each, to blend sides in. The reason for cutting two ducts, is that i originally made them as left and right, so not truly symmetrical.

Roof plug 15.

2008-03-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

Apparently a Suzuki Intruder 800cc bike will be occupying
the garage, along with Spitfire.
Wonder if i can whip out the engine, and sneakily install ,
along with the 2.5 straight six....

Roof plug 14.

2008-02-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

Tide is starting to turn....YAY!!
The side vents caused me serious messing about today....well...the passenger
side vent location did. My template mysteriously vanished...got thrown
a way by mistake...by a friend i suspect...:)
So...spent a while measuring location, and triple checking.

Roof plug 13.

2008-02-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

Drivers side section is near enough finished.
Side vent, (Not pictured) needs completing....and everything needs finishing in 220+ .
One of my level checking tools, has highlighted a variation in the passenger side...so, correction needed there...(highlighted in pencil.)
Passenger side is getting there...yay!

Roof plug 12.

2008-02-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

Not so much the roof plug, but still relevant to the overall work in progress.
Davesideways highlighted an important idea, a diffuser, and suggested the Lotus design be looked at and maybe copied.
Also, suggested installing front radiator , sticking ribbon, at rear to view air flow, before installing radiator.
When the prototype for first roof was fabricated, we tied string, to boot area, and observed flow into boot. But this new design hasn't had that benefit.
So prehaps a section could be removed from boot floor, a diffuser incorporated, and extra guaranteed flow directed towards rear radiator.

Roof plug 11.

2008-01-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

Started filling in passenger side.
The drivers side is pretty much set,
with two small sections to do, to complete this area.
I placed a sheet of plywood, along rear profile,
and carefully marked, and drilled small holes, to
guide ends. Then reversed sheet,
wedged against passenger side guides.
Side vent sections have been added, to drivers side, but will wait to fill in between, so as measuring for passenger side will be easier.

Roof plug 10.

2008-01-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

Painfully slow progress, work commitments take priority at the moment. Have a reasonable line from roof plug to original body work, still needs tidying, bu have the choise of finishing this line now, or fine sanding when mold is done.
Have decided the position of side vents,
which will curl round towards rear.

Roof plug 9.

2008-01-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

Small mistake, revealed in measuring yesterday.
Between either side f the rear section, there was a 3mm difference.
This meant that the petrol cap section , was slightly one sided.
No problem though, cut section out with grinder, re-set today.
Confirmed measurements again today, between front to rear, side to side, levels up and down, and everything is looking as it should be.
The area around the petrol cap is looking good. Slightly raised at either side, blending into surrounding area, makes a nice balance between sheer flat, and curved , sculptured "look".
The side areas are developing, although some thought is needed still, as to "join" to rear downforce wing . Easy to do, but a little more is required to make this area blend in successfully, without making this section look too "awkward".

Roof plug 8.

2008-01-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Not much time this last few days for plug....still managed to smooth off area shown.
Home decorating is still taking up alot of time...having to do two built in units. Looking forward to getting those out of the way, and getting on with plug!!

Roof plug 7.

2008-01-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

As the NACA vents have been removed, side vents are on he cards.
A bit of fun was had in trying to come up with a way of cutting the semi circular "taped" items seen here. First we made a mitre type box, which didn't work out as we hoped. So after a few other ideas were thrown around, we simply clamped the semi circles flat, scored, and cut.
These sections stick out from the car way too much , so it looks as if the way forward is to complete sides, make vents off car, in a box type fashion, cut these into sections, then remove mounting areas in sides of roof, and inlay round towards boot area.

Roof plug 6.

2008-01-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

Have blended in the previously "L" shaped rails for removable panels.
Thinking ahead, these could be coloured gelcoat, so no need for painting, or rubber strips , glued, to help seal from the good old English rain!
The rear section is starting to develop.

Roof plug 5.

2008-01-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

My initial hope was to blend the new plug, into the rear down force wing. How ever due to its shape a sufficiently strong join for mould is going to be hard, (but not impossible) to achieve. Also, by having the rear DF wing separate, it can be changed easily.
As can also be seen, the new roof will have no rear windscreen, and no boot lid.
The centre reinforcing section of DF wing is now not really needed, so a grinder made it vanish!:)

I don't know what it is, but i find alot of satisfaction in creating something like a plug, although i am my biggest critic. It always amazes me that the end result is something unique. Okay, so i could be classed as being too creative, can't even look at something like a piece of wood, without wanting to carve,or create something with it. One of the best pieces of advice i have ever had is to keep it simple. Maybe i am not following that with this part of build. But bearing in mind that this is a road car, with occasional track use, the benefits that could be part of the result, i feel it worth the effort.

Roof plug 4.

2008-01-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

These wooden strips come in real handy for supporting the filler, and for roughly guiding the sanding to a uniformed finish.
Also, as can be seen, the roof will now blend into side wings Every effort is being made to curve most areas, so as , i think, to keep the shape of the plug, in keeping with the curves of the Spitfire.
Usally i finish a plug by spraying it with primer, this fills the tiny holes that usually are left, and helps to visualise the finished item.

Roof plug 3.

2008-01-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Three guide strips added, filled in between, and sanded.
So now the result is a rough shape to work on.
Petrol cap section added, and lines brought towards the rear boot space area.
The plug area shown in this picture reminds me of a bird...or is just me?:)

Roof plug 2.

2008-01-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

Next step was to chop through main centre vent , to "n" section, to raise it up approx 5mm.
This will allow for a larger area to reinforce the "T" section, and allow for more curve across the shoulders.

Roof plug 1.

2008-01-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

After measuring, to find out any discrepancies, the first step i took was to give myself a guide line from near the front of main front vent, towards rear. This will enable me to keep a flat line at front , and gradually bring it into a curved line.

Roof .

2008-01-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

There were several things i wasn't happy with regarding the roof i made. And if "one" isn't happy with something, there seems to be only a few options. In my case i decided to re-do the roof, as i have the opportunity, and resources available. Things like this can be a fair amount of work, even with "cheats", but if a jobs worth doing, its worth doing right? Of course the idea of the roof in the first place is a debatable subject.
Anyhow,
1/....The back of roof didn't blend into the car enough.
2/....The NACA vents weren't in keeping with the front main vent.
3/....The profile was loosely similar to soft top.
4/....The guide ally strips were too precise for re-movable panels.
5/....The main front vent tunnel is too flat, as is rear "n" where NACA vents are.

Design making.

2007-11-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

This is part of my trade, designing something..then fabricating what ever it is.In this case its a ledge type caravan, made as a chest. I have attempted to use reclaimed timber where ever possible. I found some really cool wardrobe doors, with some incredible graining, which i have used as the sides.
I also sourced some fire door hinges, which are very sturdy, and although the lid does not weigh that much in comparison, they provide a smooth operation.
Ledge caravans are notoriously heavily decorated.
I have a selection of decorative items, that i cast myself, so will be experimenting with various looks over next few weeks.

Amazing what you can find.

2007-11-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

On my travels , i stumbled across this unusual metal cabinet.
The cabinet weighs approximately 7 kilos.
I was intrigued to know about the design etc. So i posted the pictures on Triumph Torque, and was rewarded with some interesting information.
Spitbang commented that " The centre face reminds me of a Green Man http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_man"
While Gt6 John said
"I would hazard a guess that this was some sort of drinks cabinet!

It looks like your classic cherubs feeding either the Greek God of wine Dionysus or the Roman God of wine Bacchus.

It looks a little crude in its design and painting which could mean either a cheap reproduction tarted up to look good, or an early piece done when things weren't quite so 'sharp'.

So in conclusion, could be worth a bundle or could be fire wood! "
Spitfire 1500 suggested it might be worth alot.

Either way, for now i intend to keep it. I like the overall general design, although the oval centre decor' is not really to my liking.
If it turns out to be of reasonable value, i will just spray it to suit my gothic style front room, ie, purple and dark blue, with dark gold highlights. So the cabinet will end up dark blue, dak gold distressed highlights.
If its worth a significant amount....who knows........

Franco Sbarros hubless wheel.

2007-10-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

What ever happened to this revised idea?

"Boy" finds better car.......

2007-10-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

"Swing low...sweet chariot...coming forth to carry me home..."
Bonzai!!...Honda prelude 2.0ex...36,000 miles, service history, and close to Bristol, advertised on e-bay. Price-£350.

"Boy" loses car...........

2007-10-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Alas, my Honda prelude has seen better days, and is fit only for spares, or scrap yard:(
But, having said that, its been a reliable vehicle, for past year.

2007-09-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Gran Premio d'Italia 2007

2007-09-13T03:25:00.000-07:00

Arona 2

2007-09-13T03:09:00.000-07:00

Arona is approx' 40 miles from the Monza circuit. This made the difference of 200 euros a night, or in our case, 60 euros a night, hotel prices.
The town was very picturesque, and the people there friendly.

Arona.

2007-09-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

Flight to Italy.

2007-09-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

Pilot on flight 4340, from Bristol was either an astronaut wanna be, or had been one:) The take off was done in less distance than a fighter jet, yyyeeeaaaaahhhhhhhh! If the pilot had climbed the plane any higher, i was gonna phone NASA, for some of there rigs:)
We were greeted by incredible view of mountains, in Italy.

tony lindsey deans modified cylinder head 3

2007-06-17T03:29:00.000-07:00

well i hope your sitting down for this.after a nine month wait,tony lindsey deans modified cylinder head is here! the cost was £1200 for the head complete.with the other required mods, i've been advised that around 180hp is realistic. hence the need for a strong gearbox etc.
my thoughts go back to when this car was on the road before,one of the things that used to strike me,and other people, was the awesome sound this car produced.
i was advised by kas kastner to seek advice from tony, and for me,if kas says something,i, for one am going to listen and take note.

tony lindsey deans modified cylinder head 2

2007-06-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

tony lindsey deans modified cylinder head

2007-06-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

getrag gearbox

2007-06-17T03:12:00.000-07:00

noted as a weak point for this car,the gearbox,as original,is'nt something i wanted to keep.i found first gear in the gt6 box to be next to hopeless,and found that i used 2nd gear to pull away.also the strenght of the gt6 box can be questionable.although apparently tony lindsey dean can blueprint a gt6 gearbox to a high level of reliability.still,getrag gearboxes have a great reputation,along with being compact,and durable,made this purchase very tempting.a time of fine tuning rear axle is needed,to gain a suitable ratio for the diff.also i am waiting for gareth thomas to supply the bellhousing needed to fit this gearbox to the 2.5 engine.

pressy, to myself!

2007-02-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

after years of being a student to free weights, i have, in part been converted .

the killer squat sessions should be aided by this calf/squat machine.

self asisstance, saftey issues, and adding something extra to routine, made this unit a must have for me.

downside was that i had to buy some olympic plates. also, cash will be short on car for a period.

question answered!

2007-02-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

NZ classic car magazine very kindly printed my enquiry regarding this reworked rear suspension. (many thanks!)
in response, Brent very kindly sent me details and links! (many thanks!)
This was built by Andrew Stanton.
Its possible that this chassis was built for Rocky, a guy who has modified alot of heralds, his site is,
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/lghrnrm/#Minty
andrews is available upon request.

diff mounting kit.

2007-02-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

brought from canley classics.

what a fast friendly company!

Dellortos

2007-02-09T03:22:00.000-08:00

was well chuffed to get these dellortos. although i will more than likely be using the su's to run engine in on, there was a limited supply of these dhla 45 p's. the model "p" was advised by davesideways, many thanks!

the carbs are using the following as a starting point:

36 chokes 132 mains 7772.6 emulsions 170 airs 70 power jets 40 pumps 60 idles .

engine re-build list.

2007-01-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

after advice recieved, and some investigating, this looks like the list of parts to re-build engine:

polished and de-burred block.
polished and deburred main bearing caps.(crack tested)
billet crank,not re-stroked.(racetorations)cross drilled.
carrillo con-rods.
light steel flywheel,eight bolt fixing.(racetorations)
vandervell vp2 bearings.
dry sump system, three stage,+ pan , (excellently designed & developed by GT6steve)
oil gallery direct feeds.(innovative system by kas kastner & jimmy coan)
alloy front and rear engine plates.(canley classics)
arp fixings.possible fluid damper.
je forged pistons.set comes with rings.

spitfire bearing shells.
3r cam, hoping for two studs to be added for:
vernia lightened chain wheel.
german timing chain.
balanced rotating assembly.
payen gaskets.
tld's ported & flowed head.smoothed for oil flow.comes with:
phosphated followers.
bronze valve guides.
competion valves + springs.

titanium valve spring caps.
hardened pushrods. smith brothers
1.5' or 1.6' roller rockers. harland sharp.(solid bushings)
custom made stainless 6-3-1-2 exhaust.
triple 45 dellortos "p's"
electric water pump.
electric fuel pump.

pedal box 2

2007-01-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

upon posting idea of wilwood pedal on TT, davesideways posted this item, made by
http://www.nb-racing.co.uk/
this looks to be a more appropriate set, (many thanks davesideways) the layout seems to be well designed. the linked sale on e-bay for this set had finished, however an e-mail to nasty bob resulted in a set ordered. again a false floor will maybe have to be used, and the seat may have to be set for safe use and comfort. the measuring so far, seems to support this item. the cost for pedal box , without m/c's is around £250.

pedal box

2007-01-14T07:28:00.000-08:00

ap racing sell a few really cool floor mounted pedal sets, cp5500 & cp5516, prices are exotic, at £1000+ & £2000+.
so in an effort to save some cash i searched the various sources, and found the pictured wilwood item. weight = 1.1lbs (without cylinders). my initial thought was to incorporate false floor, and have the cylinders heading towards firewall. not an ideal system, but i feel would be functional.
these wilwood items are around £55.

eagerly awaited parcel has arrived.

2006-12-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

steve smith's special driveshafts have arrived from las vegas! the first attempt to post saw the parcel get to souris.mb, before fedex realised that the items were headed in the wrong direction.
many thanks steve, i am very grateful for your time, and excellent work.
next job will be to take diff' output shafts, back to Gloucester road gearboxes, to re-fit to diff'.
will be ordering alloy lower wishbones from canley classics, and hopefully uprated brake drum, also poly' bushes.