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Post by Peter on Apr 26, 2024 19:48:40 GMT
Buying a project would be the way to go as long as the windscreen is good as they are about a grand. rear and side windows are flat and easy to make from 4mm poly.
Tim Naylor of TEAK (defunct) and I tried to make a modern SS with MR2 mechanistic but the serious interest was virtually nil and costs were too high so that went out the window as a commercial venture but as a one off project very doable.
At the kit car show we put the engine and front sub-frames on stands and joined them up with tubing as a temporary mock up and had a left and right design for the sills, scoops etc to get opinions, door rams were to be mounted in the roof of the doors and manual or electric versions available. A Lambo' version was tried and worked surprisingly well without changing the roof section, so worth a look as the SS gull wing isn't the best design hinge / strut wise. The Ferrari 'Enzo' style didn't work as the screen frame isn't strong enough and would crack the screen. I would love to try a Koenigsegg type though
Don't try to make it something it was never meant to be, a 2024 super car, it has been tried various ways with new noses, skirts and wings etc and has never really worked and certainly none have made it to the road, yet.
Fiat V50 coupe headlights work and look cool. Corvette/Ferrari style rear lights fit well, making your own LED rear lights is easy but no C marking fails MoT of course but lots of legal options from the likes of car builder solutions. If you want to see how to make the standard lifter smooth look at my effort using self aligning bearings.
(http://ukhozi.page.tl/
As long as you manage to get a mid-engine rust bucket cheap ( Toyota, MG, Lotus etc) it will be the internal trim that will swallow up a lot of your time and money if you don't want to ruin it.
Have fun and good luck, hope to see one on the road at last before I snuff it.
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Post by Peter on Apr 26, 2024 19:46:55 GMT
Ludicrous
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Post by Peter on Jan 16, 2024 13:51:51 GMT
Poly-Crations in Belgium used to advertise SS and Nova body kits but do not seem to be doing that now although they might still have the molds.
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Post by Peter on Jan 9, 2024 15:38:55 GMT
The steering on a V W is heavy, add to that a smaller steering wheel and changed geometry and bigger tyres you will thing you are driving a tank.
One way is to fit camber shims between bottom beam and frame head, bump steer bushes if you have lowered the suspension to reverse the track-rod ends.
Plan A; Power steering in the form of Corsa electric column or similar. or go all in with hydraulic rack and electric pump from Mercedes A-class or Porshe
Plan B; change to rack and pinion, I had no problems with a combination of all three, nice and light even with 225/70R15 front tyres.
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Post by Peter on Jan 5, 2024 15:26:05 GMT
The door ram location and design would be much appreciated, i want to fit linear actuators on mine, so i can open them with a key for remotely, so am interested in anything that will help balance the door. The problem with the original door struts is they push the bottom of the doors out when closed but all the weight is forward so in theory the rams should be at the front of the doors roof but 'in ya face' so needs to be small diameter and tucked right up when closed, very difficult. The door are about 50 kilos at the mounting point. I checked mine with a broom handle between door and scales on the floor. eaglecarclub.proboards.com/thread/1039/bit-more?page=6There is a YouTube of mine working, noisy and slow. (8seconds) and they twist the door as all the weight is forward. You need really expensive ones with 8" travel using the original mounting points I found I needed a LOT of power and very slow, moving the door forward helped and the bottom was a case of where I could fit it when closed. Best way would be a pair of cylinder rams front and rear of t he roof section but that would require a lot of work. I did design a system that had triangular mounts in the roof that came down to give better leverage to the rams fitted IN the roof of the doors. should work but again a lot of work. All depends on how much you want to do and costs. Look at Delorean and Mercedes and of course the latest Tesla. All door roof mounted front and rear but quite different approaches.
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Post by Peter on Oct 19, 2023 12:58:10 GMT
I would recommend using Sikaflex to bond the door roofs. epoxy doesn't grip on old fiber glass, even after an Acetone wash. With Sikaflex the door would break before the adhesive. Just clamp the two parts and jobs a solid one.
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Post by Peter on Oct 19, 2023 12:48:08 GMT
HALO
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Post by Peter on Sept 29, 2023 13:22:47 GMT
That was SIX YEARS AGO. I no longer have access to the parts as I did back then. Somewhere I did post dimensions for the grommets though so it is a case of hunting them down on eBay etc.
In answer to your questions regards the doors. The MkII and III are the same as is the glass, it should be 4mm tempered. (Or 5mm acrylic or polycarb')
MkII and MkIII fittings are the same with grommets in the three holes, two small and one large at rear. held in by M6 bolts and Nylok nuts. Rear fitting is a VW beetle front quarterlight catch slightly modified.
All doors fit as the body didn't change only the nose section on the MkII. The MkI had hinges on the front edge and most car rear window s that flip open such as FIAT should do. Rear catch is still VW.
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Post by Peter on Aug 15, 2023 11:55:14 GMT
I'm pretty sure you need an air fed breathing mask when spraying 2k.It contains cyanides and is extremely dangerous to health. Just check with the paint supplier what safety equipment you need before you go at it. I know but with a decent mask and short periods you can do without a breather mask. Water based paints are better anyway and what modern manufactures use
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Post by Peter on Aug 13, 2023 13:28:52 GMT
My one and only, so far, attempt at 2k spraying. Nothing fancy, just a cheap spray gun from Lidle and a 50L compressor. 120€ the lot. Paint from "Paint your car" was less than 30€ for a 250ml pack included filter, measuring jug and stick and instructions but setting the pressure and nozzle was a little time consuming but once done it was easy. Pop into your local DIY and buy half a dozen thin plastic painters dust sheets, over-spray is a bitch. I would say buying all the gear and 2L of 2K, masking tape, one could respray a Nova for under 250 quid. Prep is the main thing and a good etching undercoat is a must after all the filing and rubbing down, and rubbing and rubbing down. This is my BMW E30 wing after two coats of 2K. not too shabby for first try.
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Post by Peter on Aug 1, 2023 13:52:59 GMT
The dash has strange ends as it designed to match the door cards which have a tear drop on them. Single binnacle sure. I had mine in the middle as the 10" steering wheel blocked the view of the clocks. I used Triumph clocks, you need 740 revs per mile (seen at bottom of speedo) to match wheel size and a 4 cylinder tacho'. I also used the Triumph multi gauge in the center with fuel, volts and temp' in one.
Or go modern and fit an all in one digital LCD unit, but make sure it is analogue and not an OBD2 unit as you will not have it.
Each unto their own though, I used a Opel Astra GTE one in the end. very rare now.
Picture removed as irrelevant.
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Post by Peter on Jul 23, 2023 12:24:38 GMT
I bit the bullet with my BMW E30, it got written off by the insurance for a headlight and wing, insurance company paid out 600€ on a 6,000€ car, basically lowest buying in price against above average selling price.
I repaired it all myself and resprayed both front wings and the bonnet in Alpine white 2K, no clear coat on that year.
Turned out to be an easy job and finish was good, sold the car couple of months later for 5,077€ with all transfer fees etc paid.
It is not difficult, what is difficult is the prep' and on a kit-car's fiber glass it is a long and tedious job with cracks filled and bubbles dug out etc, then a good etching primer, under coat and top coat, (clear is an option). It cost me 25€ for a spray gun from Lidl and 30€ for a 0.5L kit of 2K from 'paint your car'.
Bit late now for you but I am sure there are loads of owners in the same boat who haven't realized what the trouble and cost of those final jobs cost, and there ya go, another unfinished project on eBay.
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Post by Peter on Jul 23, 2023 11:58:44 GMT
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Post by Peter on Jun 26, 2023 13:20:53 GMT
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Post by Peter on Jun 20, 2023 12:12:40 GMT
Hi Luc, great to see you back on-line and working on the cars, I know you have been having physical problems so I hope all is better now.
The following answers a few points in earlier posts.
The electric actuators were not a great success, too slow and very noisy but in fairness they were the cheapest around, I wasn't going to throw hundreds of euros at a failure but maybe SUV tailgate rams might be the answer, getting the doors to open enough while using 8" (20cm) rams was a bad idea as was moving the mounting points, the roof should be vertical when fully open, I didn't get that. I don't think having the lower part of the door horizontal when open would work as the amount of ram travel needed would be too long.
I did design a door roof mounted twin gas ram set up for the TEAC car and possibility to use Linak rams in the door roof but cost was too high. Looked into the DeLorean, Mercedes and Tesla X (all rear gull wing) but very complicated, = expensive.
The DOOR catch as standard is an early VW beetle bonnet catch and the windows a front quarter light catch. Ford exterior handles. it is not the best option and my brother Bod in Alabama used a lift and rotate catch on his Cimbria that worked well. I tried VW Golf MkII door catches in the doors but complicated with a solenoid in the door to open and spring loaded contact pads to carry the signal. that worked as I found the instant signal from the opening relays popped the door just as the actuators kicked in, a horizontal bar in a recess of the sill matched the catch. exterior manual handle would have been good to retain but I filled mine in. I also had a Bluetooth transducer connected to the primary circuit relay so no phone, no opening or ignition, button etc, A bit OTT.
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Post by Peter on May 20, 2023 12:03:35 GMT
Good to know Dean, I have sold my SS to a mate in Malaga so still there for a visit.
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Post by Peter on May 13, 2023 12:22:37 GMT
I got some mini bear claw latches from car builder solutions. My next project is to get the doors closing and opening with the door handle. The doors are in a rough state. Once I have them working it will be quite the job bonding them back together where they are splitting and repairing holes and cracks. I bonded in stainless hinges many years ago but made the mistake of using normal body filler to fill big gaps. Ill be digging all of that out and trying again with fibreglass and resin.Hopefully the weather sorts itself out and gives me a dry day to get going. That will not bond old panels. better to use Sikoflex or 'no nails' and clamp the lot together, much stronger, Also less messy
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Post by Peter on May 10, 2023 14:28:21 GMT
I wish Mercedes had a recall on the lamella roof in the A170, sun heat unglued the front edge and it fell down, managed to get it back with 'no nails' glue that has a high temperature tolerance.
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Post by Peter on May 2, 2023 11:28:14 GMT
Bit late now, or is it?, I glassed in a panel below the catch and dropped the catch into the lid so it was flush.
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Post by Peter on Apr 10, 2023 17:57:06 GMT
Like the catches I have on mine. but be careful, even the genuine ones can snap like a carrot if any resistance accurse and I recommend reinforcing the lever underneath before it happens.
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Post by Peter on Mar 11, 2023 12:54:54 GMT
Well Bob has got the hydraulics sorted so up for sale in Alabama for best over $10K. seems about right. Shame it's not over in EU, I would considr that a good buy but my long suffering wife, The Viking, would consider it a goodbye too.
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Post by Peter on Feb 27, 2023 12:56:22 GMT
The original mounting on the doors is halfway up the window area and pushes the bottom of the door out, not a problem with actuators as they actually pull the door in but not so good with gas struts that push but on the Cimbria the mounting is about 6" form the hinge line, I made a bracket from an alloy section I bought on eBay, a bit OTT but solid, there is a 3mm thick alloy plate inside the door molding with 'Rivnuts' in using M6 counter sunk screws. The lower mount was determined by the closed position of the actuators which have an 8" stroke and is about 10" above the sill but the doors do not lift enough at that so I was going to use 10 stroke units and hope the doors will lift higher, Only problem with putting the struts/actuators further up is the door twists as the weight of the door, about 25Kg, makes the front drop so it hits down first and then slides forward, there is a YouTube of it working, a bit noisy but in the open not too bad, Linek units or SUV tailgate unit would be better.
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Post by Peter on Feb 27, 2023 11:37:17 GMT
Bit more from emails. All done and shiny, very little was needed on the bodywork. All new inside, seats and steering wheel, center was all remade. Very neat with VW clocks and new vents, old radio. Simple but nice. All done and basking in the Alabama sun. Wheels trims gone. I like the nose with the lights in rather than the smooth front with a chine spoiler of the SS.
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Post by Peter on Feb 27, 2023 11:17:12 GMT
Round two. Bob did the work so fast there isn't a lot of detailed photos of the work done, mostly emails on progress and "help" messages. But here is the finished item. About 3/4 done, headlights and brakes to do, oh! and clutch. (Before) Rear light redone, number plate lights are 3 LEDs under the dumper. Wing GONE! Great to have a pit but Bob had to lower the floor of it by a foot so he coud get under a low car. I can't do that so I have 2.5 ton hoist and lift the front of the cat a meter. Engine was all chromed out and exhaust was in good shape so just polished and it was a runner after a service of course. Wheels were good but needed new rubber. New headlight covers made and projectors and mounts all made from scratch in GRP. not a medium Bob is familer with but he made a decent job of it.
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Post by Peter on Feb 27, 2023 10:35:00 GMT
Bought for $4000 last year on 31 August Bob my younger brother (by 2 1/2 years) bought a wreck of a Cimbria that was languishing in a field and dur to an estate sale was up for grabs along with a rather buggered up Stirling body ad a Fiber Fab, GT40 look a like, (I liked that one, easier to get in and out with conventional doors and a higher roof. ) Any way below are some photos of te progress which included new floors, brakes, hydraulics. The interior was a mes and needed everything from seats to dash and recovering of door panels etc. Gota go, forgot appointment back later. Panic over, it was a 'possible' walk in ECG test if I felt poorly but at the moment I feel fine, at the moment. Field find, just in time but looks better than it turned out to be. i.vgy.me/lWP2Ba.jpg Wing, Ferrari badges and silly name all gone. Inside the fiber fab. Intirior a bit of a mess, seats, dash covering, etc needs all new. More in next post.
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Post by Peter on Feb 27, 2023 10:20:00 GMT
Blimy and I thought mine was complicated but in fairness I am not in that business and it was a suck and see effort on my part. I used a transponder module to switch on the door circuit and power to the controls so no phone, no opening of the doors etc. All my relays for the doors and LED show lights also behind seat. I hard wired a remote for the 4 way relays to 4 buttons on the center console rather than hard wire all the ay back. I think I should have taken the time to hard wire though. Every circuit went through the connection board behind the center console, in hind sight it was a bit over kill and I could have wires things such as lights and indicators directly in a loom.
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Post by Peter on Feb 27, 2023 10:03:39 GMT
Hi all, just getting my brothers Cimbria on here I don''t have a full build story, yet but I will try and put one together. He rescued the Cimbria MkI from a field on an estate that was being sold off due to death of owner. The floor was rotten as usual and every thing was seized needing new brakes, hydraulics, clutch cable, headlights, tail lights and interior, as usual. Bob has taken about 4 to 5 months on the project with a little help from his big brother. Interesting point is the gas strut mounts are where I mounted the actuatos, (halfway down the window and in the rear tunnel) and not where Eagle put them which pushes the bottom of the doors out. I don't have any photos uploaded to my PC as yet but will do so as there is a lot of work gone into this in such a short time. www.facebook.com/groups/unfinishedkitcars/permalink/926757248463775www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10226054124253590&set=p.10226054124253590&type=3
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Post by Peter on Feb 8, 2023 12:57:11 GMT
What a difference! My dear daughter who I have repeatedly told to take more water with it, tripped over a bollard and smashed her right eye into the pavement, obvious damage to eye, eye socket, possible concussion etc. FIVE HOURS in "emergency" without any medication or attention, she could have lost her eye sight. once they woke up to the fact she was seriously hurt she got the treatment, scan, meds, etc. but what a service, here in Spain I would have been in intensive observation within 5 minuets and treatment within an hour.
The time between e walking into A&E with chest 'discomfort' and in an ambulance, 5 minuets.
We may pay a bit more in social security but we get the service and they get the pensions needed too. .
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Post by Peter on Feb 2, 2023 11:17:22 GMT
Thanks Graham, seems we share more than the name Graham and love of kit cars. Downside of 'taking it easy' is weight gain, keeping it down below 100Kg (17 stone) is hard as comfort food is a big part of our lives. (just cooked my best ever cottage pie.) At least Burgman 400 is all good now so a therapeutic run out is possible.
"When your bike is sick you fix it. When you are sick a ride on the bike fixes you"
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Post by Peter on Feb 1, 2023 12:51:16 GMT
On the Cimbria, Bob has made a removable section between the seat and the pedals so whilst in his pit he can work up under the dash, cool idea.
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