Can i be your new best freind?
[Edited on 1-2-09 by speedyxjs]
Hi there, I have been told you guys might be interested in my project.
A year ago I started my kit car, based on a V12 from an XJS with running gear from a Scorpio I have built a full size "Zonda" replica.
The specs are:
5.3l V12 with twin t28 turbos and intercoolers
Audi transaxle
Audi Quatro flywheel and clutch
Megasquirt ECU running twin Ford V6 coilpack "wasted spark" triggered 36-1 trigger wheel (onboard CarPC for tuning)
.
Same dimensions as Zonda C12 roadster
power steering Astra
Windscreen wiper, Merc 190
I am now making the body (slowly as it so cold!)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oae5AwZIllI
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=d83r2-Z4-CE
http://photobucket.com/NickT
The body will be made of glass fibre and carbon
Regards
Nick
Can i be your new best freind?
[Edited on 1-2-09 by speedyxjs]
Looks like a fun project, And a massive Good luck to you.
My only concern is are you sure the front dimensions are same as a c12 because for some reason, the front doesnt look right, but other than that, it
looks awesome so Good Luck.
Thanks
Ed
Very nice! 
I've looked at your photos, what is the software running on your flip out screen and what is the setup?
quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
Can i be your new best freind?
[Edited on 1-2-09 by speedyxjs]
quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
Looks like a fun project, And a massive Good luck to you.
My only concern is are you sure the front dimensions are same as a c12 because for some reason, the front doesnt look right, but other than that, it looks awesome so Good Luck.
Thanks
Ed
quote:
Originally posted by nitram38
Very nice!
I've looked at your photos, what is the software running on your flip out screen and what is the setup?
Hi Nick,
Welcome to the forum! I'd come and have a look but it's a bit far to walk!
quote:
Originally posted by sucksqueezebangblow
Hi Nick,
Welcome to the forum! I'd come and have a look but it's a bit far to walk!
thats awesome!!!
Looks cool... pretty similar to mine in that I am doing a twin turbo V12 mid engined car of similar size to the zonda.
Cant wait to see your finished body, you going open top?
Hi Andy,
Yes I saw your car on piston heads, that's what inspired me to post there too!!
looks really good, have you had it running, any vids??
My car is going topless, might make a soft/hardtop one day, but its not a major requirement for the moment.
How did you make your body?
I am at he stage of laying polystyrene over the plug, next i am going to plaster it, then GRP.CF over that. The Zonda is quite an easy shape as it
very square.
Whats the performance like with the twin turbos? I tried mine in the road (just the chassis, and blipped the throttle in 1st, damn near knocked the
wind out of me!
Cheers
Nick
Im Wayyyyy of getting the engine running. Im still making the body and redeisgning the rear suspension lol.
Im expecting performance to be good tho.
Interested in your twin turbos... was it expensive to turbo the Jag V12... me mates got a V12 and soo wants to get more poerformance from it!
quote:
Originally posted by andygtt
Im Wayyyyy of getting the engine running. Im still making the body and redeisgning the rear suspension lol.
Im expecting performance to be good tho.
Interested in your twin turbos... was it expensive to turbo the Jag V12... me mates got a V12 and soo wants to get more poerformance from it! [/quote
Hi Andy, no not very expensive, turbos are from Nissan 200 zxs intercoolers Nissan 300 zx, cooling fans a big bike, bearing kit, 3.5" pipe, some bends, a couple of BOVs ala in all £200?
We ran the car through a simulator, the performance is (should be) awesome. 0-60 3.5secs, 0-100 7 secs, top speed 296 kph, wheelspin to 90 mph (no limited slip dif)
What are the specs of your car, what gearbox etc... more important, how are you shaping the body?
My next phase is to plaster the polysyrene, but i have no idea if this is the right thing to do!!
Cheers
Nick
andygtt - 2/2/09 at 02:11 PMI dont want to end up hijacking your thread lol.
Mines a 5.0L BMW V12 good for 540ftlb at the wheels @10psi, my appliocation is slightly different so no idea what mine will produce... Using a porsche GT3 cup racer gearbox with a lot of trick bits like Motec M800 ecu twin bespoke alloy rads etc.
The body is like your rally, just being mocked up with anything I have lying around.. its all held together with fibreglass and finished in body filler. I am going to take moulds from this buck after i have painted it... might use the buck for futher development in the future.
a lot of work for one man with a 60hr week job and 4 kids which is why its taken me years to get this far lol.
looking forward to seeing you body take shape, the zonda is without doubt a fantastic shape IMO.
Andy
nicktruman - 2/2/09 at 02:26 PMquote:
Originally posted by andygtt
I dont want to end up hijacking your thread lol.
Mines a 5.0L BMW V12 good for 540ftlb at the wheels @10psi, my appliocation is slightly different so no idea what mine will produce... Using a porsche GT3 cup racer gearbox with a lot of trick bits like Motec M800 ecu twin bespoke alloy rads etc.
The body is like your rally, just being mocked up with anything I have lying around.. its all held together with fibreglass and finished in body filler. I am going to take moulds from this buck after i have painted it... might use the buck for futher development in the future.
a lot of work for one man with a 60hr week job and 4 kids which is why its taken me years to get this far lol.
looking forward to seeing you body take shape, the zonda is without doubt a fantastic shape IMO.
Andy
Hijack! No probs.. GT3 ah, serious money
The idea of my car was to build a £500k supercar (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260342864104) for £500, well I blew the £500 target a while back, but the principle is to build it for next to nothing.
So everything has been sourced for either free or as near as damn it. The big expenses were the ECU, wheels and the speedo (which I flew to the US to buy!). The fuel cells were cheaper imported from the US than buying here, the huge tyres are part worn but good for a couple of donuts..
I bought 150m of glass fibre matting for £20, and the carbon fibre is £10 a metre (need 15m)
The suspension is x-TVR and the exhaust is a Ferrari mondial box with the tail pipes relocated. Wishbones/suspension/etc all handmade, gearbox Audi, linkages from a powerboat! clutch and flywheel Audi. windscreen wiper is from a Merc 190 (a must for any supercar). Powersteering is from an Astra and electric, welded onto the Scorpio's steering rack. Works beautifully, much better than i thought possible.
To get the car to this point has cost around £2/3k.
Do you have a build thread?
Cheers Nick
andygtt - 2/2/09 at 02:50 PMSounds bloody awsome, my mate would love to chat to you about your engine etc... he's build a Nemesis with a Jag V12 which drives and has just gone to paint but would l;ove to get more power!
My web page is down currently but the thread on PH still runs
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=317680&nmt=My%20project%20supercar
nicktruman - 2/2/09 at 02:59 PMquote:
Originally posted by andygtt
Sounds bloody awsome, my mate would love to chat to you about your engine etc... he's build a Nemesis with a Jag V12 which drives and has just gone to paint but would l;ove to get more power!
My web page is down currently but the thread on PH still runs
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=317680&nmt=My%20project%20supercar
Ah, yes I have read that, but no pics though
Fred W B - 2/2/09 at 04:59 PMHi Nic
quote:
How did you make your body?
A different style of car, but you might pick up some ideas in my thread here
CANAMSA body
Cheers
Fred W B
nicktruman - 2/2/09 at 05:31 PMquote:
Originally posted by Fred W B
Hi Nic
quote:
How did you make your body?
A different style of car, but you might pick up some ideas in my thread here
CANAMSA body
Cheers
Fred W B
Wow, my car is not in your league! I built a chassis on what i guessed the Zonda one would look like (based on the dimensions and a 1:18th scale model i bought. Once I got the engine and all the electrics running I started on the body. Simply put, I built a wooden skin over the chassis, covered that in foam (polystyrene) made a huge hot wire cutter.
My next phase is to cover the styrene in plaster, sand it down to a good finish then 2 layers of woven glass matting and 1 of triple ply carbon fibre matting.
That will give a reasonable finish, then its just a case of painting resin/gelcoat over the top.
I am making his up as I go along as I have never done anything like this before.
The only thing I know, is that I don't want to make a negative mold, I have no where to store it, and it doubles the expense.
I have tried the method on a very small section (the dash) and it seems to work OK. But if anyone has a better suggestion I'm all ears! And if you want to come over, you are always welcome ;-)
If you get bored of the chassis, there is always the Dino to look at.
Regards
Nick
nicktruman - 3/2/09 at 10:32 AMJust bought a job lot of Savage LED things
btw - Does anyone know how to make this message posting (the box you type in not the one on the forum) box bigger?
[Edited on 3/2/09 by nicktruman]
nicktruman - 5/2/09 at 03:04 PMAs the project is now exactly one year old I treated myself to some new seats, I also added a bit more to the rear. The dash is now semi clad in red leather. -
suparuss - 6/2/09 at 08:32 AMhowdy! looks like another interesating project, thanks for sharing! but just to rock the boat a bit- i dont get it! if its not going to look exactly like a zonda in every single way then why bother? 8 out of 10 people will know by looking at it that its not a real zonda. and if you are gong to the trouble of building you own car then why copy someone elses design? why not have you own very own creation? im not making insults i just thought id bring it up for discussion, what drives people to replicate an existing design? apart from the likes of fred who are building classics that ony exist in museums and private collections, i under stand that (plus he has been meticulous in getting it absolutely accurate)
cheers,
Russ.
nicktruman - 6/2/09 at 09:00 AMquote:
Originally posted by suparuss
howdy! looks like another interesating project, thanks for sharing! but just to rock the boat a bit- i dont get it! if its not going to look exactly like a zonda in every single way then why bother? 8 out of 10 people will know by looking at it that its not a real zonda. and if you are gong to the trouble of building you own car then why copy someone elses design? why not have you own very own creation? im not making insults i just thought id bring it up for discussion, what drives people to replicate an existing design? apart from the likes of fred who are building classics that ony exist in museums and private collections, i under stand that (plus he has been meticulous in getting it absolutely accurate)
cheers,
Russ.
Hi Russ,
Honest answer, seemed like a good idea at the time. You have to start somewhere, If the body works OK, maybe I can do another? I have never done anything like this before, so its a learning curve.
nicktruman - 12/2/09 at 04:40 PMSVA warning light requirements..
What lights and symbols must i have on my dash?
I have ABS fitted,
I know I need a brake symbol, exclamation in a circle, but does it have to go on the dash where the dials are, or could it go on the centre console? Is this just for brake fluid/hand brake.
nicktruman - 14/2/09 at 01:43 PMHere is an update, the centre console and dash are just about finished, I have cut the aluminium centre section and fitted the monitor and Sony head unit. The CarPC, Autochanger and amps will fit behind the seats. I have also grafted the Scorpio's glove box to the dash, once covered in the red leatherette it should blend in nicely.
nicktruman - 1/3/09 at 07:58 PMThe latest pics - The dash and instruments are nearly all wired up and everything work well, The glove box nowe matches the dash. All the LEDs now do something (oil, alternator, lights etc..) The light switch is now fitted and working. I have also started on plastering the body.
James - 4/3/09 at 11:18 AMReally nice. Keep us updated on your progress.
Cheers,
James
nicktruman - 9/3/09 at 04:44 PM
Today I started to glass fibre the body. I have never done this before so am making it up as I go along! The plaster was all rubbed down, I then covered the front with cling film. The I cut the matting to fit the various panels (with overlaps). The I laid the matting and poured resin over it, using a laminating roller I pushed the resin through. On the front alone I used 3.7 litres of resin! Once the first layer was done, I "tailored" a 2nd set of matting panels which I laid over the wet 1st coat. Again I rolled this with the laminating roller. It looks great, no wrinkles or rough spots (as far as I tell). I will let that dry and then cover in CSM surface tissue.
The idea is when all dried out I can lift the front off, get rid of all the polystyrene and plaster and then add extra matting from the inside.
I also cut the panels for the rear end which I will lay up tomorrow.
nicktruman - 12/3/09 at 05:12 PMYesterday I glassed the whole body with an extra laminate, today a friend came over and we took off the bonnet and cleaned out all th mold, awesome! The cling film worked a treat and has left me with a great finish (albeit on the inside). The steel frame had holes drilled in it and has bonded to the GRP, all in all its come out way better than anticipated.
On the rear panel we ground down all the high spots and filled the low spot and laid an extra layer of matting, I had made some molds based on the Hella modular lights these were pressed into the wet matting so as to create a snug hole for the rear light fittings. the result is I now have a really flat smooth rear panel with lights! I put a tin foil ring round the tail pipes just for the picture - but i am looking for a 10" (260mm) saucepan I can cut the bottom off to make this trim.
Tomorrow we are taking the rear off and will be removing the last of the polystyrene - this will give me access to the V12 for the 1st time in months.
nicktruman - 17/3/09 at 08:27 PMherer are a couple of the latest pics
nicktruman - 30/3/09 at 09:41 PMNow I have finished the passenger side sill and air intake.
I have made a steel frame and the side pod fits nicely. Just for fun i have fitted "carbon fibre effect" tread plates on the inner sill. When this photo was taken I had not yet fitted the sill to the chassis.
I can't remember if I posted it, but here is a video I shot last week of the car, one year on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k_95tcZ0Oc
[Edited on 30/3/09 by nicktruman]
nicktruman - 19/4/09 at 10:34 PMThe latest..
I have fitted 2/3rds of the floor pan. I have the very front section under the suspension and the rear diffuser section still to do. I have also fitted the firewall between the cockpit and engine and most of the passenger side interior. Whilst I was making the inner sills I also fitted the two 300 watt speaker and hid all the wiring. It looks really smart now!
I have changed injectors to a lower throughput set 196 cc/min as opposed to 405 cc/min. This has put the fuel tables miles out, but it still runs, but the engine surges and hunts badly.
Fred W B - 20/4/09 at 06:00 PMHi Nic
You are making quick progress, but I have to ask - what are your plans for getting all those various edges straight and the shape symetrical when you bring up the final finish on the body?
As an example - looking at this pic, the top surfaces above the rear wheels , seem to be at different angles on the RHS and LHS? LHS looks about flat, but the RHS runs uphill from the outside towards the centre?
Cheers
Fred W B
nicktruman - 20/4/09 at 08:22 PMquote:
Originally posted by Fred W B
Hi Nic
You are making quick progress, but I have to ask - what are your plans for getting all those various edges straight and the shape symetrical when you bring up the final finish on the body?
As an example - looking at this pic, the top surfaces above the rear wheels , seem to be at different angles on the RHS and LHS? LHS looks about flat, but the RHS runs uphill from the outside towards the centre?
Cheers
Fred W B
Hi Fred, I hadn't noticed that one, More steel required!
Badger_McLetcher - 23/4/09 at 10:58 AMMan this is a sweet project!
cheapracer - 23/4/09 at 01:30 PMquote:
Originally posted by nicktruman
quote:
Originally posted by Fred W B
Hi Nic
You are making quick progress, but I have to ask - what are your plans for getting all those various edges straight and the shape symetrical when you bring up the final finish on the body?
As an example - looking at this pic, the top surfaces above the rear wheels , seem to be at different angles on the RHS and LHS? LHS looks about flat, but the RHS runs uphill from the outside towards the centre?
Cheers
Fred W B
Hi Fred, I hadn't noticed that one, More steel required!
Mate the front looks a bit iffy to me as as well left to right.
Get some stiff cardboard and cut out some profile templates for every 6" or so so you can compare as you go.
I also use sheet metal profile templates to scrape bog/putty using the same one flipped for both sides.
nicktruman - 4/8/09 at 05:19 PMHere is the latest on my kit car, mechanically its all there now, two more panels to make and then the body to finish off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFzTsEO1XQE
however i'm off to Bahrain for 2 years so it will have to wait a while
nicktruman - 1/3/11 at 12:14 PMSo 18 months passed by, and I got bored and had the kit car shipped out to me here in Bahrain. It arrived on the 14th Feb 2011.
The plan is to make the most of the fibreglass factories and cheap labour and get a body professionally made. Tomorrow the country's weekly English speaking paper http://www.gulfweekly.com/home.asp is doing an article on the car, apparently its gets a lot of coverage! The only additions to the car since it left the UK are a new Lotus Elise windscreen, new fuel pump and I have just ordered a new water pump as the old Davies Craig unit is making a lot of noise.
Rather bizarrely the car was valued at $40,000 for import duty which was a bit of a shame, as I had to pay $2000 duty
Anyway, here is the latest pic of the car.
nicktruman - 2/3/11 at 05:30 AMhi Guys
my car and I are on the front pages of the country's weekly english speaking paper
http://www.gulfweekly.com/article.asp?Sn=8139&Article=26597
in the printed version I am on the cover and page 2...
Hopefuly this will generate some interest in finishing off the body.
nicktruman - 21/3/11 at 06:10 AMHere are the latest videos. as for performance, it accelerates from 14mph to 80mph in 5.9 secs at 70% throttle. This is calculated using the engine data from Megasquirt. The acceleration is awesome
I was getting 1 bar boost on each turbo, however since then I have had the headers reworked and flowed, and also stopped some air leaks on the intake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDajtS34zmw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2-fkYuVm5Y
nicktruman - 23/10/14 at 07:24 PMHi Guys
I wonder if someone can help. I was wondering if anyone has had any luck megasquirt'ing an AUDI V8? (Hilly is using VEMS), I am after an ignition/spark advance map... any help would be really appreciated.
My car is just about finished, here are the latest pics..
Its been in the media recently quite a lot
