Mistron
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| posted on 10/10/13 at 07:52 PM |
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scratch build Body for '60s clubmans car
Hello folks,
Now, this will be nowhere near as exciting or impressive as the Lola T70 spyder build, but I have been making some progress on the body of my mystery
'60s car
Photos of it as I bought it and as it stands can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44645707@N00/sets/72157632087827009/
I have got the main body sections drawn out at 1:1 on MDF in styling tape, and will start constructing the bonnet / nose section at the weekend.
Would there be interest in me documenting the process on here, if only to demonstrate the many pitfalls to others ?!?
I should say, I used to be a GRP pattern maker, but I'm doing this project in a domestic single garage, so progress will not be quick..... and
history shows that I'll probably sell it before it's finished!
Anyway, if anyone is interested I'll happily document parts of the process.
Al
[Edited on 10/10/13 by Mistron]
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adithorp
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| posted on 10/10/13 at 08:01 PM |
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I'd like to see it. Don't think I'd ever have the time to attempt it myself but I'd like to know how.
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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cs3tcr
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| posted on 11/10/13 at 02:18 AM |
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Yes please post your progress. The website you did for your last project was very cool, pity you sold that car on before finishing it.
Rod
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Mistron
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| posted on 12/10/13 at 06:32 PM |
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Good progress today!
More photos of the process added to the Flickr set in the first post.
Next stage will be to get it all glued and then add foam to the drivers side of the bonnet / scuttle and then I can start to transfer sections over to
the engine side, from which I can start to work on the bonnet bulge etc.
The Bonnet / nose /scuttle will be one moulding, so the 'dash' isn't actually part of the buck, but is just included at this stage
to echeck sight lines for gagues etc.
Might get back onto it later in the week
Al
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Mistron
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| posted on 17/10/13 at 10:35 PM |
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nearly done......
Well, not quite, but I've started to block in the main shapes on one side, which I'll then take sections through acorss the car at key
points so it's (hopefully) symetrical.
Took a bit too much out with the rasp in places, but I'll just make the skim of filler a bit thicker to compensate....... Big sweeping surfaces
are tricky with the rasp - I should have used 80 grit paper on a board, but I didn't have any and I was keen to crack on, so my own fault, and
an easy fix.
Instrument bulge / screen cowl next, then onto the nose cone (though it will all be part of the same panel......
Al
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Fred W B
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| posted on 19/10/13 at 01:10 PM |
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Looking great Al, I'm also keen to follow your progress.
You can see some of the tools I used to shape foam in the picture below.
Cheers
Fred W B
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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Mistron
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| posted on 19/10/13 at 10:10 PM |
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Bit of pfogress tonight - refined the footwell bulge as it looks too 'clumpy', and made a start on the instrument bulge / screen cowl.
Tracing paper screen template is a bit droopy, but you get the idea.
It needs a fair bit of finishing, especially the transition step from the bonnet surface up to the cowl, where the screen will mount, as it is really
tricky to get all the lines flowing parallel as it runs over the curves.
Still, it's all progress!
Next I'll either start building up the other side, or work out how I'm going to do the nose section - it's part of the moulding, but
I'll need to be able to et the buck off the chassis, so it needs to be removable, I think......
Oh, and Fred, our tool kits are very similar! not very 'high tech' is it?
Al
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T66
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| posted on 20/10/13 at 09:11 AM |
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Keep the pictures coming, and the instructions.....looking good !
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Mistron
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| posted on 25/10/13 at 10:47 PM |
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A bit more progress tonight - glued and screwed in a couple of more intermediate sections then infilled with foam.
Getting closer int around the engine. I will have to try a ew possible carb set ups on so I make sure I leave enough space for the main options so I
can chop and change without cutting up my bonnet.
You can start to see how much of a bulge will be needed over the rocker cover and carbs
The last one shows just how 'rough and ready' the construction can get before you cover it in foam
Hope to get the top surface as far forward as the nose done over the weekend (unless I discover I have pressing domestic tasks!)
Al
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Slimy38
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| posted on 26/10/13 at 08:09 AM |
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What are you planning for the wheel area? The bonnet drop off on the sides suggests open wheel, but then you have a picture of a mistral which is
fully enclosed?
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Mistron
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| posted on 26/10/13 at 09:21 AM |
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ah, yes. I forgot to move the Mistral pic - I did consider fitting one of the new Mistral shells, but then decided to go with a traditional clubmans
body, echoing that fitted to the Coldwell I stupidly sold, but with a nicer screen
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Volvorsport
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| posted on 26/10/13 at 10:26 AM |
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is this the same on uphillracers ?
www.dbsmotorsport.co.uk
getting dirty under a bus
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Mistron
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| posted on 26/10/13 at 10:46 AM |
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yes, I had a for sale advert on there, on the off chance.....
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TheGiantTribble
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| posted on 26/10/13 at 10:55 AM |
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Looking good.
Do you have a special technique when cutting/marking out the plywood formers, for making the curves both left and right symmetrical?
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Mistron
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| posted on 26/10/13 at 12:28 PM |
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I use stylists drafting tape - basically thin black Masking tape which is flexible and you can lift and re-apply if you aren't happy with the
line, and I draw each section on a 100mm x 100mm grid from the centre line of the car. (You can also use this tape do do full size drawings of
vehicles - check youtube videos of 'Tape drawing'
By tracing the line from the drawing board onto tracing sheet you can then use carbon paper to transfer it onto the MDF and ensure perfect symetry.
The grid helps with this as well.
Once traced with carbon paper I tend to re do the line in Tape onto the MDF to check it looks ok when mirrored (often it doesn't) and ajust it
as necessary. It also gives a strong line to follow through the bandsaw.
You can see the whole process on this page from one of my previous projects (sadly sold before completion)
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/racecar/pandora/body.htm
Al
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Mistron
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| posted on 1/11/13 at 11:05 PM |
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Got a chance to spend a couple of hours on it tonight - what people with kids do on a Friday night instead of going to the Pub!?!
Anyway, finished blocking in most of the upper surface and took it to a rough shape. The gap in the surface of the nose cone is just to give access to
assembly bolts so I can take off the nose section to form the inlet at a more comfortable height.
Next will be to start building up the nose cone lower sides and inlet, then onto building up the flare at the corner where it goes from nose to
bonnet. Also need to make the engine bulge and the one over the carb(s)
Al
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Mistron
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| posted on 3/11/13 at 10:03 PM |
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Making a 'first draft' of the bulge over the engine. Looking a bit too big still, but I'll reduce it in the foam down to something
rather more modest.
Card templates are fairly rough & ready, but a quick way to get ideas into 3D to see where to start.
Al
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steve m
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| posted on 4/11/13 at 08:26 AM |
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Imho I think that bonnet bulge looks way way to big, as I would of blanked the oil filler off, and welded a new one on the back/front thus lowering
the bulge
Steve
Thats was probably spelt wrong, or had some grammer, that the "grammer police have to have a moan at
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Mistron
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| posted on 4/11/13 at 07:37 PM |
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I agree, and even though the card shapes are very 'generous' as a starting point, I still think this has confirmed that I need to look at
the filler cap.
One of the cars at Bo'ness (an Elva, I think) had the cap moved, so that was already anticipated, but the Coldwell did run with a similar bulge
to this, so I wanted to check it first.
There will be a similar bulge over the carb though, whatever happens to the rocker cover, and a small bulge over the thermostat housing......
All good reasons to start with card, rather than going straight to the foam, as you can see what clearance you are leaving
Al
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Mistron
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| posted on 10/11/13 at 08:08 PM |
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Progress. If nothing else, it's motivating when I open the garage door!
Should get on to the under side later in the week
Al
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Mistron
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| posted on 28/11/13 at 11:12 PM |
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Chopped off the filler cap, and will put a filler tube direct into the sump. Then I measured the clearance needed for both a Weber and twin SUs and
then made a start on the necessary bulges to clear them and the thermostat housing etc.
Because the bonnet line is so low the bulge over the carbs looks massive! but taking the edges off should make it a bit less boxy. Interesting to
compare it with the Coldwell
A couple of photos before I carry out a bit more trimming and refining:
And the Coldwell for comparison:
underside of the nose cone area next, along with the stiffening flares where it flows into the 'bonnet'
Al
[Edited on 28/11/13 by Mistron]
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Angel Acevedo
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| posted on 1/12/13 at 03:45 PM |
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In order for the Carburetor Bulge to look less "Protruding", couldn´t you make it a scoop? this way the size may be a feature.
Good work, seeing this post has made me think to get off my lazy b*tt and start working on my front wings.
Beware of what you wish.. for it may come true....
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Mistron
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| posted on 1/12/13 at 04:15 PM |
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I'ot sure a scoop would work - I did consider it, but I think as the carbs come close to the edge of the chassis I'd need to make the
bulge bigger so there is lots of room round the inlets.
I might cut the face back quite a bit to reduce the bulk of the bulge, and will also remove quite a bit of the carners to give it a much more rounded
form.
I think..........
Al
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Mistron
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| posted on 8/12/13 at 04:51 PM |
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A bit more progress today, mainly on the nose area.
Building up the underside structure to mount the foam:
Forgot to take photos of the foam before shaping it, but here it is fitted:
Need to stick some thin sheets to the side to give it a bit of crown, and then start on the flute where it sweeps up to the top mount . I've
left an angled gap between the nose and the front of the chassis to let some of the heat out, and it also stops it looking so 'boxy'
With Christmas and a kitchen replacement coming up, this might be the last pit of progress for a while, but it's a shame as steps like this are
quite motivating, I can really see it taking form now.
Al
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Mistron
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| posted on 9/2/14 at 09:59 PM |
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A bit of progress after a delay due to holidays, new kitchen, new job........
Starting to build up a skim of filler over the surface and taking out the gaps and adding a bit of strength to it.
(The gaps in the upper surface are purely to gain access to the attachment bolts, and won't be there in the actual mouldings)
Al
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