Just wondered what you guys think of the Sammio?
About to take the tarp off my GT6 which has stood outdoors for donkeys.
Suspect the body will be too far gone to restore plus SWMBOs not keen on it (crashed it twice!).
This GRP body fits onto the original chassis using a supplied custom-made spaceframe and all the other running gear, instruments etc.
Any comments/suggestions appreciated.
Cheers, Pewe.

Sammio

samio rear

wow!

Very nice go for it

I want one

I was looking at those the other night. Is the Spit/GT6 the same underneath as the Herald/Vitesse? The site suggests Herald/Vitesse but Vitesses are like rocking horse poo and the Herald would be a bit lacking and there are only really tidy or really cr*ppy examples about.
If it would go on a Spitfire or GT6 it would open up a few more options.

Stunning! Just kit yourself out in some old fashioned driving goggles & preferably a white scarf held upright with wire!



it reminds me of the MGB sebring I'm building, but your plan is better. [this is not mine!]

Shades of a D type Jag.
Love it.
Go for it, you know you want to.

I think there is a massive amount of bodywork required to get it looking that nice, I have seen them on the bay of e and the pre completed models appear to be completeley skimmed with filler which suggests not the best quality finish from the mould. I do personally think its a brilliant shape though and in keeping with a classic sportscar

I liked the look of this car, but when I had a look on the website it looked a bit ropey.

The moulding quality looked awful and the additional steel framework looked a little badly thought out.

Now, I haven't seen one in the flesh so I may be doing a it a grave mis-justice my opinion is simply based on my impression from the website.

If you can make it look like that you really should go for it

I also though some of the ones on there web site were a bit rough looking although a nice classic shape and may be a good basis for some one building on a budget but able to spend a lot of time on finishing the body work.I thought the sub frame was a bit ropey but easily improved on , the main thing that would put me off is the lack of doors and tall sides compared to a seven so maybe not that practical to climb in and out of.Doors would be quite a major job to fit.
Paul

It's not going to make it handle any better, it will just make the third crash mor expensive
and considerably more awkward to crawl away from, seeing as they seem to have forgotten the doors!

Sell the Triumph to a nice pipe smoking man, with a beard, wearing tweeds and a flat cap, buy an english wheel, a set of hammers and a sand bag...... and bloody well make your own body!...... stick it on a locost chassis, and bingo

He now offers a different front end (more cobraesque/Lancia D24) which, personally I prefer and accomodates the straight six engine better.
http://www.sammio-spyder.com/home.html
Must admit, I've pondered over possibly doing one of these in the future along with transplanting a Rover v8 or Alfa V6 under the bonnet.

I have to agree with the others about the heath robinson frame and dodgy looking finish on the website.

I'd be looking to turn it into a LeMans Spitfire

Base it on a GT6 as it has better rear end, all the chassis from Herald to GT6 are similar, but for Godsake fab the rear for wishbones, I had a Spitfire when I was 21 ( just remembered Custom Car mag took the wee out of that the same way you lot ridicule my Robin Hood, but that's another story), the front end was great, the back was shall we say challenging.

I love it. Looks about the same size as a midget, and as above, very Jaguar-esque.

Don't like it. Looks like a failed 1960's kit car crossed with a spriget. What's wrong with the GT6 shape. To me one of the prettiest cars of its era. Restore the body and put a zetec/type9/sierra lsd in it. That's what will be in mine when I get round to restoring it. (Later back end with decent coilover shocks plus major change of new upper wishbone to replace the transverse spring and modified sierra drive shafts)

quote: all the chassis from Herald to GT6 are similar

That's what I thought, but they're not.


Pewe take a look at this thread

linky

Although the thread started off about rebodying regs it drifted into the Sammio Spyder.

It is based on the Herald/Vitesse chassis which is longer than the Spitfire/GT6 chassis. In my view, the very pleasing lines of the Sammio were ruined when it was shortened to fit the Spitfire chassis.

John

[Edited on 5/2/11 by John Bonnett]

[Edited on 5/2/11 by John Bonnett]

quote:

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Originally posted by snapper
Base it on a GT6 as it has better rear end, all the chassis from Herald to GT6 are similar, but for Godsake fab the rear for wishbones, I had a Spitfire when I was 21 ( just remembered Custom Car mag took the wee out of that the same way you lot ridicule my Robin Hood, but that's another story), the front end was great, the back was shall we say challenging.

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There are a few triumph things on here that I am involved in
I ran a zetec spitfire until I hit some diesel on a bend. Game over. Nothing to do with the suspension as another car did the same a few minutes later (but not quite as fast)
Anyway, I am putting the "new" one together, and looking at rear suspension upgrades.
I need to avoid chopping the chassis (that will be noticable) otherwise IVA will be a problem.
So I am doing a conversion that uses Volvo lobro joints attached to the diff via an adaptor, that mates to a rover 100 driveshaft. That will slot into an MGF upright. There is a chappie who is machining the rotoflex uprights to accept the mgf bearing which is a simpler route, but needs the roto uprights.
I am also trying to sort a lower wishbone that will avoid the need for a tie-rod (reduce bump steer) and all the geometry that goes with it. A full sized model it soon to be built so I can measure camber changes.
The diffs are also being swapped to scooby ones, cheap, strong and good ratios available. Will fit in the chassis with no chopping, but some bracketry is required. I suspect kits will be made available at some point.....

Oh, the link with the massive tuck in was the earlier type of suspension. Rotoflex stopped that, and indeed the very simple swap to swingsprings on the later spitfire.

[Edited on 5/2/11 by cliftyhanger]

Guys, thanks for the replies - lots of food for thought as ever.

Like the thought that it'll just make the third crash more expensive!
As someone said it just borders on a '60s glass fibre special.
Fortunately their Poole factory isn't a huge distance from Reading to go and take a look in the flesh.
Other options such as the Le Mans version interesting .

I suppose the first job is to investigate the condition of the old girl (car not SWMBO).
My other concern is how it will handle given that it must be much lighter and it wasn't an ideal set-up as standard with the boat anchor of a six cylinder at the front.
Rear end wasn't too bad as it's a MK2 with Rotaflex and wishbone suspension.
Maybe I'll just have to find that weirdy, beardy to sell it to as is (no hang on a minute that description sounds familiar).

I'll keep yous posted.
Cheers, Pewe

I've always thought the original GT6 styling was the only thing that puts me off getting one os all the reports of poor handling.

I'd be sorely tempted if there was a space-frame kit allowing the floor pan of the shell to be cut off and the GT6 clothes draped over it!

As for the Sammio kit... I had previously seen it on eBay and thought it was a nice shape. I'm not so sure of it's proportions now I've seen one on a chassis. Looks pretty dumpy.

Pewe, in case you didn't spot it, this is what your GT6 would look like with the shortened Sammio body

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In my view, the GT6 is a beautiful looking car and that the shortened Sammio is not in the same league.


[Edited on 5/2/11 by John Bonnett]
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[Edited on 5/2/11 by John Bonnett]

The GT6 is certainly a beautiful car and I eyed them with envy in my youth when I was driving my first car - a MkII Triumph 2000 TC. Still, I used to content myself that I had the same straight six engine and I'd tell unsuspecting burrds that mine was a Stag with a hard top!!
But, if the GT6 is full of tinworm, then surely the Sammio is a viable option. I think Jon's above pic of the GT6 derived Sammio is particularly unflattering and perhaps, its 'dumpiness' is exagerrated in that pic by the fact that the suspension hasn't been lowered yet.
The Sammio has only been around for about 18months since its conception (I remember seeing a prototype on the back of a trailer at the Exeter kit car show in 2009) and looks to have undergone rapid development since. No doubt there'll be further big developments in the future.
I do like the latest nose/bonnet and think it makes the Sammio a good looking car from all angles now (I wasn't a fan of the original 'Porsche' style nose.)
Bugger, I don't seem to be able to post a pic - still, its the red one at the bottom of the page with the '66' white numbers on it.
http://www.sammio-spyder.com/home.html

First my apology for the large GT6 picture. I've resized it several times but it still comes out too big. Along with most of you, I find it very irritating when a large picture impacts on trying to read what everyone else has written. Sorry

Andrew you are probably quite right that the shortened Sammio is not shown in its best light in that picture but my point was that the proportions have been lost in shortening it. The Herald based car is in my opinion very nice to look at from every angle and Gary must be congratulated on the work he has put in to produce such a pretty and affordable conversion.

Just taking the very mixed opinions of everyone who has replied to this thread illustrates how subjective attractive is and fortunately not everyone likes the same things.

In trying to find a suitable body on which to base my new project, I have discovered an interesting relationship between overall length and the height of the car. If it falls within the range of 25 - 33% height to length, the body looks sleek. Over 35% the sleekness (if there is such a word) is lost. The ride height of the Sammio in this picture certainly doesn't help its cause, that's agreed. Just an observation and just my opinion.

John

[Edited on 5/2/11 by John Bonnett]

I prefer the original nose. The new one is too Cobra like. Either way looks like a big job getting it to look "right". I'd still prefer the LeMans Spitfire conversion, posibly with an engine upgrade. I wonder if the Mazda v6 would fit... with Clairs Triumph throttle body system?

Adrian, does anyone do a Le Mans conversion?

To answer my own question, yes there is a Le Mans conversion.
Linky

JohnB, knew there was something familiar about that side shot.
Looks similar to my first open top car - a Fairthorpe Electron Minor (google it lads - probably before your time).
That had similar aspect ratios and it had doors. As I said above I knew it reminded me of a 60s glass fibre special!
Despite it's ugliness (too short at the front) it went like stink and pre-dated McLarens three seater arrangement by quite a few years (albeit three across at a squeeze).
The twin carb Standard 8 engine (later to become the Herald engine) didn't have much problem punting along the paper thin glassfibre (later to be called GRP) body - in fact a mate at the time who built GRP reckoned it was less than race weight. Torix Bernnet designed the chassis and I have to say he got it 99% right.
Cheers, Pewe

quote:

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Originally posted by adithorp
I have to agree with the others about the heath robinson frame and dodgy looking finish on the website.

I'd be looking to turn it into a LeMans Spitfire

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I'm sorry Adrian, I missed your link completely for the Le Mans Spitfire, should've gone to Specsavers!! It certainly looks really good but not a cheap option.

Pewe, I remember Fairthorpes very well having owned a Rockette in the 80s. My car is the red one with the white stripe. It is pictured along with the other cars outside the old Fairthorpe factory in Denham. It had been rebuilt by Motorville (Messrs Collins) after many seasons of competitive trialling. The Rockette was a bit longer than the Electron Minor which certainly does resemble the shortened Sammio.

John


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