Discussion
few months ago i started building a mini sprint - with the idea of using a scrap shell to practice, to ensure both me, a full cage, a race seat and my engine could fit into it, then building one using my very tidy rot free shell to race it in HGTCC.
as with most of these things, it takes far longer than you think, plus thanks to a pretty serious road accident any racing has been put on hold for a couple of years.
i decided to crack on and get the practice shell far more finished than i intended, paint it and maybe use it as a road car for a while. of course, thanks to using a rotten crash damaged shell and only ever intending to use it as a test bed has meant that ive mede loads more work for myself as i have had to redo loads of the really rough bits and had to repair a load of rot. its never going to be a minter, rather its going to be a bit of a rat look cheapy.
the shell was a freeby dragged out of a garden where it had festered since failing its mot - all the parts had been stripped for another car.
a couple of quick cuts with a grinder saw 2" out the body and 2" out the pillers - i wanted to retain the roof gutter and std roof size, so this means some serious work on the front and rear pillers to reline them - the easy trick is to lengthen the roof, but this looks rubbish, as if the car has just been squashed. the other way is to remove the roof gutter and sink the roof and retain the standard size screen (but canted back), i didnt go for this (easier) option as i really wanted the gutter.
the shell was so rotten around the front scuttle and pillers that i grafted a spare part in, fairly easy, but involved a lot more cutting and measuring.
frame and string provide much needed rigidity and datum lines, by this point rear body, b and c pillers where done, a pillers and front bulkhead a work in progress!
rear quarter just about done, still have bit under the boot and the boot floor to sort out
fast forward a few months (sorry no photos)
pillers, wings and doors done
bonnet doesnt fit great, but it was a bent welded up freeby!
spent last week on holiday fitting sills and repairing all the normal mini rot and finishing the rear.
all that remains now are the lh inner wing and a few little bits, then some serious sanding!
more photos to follow.
p.s
ive since discovered that a 2"/2" chop is too much for me in my helmet sat in my race seat.
drat!
as with most of these things, it takes far longer than you think, plus thanks to a pretty serious road accident any racing has been put on hold for a couple of years.
i decided to crack on and get the practice shell far more finished than i intended, paint it and maybe use it as a road car for a while. of course, thanks to using a rotten crash damaged shell and only ever intending to use it as a test bed has meant that ive mede loads more work for myself as i have had to redo loads of the really rough bits and had to repair a load of rot. its never going to be a minter, rather its going to be a bit of a rat look cheapy.
the shell was a freeby dragged out of a garden where it had festered since failing its mot - all the parts had been stripped for another car.
a couple of quick cuts with a grinder saw 2" out the body and 2" out the pillers - i wanted to retain the roof gutter and std roof size, so this means some serious work on the front and rear pillers to reline them - the easy trick is to lengthen the roof, but this looks rubbish, as if the car has just been squashed. the other way is to remove the roof gutter and sink the roof and retain the standard size screen (but canted back), i didnt go for this (easier) option as i really wanted the gutter.
the shell was so rotten around the front scuttle and pillers that i grafted a spare part in, fairly easy, but involved a lot more cutting and measuring.
frame and string provide much needed rigidity and datum lines, by this point rear body, b and c pillers where done, a pillers and front bulkhead a work in progress!
rear quarter just about done, still have bit under the boot and the boot floor to sort out
fast forward a few months (sorry no photos)
pillers, wings and doors done
bonnet doesnt fit great, but it was a bent welded up freeby!
spent last week on holiday fitting sills and repairing all the normal mini rot and finishing the rear.
all that remains now are the lh inner wing and a few little bits, then some serious sanding!
more photos to follow.
p.s
ive since discovered that a 2"/2" chop is too much for me in my helmet sat in my race seat.
drat!
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