Project 25

[PeterK]

Going retro with the Dulux - white ???

[Ignatzcatz]

I was at the workshop yesterday (Wednesday) and not a great deal of work done due to ongoing staff problems and a massive amount of other work flooding into the place, but my competitor, a very lovely early cabriolet is at last off to France for a full interior so that will release some workforce to finish my beastie. I have signed up for the Hedingham Castle meet so that is the first objective. All the main engineering is now completed and what remains is the myriad amount of smaller detail type jobs. The Webers are fitted and the old Linkage from the Zeniths works fine with them which is a bonus. Also on the fuel system is the big Carter fuel pump and filter being fixed in the engine compartment and all plumbed in with AN fittings and braided lines. The oil system is completely done barring the fitting of a small stone shield to the front cooler. Next up is to tidy the wiring in the engine compartment, run a throttle linkage. The previous connection to the IDF Webers on the previous 4 cylinder was via a rear tandem brake cable. Don't larf, it worked great. Then there is the gear selection which looks like the old 356 lever will have sufficient travel to reach all 5 cogs in the 915 trans and before that the clutch needs a big bracket and cable attachment. Steve is going to make up an access panel to the rear where the +2 seats would be which will be great for getting to the starter and such and I brought down a load of Dynamat sound insulation pads which will cover all the bare metal. It should be started this week and that tumultuous moment will be broadcast on YouTube. I'll post the link when it's live.
I'm off to Stuttgart this avro with some DDK geezers, we're going to look at Porsches !!

[roy mawbey]

Wow looks so special !!!

Roy

[Disco]

this is absolutely the dogs nob. LOVE it.

quick question though, and I may have missed it, but how come you just enlarged one of the back wings? - are you going for an asymmetric look or will you do the other one 'later'

keep the pictures of progress coming please please please.

Disco

[Ignatzcatz]

The small steel sliver insertion into the offside wing was due to the fact that the car had had a shunt sometime back in it's gloomy past. All the repairs I had done to the car were in the main at the front and it was only when the 915 trans was being aligned into the chassis that previous damage to the car became apparent. It had been smacked in the offside rear and so well repaired with goodly bucket of pug that I never noticed how bad it was. There was a quarter inch of filler there and had been pushed out of shape 25mil which resulted in the offside 16 x 7 Fuchs sticking out of the fender line. On the Celete jig everything was square, it was only the body that was out or rather in so with the insert everything is back to normality with rear wheel positioning now both identical.

[Ignatzcatz]

https://youtu.be/F4WVFWRlfek
"Frankenstein lives, it lives!!!"

[Ignatzcatz]

In all this current horror with the whole world on lock down and no signs of any cure for this dreadful situation, I got an email from Steve and Patrick at Classic Fabrications which totally blew me away. Attached to the email was the above youtube clip showing the engine running for the first time. To say I'm pleased is the understatement of the decade. I'm happy but sad that I won't get to CATC nor Classic Le Mans or possibly any other Porsche meet this year, and please God don't let this world suffer for any time longer.

[anglophone1]

Very cool Graham- now I want a 356!!

[Ignatzcatz]

With all the lockdown and isolation I'm pleased to say that up in the wilds of Devon's Black Hills work is still progressing and thankfully it's on my wee beastie. Steve the man has had his welding goggles on and finished the supports for the mufflers which tie on the lower valve covers. I think I'll have to get these chromed. Also he finished off the strengthening of the rear arms to take the supplementary coil-overs. Work is still on to hook up the shift linkage. At the moment we've only got 4 gears out of six and the sixth is the problem child mainly because we do need a lock out mechanism for the reverse. On my 911 with the 915 trans it was quite easy to crunch gears when coming from 5th down to 4th, the situation was improved after I fitted a factory short shift kit but in the 356 the base for the gear lever is obviously much different from that in the 911 so work continues on this problem. The engine is out of the car for a good clean and to remove the tinware which will be getting a very hi tec carbon fibre finish via an aqua process the method of which is quite beyond my understanding but I'm sure it will look incredible. Watch this space. Now for some more of my incredibly tiny pictures.
Oh for fucks sake I'm advised my pics should be 800 pixels wide, my pic is 806 pixels so I'm going to have to edit all the F****** pictures, I'll, do it manana,

[Ignatzcatz]

Righto, I've buggered around with the photos, God knows why 'cos it's the only website where you have to, anyway pics of muffler brackets, suspension arm strengthening extension, big ole weld on the body to take the coil overs and additional louvers on the rear end to assist the cooling.

[Ignatzcatz]

few more pics if yer interested

[Ignatzcatz]

In these bleak times we all need something to give us a lift, to boost our spirits, to make us smile even for just a little while, and what could be better than gazing at a delicious, a delightful, an enchanting 2.4 911 engine in all its' Weber bedecked beauty. Yes it's my little lump very soon to be stuffed up the rear of my 356 as soon as a little glamorising paintwork can be effected to the surrounding areas. The tinware you may be interested to know is the result of a weird aqua process that floats the chosen image or in my case carbon fibre pattern onto the recipient item. It's all magic really but I reckon the effect is pretty cool.
The hope was for the car to be finished in time for the Classics at the Castle meet but that event has got the chop along with everything else so when it's done it'll be done and I dearly hope there will be a reason to drive it somewhere.
Sorry the pics are so small, it's the poxy website limitations! ! !

[anglophone1]

Was wondering where you had got to Graham- looking cool!

[Ignatzcatz]

We are all struggling under this hellish umbrella of disease but some progress is being made and gladly this does apply to my wee beastie still under the care and attention of Messrs Classic Fabrications in Devon. Steve has all the oily bits removed from the car in order to finish the re-paint of the offside rear fender which due to previous unseen accident damage had been pushed inward a half inch or so thus necessitating the insertion of a small strip of metal in the centre of the fender to even things up. Whilst at the rear end of the car attention was given to the possible problem of insufficient air movement for cooling the engine. The rear fan of the 2.4 engine is virtually touching the rear body and would shroud air intake to a fairly serious degree, so anything that could assist in air intake would be well received. The rear licence plate recess that I had previously 'frenched' into the bodywork was cut out and in its' place Steve fabricated a open mesh plate support which holds the licence plate away from the bodywork but has it still set into the line of the body. It's all very neatly done. So it's paintwork next then re-fit the engine, test and tune, stick it on a trailer and send it home, hopefully in time for the Biscester meet in October. I do have my fingers crossed but I'm not putting any money on it. In the meantime I'm having a third garage built alongside the existing double, this will be a single one just for parking so the double will remain for working on cars and bikes. And just mentioning bikes, I'm selling my old '48 flathead Harley and having built a Cole Foster/Salinas Boys style custom street chop with new Evo motor, Baker 5 speed box with exposed 3" drive belt, Corbin seat, it will be wild.
Sorry guys, I can only do weeny piccys!!!

[roy mawbey]

What a neat mod for that grill / number plate.
Roy