Okrasa Special

[Barry]

Yes, I was surprised at how tiny it looks with me in the picture, and I'm not big. You don't notice when you're working on it.

Both Steve and I are delighted with the shape so far. The front is going to have to deviate from the drawing a little, as we need to make it a bit longer (ironically, the front probably won't look so very different from that first 'No 9 rendering of so long ago, or at least, somewhere between the two). The reason is that we can't squeeze the headlight and headlight bowl in the space ahead of the front wheels and still get a vaguely legal headlight hight.

As it happens, we're hoping that with a few visual tricks we'll be O.K., and as a bonus, Steve might end up with somewhere for the spare wheel (hence it being dummied up in one of the pictures above).

Anyway, other than some tweakage to the rear, and trying out Steve's rear vent ideas, the main thrust of the next couple of weekends will be the front end.

[Macaulay]

That's exactly where I thought it could be a problem, the headlight bowl crashing with the front tire.
I actually think it will look better if its just a tad longer than the last drawing anyway, it will relax the curve going down from
the top of the wheel arch to front.
Excited to see how it will look.

I just thought I would slap up an image I took at the latest SCC meeting
showing one way to solve the air intake.

[911hillclimber]

Been in Scotland for a week's hols, just got back to this lot! Fab.

So envious of what you have to do and take up the challenge on!

We will all have a zillion personal opinions over the next few months on this project, but I also think the rear arches need to be flatter over the top of the wheel?
However, I think that is due to me being used to this age of car!

Flat arched MG Midget v Round arched version comes to mind as an extreme instance. First one looks better to me than the other.

The general shape is wonderful imho and making the mirror image will be a big test on the other sides.

Barry: I think Ron Covell comes over to the UK often? I'm quite sure he came to last year's Classic Show in Nov at the NEC? A master metal man for sure, and I think an alum alloy specialist, as his articles in 70's Street Rodder mags were all Alum bodies for hot rods?

Love the thread.

[Barry]

We will all have a zillion personal opinions over the next few months on this project, but I also think the rear arches need to be flatter over the top of the wheel?

When we dummied up the wire on it's own it looked fine. Once the paper was on, the flat more or less went missing! In retrospect it was probably a combination of optical changes, and the paper actually pulling that piece of wire upwards .

Anyway, was up there today, and removed all of the paper, sorted a couple of areas that weren't right, plus the arch, and let in MKI air inlet. It's all re-papered again so that Steve can see what it looks like with the latest tweaks.

That's it for the rear for a week or two, as I've returned to the front end for a while now. Nothing worth photographing yet though ...

BTW, Still looking for a cast-iron English Wheel if anyone should know of one ....

[steve wright]

Great to see all this discussion about the car, it's good to get ideas and opinions and bounce them around. It's worth highlighting that what you see in the photos is the end result of a LOT of fiddling on Barry's part. (Fiddling probably doesn't do it justice, but there is a lot of "tweaking" that is going on to get it just right.

Often we start with a shape, think it looks good but requires adjustment. More often than not Barry then ends up making fundamental changes just to see how they work, but comes back to the original shape with lots of little adjustments that are fractions of an inch to refine it.

The rear vent is sorted but I'll wait until the front is further developed before we post any more photos. The front is proving more complex than the rear. There are so many complex curves, transitions from one panel to another and things to worry about (like headlamp height, wheel travel, room for the spare wheel, etc) alongside trying to get the proportions, shapes and lines to all work.

We'll also be focusing on a few mechanical parts shortly which Ian C of WPS is assisting me with. This includes refurbishing the Armstrong adjustable shocks, mocking up an Sebring style 4 into 1 exhaust, and trial-fitting the Shorrock super-charger, etc. The latter I'm especially excited about as it should add a useful increase in horsepower and torque, and is technically quite interesting.

enough typing for now, need to start cutting out cardboard shapes for the front air vent!

Cheers, Steve

[911hillclimber]

How is that front end getting on?

It's been a week, so must be nearly finished now.

It will be facinating to see the half of the car papered-over assuming you have not mirrored the other side yet.

Graham.

[steve wright]

I'll leave Barry to update here as I think he had a frustrating day of it. It's now looking good but not before Barry took an angle-grinder to the entire first attempt! Suffice to say it's now looking a whole lot better but we're a couple of weeks away from making it public I reckon!

[911hillclimber]

Excellent. I have high hopes of the 'look' and how the details will be (vents/indicators and grill)

[Barry]

As Steve said, I had very nearly one whole day where it wasn't 'flowing': the first since we started. It was not helped by me slicing my hand on a sharp bit of rod (paper cut really), nearly being hit (ironically) by our mood board as it flew from it's usual place. To finish off, I also managed to break my coffee cup as well .

Anyway, as is often the way, right at the end of the day there was a series of mini breakthroughs, and I've got a list of things to tackle this coming weekend. Hopefully the third version of the front will be getting close, although none have actually been 'bad'. Once I'm / we're happy, I'll get some pics up. We've also made some subtle changes to the side as well, which probably won't show in pictures, but look well in the papery flesh.

I guess we've been spoilt / lucky so far, in that most of the previous areas of have been pretty much a case of: done, checked, cleared, move on. Just as I was leaving last time, I did get a cracking potential photograph of the car, viewed from the non-wired side, with all of the surfacing paper on, and the 'ribs' of wire showing through. I'll take the 'big' camera up next time, and grap a shot of it.

Also I've just remembered that I've left the milk up there ... Oops, better not use that ....

[Ren]

904 front end sir...

[steve wright]

ooh, where did you get that from?

[Ren]

Its not mine but thought the pic would show you how some structure and headlight arrangement etc.

I'm still looking into Plexi Logo Stamp but had been told KK had one and can't find it. I will try and keep you updated. If I bought the metal stamp would you be interested in hiring it...purely to reduce the cost to myself for producing my one off set and not for making profit.

[Barry]

Ren, I took the liberty of copying your picture, and putting it on the workshop's laptop.

It came in very useful last weekend, as even though we're not going for a 904 front as such, it certainly has 'elements of'. Steve has provided me with loads of pictures, but of course you never see a componant view, so to speak. Usually all of the ancilleries disguise the actual body shape: who would think from the above, for example, that the 904 would be such a fabulous shape.

Anyway, after another tricky day last week (although an improvement in coffee cup survival rates I'm pleased to report), we seem to be honing in on a look for the front. Not there yet, but not far off I'm sure. One way or another, I should think that we should have something to reveal after this coming weekend.

To give an idea of where we are now though, Steve an I are now studying the whole of one side wired and surfaced, albeit with no features as yet.

As things stand though, looking back over the last couple of months or so, I'm sure we would have both been delighted had we thought we would have been at this stage at this point in time, and the reality is that we are only (and I'm guessing here: calender in the workshop) 70-80 hours in if that, or barely a fortnight full time. In the great scheme of things, I think it could be worse.

It would be nice to think that perhaps the actual buck proper could be underway (or well underway) by the Chrismas break.

[Barry]

BTW, Eckold Wheeling course booked and confirmed, which I'm really looking forward to, even though I can't really afford the time. It'll make a nice change though, and I've never regretted any of the previous courses I've done.

No 'new' cast iron wheel yet though (missed one that was scrapped a fortnight before though ), so keep 'em peeled folks! Budget of £500-2000 for the right machine.

[911hillclimber]

Classic car show at the NEC this weekend. Always a chance something could be there?