Flares....

[Bootsy]

A quality update all round

[KS]

Can you give me a precise date of completion so I can leave space in the relevant issue of the magazine?

Looks incredible!

[MarkIII]

Great update as ever Darren, your shell for a UK car looks like one the most solud i have ever seen, you will be in paint in no time!

[rhd racer]

Yes, fantastic craftsmanship and brilliant ingenuity.

A great talent

[Gary71]

Awesome, but please slow down I’m not ready to send my shell off yet!

[Darren65]

Can you give me a precise date of completion so I can leave space in the relevant issue of the magazine?

Looks incredible!

....well, it has been some time!

Cheers guys......and Gary, I've been told when I'm being kicked out!

[Darren65]

I visited Barry today to deliver a few parts, catch up on progress and discuss the various mods that are in addition to the standard restoration work....



....Barry always has a gem or two to share and this time he excelled...



....it transpires that the battery floor section of the front pan for IB cars is not available as a repair panel, this area on mine was toast and other options for various reasons made no sense so Barry fabricated his own repair section......from scratch and by hand .....



....a real shame that it won't be seen when the battery is in place....



.....soon to be welded in place...



....pretty damn cool imo!

[Darren65]

...another repair section Barry made for the rear engine bay area looked pretty innocuous however the shape, curve and structure took a bit of effort to achieve....hard to photograph but quite a complex shape with a lot of detail...



....and this is where it's needed....



....if the shell hadn't been blasted this would no doubt have been missed in the 'perfect' engine bay! ....



....again a shame that this repair section will be covered, this time by a crude strengthening modification....



....

[nrc914]

Wow, is there no end to that man's talents?!!

[Darren65]

....Barry and I spent some time going over and looking at photos of the various RS (and shell) modications on top the restoration work and these include....

> Centre front pan mod for central oil cooler.
> Brackets for metal fuel tank strap.
> Front strutch cross brace.
> Front ARB mod.
> Centre dash air vent delete.
> Sunroof delete.
> RS pedal box modification.
> Roll hoop plate welding.
> Rear shelf seat belt fixing plates.
> Torsion tube and centre tunnel strengthening.
> Engine bay cross brace strengthening.
> Brackets for short trailing arms.
> Rear ARB support strengthening.
> Fit arches as per factory method**
> Off side rear chassis leg dent using a big hammer!

** Sorry Barry!

[brembo]

Darren,your probably keeping as original as possible,but Mike B made these bkts for fuel tank install.
Might be of interest to you.

Great progress so far,keep the reports coming.

[inaglasshouse]

> Fit arches as per factory method**
** Sorry Barry!

Is the factory method really hideous?
Poor Barry. He'll probably have to do it with his eyes closed.

[Darren65]

Darren,your probably keeping as original as possible,but Mike B made these bkts for fuel tank install..

...they're neat Dougie thanks, Mike Bainbridge is making some great items now

[Darren65]

.....Is the factory method really hideous? ....

...truly as far Barry is concerned, I've never heard him groan so loud.......he probably didn't sleep last night!

From what I can see the arches were lapped and spot welded rather than butt welded.....crude but simple and very quick....

[DustyM]

.....Is the factory method really hideous? ....

...truly as far Barry is concerned, I've never heard him groan so loud.......he probably didn't sleep last night!

From what I can see the arches were lapped and spot welded rather than butt welded.....crude but simple and very quick....

I can understand his disdain, that's horrible and a rust trap! Especially done that way with the underside lip facing upwards.