356 Speedster Flat6 outlaw build

[mdmax72]

Hi Greg,
Had mine set to zero when l had them overhauled and calibrated to my tyre size. Never got questioned through the Iva. Do it

[greg356a]

Hi,

Rich, I will get the gauges refurbished and set to zero before the IVA test as you said;

Cut the holes out for the gauges. Plenty of room behind and around back of gauges.


Really pleased how well the 997 light switch followed the contour curve of the dash;

[greg356a]

Still chasing parts!

Played around with the bonnet line. In the middle near the scuttle the gap was around 4-5 mm whilst flat at the far corners

Difficult to photgraph but you get the idea;


Much better no gap, now follows contour, should need minimal filler


Achieved by a threaded rod and stainless sleeve over the top. Just pulls the hinges very slightly in and moves the bonnet up

[sladey]

Clever

[greg356a]

Morning, still working on the door and panel fit and function. I have at last received the doors locks, strikers and internal realease catch for both sides. Using the measurements from my 356A Coupe I positioned the internal door catch release. Tried various connecting rods, cables, welding rods etc. The final result is stainless 20x3mm bar, which gives a great solid feel.

Lock side


Internal door latch release, I have some original handle pulls to use;




Next jobs are to fabricate a support for the oil lines which includes heater tubes, electrical cable support and fabricate aluminium covers for the front shock towers. That would clear up a lot of the minor jobs on the very long To Do list.

Then I need to make a decision whether to press on with the wiring installation or finish all the mechanical work

[greg356a]

Afternoon all,

I managed to find a couple of hours in the "cave" today. I have made some sill support brackets from stainless steel and reconnected the front oil cooler and oil lines to the thermostat.

Front oil cooler connections. The cooler is right out front hopefully sufficent air will circulate around for cooling.


Inner arch protection


Sil support brackets also allow the oil lines to be clamped into place. I will eventually run the heater pipes down the gap.

[greg356a]

Help please. How do I fill a hole?

The roll cage has to pass through the GRP body at the rear seat area. So I cut a hole and passed the roll cage through and bolted everything up. Job done.

Now I don't know how to fill the gap around the roll bars making it water proof. Originally was going to use stainless plates but the intersection of the three tubes and compound curves of the body makes the shape too complex. If I use GRP mat worried I will ruin the paint on the roll cage. Thought maybe foam the underneath and use filler to shape. No real space for sanding afterwards.





Any ideas?????

[mdmax72]

See why you need some ideas. Tricky
Take it it will be a permanent fixture?
Or temporary?

[greg356a]

Its a permanent fix
Cheers

[mdmax72]

What will you be doing regarding covering that area, paint or carpet.

You could plate it with ally, do it in two halfs, easier to cut and get a tight fit. Then use flexible seam sealer around the roll bar and plates etc. Just depends on how your finishing the rear area?

Or use the ally to make two half templates, bend it to the profile. Cut, file, sand it to profile around the tubes. Then mark and cut out the exact size of the hole. Get your favourite friend at the mo glass fibre and build up some layers over the alloy to make a mould etc. Once made trim the glass back to exact hole size and resin or seam sealer into place around the perimeter of the hole. That way only three areas will be close to the bar itself. Which would be easy to protect. Again seam sealer around the roll bar to give a flexible joint which can be painted. Then touch up with a little filler to smooth it out.

Mmmm does that make sense

Lot of work but it'll be worth it...

[greg356a]

Hi Rich,
The plan for the interior is mostly carpet, leather/vinyl door panels and seats. The hole would be covered in carpet, leaving a little access to the rear hatch. I understand your thinking, I guess I was hoping for the quick route as the area is all hidden.

I did spend one afternoon trying to make two templates that went around each side of the roll bar and would bolt. seal through. Using stainless as a cover. About four cereal boxes later just had a pile of cuttings on the floor and nothing that looked right

There must be a simple solution?

[Gary71]

How about big gap expandable foam? Then carve to suit and cover with carpet?

[greg356a]

Hi Gary,
I guess the easiest, simplest solution but is it waterproof? Use tape (or maybe clay) on the front to shape and cover around the roll cage then foam from the back. I had wondered about covering the back with GRP mat where it does not show, Access at the back is very tight.

As anyone ever tried using clay and then glass matt? Where would you get clay from

[mdmax72]

Hi Greg

"I guess I was hoping for the quick route as the area is all hidden."

What's the rush? You've got time to do it right first time. If you do a quick fix you'll only regret it and end up doing it again further down the line at some point. The tricky bits always take time to get right, that's the difference between build quality's.

By the way expanding foam is waterproof but it does break down with time fairly quick.

[greg356a]

Hi Rich,
No plans to rush. However, at the moment all is dead stop, due to never ending work.

I think the approach will be to get hold of a contour profile gauge and use that to make some sectional shapes glued from the back or front. Might be able to use some of the original wings left after cut away for the arch extensions. These are curved and may fit ok. I had a chat with a local grp body guy who suggested it.