Making a kit car T top gull wing roof

[W.olly]

Hi all, now after some debating over what to do with the roof on my Melos i have decided to go with the mild steel sheet option, it was either GRP, i decided a lot of faffing with that, and ally is to expensive at the minute. I can get 2x1 cover sheets for a tenner, not sure on the thickness yet but i am thinking 1.6mm will do, or 1mm.

This is the car i will be putting it on



Its not going to be easy to form the curves as all i have is lengths of 3x2 and G clamps to make sharp bend and curves will be either bent in small section bit by bit or the corner section cut and tacked/welded in place then filled to get a nice curve. Not sure on the finish yet, going with either black vinyl or paint, the decider will be how good it turns out as vinyl will hide a few sins.

So when SWMBO gets home i will shot off over to the steel stock holders and see if they have some cover sheets in. Not going to be easy as i am suffering with bloody tennis and a bit of golfers elbow after 12 years of dragging gas cylinders around on deliveries, but no rush so please bear with me if you are interested in watching.

wolly

 

[500e]

Why so heavy material ?
20 or 22 SWG would be ok 22=0.56mm

 

[W.olly]

Why so heavy material ?
20 or 22 SWG would be ok 22=0.56mm

Just a quick one of top off my head as its what i use for patching cars etc. if i can get thinner i will do to make it even easier. I agree 1.6 is a bit thick.

 

[octo0072000]

what's happened to the boat? W.olly
also when you come to sell the kit car most people would want a soft top are you making it removable
without altering any or the cage fittings etc

 

[W.olly]

what's happened to the boat? W.olly
also when you come to sell the kit car most people would want a soft top are you making it removable
without altering any or the cage fittings etc

Not the best thing for me about the boat, i was all set for getting the steel sized up, got a trailer big enough to carry the sheets and welder etc. then a month or so later things went down hill for me do to work, my arms wrist and fingers were playing up bad time, so since last October i have been out of work and skint, i sold the boat as i coundnt afford it, sold my car and most other things, but i did buy this toy to keep my sane, jst about.
I wasnt happy having to sell the boat or my car but needs must, but i am enjoying this tinker toy

The roof will be a removable targa top style, and the frame or roll bar wont be touched but i fancy a pair of roll hoops instead which will come later, i dont want a rag top as i have fluid on knee aswell and to get in and out with a rag top on is such pain in ****...and knee lol and with the bad elbow aswell its a nightmare. I was going to get a rag top but i dont see the point in the cost around £400 for top and doors.

 

[octo0072000]

hope you get better you need a MPV your getting to old and knackered for toys like me

 

[W.olly]

hope you get better you need a MPV your getting to old and knackered for toys like me

LOL, tell me not even bloody 40, well i am in a few months so i guess i ma classed as old lol. i so miss my shogun, best car i have ever had, when i get sorted i will be getting another

 

[octo0072000]

LOL, tell me not even bloody 40, well i am in a few months so i guess i ma classed as old lol. i so miss my shogun, best car i have ever had, when i get sorted i will be getting another

only thing with shoggys is mpg my last 2.8 paj with pump opened up did 17mpg 19mpg on a good day
but pulled 3.5ton on a trailer like it wasn't there and yes we know it's not legally allowed to pull that

 

[W.olly]

only thing with shoggys is mpg my last 2.8 paj with pump opened up did 17mpg 19mpg on a good day
but pulled 3.5ton on a trailer like it wasn't there and yes we know it's not legally allowed to pull that

My god get the you knw who going by saying you was over limit lol. I did a 950 mile caravan trip that only cost around £60 in fuel last summer cant beat good old veg oil messy filtering it but at about 25per litre i didnt complain, shoggy can be good if looked after, i had mine well serviced at first on diesel and got 25mpg around town with a little weekend motorway work. i checked that by filling up and doing a run.

 

[the snooper]

id go with the fibreglass option make your pattern out of wood, easy to work with and form a mold

 

[W.olly]

id go with the fibreglass option make your pattern out of wood, easy to work with and form a mold

I was going to go with the GRP and use poly foam sheets to form with ply supports, but i havnt the cash, the foam sheets would be near £40 then the fibreglass and resin etc, all will add up to 4 times the cost to steel.

 

[the snooper]

I think it will be hard to form from steel probably heavy and hard to get looking good

 

[W.olly]

Mr Snooper, why oh why did you have to reply mate, not moaning but i have been meaning to do it from GRP from the start and as i am skint i want to got he cheap route ( not always the best hey ) and now since i read your post i want to go back to GRP, i know it will be easier to form the curves, just the more work involved, BUT i am in no big rush and got all day to do it for weeks aswell. So at the minute ts gone back to GRP, just for the fun of it

 

[the snooper]

find a cheaper way to form what you need, as for resin ring round to get the best price, havnt bought any in a while but found the prices to be all over

 

[the snooper]

I guess this is what you are after

 

[W.olly]

Thats the top Mr Snooper, although i will be having removable gull wing doors, i have a mate that have the same as in the pic but he is 250 miles away, i am thinking to borrow it to get a mould from it then modify it for mine.
I have been getting my fibreglass supplies from East coast, fair price and cheap delivery. There is place only 20 mins away from me for the foam, but the CSM etc is dearer than most.

 

[shed or dead]

Hi W.olly, I had a crack at making a similar roof once, never finished as my welder broke then it went on the back burner for the winter months.

Mine was 0.9mm zintec steel. You may find inspiration here if you go the steel route. http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/roof-for-kit-car.38670/ Or I may just add to the indecision!

I'll dig out some more photos to show the guttering.

 

[711jrp]

I use this mob most of the time when it come to glass fiber stuff.

http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

 

[W.olly]

Hi W.olly, I had a crack at making a similar roof once, never finished as my welder broke then it went on the back burner for the winter months.

Mine was 0.9mm zintec steel. You may find inspiration here if you go the steel route. http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/roof-for-kit-car.38670/ Or I may just add to the indecision!

I'll dig out some more photos to show the guttering.

i have seen your roof build a while ago, looks good, shame you didnt get to finish it, if i go steel, as not sure again now, i can use the roll bar to form the single top
and rear window section, its the rear corner curves that will be a pain, i can work around it though and get good corners on it. the only gutters i will need is in the gull wing doors, but thats i think will be easy, just a lot of cutt small angle to get the door curve and weld in place, just worries me all the welding on thin sheet, but if i tack and bend the sheet over the frame that will keep the water out with rubber seals aswell.

 

[W.olly]

I use this mob most of the time when it come to glass fiber stuff.

http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

looked at them also mate, on these big companies there isnt much difference in price, but at the minute every penny counts so i will take another look when i sort a full cost sheet out.