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W.olly
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Are you going to put in some sort of opening window in the doors, sliding or porthole, might be a bit awkward without one
There will be a rear fixed window, maybe opening, not sure yet, and side windows obviousley, sliding type, trying to see if i can get aset from another car to fit inplace to make it easier and cheaper.
octo0072000
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mk 1 midget/frog eyed sprite comes to mind for sliders of about that size
W.olly
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W.olly
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I got the material to start the roof today, it going to be GRP, i got 4 sheets of PU foam to shape the roof, i have done the top and back but i think i will change the back to a curved instead of flat as it will give it better looks, i have used 25mm on toop but the back i will use 12mm as it gives more flex.
This PU foam is great to work with, cuts and sands great, i just hope for good weather so i can get it done as i dont have a garage to work in.
This PU foam is great to work with, cuts and sands great, i just hope for good weather so i can get it done as i dont have a garage to work in.
W.olly
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Its been nice the last few days so i thought why not get stuck in to the top, i found my glue gun, god knows how, found a load of glue sticks cheap and away i go. I kept the top section i cut but i changed the rear a you will see.
Now before i go one, if i did it again i would rather find something instead of a glue gun, granted it is handy and cheap and sets quick, and a good point is it doesnt stick the PU foam solid and can be pulled off easy, but not so easy to fall apart. BUT it cant be sanded down, i have had to use a stanly blade to trim it back, so when you get the glue coming out of the joints its a pain to flush back without damaging the foam. Resin would of been best and stronger and sand don easier. although you can waist a lot of resin as once mixed it has to be used soon, therefore you need all your section cut to size/shape before you glue....well it dont work like that as trimming of sections need to be done once the last has been fixed.
So i have near finished the base mould and i have used 4 1200x1200 sheets, two 12mm and two 25mm. glue used has been 7mm sticks and around 60 of them, so in all upto now its cost £65 for the foam, glue, PVA.
A few pics
Before i took this pic i had finished the other side as i had to wait to use T`s phone for the pics, but this is how it started, the side ( door section ) was the first to do, Oh you can see how i have put a slight curve in the top, i did this with a short length of 25mm batten sat on the roll cage bar that runs from front to back, looks better than flat i think. I used masking tape along the edge where the top joins the car, bets it will be a pain to get off after as it will of been left on for so long.
To get the curves on the door section i just measured the distance both ends in need of filling, divided by 4 and this gave the taper on the foam section needed to fill it, it sort of worked out.
So in the end i got this, yes there was a bit more before i did the sides as you can see i had done the back end first, i single section of 12mm bent around to meet the top did this.
The corners was next to be done 3 bends to meet in one was not easy, its hard to see but i started with 25mm strips then as the bend got sharper i reduced the size to 20mm as they was breaking.
So for the last bit i used 25mm and trimmed it back to get it to sit proud of the rest so then i can sand back to get a good closer finish
I finished early today as my arm is killing me so the other corner be finished in a few days. It is flimsy on the sides so what i tend to do is get in through the window, yes i removed it before hand, so then i can lay a little fibreglass on the inside to help the out side lay up once all the glue is cut back and its sanded a bit more to shape. Also bits need filling, as you can see the dash area needs filling with a slip of foam.
Pritty chuffed with it at the minute and looking forward to getting some fibreglass on it.
so when i get more done i will update the next with the step, i will just be glad of not having to keep putting a tarp over it all the time.
Now before i go one, if i did it again i would rather find something instead of a glue gun, granted it is handy and cheap and sets quick, and a good point is it doesnt stick the PU foam solid and can be pulled off easy, but not so easy to fall apart. BUT it cant be sanded down, i have had to use a stanly blade to trim it back, so when you get the glue coming out of the joints its a pain to flush back without damaging the foam. Resin would of been best and stronger and sand don easier. although you can waist a lot of resin as once mixed it has to be used soon, therefore you need all your section cut to size/shape before you glue....well it dont work like that as trimming of sections need to be done once the last has been fixed.
So i have near finished the base mould and i have used 4 1200x1200 sheets, two 12mm and two 25mm. glue used has been 7mm sticks and around 60 of them, so in all upto now its cost £65 for the foam, glue, PVA.
A few pics
Before i took this pic i had finished the other side as i had to wait to use T`s phone for the pics, but this is how it started, the side ( door section ) was the first to do, Oh you can see how i have put a slight curve in the top, i did this with a short length of 25mm batten sat on the roll cage bar that runs from front to back, looks better than flat i think. I used masking tape along the edge where the top joins the car, bets it will be a pain to get off after as it will of been left on for so long.
To get the curves on the door section i just measured the distance both ends in need of filling, divided by 4 and this gave the taper on the foam section needed to fill it, it sort of worked out.
So in the end i got this, yes there was a bit more before i did the sides as you can see i had done the back end first, i single section of 12mm bent around to meet the top did this.
The corners was next to be done 3 bends to meet in one was not easy, its hard to see but i started with 25mm strips then as the bend got sharper i reduced the size to 20mm as they was breaking.
So for the last bit i used 25mm and trimmed it back to get it to sit proud of the rest so then i can sand back to get a good closer finish
I finished early today as my arm is killing me so the other corner be finished in a few days. It is flimsy on the sides so what i tend to do is get in through the window, yes i removed it before hand, so then i can lay a little fibreglass on the inside to help the out side lay up once all the glue is cut back and its sanded a bit more to shape. Also bits need filling, as you can see the dash area needs filling with a slip of foam.
Pritty chuffed with it at the minute and looking forward to getting some fibreglass on it.
so when i get more done i will update the next with the step, i will just be glad of not having to keep putting a tarp over it all the time.
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shed or dead
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Nice shape, following this eagerly.
Good job.
Good job.
W.olly
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Thanks SorD, i didnt like it really when i finished it but now i do when i got to look around it better on the road, when i got it in the pound i had a go at making a high level brake light but non that i did i liked, they just make it look like a black cab lol
think i will just with it as is, it splis the lines of the roof and back end, i did try a few, maybe a real slim line break light could be better. I will a have another go this weekend.
think i will just with it as is, it splis the lines of the roof and back end, i did try a few, maybe a real slim line break light could be better. I will a have another go this weekend.
the snooper
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why were you fitting the high level brake light on the outside ? just fit a recessed light so its flush with the exterior there are plenty about at scrapyards
W.olly
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The ones i see on modern cars look good, but as they are a lot wider they ok, i can still do one but a more slimline one or as you say a recessed one, what i want to do is LED lights spelling MELOS
shed or dead
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How about a slimline high level brake light within the rear window?
Something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Rome...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3cdeb21d3d
Not my ad by the way, just the sort of thing I'd use in the same scenario (except that I was doing a split rear screen).
Something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Rome...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3cdeb21d3d
Not my ad by the way, just the sort of thing I'd use in the same scenario (except that I was doing a split rear screen).
W.olly
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Ye i like that kida, similar to what i want to make but on the outside full width of the roof. i dont want to spoil the lines now though so that could be the way to go now. i need to sort the window first really. need to make a recess for it to sit in.
shed or dead
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Hadn't seen that. It's not just my roof that was split screen, there's an inch strip of 'broken' covering a small area of monitor. Makes proof reading difficult too!
shed or dead
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What are you thinking for the window? I've seen heated from MX5 soft tops on ebay cheap in the past. Not sure if they're glass or plexi though, but certainly solid.
W.olly
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The width i have for the rear window is only about 26 inch, i mite have to get some perspex and heat to make my own. i will look at the MX5 though to se the size of them
