Fortunately I had a good place to start in that I created the front skeleton of the car in tubular ERW steel box section on which I can now hang the alloy panels. I used ERW box as this I hope will help stiffen the chassis. I deliberately kept the design simple and very close to the original design. I therefore envisaged only 4 main panels at the front.
1) Side panels 2 off with a bulge in the lhs to increase the foot well area and a cut-out for the SU carbs on the rhs.
2) Front bulkhead cover panel or instrument binnacle.
3) Bonnet (one piece).
The rear bodywork needs tidied up but that can wait for now the challenge is to enter an event this year.
I decided that both the side panels would be made from 1mm alloy and be wire edged to improve safety,stiffness and durability. The first image shows the usual starting point a cardboard model. I must have made a good job of the ERW fabrication because the cardboard model was sufficient for both sides.
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| Simple cardboard model is sufficient |
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| Panells cut out and wire edged and protected with tape |
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| First offering up rhs. |
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| Bolted in place lhs |
The bonnet
This part of the build was most feared by me as distortions in forming it would be most obvious to anybody looking at the car. I decided to make a "buck" to assist in this part of fabrication. A buck is necessary in order to try out the fabricated bonnet for shape before trimming it to length. The bonnet sits in the instrument binnacle and radiator recesses. The buck was made out of scrap bits lying about the workshop namely some scaffold poles and some angle iron left over from a motorbike packing case.
What started out as a cardboard model of the front side panels and the fabrication of a buck has resulted in a pleasing front bodywork.
Here is an Index page for the build
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