Berlinetta build and restoration

[listerjp2]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

That's one thing I won't have time to do before I go to Classic Le Mans.

Can't wait for the next picture.

Adrian

At long last I took the Berlinetta to the paint shop today.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

At long last I took the Berlinetta to the paint shop today.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

The painter has promised to make a start in the middle of May, at last. Meanwhile I mounted the interior light.

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The housing is attached to the hard top mounting bolts at the front, and the tab at the rear will be stuck to the roof with sikaflex. The headlining should cover the whole thing leaving a flush fitting light.

[Mike]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I pushed the Berli out into the sunshine at the weekend.

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The truth is that it has been a frustrating couple of months trying to find someone willing to paint the car. Anyway, I finally got a painter organized but he is busy, his current jobs being a Reliant Scimitar and a Triumph Stag. He comes recommended by a couple of trusted friends but I really hope that he will be able to start soon. I've been doing jobs like mounting the interior light and thinking about bonnet stays, so I've not been idle but I just want it painted!

Looking good Scott - it is unbelievable what a good coat of paint can then do to the finish! I feel your pain looking for someone to paint your pride and joy - finding someone you know will be good is difficult : finding someone who charges a realistic price makes it even more difficult.
- I can recommend the painter I used - same as Simon Gregory and GOO, but he's a long way South for you, as he's in Daventry : it would be worth the transport costs though.

Pleased to see you have reached this stage and look forward to seeing it at Stoneleigh! (...... this year? - unpainted?)
ATB
Mike

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I pushed the Berli out into the sunshine at the weekend.

20180421_133942-1632x1224.jpg

The truth is that it has been a frustrating couple of months trying to find someone willing to paint the car. Anyway, I finally got a painter organized but he is busy, his current jobs being a Reliant Scimitar and a Triumph Stag. He comes recommended by a couple of trusted friends but I really hope that he will be able to start soon. I've been doing jobs like mounting the interior light and thinking about bonnet stays, so I've not been idle but I just want it painted!

[AdminUser]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Excellent results

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I spent a couple of evenings rubbing the paint down on parts of the bonnet that were bubbling up. I thought that I would leave the rest to the painter, for fear of doing the wrong thing. Then I discovered that the work place of a pal has a chemical tank where they strip alloy wheels. He offered to dip the bonnet, and here is the result. I had already removed the centre hinge and refitted it after cleaning and painting with primer, so I will have to do that again, but I think it was a good move.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Headlights. When I originally built the Berli I fitted chrome headlights, which I preferred to the glassfibre bowls supplied in the kit. Unfortunately they have been attacked by rust over the years.

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So they have been replaced with stainless items. Here they are mounted to the bar, which has been painstakingly mounted to the new wings.

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Sidelights. There is a stylish replacement for the standard rubbolite items. This first came to my notice on this forum and I have just copied what other members have done. The lights are actually aftermarket side repeaters for certain Range Rover models.

The standard lights.

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The lights (which come with orange bulbs but no holders), bulb holders and clear bulbs (in this case LED's).

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An adapter was made from stainless steel and attached with stainless screws.

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The light snaps in position and the bulb holder is a push fit in the rear.

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The parts required.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F142431441667

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F182672802256

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F171743944082

[stevejgreen]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I got two oblong offcuts of aluminum from ebay, so there was only one way to use them. It sounds like the grain would be important for structural use though.

Nope, not just important for structural use.

Keep the internal radius of the bend to a minimum of 2 x the thickness of the sheet. It’s a rough rule and varies depending on the actual grade of Aluminium, sometimes up to 6 x the thickness.

Especially on thin sheet, do not use a scriber to mark the position of a bend, it exponentially increases the chance of a failure.

i think you would be surprised at the level of vibration, induced by the motion of the car, that could lead to fatigue cracking.

On a Roadster, the bulkhead carrying the pedal box is subject to around 400 Newtons under heavy braking.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I got two oblong offcuts of aluminum from ebay, so there was only one way to use them. It sounds like the grain would be important for structural use though.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Aluminium has a significant grain structure, not so pronounced in Stainless, but it’s still present.
Bend it ‘with the grain’ can result in cracking. I suspect that this is one of the contributory factors with Roadster pedal box area cracks.
The saving grace is that the wings are only really subject to vibration, not direct forces from the brake pedal.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Ally. I love stainless but I thought it would be tough enough bending the flanges in ally nevermind stainless. The top flange under the main wing is curved so I did it a bit at a time with an adjustable spanner.

[AdminUser]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

nice. Stainless or ally?

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Inner wings. Some of the paint is bubbling up due to corrosion, no surprise considering it was painted in 1993. It would probably rub down, but I thought that if I could make new ones the end result would be better. I was careful not to damage the originals, so that if I made a mess I could try to fettle them and use them instead.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Thanks. Got them from Europa.