Progress to date: Robert's Roadster

[listerjp2]

Re: Progress to date

Hi Robert

Did you see my reply re Fibre Glassing?

How is it going now?

Adrian

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Sorry Adrian, I thought I had replied, it's a bit manic for me on Fridays when I go to collect the boys from their mothers.

Yes I read them, it was a very helpful reply thank you for taking the time, although not sure it addressed my original concern about how to prepare the substrata (the back of the original fibreglass) for a new layer/additional build up.

I wasn't sure if I should grind the underside of the tub back or simply wire brush it leaving the roughness for key. In the end I ground it back with a rough grinding wheel until it was flat. I raised the Q because I have seen additional fibreglassing peel off on some cars I have seen and wished to avoid that situation.

Amazingly yesterday morning I noticed some lads stripping off a flat roof on the house opposite when I went out, when I returned they were applying a f/g roof. I went over and had a chat with them, they were using the same resin as mine but they gave me a little winter hardener in a polly cup. Within minutes I had the tub outside again, mixed up some resin with the winter hardener, I don't do measuring proportions, i put about an inch of resin and two and a half glugs of WINTER hardener in to the resin, mixed it and applied some matting to the hinge area for reinforcement and glued a couple of pieces of f/g strip held in place with resin and some matting over.

Then the fun started... Nothing, no different, stayed soft for an hour, temperature of the resin, -1.5ºC to +5ºC. OK, time for the hot air gun, brought temp up to between 15 and 30ºC another half hour not much movement but it did start to gel slightly so I kept applying the hot air gun, while I was checking the temperature I lingered with the hot air gun in one place, it got a bit too hot... Started smoking... I checked the temp of the hot patch and it was over 120 and up to 130ºC I could see the patch spreading it bubbled and smoked as it grew, Whoops! I had started the reaction in a big way. I dabbled some more cold resin on to cool it, I did consider water but didn't wish to kill the reaction, just control it from getting too hot and bursting into flames. I didn't want to loose my tub!!! That did slow the growth of the reaction and it settled down, I kept the hot air gun moving after that. After about another half hour the resin was going fairly hard so I put it in the greenhouse rather than the living room, in case it went silly again while I went to collect the boys.

Last night when I got home I checked the tub and it seemed OK, so I brought it in and it's now in the living room again. Will check it out later, I am taking the boys for a pre Christmas treat today, part of the payment plan for helping with the Marlin!

I have done enough to fit the boot lid, I will continue the fibreglassing next summer when it gets a bit warmer, until then it will do. I will leave it until Tuesday now to fully harden before I trim the whiskers and grind up the edges then paint the tub.


Thinking back, I DID reply to the 'Fibreglass Techniques?' thread, I seem to have problems with posts not getting posted when I finish them. Last night I made a post which didn't make it, I had to re-write it and re-post it. This seems to happen quite often here for me. What puzzles me is while I am writing the post a message keeps flashing up saying the text has been auto saved, but gives no indication where... I did a lengthy post a couple of weeks ago and it went into the ether, I never did find it. Must ask Cameron. In the mean time I will copy text when completed.

# 4435

[listerjp2]

Re: Progress to date

Hi Robert

Yep that happens to me sometimes, no reason why?

Anyway's I suggested that you use foam to support the back.

You did the right thing rubbing down the area to join, normally you would form a thin wedge and build up the layers to the correct thickness.

Just as a bit of advice when cutting the Glass matting, try and do it in a single piece, there are those that say you should shred it, this DOES NOT add to the strength but only weakens it.

Dont use to much resin. When the repair/build goes off it should resemble a silk finish not gloss.

Again, I hope this helps.

Give me a bell on 07809 403112 should you need further help.

Looking at what you are doing, you are more than likely teaching all of us a thing or two.

Good Luck.

Adrian

[b_caswell]

Re: Progress to date

Robert,
If your reply thread disapears off the screen you can reclick/open the reply box and then at the bottom of that box is the option to restore the auto saved!

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Thanks Ben, I will try that... IT WORKED!!!

Brilliant.

Brrr, cold outside but the show must go on, going to try to form the dashboard this morning, I am going to bend some 6mm 'Foamex' plastic sign material to form the dashboard, if that fails it will have to be 3mm aluminium sheet. I need to get the dashboard progressing because it will hold up the wiring and painting the 'A' posts, the doors will also depend on the final dashboard design.

Adrian, Thanks for the confirmation on the method of joining f/g, I have to admit I did over do the resin a bit, it formed a puddle in the upside down dish of the tub, I guess it will crack but it's not critical, provided the cracks don't propagate into the original tub, but even then non of the bodywork is structural so it's only cosmetic really. Thinking back I should have dabbled some more matting into the puddle to soak it up.

I am learning every day, that never stops, on the mechanical side I am pretty much OK but I have had virtually no experience with fibreglass bodywork.

[b_caswell]

Re: Progress to date

Robert,
One thing to remember with the dash layout etc is to think about where cables and wires go through the top bulkhead. Make a note of how far down the windscreen needs to slide if you ever have to remove the screen again.

As far as GRP is concerned the only advice I can offer is Boots own brand nail varnish remover(without conditioner) is good for removing the resin from unwanted areas.

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Robert,

As far as GRP is concerned the only advice I can offer is Boots own brand nail varnish remover(without conditioner) is good for removing the resin from unwanted areas.

You wouldn't be referring to personal areas? ROFLMAO! The resin does tend to get everywhere...

Probably won't be having any cables or wires going through under the screen, except perhaps the speedo cable in the middle but I haven't thought that far ahead. I really only have two cables radiating from the central dashboard area, both heavy 7 Core cables one to the front, the other to the back, the back one is already the right side of the bulkhead, the other may come in via the original Marina speedo cable hole, I may as well use it for something!


As promised a couple of pix of the rear tub mods, not that you can see any of the fibreglass work because it's all underneath. I reinforced the strip where the hinges are by adding a strip of matting full width and I fitted and reinforced the tabs either side and a strip across the bottom for the lid to land on. The lid has sprung open since I cut it out of the tub, I don't think there will be anything I can do about that? Maybe force it into the right shape then add some bracing ribs underneath.

No your eyes are not deceiving you, the old spare wheel mounting was way off centre. I need to fill those holes.

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[b_caswell]

Re: Progress to date

Zub Zero in just a T shirt! Dont breed them like that down south.

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Zub Zero in just a T shirt! Dont breed them like that down south.

He was complaining of being too hot? That white stuff on the floor is frost not fibreglass dust... I had sweater and boiler suit on, but my fingers were a bit numb.

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Had quite a good day today, cleared up several awkward little jobs, fitted the grill to the nose cone, made and welded on the brackets for the dashboard, a job I have been avoiding. They are ready for me to fit the dash now which I will probably make on Friday, tomorrow is forecast wet all day so I will get some parts and be ready to get on with the dash and finishing the bulkhead on Friday.

Then I can start on the detail wiring, fitting the wings and lights. The back tub should be ready to fit by weekend, I need to make a simple bulkhead behind the seats, otherwise anything I drop in the car could fall out of the back because there won't be a boot floor for a while until I have the new fuel tank.

# 5445

[Skittler]

Re: Progress to date

Hi Robert,
As one of those 4000 (now far more) viewers of your project I thought I would forward my awe and admiration of what you are doing and have achieved. As so many have said you have done so much in a very short time and, it would seem, at times in testing, to say the least, climatic and operational conditions! Not only that you have, from the photographs, produced a high quality model. Very well done.
You certainly are leaps and bounds ahead of my 'fabrication' skills for at about the same time as you acquired your roadster I acquired mine which only required much TLC to get it through the MOT. Since then I have had a couple of short months to enjoy some drives before some winter upgrades!
Very well done on your progress and achievements to date.
Brian

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Thank you for the kind words Brian. They help keep me motivated during some of the more mundane, awkward and challenging tasks which one tends to avoid, they stack up and can become become a logjam, I have found over the years that it's best to get them done as you encounter them, I find having the backing of the members here is very supportive.

I feel I am on the home straight now, with all the panels painted, the only parts I still need are the VIN plate, which is being engraved locally, a rear fog lamp, front lamp bar and possibly some stainless sheet to form the door step thresholds, I do have a large stainless table which may donate that material.

A little story about an encounter I had on Tuesday:

When I was searching frantically for a timing chain cover to replace the badly rusted one which was on the engine, I was sent to a chap called Brian, who collects historic and vintage cars locally. Brian couldn't help, but when I told him that my Marlin has Triumph Herald suspension and steering he gave me a number to call of somebody who has a large collection of Triumph cars and would be keen to help me. This was Jim, I called Jim at the time but he really only wanted to part with complete cars, not minor parts. So while I didn't forget it, I put that contact on the back burner for after the build, I simply don't have room to break a car, nor the time or energy right now on top of doing the Marlin build.

However, on Tuesday morning it was pretty wet and I was passing within a mile or so of Jim's place, so I thought I would renew contact. Jim is very interested in my Marlin project and keen to help, he has allocated a 1200 Herald for me to break as soon as I can, and pointed to various piles of parts under tarpaulins which I am free to explore and help myself to whatever I need.

I noticed some bright yellow trolley wheels and the bottom of a tank under a sheet. "What's caught your eye?" asked Jim, "That trolley with the tank on it..." Jim uncover it and I was flabbergasted, it was an oil dispenser I made about 1978 to dispense EP90 gear oil into gearboxes and diffs of plant and machinery of the building firm I worked for as a plant mechanic. The firm went bust in '91, I left and set up on my own, the dispenser went in the sale and was bought by a friend of Jim's who has since died and it was given to Jim as part of the clear out. Jim has given the dispenser to me, it still has the original fittings and discharge nozzels I made for it. Jim also has Land Rovers...

[Mike]

Re: Progress to date

Hi Robert

I have a newly made stainless steel headlamp bar available - £50 inc p&p.
Or if you require a special length one, I can get one made to measure for the same cost.
Mike

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Thanks Mike, I think I may getting one from Lee although I am not sure if it will fit because the PO had welded the original 1" square hollow section one to the hockey stick wing supports through holes in the inner wings, I do have a piece of stainless tube lined up if all else fails.

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Good progress again today.

I have made the dashboard, mounted the speedo and final? fitted the back tub and back wings.

The dashboard is made of plastic, a very lightweight sign sheet about 6mm thick, it is quite easy to bend with a hot air gun and very easy to cut and drill. The speedo wasn't quite as easy but after a bit of fiddling I got there.

I should be able to start wiring in earnest soon. The back lights will plug into a 7 Pin trailer socket which is in the boot, making it easy to remove the rear tub if I need to.

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