Thanks for all the encouragement, I’m still working away at it. The updates are still slightly behind so will work on putting another post together, its all being pushed for the beach races at pendine sands next year that we are booked into, unlike the other beach races around the world this is a land speed run so pretty much our version of el mirage/bonneville albeit on a lot shorter course, we have got a couple records we’ve got our eye on although just getting to run/see it doing what it’s meant for is gonna be the biggest win.
Pendine looks like it'd be about the most fun you can have in a hot rod, and still be legal . I've spectated at el Mirage and Bonneville, pendine is on my bucket list. Great build too - showing us that with a few great parts and lots of ingenuity and hard work, you can achieve your dreams
Another little update brings us pretty much up to the present day, bar some work on the body that I’ll add into a separate update of its own. So with the need to run a cage that was the last big thing on the list to make up, with the previous re chopping of the roof this was always gonna be abit of a worry for space inside to fit within the rule book, no amount of sitting in the car holding bits of tube above my head was making it more reassuring so I had to just bite the bullet and get some tubes bent. I first got some goal posts ordered one for the main hoop and then one as the back bar/shoulder bar. As the roof is not exactly a conventional shape the front bars and rear bends were made up with the aid of a dodgy card template then a run over to a mates we got them pretty bang on. So we’ve got a full 6 point cage in the confines of a silly roof and it’s got a surprising amount of space around you aided by how low the seat is, I count that as a win. Next up I got the fuel tank and battery box mounted, the tank was a purchase Clark nabbed off marketplace which turns out is the tank from an old U.K. hemi powered top fuel rail named ShoeString. As much as I think hemi’s are shit, I won’t hold it against it as it worked out really well in the car and even vaguely mimics the shape of the WW2 de icer tank used in the so cal coupe. That’s what I’m telling myself to make me feel better anyway… talking of the So Cal car the battery box is the same one used in that and is an early version of the American 50 caliber ammo tin which are different and rarer than the later ones so I was chuffed finding it for a fiver at a military fair earlier in the year. With that i did a quick run round the car trying to think of what to else needed making and the list was pretty short, the rear shocks got mounted and I forgot to take photos the same for the front link bars between the front roll bars and the rad/grille shell hoop. These weren’t really necessary but I had the tube/clevis and they work quite well to tie it all together. So the time came to strip the body work off and get it all welded up, we had a full house of people in the garage charging into it, Louis got involved tig welding all the cage, Clark was busy on the lathe working on the rear axle (which is another thing I need to make a post on but that is abit more special). We got a ton done which was a great help and is a good moral boost mates chipping in to help out the way it should be. The last week I’ve been on it & I got it stripped down to a bare frame, all the underside finished welded and all the straggling bits done, and then my Boxing Day was spent chucking primer on it, I also got it half into colour but ran out of paint! And because the world has stopped I’m still waiting on it to arrive. So that can wait till the next instalment.
Just found this thread, what a great read it is, good skills and what a result! Reckon it's gonna look just perfect.
I understand and approve...very cool and can't wait to see it out and about. This Coupe really echoes the big picture in so many ways. You're doing an incredible job of it as well. I commonly reference it as across the pond excellence...
Glad I found this thread, being an Aussie & working on pre-war English/Euro cars causes me to take particular interest in the cars you guys are building over there. Will follow along with interest
Great start to the new year! It looks like entry and exit from the car will be fairly easy even with the full cage. I look forward to seeing the body work.
it’s still pretty severe but I spent a long time studying photos to see how far to go plus with needing the fit the cage in there it was pretty tough, my biggest thing was the screen angle and to have that kick in the post I know a lot of people opt for the smooth post and cut along the cowl to rake everything back which I agree is a neater way of doing it, but you Rarely see it in period cars.
thanks had that in my mind too, it’s still around somewhere waiting to resurface. If people don’t know it this car was built mid to late 80’s in England amongst the other cars in the club that helped a lot to kick start this whole resurgence off in my opinion.
The Jalopy Journal
