MIRAGE AUTOMOTIVE - Jimmymac & Alistair's Cars

[JimmyMac]

My mate Ali and I had a chat with Ray Webber over lunch today and decided that we should post some details of the work done over the past months with our Mirage monocoques.
We will open this up with some shots of the recent craftmanship done by Ray Webber and Steve Hill at Mirage Automotive.
The cars will be full MKI monocoques with steel roof skins and FIA approved bladder tanks.
They have been built to original general arrangements and CAD surveys of original cars. I have a complete set of original parts for replicating and we will furnish these chassis' over the next months as accurate as we can.

[MartinGough]

Ray and Steve are doing a fantastic job on these chassis and other parts. They have both put in mad amounts of hours to get thus far and are nearing the end of development. The attention to detail and accuracy employed in the building of the units is exceptional. Good luck to them both in their venture and all the customers with their builds.

[Keith 'Baron' Hardy]

Fantastic! Very good to see. Good luck with the build ups....

[Will Parker]

That is an incredible piece of work. You gents are to be commended for such attention to detail and accuracy. How was the roof section made?

Also, would these cars, once complete, be elegible to race in vintage races?

[JimmyMac]

Vintage,
Thank you.
The roof-skins were shop pressed in one piece.
The fit-out will be 100% accurate but as for historic racing eligibility who knows yet.

[Doc Watson]

Thanks for the update James...... Will, the roof section is pressed steel, with inner and outer panels.

I'm nowhere near having a complete parts bin like James but am eagerly awating my chassis from Ray.

[John Shand]

yes, very nice work.

[JimmyMac]

Here are some pedal box castings I made recently

[JimmyMac]

Thanks John,
Much praise indeed coming from you.

[Neal]

WOW! Real commitment, impressive.

[JimmyMac]

Fuel surge tanks were always a mystery.
As they are hidden away, the only reference point was the JWA parts book however these two turned up and Mirage are making new sets.
The original nozzles are aircraft parts with British whitworth threads and we got some spares from a man who owns a Supermarine Spitfire.
They are fixed using Huck rivets.

[JimmyMac]

A fuel cell trial fitted to the sponson (FIA require these cells replacing every few years).
The stiffeners all fitted perfectly with no chafing.

[Will Parker]

Very nice. How does one R&R the cell once the car is complete?

[JimmyMac]

We removed the foam and connected it to a pump to collapse it to get it in through the front bulkhead opening.
There are also draw loops welded to the rubber bag to pull it out.
So the reverse procedure with the pump would apply to remove it.

[Ian Clark]

Staggering, thanks for posting the pics! I wonder if there is any other historically significant automobile that enjoys such a dedicated, global effort to extend the marque...

Cheers
Ian

[Simon]

Originally Posted by JIMMYMAC

we got some spares from a man who owns a Supermarine Spitfire.

As you do! I love it. Gobsmacked by the quality and dedication, bravo chaps.

[JimmyMac]

Thanks Simon,
He also got me fuel taps and is making up my fuel lines with the original fittings.

[Chris Martino]

I was wondering what was going to compliment your extensive parts inventory... great work by all.

Enjoy-

[Steve C]

AMAZING!

Was wondering what you were going to do with all the original parts...now we know.

Keep us posted.

Fantastic work and detail!

Steve

[JimmyMac]

Thank you,
We are getting very close to two sets of original parts now.
Ali got some more bits delivered last week. Girling 4 pots and a set of splined hubs for 1.25" ventilated discs. I am using the later smooth Gulf hubs so we shall be able to see the difference in set-up.
The spinners are marked Halibrand (AlcoA).