"Vigilante 6.0 Vengeance" project

[Jackal]

Hi guys, my first post here. This is my project based on the Murcie dimensions.

I also have what I think is a GT40 MK3 mold. My Vigi has priority though.

Here are some photos. Remember I started with 0 knowledge, so you seasoned builders... have mercy!

Regards
Jackal

[Jackal]

And some more photo's.

Note the nose needs to be shaped radically still.

[Jackal]

Ok, here they are!

[Terry Oxandale]

Nice project, and I'm looking forward to future posts with lots of photos!.

[Ron Scarboro]

My hats off to you and all those with the PATIENCE to do what you do.

Best of luck and look forward to the progress photos...

Ron

[Jackal]

Thanks guys. Summer here in Paarl, South Africa is pretty hectic. It was 42 degrees celsius at 18h00 last night. My garage has a corrugated iron roof with no insulation, so it is kind of working in an oven. I cannot wait for March when things start to cool down significantly. I will really give it a good go. In the meantime I will assemble the GT40 mold temp. Although most of it looks accurate.... there is quite a couple of things that do not look so original... maybe you guys can tell me if it's worth my while. I will also have to make flanges for assembling the mold. What bothers me on this mold is the fact that the doors are not cut into the roof and that it has a sunroof. The mold also came without doors and bonnet. So those I will have to make. Except for that, the rear glass seems to be bigger than the norm. I did find 1 or two pics that looks pretty similar and my gut tells me it might be a mk3 or close to it.... Anyway I will post pics and you guys can give some input. The dimensions seems to be spot on.

As far as my 'Vigi' goes. I used a Peogeot 307 windscreen and will also use the complete 307 winscreen plastics (around the windscreen wipers) I will fit these in my mold for the recesses. I managed to pick up a cracked 307 windscreen from the local autoglass guy for free. As you can see that is already on my mold. Tail lights I will make myself from lexan (lenses) and the lights itself will be LCD in aluminium backplates. The 'beehive' vents under the tail lights will have to be machined I guess. Headlights will be projection bulbs.

Engine wise, I'm thinking of a suped up Lexus 4-4,3 litre V-8 with Audi box, although my original plan was the Mercedes 6.0 litre V-12.... (I might very well go that way still... otherwise I will have to change the name to Vigilante 4.0 Vengeance... )

Everything inside the car, dash, centre console, seats etc will be made handmade.

Chassis will be a custom frame chassis .... kinda copied from preliminary Diablo plans posted on the net. I will make sure it is very sturdy though.



Regards
Jackal

[Doug]

Nice start Jackel. Is your putty body filler or plaster based? Good call having an available windscreen incorporated into the build.

[Jackal]

Hi boatwon,

That is where I really got stuck for a while. I used polyurethane foam and as a filler I started with a resin and talc mix (rich in talc). Most of the dark brown on the prop you see is that.

The problem is that it really is a tough cookie to sand (although it does give a nice finish). I work alone on the car and seeing the slow progress with the talc was really disheartening. Then that wonderful product 'Micro balloons' came along my way. What a pleasure. I bought a bag of it and you mix it with resin and hardner (as with using the talc) and you apply it and finish it.

When you mix the product you will immediately be amazed at the difference in weight for the same quantities for the talc and for the microballoons. The latter being about half the weight of that of the talc.

Sanding is a pleasure with the balloons. After the micro balloons I will use a sprayable filler coat and top coat to finish. All the stuff. Micro balloons, filler coat and top coat all from Scott Bader in Cape Town South Africa.

Kind regards
Jackal

[Fred W B]

Hi Jack

Nice to see another SA with a scratch build project here. I know what you are going through, I also started from nowhere.

Maybe you saw my CANAMSA thread here already, I used wood/foam, then polyfiller, then a skin of GRP, then Upol body filler, then Durabuild surfacing primer to make my pattern

CANAMSA - SA stratch build

Cheers

Fred W B

[Jackal]

Hi Fred,

I saw your thread and it's very impressive work. Wish I saw it way back! The Microballoons I'm using now though is really good stuff. I think if I started with that I would of been 99% finished with my plug.

I see you are from PE. Seems to be alot of fibreglass fundies in PE. The work you have done, photos you have taken .... absolutely brilliant. I especially like the way you made your mold. Mine will have to be a multiple split mold as well because of the nooks and crannies especially where my multiple intakes are. Your thread has given me many ideas and hope! Anyway from March onwards I'm going to give that car a full blast.

How long would you say your project took you from the first day till now?

Regards
Jackal

[Fred W B]

Hi Jack

Thanks for the credit.

Yes, PE (Port Elizabeth) does have quite a few small and large GRP manufacturing companies, and of course Hi Tech who make the Superformance GT40's and Cobra's are here. So it's not difficult to find someone who knows someone who can put you in touch with someone who can give good advice and the contacts to the right suppliers etc.

As for the length of time, I started putting my plug together in early 2007, so just starting the 6th year now. Took until the middle of 2010 (3.5 years) to get the plug finished, and have been working on moulds since.

Sometimes it is difficult to find the time for it on top of work, family, and all the other challenges that life throws at us.

Cheers

Fred W B

[Jackal]

I did the vents on the front. Still very rough. Have to do the sides of the front intakes but haven't decided on what lines and shape yet. Will most probably end up doing it 5 times.

Here are some pics of the rough work.

Cheers
Jackal

[Jackal]

Here are more photos of what was done last night. Tonight I'll build up the bonnet area more and might cut in my bonnet vents (exit vents) if time allows it.

Cheers
Jackal

[Jackal]

I have been pretty busy on the Vigi this weekend. Mostly sanding inside vents.... what a shitty job! It has to be done though. I did manage to get the nose of the car closer to what I'm looking for. Now just final touches and then finishing.

Cheers
Jackal

[Doug]

Good progress. It's going to take some fancy mold work to incorporate all those inlets.

[Jackal]

Thanx mate. Yeah the mould will be a 10 piece split mould. That will be tricky. Tonight i'm shaping and pasting the vents and bonnet further. Wish I had the same gusto for sanding as I have for shaping !

[Jackal]

Last night no progress ....... and tonight there will be no progress either and maybe none tomorrow.

Last night as I pushed the car outside, a bracket collapsed on the steel frame under the car causing the one rail to fold over. Could not get a jack under the rail. Could not lift anyware on a single point because of the weight and the stresses involved on the body. Eventually after 3 hours and the help of two friends we managed to lift it by hand and place it on a stand. I welded in some supports but will have to rebuild some more and I'm going to put in swivel wheels.

I did pick up some damage with the fall, on the vent, on the roof and on the nose. All stress cracks. Those are easy to fix though. The big buggerup now is to get under that car and weld in the appropriate members.

[Doug]

Hope you were able to get things re-aligned and back on track.

[Jackal]

Originally Posted by boatwon

Hope you were able to get things re-aligned and back on track.

Hi Doug. Yes mate got everything done. Fixed the new wheels underneath. Where I had two cross members supporting the rails...I now have 5! Don't wanna go through that again!

Spent some time fixing the damage done and now busy with the lip under the side intake. Also still busy on the nose and nose intakes. Will post some photos soon.

Cheers
Jackal

[Jackal]

Don't know how to poste from my mobile [photos]. So will be posting some progress photos tomorrow (monday). Started with vents on bonnet and also work on righthandside.

Cheers
Jackal