Thanks for your kind comments Jack. Yes, I love the look too. I do plan on licensing it and then running it for about 12 months before I finally paint it. Maybe just a flash coat to make it all one colour. I’ve seen fresh fiberglass spalling off due to heat (I’ve heard of pieces as large as 5c in diameter) and don’t want to be taking expensive fresh paint with it. I’ll fair up the body after that time and then paint it once the glass has settled down.
The work on the car is taking ages, but it is coming along. There are quite a few areas being worked on at the moment and these are my thoughts behind the way I’m doing things.
RADIATOR / FANS
I’ve purchased a SPAL dual fan shroud instead of using the unit I already had. This requires the radiator pipes to be modified (again!), but both fans are the same size, which is an advantage for the ducting I have in mind. I want to ensure all the air goes through the radiator and then out to clear air and not under the front clip. I want to retain the lines of the standard single nostril, rather than a deep vent(s) for this, so I’m proposing to modify the single nostril as per the attached sketches. I haven’t decided on the style of the venting yet. I’m tending towards the louvres.
DOOR LATCH
The door catch sticks out quite a bit in the standard configuration and, being fairly big, I figured I’d be gouging my back on it regularly getting into and out of the car. I have to sit on the sill right back up against the bulkhead to swing my feet in. When I decided to go with remote door latching, it became apparent that reversing the catch and latch provided advantages. We’ve welded in sturdy posts to mount the latches to and the actuators live inside, accessible from the engine bay. The flat latch is much more friendly on my back.
DOOR WIRING
The doors, with electric mirrors, subs and head unit in the passenger door carry quite a bit of wiring. I was concerned about the wiring bundle being crimped through 180 degrees when the doors open and close, so the wiring comes out the end of the door at high level, turns down and then turns through the hinge at a lower level to enter the cabin. This means the wiring only twists through 90 degrees and, being tucked out of the way, is also much better visually.
SEATS
I’m using the DRB fiberglass seats. Upholstered in leather, they’ll look great. My seat’s been modified for my size, rotated forward to avoid a Gurney bubble, raised at the front for thigh support and aligned so that it sits as far back in the cockpit as possible. This meant that the amp would no longer fit behind the seat and somewhere else had to be found. We’ve built an enclosure under the driver’s seat and also incorporated the seat rails into it. The Lancia Stratos has a similar arrangement. Out of the car it’s the ugliest thing, but in the installed position, it’s almost all hidden. When upholstered in black, it will be pretty much invisible. The passenger seat has been narrowed to allow the driver’s seat to be offset towards the centre of the cockpit and is fixed to the floor. I’ll be using the GT40 eyelet upholstery and will continue this theme onto the headrest. To reduce the visual bulk of the headrest, I’m planning to use a foldover style of upholstery.
FLOOR
I wanted to keep the floor area open, with no central tunnel. My original intent was to have the floor sitting on a layer of insulation with the services running through it, however, in order to fit my size 12 feet under the steering column (my pedals are mounted further forward in the footwell than usual), this had to be changed and the driver’s side has a lower section in it. Someone with smaller feet than me could keep the floor flat. This arrangement provides maximum insulation from the hot road below. The coolant pipe cover is pressed to include a rebate to support the floor and an angled section on the driver’s side to allow the carpet to run straight over the top. It’s hard to see in the photos, but the pipes also run between the seats and then offset to the left for extra driver foot room.
CONSOLE
The console houses the gear stick / Lotus gearshift, switches for the mirrors and door opening, glovebox (with ipod connection inside) and a small glovebox at the rear that also has the heater control and battery key inside.
PEDALS
I’ll be installing a footrest to the left of the pedals. It will be the same shape as the throttle pedal. The sloping coolant pipe cover by the clutch allows me to pivot my foot across to the left to use the foot rest. My heels are supported by the cross member running across below the pedals. The pedals are necessarily offset to the left, but by moving the driver’s seat to the left and aiming it at the pedals slightly, the effect is minimised. More room for the handbrake on the right also.
Cheers,
Lance