Keith Baker's Southern gt on the build

Update of bodywork.
The rear deck having hardened for a week has now been blocked flat and finished with 180 grade paper.
It's amazing that most of that poly primer has been removed during the blocking process.
The next stage is to put this in primer coat, where it will again be rubbed down prior to base coat.
The doors and centre section are planned to go into polyester primer today,then left to go hard.

 

Another requirement for IVA is to state that the brake bias must not be altered.
Mick makes a small plate for this.
Also a plate within the engine bay for model and chassis number.

 

I Have ordered a new 9 hole lemans rear deck grill from Gelscoe Motorsport.
This type has nice finished edges to the 9 holes.. Not cheap though.
Also asked SGT to make two nice stainless exhaust end caps to smarten the bits that stick out.
Still looking for a UK suppier of pin drive safety lock pins, anyone who can help appreciated.
Will pop into the bodyshop again early next week to check on progress.
I have been making enquiries about replacing the immobiliser for an all full singing and dancing alarm system as prices seem to be not so silly... Must be the recession.

 

[SouthernGT40]

Keith forgot to mention make sure Gelscoe make the grill big enough. Got mine oversized so I could trim it to fit.

 

Thanks Martin.
They have some off the shelf.There measurements are 5mm larger one way and 3mm less on the other than my cut out.
I can trim one side as you had done but what with primer and paint that 3mm should be reduced ok.
I will ask Gelscoe anyway, can always cut down but can't put any more on....


Very nice paint job Martin, looks just right .
Cheers

 

In the last week the spider section and doors have been put in polyester primer and left to go rock hard. The front section is being blocked flat.
In the next few days the doors etc will be blocked and the whole lot will go in primer.
The panels will then be refitted and checked, then removed again for final prep.
The time with any paint job is in the preparation.

The last picture is a corvette that they are about to do some work on.
This originally was singer Cliff Richards car.

 

Been into the bodyshop today, we had to go through some final prep issues before sanding ready for paint.
Somehow I had lost the door top striker plates that keep the door @ correct height when shut.
Now I need them on the drivers side, Mick at SGT is sending me another set today.
Also the shut lines are being tidied a bit.

Sting Ray in the background is the chief designer for Tommy Hilfigers

 

Well there's been a slight change in the plan. Originally I wanted to paint the car in Gulf colours but thought that 7 out of 10 cars use that colour , so a different colour would suit better. Anyway after really thinking about it, you don't actually see many Gulf
GT40's on the road and I think the car lends itself to that colour.
So It's being painted Gulf colours.... " O NO not another Gulf coloured 40 "
Having said that, actually finding a colour code that suits has been a task, there's many a shade of blue and each is different depending on the paint manufacturer.
Water based colours have seen old codes change or be discontinued.
After a search I have opted for a 1972 Porsche 917 Gulf Blue .. Code 328 and Porsche Gulf Orange code 019. Easy to remember those names and numbers.
These colours are in fact in solvent based paints..
Pictures are of the 1st blue coat with an intercoat clear sealer over that and prior to having a 1000 grade rub down ready for the orange stripe and black edging.
After which the whole car and all the stripe edges will be prepared ready for the laquer coats etc.
Roundels in off white will be added somewhere in between and satin black areas of the lights, door bits and engine bay top.

ALL LOOKS VERY BLUE AT THE MOMENT !

 

The Orange stripes are marked out so that they just go almost to the edge of the door lift covers and neatly over the louvre grill on the spider.
The front deck orange stripe sweeps around the wheel arch, just enough to cover the canard wings which also will be orange.

The rear deck marker lamp is red.
All the vinyls have arrived from Digital Raceline.

The 454 cu.in. Corvette in the background is an ex drag car going back to it's 1970's Metallic and Kandy colours, when laquered all those colours will just POP out !


MY CAR STILL LOOKS VERY BLUE !

 

[Martin]

Thought you were going deep red.
Change of mind ha..

 

I know, I know it was to be red but I saw a Gulf coloured 40 again and it re kindled my love of the colour.
When I go to a 40 track day there will be loads of Gulf ones, but what the heck !
Yours will soon be in colour........... your not going Gulf are you ?????

 

[Martin]

I love the Gulf Colours too, but I always wanted a bright red one and I've never wavered, which I'm told is unusual.
Its in the paint shop now, so not much time to change my mind:lipsrsealed:

 

Few pictures of the next stage which was to paint in the orange bits.
8mm black line
still in a flat finish as it's intercoat clear with 1000 grade

 

Marking out the roundels that will be off white.
First put a template where the roundels will go, they then mask around that.
That area is flat / keyed with 1000 grade
Doors were about 25mm larger roundels than the back and nostril panels.

 

Lastly around the windscreen area which will be finished off with a thin sikaflex sealer where the spider meets the ally.

 

[Paulbav]

Loving it in Gulf colours :thumbsup: that's def the colour mine will be

 

[René]

going well over-there I see.

 

[EGLITOM]

Keith

very nicy. I had painted one of my racebikes gulfcoloured.

Just as a side note:
"an original Production Car Record Sheet shows the Light Blue code to be (P030-8013) and the Marigold (P030-3393) both being British Leyland (Triumph) colours"

"here it is for the gulf colors(the originals):

Berger Ref 1125 Standard Triumph Powder blue
Berger Ref 1465 Triumph Marigold

The dark stripe is supposed to be a dark blue ( think called "navy blue")

TOM

 

[Dave]

Looks good......I don't see that many Gulf coloured cars getting done.

 

[Frank Catt]

This is Keiths old nail !