M20 Dreaming
- Thread starter leonmac
- Start date
I have now made the left door and the left fender and started to fill in the centre up to where the wind sheild starts just to keep it square at this point. Interesting having sat in the tub with the fenders on how your view is suddenly restricted by these high sides and I still have to add the 2" fence to the crest of the fender which will end up at almost eye level. I imagine it will take some time in the car to get your awareness of where the sides of the car are in relation to the track edges and other traffic. Once I have this front section done with fence and the thing prepped for glass, I'll put some more photos up. I'm quite pleased how quickly it's coming together. Cheers Leon
Well, I have been at work, but as I now work back in NZ and the Rig I'm on is 15.4Km from my workshop I have been popping in for a few hrs after my shift to get work done on the car.
I have now got completely around the the body with both rear 1/4 panels and I have the rear panel cut out and hanging on the back now as well. Next is to fill in over the rear tyres and engine cover/deck. The rear vent sections in the rear panel I will do in alloy sheet and then remove the alloy once the glass is laided up (Thanks Terry) and will also do the engine cover this way. I will do over the tyres and down to where they meet the engine cover with the thin MDF sheet so I can put ribs etc in it and then remove it as well once the glass is cured. This should just leave the ply in the tail fins and side 1/4s where it needs a bit of thickness and strength. I still have to get some foam to shape the sides and once that is done I will get some photos up.
Cheers Leon.
I have now got completely around the the body with both rear 1/4 panels and I have the rear panel cut out and hanging on the back now as well. Next is to fill in over the rear tyres and engine cover/deck. The rear vent sections in the rear panel I will do in alloy sheet and then remove the alloy once the glass is laided up (Thanks Terry) and will also do the engine cover this way. I will do over the tyres and down to where they meet the engine cover with the thin MDF sheet so I can put ribs etc in it and then remove it as well once the glass is cured. This should just leave the ply in the tail fins and side 1/4s where it needs a bit of thickness and strength. I still have to get some foam to shape the sides and once that is done I will get some photos up.
Cheers Leon.
Last edited:
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Momentum as a wonderful thing. Keep it up and looking forward to the photos.
I have been hard at it working on this body and so far I'm really pleased with the progress and how it is coming to shape.
So far the dimensions are working out spot on, I did have to add 70mm into the centre of the back panel, when I looked at it from the front the fence going up and becoming the tail fin just didn't look right so I ran the tape over it and checked my drawing to find the back was too narrow, thank goodness I picked this up before I nailed the engine cover between the wheel arches.
The other thing I'm pleased with is the time it has taken, or rather the lack of time. I was fully prepared to spend up to a year building this body but now believe it will take no more than a couple of months, I'm waiting for something to go very wrong. One of the things I most notice about the original cars is the how bad the rear panel looks, it appears in all the photo's I've seen to droop at the ends and give the appearance of having a bow in it. My back panel will be straight. So far the wooden structure is very light, I know that the glass will double its weight but I'm quite sure it will be worth it for the added strength and rigidity .
Here is a few pics to show how it's progressing.
So far the dimensions are working out spot on, I did have to add 70mm into the centre of the back panel, when I looked at it from the front the fence going up and becoming the tail fin just didn't look right so I ran the tape over it and checked my drawing to find the back was too narrow, thank goodness I picked this up before I nailed the engine cover between the wheel arches.
The other thing I'm pleased with is the time it has taken, or rather the lack of time. I was fully prepared to spend up to a year building this body but now believe it will take no more than a couple of months, I'm waiting for something to go very wrong. One of the things I most notice about the original cars is the how bad the rear panel looks, it appears in all the photo's I've seen to droop at the ends and give the appearance of having a bow in it. My back panel will be straight. So far the wooden structure is very light, I know that the glass will double its weight but I'm quite sure it will be worth it for the added strength and rigidity .
Here is a few pics to show how it's progressing.
Attachments
Last edited:
I have just been looking hard at some photo's and I can see a small fault in the shape of the rear 1/4 where it goes over the wheel arch. I can see I have too much curve where it drops to the curve where the rear panel transitions into the tail fin. I have it intersecting at the bottom of the curve where it should intersect more to the top of the curve which would make the body line a bit flatter so I will correct that.
If you guys can pic stuff that looks wrong please point it out I want this to be right.
Cheers Leon.
If you guys can pic stuff that looks wrong please point it out I want this to be right.
Cheers Leon.
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Leon, Great catch (and the rear width). I saw that (especially in the 6th photo) this morning and wondered about it. Really really great work. It's all very exciting just looking at it now. I can't imagine how much this is pumping you up to actually see a shape coming together. Take plenty of lawn-chair time at this stage. By simply sitting down with a beer (frequently) and a looking at it, thinking about different things, and not getting it done too quickly, you'll see things you didn't see before. Just taking your time to repeatedly looking and thinking about every curve and panel will help a lot in catching things you swore you had right.
I found that no matter how hard I "thought" I was accurately representing some of the body aspects, later I would see where I was off...or way off. I eventually found a point where it would be an ongoing thing if perfection was to be obtained, so I learned to accept some of the more minor differences, and move forward. But I certainly don't want or expect you to compromise this already wonderful job.
It is coming along very nicely!!!
Terry's right of course... Taking the time to just sit (or stand) and take it all in, then pondering various nuances of the build is extremely important. Not just from the standpoint of congratulating yourself for how far you've come, but to develop objective views and perspectives for future plans..
When I get to feeling sorry for myself in my build - I come to these pages and look at all the scratch builds.. That puts things back in perspective for me and I gain the courage to soldier onward...
Great effort!!!
Terry's right of course... Taking the time to just sit (or stand) and take it all in, then pondering various nuances of the build is extremely important. Not just from the standpoint of congratulating yourself for how far you've come, but to develop objective views and perspectives for future plans..
When I get to feeling sorry for myself in my build - I come to these pages and look at all the scratch builds.. That puts things back in perspective for me and I gain the courage to soldier onward...
Great effort!!!
Thanks guys for the words of wisdom, I always come home and go through my photos and compare to original cars and I do spend time just looking to see where I'm heading.
Terry back to the photos, in photo #3 you can see the white line where it drops at the back it needs to come up about 2" and in photo #6 as you saw that pensil line is the same, it should meet the tail fin half way through that radius. I thought the wheel arch over the tyre was a bit high but after much checking of photo's I think its OK. I had a horrible though this morning that where it radius's into the fence that the top of the radius should be the same as the body line on the out side which would mean I'm 1" or more too high. I checked some photos and I'm right with the height, I just need to correct that line at the back. I have the foam to shape it with so will get that on and work it from there, it will be easier to see the shape.
Cheers Leon
Terry back to the photos, in photo #3 you can see the white line where it drops at the back it needs to come up about 2" and in photo #6 as you saw that pensil line is the same, it should meet the tail fin half way through that radius. I thought the wheel arch over the tyre was a bit high but after much checking of photo's I think its OK. I had a horrible though this morning that where it radius's into the fence that the top of the radius should be the same as the body line on the out side which would mean I'm 1" or more too high. I checked some photos and I'm right with the height, I just need to correct that line at the back. I have the foam to shape it with so will get that on and work it from there, it will be easier to see the shape.
Cheers Leon
Howard Jones
Supporter
Thanks Howard, Its a photo like that but one of the other cars that made me notice the difference. That particular car has odd wheel arch openings compared to the other 2 cars which appeared after its time with Mclaren. But the actual body line in question is the same.
Cheers Leon.
Cheers Leon.
Last edited:
More work this week on the rear clip, made the engine cover, rear vents and the fence on the right fender and door. The observant ones among you may notice the T/A oil cooler duct is a little bit more to the centre than the original, This is deliberate as what I have planned for the exhaust system needs this to be where it is. It will be one of the things I don't try to be exactly like the original cars. I realize this will never be an original so there are a few things that I want to be what I personally like. I hope you won't be too hard on me for the slight variations. here is what I have, hope you enjoy.
Cheers Leon.
Cheers Leon.
Attachments
Leon - we're absolutely fine with your creation here.. Hard on you? I should certainly hope not!!!
What great progress you're making.
I have some questions out of ignorance here..
The longitudinal fins on the "original" car, were they done in Alloy or Fiberglass?
Same question for the rear vents..
Thanks for sharing your build with us!
What great progress you're making.
I have some questions out of ignorance here..
The longitudinal fins on the "original" car, were they done in Alloy or Fiberglass?
Same question for the rear vents..
Thanks for sharing your build with us!
Hello Leon
You are doing really a hudge work in this project so I think nobody will be able to be "hard with you" watching what you are building .
You are creating "your "dream so if by necessity you will divert alittle on some details from real deal ... who cares ? ; this will be such small detail that anyone watching at your finished project will not notice !!
Keep on your good work and let us watch more when you progress !! :drunk:
(after doing many similar body plugs by the past I can understand how much "sanding" you will be facing when adding some foam and tons of filler to achieve curved areas !!! so like we say there ; Bon courage mon ami !!!):blank:
You are doing really a hudge work in this project so I think nobody will be able to be "hard with you" watching what you are building .
You are creating "your "dream so if by necessity you will divert alittle on some details from real deal ... who cares ? ; this will be such small detail that anyone watching at your finished project will not notice !!
Keep on your good work and let us watch more when you progress !! :drunk:
(after doing many similar body plugs by the past I can understand how much "sanding" you will be facing when adding some foam and tons of filler to achieve curved areas !!! so like we say there ; Bon courage mon ami !!!):blank:
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Always great work Leon. Respiration goes up a bit every time I look at these photos. The tail is coming along extremely well!
Leon, the M20 is looking superb - very bloody exciting!
Cheers, Andrew
Cheers, Andrew
Thanks guys for your encouraging words, I have been such a PITA about detail I thought you might have thought I was wavering from my course.
Randy as far as I know there is no alloy in the original bodies, the alloy panels I have made for the rear vents are an idea from Terry, I will glass over them and then remove the alloy pattern and just leave the Fiberglass. I have decided I will completely finish the body and then move back to finishing the tub.
More to come soon.
Cheers Leon.
Randy as far as I know there is no alloy in the original bodies, the alloy panels I have made for the rear vents are an idea from Terry, I will glass over them and then remove the alloy pattern and just leave the Fiberglass. I have decided I will completely finish the body and then move back to finishing the tub.
More to come soon.
Cheers Leon.
