18 Months Work (more piccies)
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:03 pm
Thanks for all your comments chaps,
For those enquiring as to the 'twinnie' engine configuration (nice thought , the secret is revealed - it belongs to the JPS appearing in one of the later pictures posted below (acquired from Mark Kempson). That car is next in line for the treatment but will be an 'as it left the factory' restoration rather than a mechanically improved version as with the current project - the JPS engine is now fully rebuilt and resplendent in 'Lotus Grey'.
Frank - nice thought about the shell but the Royal Blue paint had to go - it is original colour but I just don't like it and with 16 coats (!) revealed by stripping I thought it was time to take her back to glass and do it properly. It will be Wedgwood Blue, not the right colour for a 1970 car but I think it will look great. The aim is to have 2 cars, one with a nod to the 60's and the other 'high 1970's' (without the flairs and kipper ties )
The Webasto also had to go so the roof has been chopped off and a second hand one grafted in (thanks to Mark Kempson again!). The PO has grafted a tin panel into the old webasto hole and glassed it over. When my bodyshop man took it out the whole shell sprang back into shape and all the shut lines improved 100%
An interesting observation is how much thicker the glass is on older cars - the JPS is wafer thin in places and can easily be deflected by light hand pressure whereas the earlier car is very much thicker and more substantial - it cannot be deflected in the same way eve with very firm pressure.
I will post fruther pics as the project moves on - hoepfully the next ones will show the newly restored shell re uinited with the chassis.
Cheers
Jon
For those enquiring as to the 'twinnie' engine configuration (nice thought , the secret is revealed - it belongs to the JPS appearing in one of the later pictures posted below (acquired from Mark Kempson). That car is next in line for the treatment but will be an 'as it left the factory' restoration rather than a mechanically improved version as with the current project - the JPS engine is now fully rebuilt and resplendent in 'Lotus Grey'.
Frank - nice thought about the shell but the Royal Blue paint had to go - it is original colour but I just don't like it and with 16 coats (!) revealed by stripping I thought it was time to take her back to glass and do it properly. It will be Wedgwood Blue, not the right colour for a 1970 car but I think it will look great. The aim is to have 2 cars, one with a nod to the 60's and the other 'high 1970's' (without the flairs and kipper ties )
The Webasto also had to go so the roof has been chopped off and a second hand one grafted in (thanks to Mark Kempson again!). The PO has grafted a tin panel into the old webasto hole and glassed it over. When my bodyshop man took it out the whole shell sprang back into shape and all the shut lines improved 100%
An interesting observation is how much thicker the glass is on older cars - the JPS is wafer thin in places and can easily be deflected by light hand pressure whereas the earlier car is very much thicker and more substantial - it cannot be deflected in the same way eve with very firm pressure.
I will post fruther pics as the project moves on - hoepfully the next ones will show the newly restored shell re uinited with the chassis.
Cheers
Jon