toolmaker

hi andy, on a mk3 gt6 its 44mm, dont know spitfire though.

hi sheepy, its going to be pimento red, as in the thread, its not the origonal body for the chasis, presumably the origonal was to far gone and this better one was transplanted. but the origonal left the factory colour was pimento, so although i like the dark blue, and white, i am going to do it origonal. i have just been up to northumberland today to trailer back my steel bonnet. what a nightmare in this wind, had to stop about 5 times to tie back on, as the rope snapped . luckily i had a tow rope too and could use that.

hi, well the last pics are an introduction to my car, it was trailered to my house, and pushed into my garage, it stayed there for about nine months while i went over it and checked what i needed and what was missing and what condition the parts i had were in. i then started to look for and collect the missing parts(many) and bought  the main repair panels i would need. i didnt want to start it and be stopped looking and waiting for parts. i think i have at a good guess 95% of it all now, some new some good second hand parts, some better than what i have parts. i only have an average garage, but i do have an empty loft(not any more) and three sheds at the other side of my house. i took off doors, tailgate,and made up some dollies with which the car could be moved easily from one side of the garage to the other. the plan is to do all the drivers side, then push the car over and do the passenger side. the body was not even bolted to the chasis when i got it, so first job was to buy a body mount kit and bolt it down. then i made up the door gap tools and clamped them across the gaps. at this stage the car is on its four wheels albeit sitting up on the dollies. then i lifted the chasis just so i could get the drivers side wheels off and set axle stands and jacks under the chasis. next stage was to start the chopping out. i slit the floor out leaving the inner sills until i got the new floorpan in position. next pic, new floor pan.

hi bill, if you go back and look at the sill pic the one with my feet in it, and blow it up a bit, you will see a nail that had been welded in to male a corner!!. this body on the car is not origonal to the car, its magenta right enough but the origonal body (heritage cert. and chasis no.) should be pimento red. i would have said that the corrosion is about the norm for most old cars in the uk that have not been restored. once you get it all chopped out its not so bad i think. oh! yes its a swing spring.

a good welder doesnt flinch,doesnt stop just lets it sizzle. ha ha .