I don't know why, but i've always felt guilty posting on here without a working car to come and meet you all in!
(don't ask!)
And while i've been documenting my build so-far over on Madaboutkitcars, i'm nearly at a stage where fingers crossed i'll be coming out-n-about in the next few months (now that it's mid winter and i don't have a roof... heater.... etc..) so i thought i'd give a quick overview of where i am and what i've been up to :)
Having previously built a Sammio Spyder and regretting selling it, this time I'm building a Miglia Speedster.
I started with this lovely little 1600cc stright-six Triumph Vitesse.
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/itshere_zps33781a36.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/itshere_zps33781a36.jpg.html)
That was then stripped right down to the bare chassis, which was cleaned, red-oxided and then chassis-backed.
All the unnecessary bits were sold off to a collection of very nice men (mainly with beards!) and i ended up, at that point, with a slight profit!
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/chassisblack_zpsa68e2c23.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/chassisblack_zpsa68e2c23.jpg.html)
Then i did a a nut-n-bolt rebuild (and there went my profit!!!) including replacing all brake and fuel lines, lowering the suspension and replacing any 50yr old bits that had seized up (there weren't as many as i was expecting!) Here's the back end which I did first and then the front. (this 2 line summary REALLY doesn't show how much time and effort went into this stage!!!)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/temporary_zpsf92cee43.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/temporary_zpsf92cee43.jpg.html)
Then i fitted the Miglia body mounting frame, wire wheels, Spirfire petrol tank and lowered rear floorpans before fabricating a new bulkhead and front floorpans in aluminium
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/wired_zps7a44a6a1.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/wired_zps7a44a6a1.jpg.html)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/out_2_zps4aa37c17.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/out_2_zps4aa37c17.jpg.html)
With a driveable moon-buggy i was able to fit the new bodyshell
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/ready_1_zps75b5eb33.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/ready_1_zps75b5eb33.jpg.html)
Yes... i know it's a bit wonky in this pic, but i've not yet properly set up the front adjustable height shocks.
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/WP_20141109_009_zpsd4f26c4e.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/WP_20141109_009_zpsd4f26c4e.jpg.html)
and with everything bonded in place then i started paneling out the interior in Aluminum as I'm going for a 50's race-car look, at least to start with, and over the next few years while it's on the road and I'm enjoying it i plan to add creature comforts. Such as a heater! :)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/interiorlookinggood_zps94e2ffd9.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/interiorlookinggood_zps94e2ffd9.jpg.html)
and if anyone can guess what the handbrake is from (without cheating and looking at my other build thread!!) i'll be mightily impressed :)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/lotsdoneonrear_zpsac31c94e.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/lotsdoneonrear_zpsac31c94e.jpg.html)
Then last week the new V5 came through and the car is now correctly registered as a Triumph Miglia :)
and this is where i am currently :)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/newstance_zps107fe749.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/newstance_zps107fe749.jpg.html)
Looking good chap! :D
Cracking engine too, I had a Vitesse 1600 straight-6 in an old Mk5 Spitfire I had many moons ago. Your project should whizz along nicely ;) Keep up with the progress.
JB
Great write-up and pics.
Looking foreward to developments in the Spring. ;) ;)
Tony
It's looking nice already. 8)
Very interesting project looks really good :)
Beautifully done - tribute to your persistence and passion. Keep up the good work.
Cheers Adrian
Great looking car. :) handbrake could be from an E type?
8)
Cheers guys :)
I'll be out-n-about as soon as I've painted and MOT'd it, as i'm building it to use and then tinker-with over time.
Hopefully that won't be too long after Christmas and seeing as i missed my initial deadline of making it to the Classic Vehicle Restoration Show, i certainly want to take it to the Great Western Auto Jumble at the Bath & West in February!
Great project, looking forward to seeing the finished car 8)
Great work! Can't wait to see it in the new year. 8)
Wow you have been busy! Nice work. Impresssed that you managed to find a Vitesse too. I always loved the Taxi turning circle with those.
I am going got take a stab at the handbrake - are we talking MGB GT there?
Wishing you speedy progress!
:) Handbrake isn't Jag and isn't MG, it's from a Humber! The seller said Septre/Snipe, but I've looked at pics of those and i'm not sure.
But it's the right size, has the right type of mounting, wasn't £300 which is what they want for an e-type one! and most importantly it's shiny! :)
Bit of a quick update as i'm getting near the point where i 'may' be out-n-about in the not too distant future!
Christmas has been all about the bodywork..
One of my reasons for building and tinkering with kit cars is to learn new skills, so I'm doing the paintjob myself and applying what I've learnt on previous builds. hopefully :)
So it was a few weeks of filling, sanding, filling, sanding, filling, sanding... <repeat as necessary> and then i got a good few layers of high build primer on.
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/sanding_primer_zps6d2a6387.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/sanding_primer_zps6d2a6387.jpg.html)
Which then also needed flatting, filling, flatting..... (you get the idea!)
Which nearly tipped me over the edge but ended up with a nice flat base coat.
Wifey thinks that her 'Breaking Somerset' photo sums up my mood at the end of that phase :)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/BreakingSomerset_zps6c98b41f.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/BreakingSomerset_zps6c98b41f.jpg.html)
Then when i got it as good as i could, on went the red. I'm using Cellulose and went for Red again as "red ones go faster" as my sons keep telling me :)
A good 4 coats of Red were followed by flatting with 1200 grit wet-n-dry and then a once over with Rubbing compound to give as flat a finish as i could achieve.
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/cleaner_zps5c079cc2.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/cleaner_zps5c079cc2.jpg.html)
Then i started bolting bits back on
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/fuelfilerbackon_zps6d18e68f.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/fuelfilerbackon_zps6d18e68f.jpg.html)
and i'm now attacking small areas at a time with Meguires paint correction paste, before finishing with Autoglym high gloss polish.
Here's the finished scuttle, and i'm quite happy how it's turning out:
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/temporary_zps0eecd0f2.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/temporary_zps0eecd0f2.jpg.html)
Now i get to start adding all of the shiny bits and period odds-n-sods
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/davecymru/Miglia/rearviewcoverboltedinplace_zpsfb76662a.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/davecymru/media/Miglia/rearviewcoverboltedinplace_zpsfb76662a.jpg.html)
Just the electrics to refit and the doors and bonnet to finish and then "fingers crossed" for MOT time! :)
Nice work, it's going to be a great looking car.
Its looking really good but isn't it teasing how slow the last bit goes!
If you do make it over to the Classic Car show perhaps a few of us could meet up with you.
Can't wait to see it in the sunshine 8)
Regards
Ian
Great work there, good luck with the MOT.