Self-build car Thread

Promised you a thread on it when I actually start and after 16 months it has finally risen to the top of the to do list and a space has been cleared in the workshop.

Not the actual car but same type was purchased and most of the ugly body despatched with the grinder. Underneath all that ugliness is a Triumph Spitfire chassis. It was called a TX Tripper and they made a few in the 1970s. Plan is to make it look like a 1950s roadster.

Here she is in the garage then.


First job was to fit a couple of nice leather seats in but space is at a premium so some from a Ford KA were chosen.
These are mounted to be some 3 inches higher than the original seats making it somewhat easier to get in and out. The windscreen in the picture is from a MG Midget and will be mounted some 6 inches further back and 3 inches higher than where its sitting now. One rear wing has been sat against the side and it sort of fits! The steering column needs to be re-sited as its now far too low and I'm currently dismantling that.


One more pic.

Paint it pink and put Penelope Pitstop in it...

I guess you are referring to the top pictures! It was actually a 4 seater but zero leg room in front and same at the back. Looks like a cross between a beach buggy and batmobile lol. It is a runner and has a twin carb 1500 engine with overdrive gearbox. All the panels are fibreglass or aluminium so I'm expecting it to weigh less than 750kg. With some bigger alloy wheels on it 100mph should be possible, and probably a bit scary! Target finish date is next spring but we shall see.

Yip...

Penelope Pitstop

You've got a bit of work ahead of you there Vince! Can't wait to see finished article!

looking forward to seeing this baby as she grows. Well done Vince. Got any names for her yet?

Well the number plate on it is KPY 600P so its called Skippy! That may also be a good discription of how it goes along the road and round corners as well. We shall see. Bad news on the steering column, its gonna need at least one more UJ in it so today I have been trying to remove one from a Skoda. Bugger of a job but its nearly there.