Series 2 Confessions of a skin flint.

Alibro said:

Shouldn't you have used marine ply? You know given how dry Landys are?

Click to expand...

Look at the title Einstein. The skip hadnt any marine ply in it. The MDF once sealed will not absorb atmospheric moisture and the visible faces will be covered.
What I could have done was complete to a fine finish in any timber, take a fiberglass impression and cast them in Lloyds approved marine resin.

But I didnt.

I used a damp flexible piece of 8mm MDF and two half planks of wood. If you notice in the pictures the timber wasnt even wide enough for the job so I had to glue and cramp it. I am only using bits of crap out of my shed to do the job. I even have a solid bottle of polyurethane adhesive thats about 10 years old but the bottom 2 inch was still soft so i rescued that.
I will only be buying what I have to. Things like vinyl and electrics are imported from china at a fraction of the cost I can get them overear.

Easy cowboy, Just winding you up.
Any idiot can make a perfect car by throwing loads of dosh at it but I respect someone who makes a great job by using what they already have instead.

are you covering it in poor old ermintrudes hide

honolulujoe said:

are you covering it in poor old ermintrudes hide

Click to expand...

Probably Virgin yack or winter haggis. Depends what's in the back field tomorrow.

Nothing to photo today. Been measuring and head scratching whilst designing mi binnacle.

Great thread enjoying this... Keep it going bob!

Being fathers day it seemed a bit selfish to go out all day playing with mi twuck when everyone had gone to all that bother.

So I got lots done but not much to photograph. I am constructing the binnacle (more than once) in the shed so inbetween glue drying and the like I kept dashing through the rain to construct the speaker mounts. Couldnt really be moythered but I need them in place for covering in mi Belarus Wolf pelt. The thing with curved bits is speakers am flat.

Now I have been moving the (front) speakers round for two weeks trying to decide where looks best against where is best. The thing I kept coming back to was in a certain place the dash begins to look like an upside down Series grill. Eventually against all reason I went for this position.



First up was to cut out a couple of bits of scrap and screw into position.



The holes are for keying in the filler.

Then I did something daft. I had an old unused tin of fiberglass bodywork filler that I thought would be perfect for roughing these discs. Never tried it before.
I do not hesitate in saying this stuff is the devil of all man made substances ever created. Its body filler with glass fibers in it. What a hideous product to use, ruddy awful.

Anyway it stuck the disks on with it..



Now its just a case of repeatedly filling round them until even. Think like vinyl flow like vinyl..................

These are by no way finished, they will need at least three or four more layers until they are even and flowing.



Once perfect I can core drill the centre out and they will be ready for th't'wireless.

Bit more done today but I'm off for a chineese.
Photos later

have you considered a veneer like walnut? or birdseye maple, can't remember, guess I could look at the start of the thread again

honolulujoe said:

have you considered a veneer like walnut? or birdseye maple, can't remember, guess I could look at the start of the thread again

Click to expand...

I have, and I have a shed full of it. Giving it lots of thought I have decided against it. If it was a saloon then probably. The thing is I dont want to lose the heaps identity. For me its a series and it will stay that way. It will be posh but in a sympathetic way paying homage to the pedigree not trying to overpower its utilitarianism. Me and Henry have long detailed discussions whilst I'm working on him and we have decided to embellish not overpower.

Any road up, Lots of head scratching, abit of cussing and lots of sawdust later we came up with this tribute to the 2a binnacle.



Upgraded and modernised but instantly recognisable.



And a bit of posh for good luck..............

Another million things done today but no visual changes except cutting out holes for the dash vents. The side panels are now ready for covering but I'm still wrestling with covering the binnacle. Having never done this before its a bit of a faff. The sewing machine will be out tomorrow so wish me luck

Hope your ready for the influx of work your gunna get when you've got this one finished Bob?
LOOKIN ACE keep up the good work !

Magicgrotto said:

Hope your ready for the influx of work your gunna get when you've got this one finished Bob?
LOOKIN ACE keep up the good work !

Click to expand...

I did for one fleeting moment think of taking a cast of the side panels so they could be knocked out in fiberglass but I came to my senses and quickly nailed them on.
As this little project will have taken a full two weeks to complete at 10 hours a day I doubt anyone will have pockets deep enough for buying such customisation.

You never know your luck in a raffle Bob!!

That's looking very smart, I am about to attempt to recover my upper and lower dash and was wondering how thick the material is you have used to cover your dash? The original stuff is wafer thin. Are you selling you old lower dash? If so is it any good? I would rather tidy a good one than faf about fixing mine.

LordOWar said:

That's looking very smart, I am about to attempt to recover my upper and lower dash and was wondering how thick the material is you have used to cover your dash? The original stuff is wafer thin. Are you selling you old lower dash? If so is it any good? I would rather tidy a good one than faf about fixing mine.

Click to expand...

The ones I took out need re covering. The usual splits on the mantle etc. It was also poor on some of the fixing holes as the rust had got at it. If your going to cover in vinyl it will show every blemish so preparation is key. You could also cover with a 2mm scrim foam before covering.

Hope you've sent him a invoice Bob ???

Its been a busy day at Stickle Towers.
Before I could take out the drivers panel (hopefully for the last time) to cover it I had to address the ignition cover. Removing the old gauge cluster left an untidy hole. I wanted to utilise the old cover so let the fun begin.
The hole;

Oh yea the dash has changed colour. Just another coat to show up any more dinks.

First thing, tape everything up.



Then out with the cardboard again.


Dont ye just love a hot glue gun.


Then out with that tin of muck. Actually it was very good for this little job.



Then a daub or two of the body filler.



After filing filling and sanding one ended up wiv ones shape.



Then off the the upholsterers for covering in Barnoldswick Labrador. AKA the kitchen table.

As that little lot took me till lunch I only managed to finish covering the binnacle adding its switches and the like and covering the passenger side dash.



I need a noliday.

That dash is reminiscent of a late Disco front bumper, I like it.

markSX said:

That dash is reminiscent of a late Disco front bumper, I like it.

Click to expand...

Yea, thanks a bunch.

Who's a clever Boy then?? Credit were Credit's due Bob ! Lookin GREAT !