Wynand
27th March 2011, 10:59 AM
Although Im not building a Haynes roadster, but a McSorley 442E chassis, I decided from word go that Im not building a kit car, meaning everything possible I will make myself. Btw, nose cone, bonnet etc not available for the wide nose 442E in my country anyhow...
The chassis is completed with WB's etc, engine fitted, but all stripped again to bare chassis for the body parts to be made. Thereafter I will send it for sandblasting and painting before finally assembling the car.
The front wings are made so the rear mudguards - used 3mm Coremat in the laminated - strong and light.
The body sides and rear panel will be ally, leaving me the scuttle, bonnet and nose cone to be made, and I started with the nosecone.
My criteria for the nosecone was to be streamlined, meaning the side panels have to joint to it with no or big gaps as is the case with most nose cones that is box shaped at the sides. That leave some of the front chassis slanting upright exposed, but a little triangle plate will be welded to the chassis and indicator light will fit to that covering the exposed steel.
The Nose Cone
Firstly I built a rough cheap particle board "box" mimicking the basic shape of the nose cone, lined it with newspaper and poured expanded closed cell polyurethane into the box. When cured, removed the foam block and temp fit on the chassis, using a batten and straight edge to roughly shaped the foam to the nose cone shape.
I then filled some dents etc with a homemade mix of resin and talc to get the shape approximately. Then covered the whole foam plug with 450g/m2 CSM.
Then I started to smooth the surface and curves with a fairing compound I made from GRP Micro-Balloons and GP resin. This bog is extremely lightweight and sand very easily and perfect for the job. I used about 4 liter of the stuff to get the plug reasonable accepted.
Next I cut some wood strips to put on the edge of the cone at the wishbone sides and faired in with the bog.
Then followed a coat of 2K epoxy paint to highlight all the rough spots, lines etc. It fits quite nicely on the chassis and I include a few photos of the procedure thus far.
My next step will be put the final fairing onto the plug and for this I will use body putty and get the curves and lines perfect which is still very rough now. Then a final coat of paint, about 7 coats of ram wax and the mold will be take from that, which incidentally will be a split mold.
The nose cone will also be CoreMat sandwich layup.
The scuttle plug is also underway and soon a mold will be taken from that as well...
The chassis is completed with WB's etc, engine fitted, but all stripped again to bare chassis for the body parts to be made. Thereafter I will send it for sandblasting and painting before finally assembling the car.
The front wings are made so the rear mudguards - used 3mm Coremat in the laminated - strong and light.
The body sides and rear panel will be ally, leaving me the scuttle, bonnet and nose cone to be made, and I started with the nosecone.
My criteria for the nosecone was to be streamlined, meaning the side panels have to joint to it with no or big gaps as is the case with most nose cones that is box shaped at the sides. That leave some of the front chassis slanting upright exposed, but a little triangle plate will be welded to the chassis and indicator light will fit to that covering the exposed steel.
The Nose Cone
Firstly I built a rough cheap particle board "box" mimicking the basic shape of the nose cone, lined it with newspaper and poured expanded closed cell polyurethane into the box. When cured, removed the foam block and temp fit on the chassis, using a batten and straight edge to roughly shaped the foam to the nose cone shape.
I then filled some dents etc with a homemade mix of resin and talc to get the shape approximately. Then covered the whole foam plug with 450g/m2 CSM.
Then I started to smooth the surface and curves with a fairing compound I made from GRP Micro-Balloons and GP resin. This bog is extremely lightweight and sand very easily and perfect for the job. I used about 4 liter of the stuff to get the plug reasonable accepted.
Next I cut some wood strips to put on the edge of the cone at the wishbone sides and faired in with the bog.
Then followed a coat of 2K epoxy paint to highlight all the rough spots, lines etc. It fits quite nicely on the chassis and I include a few photos of the procedure thus far.
My next step will be put the final fairing onto the plug and for this I will use body putty and get the curves and lines perfect which is still very rough now. Then a final coat of paint, about 7 coats of ram wax and the mold will be take from that, which incidentally will be a split mold.
The nose cone will also be CoreMat sandwich layup.
The scuttle plug is also underway and soon a mold will be taken from that as well...