Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 370 Threads: 16
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8 Location: Port Elizabeth, Sunny South Africa
Car type: '26 Chummy, '28 Top Hat, '33 Type "65", single seaters
Fabricate a decent pedal base with a bush + grease nipple which you can fix / weld to the frame. Fit a solid linkage back to the gearbox for the clutch. A simple bar from the new clutch pedal to the old one ( modified of course) would suffice. Much like the concept of a remote gear linkage in many specials. The TC MG's used a bit of chain to actuate the clutch.
The brakes are even easier, you just need a suitable link to the brake cross shaft. Fit a Bowdenex type cable system on the fronts and rod rears all linking up to suitable fittings at either end of the cross shaft. This is how we have sorted the brakes on our single seater specials and I can lock the wheels on the Tarmac if I grab the handbrake at the same time..... Ummm.....Provided the linkage adjustments are all correct....
Thank you for the information. Moving the pedals sounds easier than I had imagined. I should be grateful for any pictures of your system that you have .
09-08-2018, 07:52 PM (This post was last modified: 09-08-2018, 07:58 PM by cardiffrob.)
On mine (post #5, page 1) there is just about enough room for a rear mini-seat and the body is as wide as I could possibly make it with the thin frame sitting just outside the centre of the tyre. Quite a few 2-seaters have narrow bodies that sit completely within the wheels and then appear long/thin so there is a balance to be sought.
(09-08-2018, 07:52 PM)cardiffrob Wrote: On mine (post #5, page 1) there is just about enough room for a rear mini-seat and the body is as wide as I could possibly make it with the thin frame sitting just outside the centre of the tyre. Quite a few 2-seaters have narrow bodies that sit completely within the wheels and then appear long/thin so there is a balance to be sought.
Rob,
Thank you. That is helpful, as are the pictures of your car.
I confess that I had wondered whether there would be space between the wheels to put the seats where I have shown them in the picture. All being well, my chassis will be delivered this weekend, which will make planning easier. All being well, the seats, grille and windscreen will be coming with it, along with a pair of dead doors for patterns and floor pan.
The Pytchley, Morris, MG and Epsom suggestions are appreciated. I have only found a sketch of the Epsom so far, but it looks really good in the drawing. The car that very much caught my attention when drafting my ideas is the Lombard Coupe, below.
Regards,
James.
This Lombard sits well, they certainly managed to get the wheels right out on the corners, makes the body look longer and sleeker. I like the low roof line on this too... Would make a nice special, but lots of work in those roof sections, and doors....
I agree that the roof shape could be a little tricky.
I looked at the MG as suggested in an earlier post and found a few very nice cars. I have tweaked my design based on what I found and have settled on the attached drawings as my aspiration, subject to checking that the seats can go that far back. I have some access to sheet metal working equipment, although little experience using it. It will be interesting to see whether what I finally put together looks even vaguely like my plans. Time will tell, but I shall post my build on here when I get going.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 370 Threads: 16
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8 Location: Port Elizabeth, Sunny South Africa
Car type: '26 Chummy, '28 Top Hat, '33 Type "65", single seaters
Jamie what you have sketched is essentially an MG P Type Midget with Airline Coupe coachwork, a good choice of template to model your special on.
The Airline coupe works well, it's proportions are good, my suggestion is to model yours quite closely on the body of the Airline to get the proportions right, it's all about aesthetics and flow of line. Getting such a body on a little car wrong will make it dumpy and bulbous. A wooden body buck and regular coverings in brown paper to test the lines and curves will see you right here. Tha sunshine roof in an Airline is a fabulous piece of kit.
I rather like the P Type body where the drivers feet are visible when the long bonnet is lifted, makes fixing stuff easier at the expense of getting fumes into the cabin....hmmm
An exciting project which I'm sure we will all watch eagerly
Yes: the Airline was very much in mind when I sketched this. Apart from a lot of misshapen bits of metal on the route to eventual completion, I do envisage large amounts of cardboard, cartridge paper and hardboard being used to knock up the profile before committing anything to timber or metal.
It will be a while before I get going properly, but I can plan a bit more now that the chassis is at home.
Thats a really nice sketch Jamie, If your art skills can be blended into and used with panel and woodwork skills, then you're in for a fantastic build. I can't see why that can't be achieved....? I guess its a case of checking the seating position, rake of the seat, and how it falls in line with the inner arches, mechanicals, etc. Will you be going for 19" wheels and slimmer tyres.... It could give you more width in the rear wheel arches, and a nicer selection of tyres maybe.... Not sure on that, Blockleys or something.... although the diameter may cause more issues on that B post/Rear door shut. I know its a lot more work, but could you extend the door more up into the roof like on a Bugatti Atlantic, potentially making it easier to get in and out of....? Obviously clever positioning of some hinges and suicide doors may assist too, but boy, thats a real brain teaser.... I also like the design of the door windows on the Atlantic, rather than a sliding 2 piece window, like on mark 1 minis, it has a front quarter light affair, which gives good ventilation from the old car fumes in the more vintage cars... I trained as a coach builder, and am watching with interest.... Keep up with the posts, any bits or details you are finding hard to get your head round maybe, drop me a pm, I may be able to rack my brains and come up with a solution... Regards M-M.
