Build diary

[Westfield 129]

The softer setup works great at the track, preserving the predictable handling. If you have the right springs, just a single click on the rear dampers will change the balance from neutral to slightly over steering, depending on the tires, and your front end setup (damper, springs, camber, toe and anti sway bar settings). Having an LSD also makes a difference.

I run the setup with 185/70/13s and the 4.50 and 500/15 Dunlop race tires at the track with an LSD.

Compliance (having actual suspension) works!

[martinlcb]

Hi Si,
Glad to hear of your progress; could you give me a brief summary of how you polished the bodywork?

Ben - thanks for the reply. Yes, absolutely right. the donor is capable of passing MOT after £1000's spent on it so looks like a "new" age related plate.

Thanks all,

Martin

[Splat]

Sorry, Charles! I failed to reply to your question.

Frontline kit. Don't know what the discs are originally from, but they are rotors only, with machined aluminium spacers to complete the "bell". They are a copy of the kit originally (and still) offered by Peter May.

Hope that helps,

Simon

[erictharg]

Ah - OK. I was considering the Peter May kit (can't fault the other stuff I've had from him) and just wondered if someone had come up with something cheaper using random bits and pieces. Stick with "plan A" then! Thanks.

[Si Richards]

Hi Martin,

Sorry for slow reply, I have only had a really quick go at the mould release marks on the bodywork and I used very fine wet and dry with lots of water to start with, then some G3 style compound and then finished it with polish. I wanted to see how easy it was by hand as I don't have a machine mop but feel a good couple of days of elbow grease and I will get a great finish.

On a separate note the engine is finally in, just need to go get some bolts to secure the gearbox mount plate (another thing not in the kit!!!!) and then plumb it in for the big startup, excited but nervous!!!!!

Cheers Si

[Westfield 129]

I finished the body work on my last two using a combination of Rollite Polish (an aerospace polish, suitable for alloys, and, so it turns out, fiberglass and gel coat). Really rough patches were smoothed with 1000-2000 grit, wet prior to polishing. Use of the fine grit wet paper will get rid of any scratch marks that come delivered with the new bodywork.

Products included automotive scratch remover, as well as fine polishing compound, with the aid of a Cyclone twin random orbital buffer. Heavy rubbing compound would also be useful, along with the random orbital. In the end, the body polished up well. The cyclone didn't leave any buffer marks with any of the polishing compounds I tried.

I didn't bother with the mold ridges down the rear wings. To fix those would require much sanding, and there probably would not be any gel coat left, so paint would be the next expense.

As the owners didn't care about the mold ridges (they preferred that the $6K be spent on things like LSDs, dampers and Peter May axles), I just applied roundels, making everyone happy with the results.

One owner took his W11 and had the body wrapped in bare alloy look. I can see how that might be attractive. Depending on the weight, I may wrap my own car after I finish re surfacing the bodywork and removing the stress cracks. I wonder if it would wrinkle, rather than crack, after thousands of miles of use...

[martinlcb]

Hi Si, Westfield 129,
Thanks for the replies and help. I'm going to do a light pod first, to get the hang of it before letting myself loose on the bodywork. Good luck Si with engine start up!!

Martin

[Westfield 129]

Don't worry about the body work polish. it's not brain surgery, and there is plenty of material. Don't waste time polishing the light pods. 'Best to spend the time on the body, where it counts.

Invest in a good random orbital polisher as it will save days of work.

Try 2000 grit with lots of water, then hand rub with a fine polishing compound. The dull areas will shine up quite nicely.