Bond Bug ZZR1400 Project |
The existing body work is all fibreglass with steel inserts for fixings. All the steel inserts for the canopy hinges etc have rusted and 'blown' with age making the fibre glass bulge.
I have had stainless steel plates made up to replace all of them. Every existing hole for rear lights, gauges, stereo, speakers etc have been filled in with fibre glass to give it a blank canvas for upgrades.
Huge chunks had to cut from the existing shell to accommodate the larger engine. I have sourced a brand new canopy so I am using the old one as a template to produce an air scoop for the larger engine.
Wheel arches had to be cut out to suit the change from 10 inch to 15 inch rear wheels and the wider stance on the new axle.
The gear nob and hand brake lever have been taken out as they are now electronically operated. The only lever in the cabin will be the Quaife reversing gear box.
Huge amounts more work to be done yet.
Work has started on the mods - first up wheel arches to accommodate the 15inch wide wheels
Custom made rear boot in steel with mesh insert to allow triple fan unit to expel air.
Existing wheel arches now cut off and foam moulding used to produce the template to take a fibre glass mould.
The old arches are the correct radius of the new wheels.
Tooling Gelcoat applied ready to be fibreglassed to produce mould
Arch mould preparation
Arch mould proforma and mould ready for final fibre glassing
Formed arch out of the mould
Finished light original holes blocked in
Left rear arch cut off ready for new mould production - foam being used to make new wider arches, the shape nearly ready to take mould
Left wheel arch finish ready to take mould
New right arch tacked on ready to joined to body
Left wheel arch mould and finished item
Left wheel arch to use to make mould
Original lighting holes
Number plate and lights detailed
Body work and canopy hinge mounting steel plates corroded and cut out. New stainless steel insets re-fibre glassed.
New aluminum hinge positioned in new stainless steel inserts
Canopy - new stainless steel hinge mounting plates fitted - new aluminum hinges fitted
New canopy hinges fitted- fettling needed to adjust shut lines.
Spoiler ready for new indicator lights and number plate
Over time both of the canopy sides had bowed out and are no longer flush with the bodywork.
Thin slices of fibre glass were cut out each side of the canopy to pull in the sides. The slots were re-fibre glassed to set them in new positions perfectly.
The canopy sides and body work are now perfectly flush.
Finishing off the canopy bottom
Starting the scoop construction on the canopy
Modeled central air-box cover scoop in fibre glass
Inner canopy scoop
Inner canopy scoop formed to clear air box
Canopy inner scoop loosely fitted
Finished first part of inner scoop moulding
2nd part of inner scoop being moulded in foam
2nd half of air scoop mould made.
2nd part of air scoop joined
Nearly finished air intake
This flow directs fresh cold air directly from outside into carburetter air box to improve perforamance. Almost ram air.
100mm dia OD pipe being used as a proforma for air box extension into scoop
Inner scoop loosely in place - not removing the original scoop cross member until new central canopy is reinforced.
New reinforcing canopy strip and window edge made
Nice mega strong fibre glass cross member and window edge formed
Internal canopy scoop laid in loosely
Body prepping- Roof shows Reliants bad filler from the factory to a dip in the roof
New outer scoop template mocked up using MDF
Detailng work
Original body work chopped out ready for new mouldings
Original body work chopped out ready for new mouldings
Original body work chopped out ready for new mouldings
Serious soda blasting kit used
Under body has been soda blasted to remove 40 years of grime and flaking paint