1970 Ginetta G15

[Darkspeed]

Oct 1, 2020 13:00:23 GMT g15 said:

Thanks for all the good advices. I’m based in Sweden so not many g15s around here....
I’ll start the search.

Well now what are the odds....

I have just had a visit from a G15 owner who lives but a few clicks over the hill from where I am and as it happens he is the one who bought the pair of doors that were the only ones I have ever seen for sale . Twists and turns with this plot - he bought them from the same guy that was at my place a couple of weeks ago collecting engines and gearboxes that I sold. It also transpires that he has one car and not just 2 but 6 doors......😳 He has both early and later types but will probably be using the later type on his rebuild. Get the twilight zone intro music playing as he also drives over in his van to Sweden to visit his son who lives in Malmo. So work out that for coincidences. Here’s a further trip down a rabbit hole - the doors are from a car that was damaged in workshop fire where the roof collapsed onto the car - the same worksho...... I will stop there......

Drop me a PM and will share his contact details with you. My commission will not be as out of this world as the story above 😉

[greencarfritz]

Oct 10, 2020 14:20:00 GMT Darkspeed said:

I have just had a visit from a G15 owner who lives but a few clicks over the hill from where I am and as it happens he is the one who bought the pair of doors that were the only ones I have ever seen for sale . Twists and turns with this plot - he bought them from the same guy that was at my place a couple of weeks ago collecting engines and gearboxes that I sold. It also transpires that he has one car and not just 2 but 6 doors......😳 He has both early and later types but will probably be using the later type on his rebuild. Get the twilight zone intro music playing as he also drives over in his van to Sweden to visit his son who lives in Malmo. So work out that for coincidences. Here’s a further trip down a rabbit hole - the doors are from a car that was damaged in workshop fire where the roof collapsed onto the car - the same worksho...... I will stop there......

Drop me a PM and will share his contact details with you. My commission will not be as out of this world as the story above 😉

Ha outstanding!  I love the small world coincidences when this sort of thing happens!

Also - great work rejuvenating this one, inspiring as always.

[Darkspeed]

More chassis work on BOY today - Is it actually possible ? More sleeves for the full cage mounting points - another 6 in all Mark - drill - prep - weld - grind - done. As easy as that with a bit of chassis spinning in between.

























And a quick test fit of one of the side tubes





Scuff over and some epoxy mastic on it next.

[Darkspeed]

After that task I set to doing the prep on the Bias Pedal assembly for KBW - molebert has purchased the bias box that - nope still cant remember as HE DOES NOT DO ENOUGH POSTING - That was put to one side on PHX when we built another at a slightly different angle - as KBW does not have an overly large capacity tank the MC's will miss the tank.

First up



And this bit



Bit of double checking to make sure that I have the right pedal that will be going under the knife and assemble the parts and the main tool. 32mm OD tube - 32mm hole saw - brake pedal



And employ the pillar drill - makes it nice and easy with the hole saw as you just line up the pilot drill in the hole saw with the centre of the pivot hole and away you go.



Happy enough with that fit.










And here is where I called it time for the day








I will do a final assembly check and mark - then tack it together with the TIG before blasting it with the MIG - then it will be a case of fitting the centre bearing.

[Darkspeed]

Captain Itchy has also been very busy with the floors in the G21 and has now completed the N/S floor to match the O/S - Nice.

[bizzo]

OK, have taken the hint, although I'm never going to be a prolific poster...
Here's a few photos from last weekends York Targa Rally which ran in unusual format to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. 21 off-road tests at Rufforth and Acaster Malbis former airfields and a couple around a large farmyard. The pictures before and after action show the much improved front ground clearance - now a full 5 inches :-) Much more sensible given what it's put through. New bias brakes worked well, with more than adequate feel. And nice to have some heat in the car to help with demisting. As can be seen it was also very muddy, and very slippery in places, but we avoided the scenery this time. Didn't trouble the awards, mainly owing to the bloke in the left hand seat (me) calling the route, rather than the driver who belied his years with some nice car control. Assuming virus restrictions still allow, will be out again next weekend on the Dansport Rally starting in Matlock, where I'm back behind the wheel - much easier job than the other side of the car...

[Darkspeed]

bizzo - no need for a post every week but when there is something to add it will aid me no end in remembering your forum name.

That looks a bit better for ground clearance - and some nice 165/70's would help it along a bit when you need new tyres whilst at the same time filling arch a little more.

No need to go as extreme as the early tests on KBW...

[bizzo]

I'd need a ladder to get in :-)

[Darkspeed]

With the lads locations being absorbed into the increasing area of the new Zombie Apocalypse I closed the borders, and both garage doors' had a Pizza on my own and fired up the TIG to keep warm.

I started with a couple of tacks with the TIG and had thought that I would complete the task with the MIG but me and the TIG were getting along fairly well so I decided to just complete the job and get more Mild Steel practice. I still need to set myself up with a more comfortable work/weldstation but it went well enough. I may even see if I can find my own pedal box tomorrow and try my luck further.

[molebert]

Mmmmmm!

can't wait to fit them - going to have to get a grip and pull my finger out.

Distracted myself with Garage modifications :-(

[Darkspeed]

molebert You will need a couple of big washers 35mm diameter 7/16 bore - trim the bias shaft as it will foul the wheel well and get some of 7/16 UNF half nuts - Paint got a little scorched so a touch up here and there will be needed

[molebert]

Will do

[Darkspeed]

Captain Itchy has been keeping himself locked away from the Cheshire walking dead, silently mixing resins and fibres together to make sure that no water escapes from interior of the G21!








Whilst back in Salop I have looked at the pedal box on my early car and ............... modifying this thing will be a little more involved than the work done thus far on PHX and KBW.














Looks like I will need to add another linkage connection to the bias pivot tube and I will have to look for something a little more elegant than the Ginetta solution.

[Darkspeed]

The bias bush got welded onto the pivot at the weekend and I tidied up the clutch pivot and did some measuring and checking to see what I could do. One discovery was that Ginetta in there wisdom have their pedals at a 2-5/8" spacing and the Imp is 3" spacing which means that the strange link bars operate at an angle which is really not nice so that will need to be sorted.

I will need to find some extra metal to weld onto the bias bush so that I can fit a new pivot mount that will mean a much shorter link bar arrangement which suits me no end.





Will need to look through my box of rod ends to see what I can find.







3/8" spacer to make new brackets for the pedal pivots and the new front plate to fit. Chassis to paint - then the body can go back on and I can tack on the extra rear cage mounts then bolt down the front cage mounts. Massage the front cage to fit and then turn it around do the other side and the screen top bar and mounts - once done it can go back to being a rolling chassis for a bit whilst I do other things.

[Darkspeed]

Started the day with a bit of painting which will continue through the week in the evenings until completed.








Although before doing that I found a few deep grinder cuts that was not particularly happy with so they were welded up and made good.




After than it was onto the pedal box.








Trimmed up the front plate and welded it - thoroughly..














Next jobs are to flatten the welds off, dig out a few master cylinders, mark out the mounting holes and weld on some captives.

[Darkspeed]

The close ratio - straight cut 3rd and 4th - box is coming together. Basic pre-load and shim settings being taken before the gears go away for some additional work. Final assembly will be with a special hardened and spiral grooved cross pin in the diff as the pins can be a weak link when pushing double the power at significantly higher RPM.




Bias pedal box got prepped and drilled for the captives





but the welding took a back seat as I wanted to get some paint on the chassis.









Rolled on more EM121 which I am really impressed with.









Second coat will be completed over the next couple of days and if fully cured by the weekend the body can go back on the chassis. I can then make a start on the additional mounting feet for the rear cage and begin the first stages of fitting the front cage parts. Fitting the front cage to this early car is not going to be a straight forward task though especially as I have additional requirements.

[Darkspeed]

The drop in temperature last week meant that the remaining paint coats on the chassis got delayed which has put the schedule back a week. This evening was pretty mild and ideal for painting. After dog walking and dinner the thermos cup was brimmed with Yorkshire Gold and another 200ml of EM121 epoxy mastic was mixed and applied using a brush and foam roller.
The 1.25l pack was just the right amount to complete the chassis and I am very pleased with the overall results.









Also played with the TIG and put the captives in the pedal box



And taking of boxes, the Straight Cut 3-4 Close ratio box has been buttoned up and is ready for bolting on the back of the race engine when it returns from its machining work.



Not for cruising up the motorway this one.



Hopefully this weekend will see the body back on the chassis for the rest of the cage works and a bit more work done on the pedal box.

[jjeffries]

Beautiful work as always. Clever use of brush with roller for a pro-looking and durable finish.

Yours is another of the threads from which I inevitably learn something.

John

[Darkspeed]

Nov 18, 2020 0:41:03 GMT jjeffries said:

Beautiful work as always. Clever use of brush with roller for a pro-looking and durable finish.

Yours is another of the threads from which I inevitably learn something.

John

Thank you John - Can't take any credit for using a roller and a paint brush with this stuff, just following the advice on the sellers website. I will be giving a foam brush a try on something though, and also experimenting with flocked rollers to see what different finishes can be achieved. Although I think that the season is probably against me now and the garage is too darn leaky to try and heat.

Biggest issue when rolling this stuff is finding a roller that does not fall apart after being in contact with the paint for 5 minutes.

[jonomisfit]

Nov 17, 2020 23:01:06 GMT Darkspeed said:

I think I've just realised why the paint in the engine bay of my escort looked like it did. Its not textured paint, its been painted with a roller.

Its exactly that texture.

This build is looking great.