1976 Autotune Gemini - ELVA MKI replica

[horrido]

I had to have a google and sure enough, you can still buy these godforsaken "fuel catalysts". One born every minute.

I like the look of the 205s. Why are they too much? Will they rub?

[Deleted]

Escort bits!!
Gotta be worth a small fortune mate

Very interesting wee car. I've not seen or heard of them till now.

[Darkspeed]

Aug 4, 2018 23:24:06 GMT horrido said:

I had to have a google and sure enough, you can still buy these godforsaken "fuel catalysts". One born every minute.

I like the look of the 205s. Why are they too much? Will they rub?

Yes too close for comfort even if the arch return is trimmed

Aug 5, 2018 14:53:03 GMT @quickrack1 said:

Escort bits!!
Gotta be worth a small fortune mate

Very interesting wee car. I've not seen or heard of them till now.

Some of the Escort bits will be on eBay shortly as I un-Escort it - The ignition lock and barrel steering cowls, switch gear etc. None of which appears to be too hard to find or expensive - what did make me laugh when looking at eBay is the way that every 1300 X-flow for sale appears to be a GT! The MK1 rear lights will also be going as will swap them out for round to alter the visuals.

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2018 18:38:29 GMT Darkspeed said:

Aug 4, 2018 23:24:06 GMT horrido said:

I had to have a google and sure enough, you can still buy these godforsaken "fuel catalysts". One born every minute.

I like the look of the 205s. Why are they too much? Will they rub?

Yes too close for comfort even if the arch return is trimmed

Aug 5, 2018 14:53:03 GMT @quickrack1 said:

Escort bits!!
Gotta be worth a small fortune mate

Very interesting wee car. I've not seen or heard of them till now.

Some of the Escort bits will be on eBay shortly as I un-Escort it - The ignition lock and barrel steering cowls, switch gear etc. None of which appears to be too hard to find or expensive - what did make me laugh when looking at eBay is the way that every 1300 X-flow for sale appears to be a GT! The MK1 rear lights will also be going as will swap them out for round to alter the visuals.

Yeah and the light are all RS......

[mylittletony]

With those wheels (awesome by the way) this is going to look like a mini Bill Thomas Cheetah.

185/60/13 are easily sourced in a selection of brands, should be a good choice

[Darkspeed]

Sorned.

[Darkspeed]

Aug 6, 2018 7:19:54 GMT mylittletony said:

With those wheels (awesome by the way) this is going to look like a mini Bill Thomas Cheetah.

185/60/13 are easily sourced in a selection of brands, should be a good choice

The Gemini will be a little on the anemic side for comparison but the G27 may be more in keeping.

[Darkspeed]

Bit of period in car from the era of the Falcon Shell - View from the seat over the bonnet is actually very similar.





Plans for the Gemini

Body is coming off ! I have decided that it need to be moved forward by at least an inch to get 3 of the four wheels centered in the wheel arches - the fourth O/S/R will need the arch reshaping a little as its a different shape to the N/S/R

The back end will get a remodel at some stage but it looks like when the rear was reshaped after the plank rear they extended the rear of the car a little losing the very rounded shape making it more oval. I prefer the shorter rounder rear of the original Falcon. If it was my only car as a project I would remodel the rear and also chop 3-4" out of the wheelbase but this is a fill in project !

[Darkspeed]

Funny how these things go - whilst doing the steering rack mounting on the G27 I thought I would have a look at the Gemini as it uses the same Escort rack - For some reason it is offset in the chassis by 15mm toward the nearside ! - Can see no good reason for this as the column would clear all the chassis members if it was moved. Also the mount brackets are only 1" wide - they really need to be 1-1/4 wide.

It only means that the car will have more lock for right handers. The mounts squash around the supports enough for good security but these sorts of things just niggle me and make me question everything else on a design.

So we have a list thus far on the Gemini.

1. Body mounts that do not meet with chassis mounts.
2. Asymmetric wheel arches - no real surprise with that.
3. Lumps chopped out of a chassis member for no reason
4. Floors not capable of being stood on
5. Steering rack in off centre
6. Chassis tubes in the way of seats
7. Bits of angle iron dropping down off the chassis for no good reason.
8. Unsealed bulkheads
9. Very oddly angled Roll over bar.
10. Front chassis members jutting out from front of car.

Need to have a think about what I am going to do with some of that list as my engineering OCD is already looking at the angle grinder

[Darkspeed]

Dug out a couple of pictures of the Fury

Symmetrical mount position around the car centre-line as I am doing with the G27 as that is how the rack mounts measure up.






Rack mounts are coming off.

[Darkspeed]

If you fancy joining me on this Gemini voyage of discovery and modification your ticket awaits.

Gemini on the bay


Looks a bit steep to me and I really don't like the look of the welding or the number of chassis tubes that have been chopped in order for the engine not to fit as for how you get all that .... well if anyone buys it and reads this please chime in and let us know how you get on - Wish I knew what happened to the 3.0L Alfa engined one that saw years back.

As for "Bomber" no movement - although I did try a new headlamp bucket in the hole but rain stopped play.

[johnthesparky]

It’s on an age related plate... is that ok?

I ask because a mate is building a MNR vortx and has been able to retain the mx5 registration (as it retains enough parts) but it has a spaceframe chassis I believe

[Darkspeed]

Aug 27, 2018 21:04:05 GMT johnthesparky said:

It’s on an age related plate... is that ok?

I ask because a mate is building a MNR vortx and has been able to retain the mx5 registration (as it retains enough parts) but it has a spaceframe chassis I believe

Yep - use enough donor parts and you get an age related but these are old cars could be even pre SVA and definately not (B)IVA tested cars. Before age related you got to keep the original donor reg even though the chassis was changed - I think that one probably has the donor Reg - Not even age related - With my old G31 I had the original detail and reg documents giving the reg from the original 2.0L MK4 Cortina Ghia first owned by BP! Followed by all the documented changes from Ford To Ginetta that still retained the exact same reg.

My Gemini is pre SVA and I have correspondence in the file that came with the car, where the builder is arguing about the Q plate and demanding his original Escort reg on it - as you can see, it was futile.

[darrenh]

Enjoying this thread, it's a smart looking body.

That power ball made me chuckle, naivety, I remember spending 100 odd quid on splitfire (remember them?) plug leads back in 96. Because having two of everything makes your 50,000 volts more voltier

[Darkspeed]

Please stick around it may eventually get interesting.

Yes, the good old snake oil sellers are always around the automotive enthusiast promising all matter of magic beans and potions to unleash those hidden horses that the manufacturers failed to notice. Pity that the old saying if it seems to good to be true..... just passes some people by.

So, we have had some rain which means that we are back to cutting grass as well as picking up apples - oh well we all have our chores and those are two of mine as is servicing the L200 - its been busy of late with some hauls so prior to the grass it was oil and filter. As the rain held off it was on to the Gemini for a bit.

First off that box looking affair on with the plate on it was intriguing me as it had nothing going in or out of it.





Just one bolt to go before all is revealed.



Eh?



So engine compartment bolted box that contains 4 old tax discs!!



Two bolts undone, a block of wood and an old tyre lever and a quick scrape over to remove some silicone later.



Remove rear plate - grubby



And fit the new plastic headlamp bowls and stick its eyes back in. Better




Nearly forgot

I took the roll bar off as I wanted to have a look at the fixings etc. and how hard it would be to adjust the angle reduce the height etc. - As it turns out it will be reasonably easy.



Looks like I will need to give the Panhard a tweek. - I think a nice new rose jointed one will be the order of the day - Quite a low roll centre though.

[jamesd1972]

Did the previous owner make lots of trips to the continent ?
That box is plain weird.
Making some solid progress.
James

[Darkspeed]

Aug 29, 2018 8:28:53 GMT jamesd1972 said:

Did the previous owner make lots of trips to the continent ?
That box is plain weird.
Making some solid progress.
James

No idea about continental trips and not sure you would get that much of anything at all in there - no left over evidence of Columbian pure that's for sure. Yep, most odd.

Solid regress is probably a more appropriate description at present....

We have our list of irks, so we better take a step to counter to this negativity. News is that plan has been hatched, and we will see if it develops any further than half a pipe dream what with all the other projects crawling along. Now, I have always wanted a British Racing Green Sportscar with roundels, so I am going to build one and never mind if looks like a 1950's race replica as is see no harm in that and care not that it's been done a thousand times, plus it will kind of fit with the 60's & 70's themes we have going in the builds at present.

A list of other wants for it will be developed over the next couple of days.

[Deleted]

It would look pretty dam cool in BRG with cream roundels / cream wheels and would very much disguise the actual age of the car

[Darkspeed]

Aug 30, 2018 6:57:15 GMT @grumpynorthener said:

It would look pretty dam cool in BRG with cream roundels / cream wheels and would very much disguise the actual age of the car

Knock on 15" (MGC) painted wires on hub adapters would look the part - But this will be a 'cost controlled' build - Not 'budget' as there is no place in a project for a 'budget' the word itself is pretty meaningless when is comes to car build restoration projects. But we can control the costs by not spending a grand plus on the ideal wheels - I think I know where I can find a set of painted wires - awaits the shouty phone call.

Just got to choose a green which could take as long as some builds.

[mylittletony]

You could mix it up a little and go for a sage green?

This one has BRG roundels!



Colour coded steels would fit with the cost control and look