SD1 V8 EFi VDP renovation & Morris Minor Restomod
Discussion
Stripping door panels reveals a level of detail & complexity I wasn’t expecting:
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/6dEiD2RQ[/url][url]
Sadly, the veneer quality didn’t really match the base preparation
|https://thumbsnap.com/tcoLrqWs[/url]
Overall, I’ve no hesitation in updating to a less garish colour (such as grey veneer) with a Matt finish to suit current (and my) taste.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/6dEiD2RQ[/url][url]Sadly, the veneer quality didn’t really match the base preparation
|https://thumbsnap.com/tcoLrqWs[/url]Overall, I’ve no hesitation in updating to a less garish colour (such as grey veneer) with a Matt finish to suit current (and my) taste.
A close friend bought that same book for me for education - and it truly is fascinating. I’m certain for sure; if conceived in less contentious times the pedigree of the SD1 would have shone through to lead its class!
It absolutely re-enforces my desire to renovate & enjoy this part of British motoring history.
It absolutely re-enforces my desire to renovate & enjoy this part of British motoring history.
PRN2K said:
To tie these to cars together for a moment, I'll explain my ambition. I want to imagine the scenario where the design & engineering teams of these companies are transported to present day; what would they aspire to? I'll like to apply my imagination to that question as it was my motivation for the Minor. I hoped to re-imagine it to be desirable today. So what for the SD1. I'd appreciate your comments on the best re-interpretation; i.e. What needs to change?
|https://thumbsnap.com/uqTXMZyb[/url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/HwdWqKqn[/url]
My current views are:
Undecided on the rubber door strips that merge the bumper chrome across the car - I think it looks cleaner without them.
I think dechroming the front lights and bonnet would also give a cleaner look.
The Vitesse front spoiler is iconic motorsport addition, but I feel a little heavy handed for my VDP. Painting the sills body colour does help though.
The Vitesse rear spoiler, ride height & wheels are too good to ignore, I love them!
If you want a modern design update to the car, you'd need to fit 19" wheels at least! (don't do that...)|https://thumbsnap.com/uqTXMZyb[/url]|https://thumbsnap.com/HwdWqKqn[/url]My current views are:
Undecided on the rubber door strips that merge the bumper chrome across the car - I think it looks cleaner without them.
I think dechroming the front lights and bonnet would also give a cleaner look.
The Vitesse front spoiler is iconic motorsport addition, but I feel a little heavy handed for my VDP. Painting the sills body colour does help though.
The Vitesse rear spoiler, ride height & wheels are too good to ignore, I love them!
Taking your point about the Vitesse front spoiler, personally I'd do both or neither. Or make a smaller rear spoiler in the style of the Vitesse one.
Dechrome the whole thing - window surrounds, bumpers and bonnet all in gloss black.
Body colour or gloss black the door mirrors if you're losing the rest of the chrome.
I think it needs a very small amount of lowering.
The wheels do look ace but I think they're too small if you're looking for a more modern look - at least an inch bigger if not two, in a similar style, with some decent polished dish, filling out the arches more. Roll the arches to get the wheel fitment right. Modern cars have 10mm sideways gap from tyre to arch eyebrow, not 2".
And the exhaust tailpipes on these just look silly IMO - get the exits closer to the body, shorter larger diameter pipes, semi frenched into the rear panel if you can.
Thankfully not! This one is 5.5m long, 3m wide with 2.2m eaves height (& 2.8m max height):
Similar to garages in this instance, carports are classed as outbuildings, which generally fall under ‘permitted development’ rights. So, as long as your new carport sticks to the following rules, you shouldn’t need to apply for planning permission.
Your carport is not built on land in front of a wall that is in front of the house.
It is single storey, with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and a maximum overall height of 4 metres with a dual pitched roof or 3 metres for any other type of carport roof.
The carport does not exceed 2.5 metres in height within 2 metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the building (‘curtilage’ is the land immediately surrounding the dwelling).
It does not include any verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
Your carport covers no more than half the area of land around the original house (the term ‘original house’ means as it was when it was first built, so this excludes extensions that may have been built by previous owners).
Similar to garages in this instance, carports are classed as outbuildings, which generally fall under ‘permitted development’ rights. So, as long as your new carport sticks to the following rules, you shouldn’t need to apply for planning permission.
Your carport is not built on land in front of a wall that is in front of the house.
It is single storey, with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and a maximum overall height of 4 metres with a dual pitched roof or 3 metres for any other type of carport roof.
The carport does not exceed 2.5 metres in height within 2 metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the building (‘curtilage’ is the land immediately surrounding the dwelling).
It does not include any verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
Your carport covers no more than half the area of land around the original house (the term ‘original house’ means as it was when it was first built, so this excludes extensions that may have been built by previous owners).
I'm not a great fan of either excessive chrome or blacked-out trim - I think restrained use of either can highlight a style well and remain modern - but adornment around components is unnecessary and makes is excessive.
As an example, Series 2 SD1 lost chrome bumpers but gained chrome surrounds for the front indicators and headlights. It serves no purpose so I intend to remove it rather than black it out. I do however prefer the later orange indicators because as with the chrome mirrors and door blood trough feature it nods to the Daytona inspiration. So I'll also be removing the side rubbing strips.
I'm going to pull the bumpers closer to the body, colour-code them and see how they looks with the chrome insert remaining as a highlight. That leaves the remaining chrome around windows to decide at the end.
With respect to wheels, as the slender styling and small arches was designed around 14" wheels it's unnecessary to copy the current styling excesses (I doubt any engineer would specify them for a 1500kg saloon today anyway!). A very similar design to the current 6.Jx15" in a deep dish 8J x17" would probably be my preference. However, this is likely to require a PCD change or custom build - so it will have to wait until the later.
Now, exhaust. I agree the swan neck solution looks naff. However, as pointed out by KelvinatorNZ, it’s due to the hatch lower edge venting the cabin. As with much of the car I feel I’m fortunate to be catching the corrosion just in time…
So, I’m thinking to cover the RHS vents and allow more freedom in the exhaust position. Twin body-hugging circular outlets is my current favourite.
As an example, Series 2 SD1 lost chrome bumpers but gained chrome surrounds for the front indicators and headlights. It serves no purpose so I intend to remove it rather than black it out. I do however prefer the later orange indicators because as with the chrome mirrors and door blood trough feature it nods to the Daytona inspiration. So I'll also be removing the side rubbing strips.
I'm going to pull the bumpers closer to the body, colour-code them and see how they looks with the chrome insert remaining as a highlight. That leaves the remaining chrome around windows to decide at the end.
With respect to wheels, as the slender styling and small arches was designed around 14" wheels it's unnecessary to copy the current styling excesses (I doubt any engineer would specify them for a 1500kg saloon today anyway!). A very similar design to the current 6.Jx15" in a deep dish 8J x17" would probably be my preference. However, this is likely to require a PCD change or custom build - so it will have to wait until the later.
Now, exhaust. I agree the swan neck solution looks naff. However, as pointed out by KelvinatorNZ, it’s due to the hatch lower edge venting the cabin. As with much of the car I feel I’m fortunate to be catching the corrosion just in time…
So, I’m thinking to cover the RHS vents and allow more freedom in the exhaust position. Twin body-hugging circular outlets is my current favourite.
The great thing about the internet is you can browse the efforts others to inform your own plans....
So, I've made some observations:
The door rubbing strips OR the Vitesse graphic both appear to delineate the 'blood trough' feature - the car looks thin/waisted without one of them. So I'm thinking to keep the strips as a VDP clearly can't have the graphics...
I'm also having second thoughts about body-coloured bumpers - they make the styling look very generic (even if modern). And of course, if I'm keeping the rubbing strips....The S1 car bumpers were much shorter however - maybe?
Now, orange indicators. A common detail to force clear. Modern, yes. Interesting? I don't think so - comes back to the Daytona link. I've literally just bought some S1 clear versions to use with orange bulbs (hence remove the internal orange filter) and I think I've already changed my mind...
So that leaves the chrome trim around the front indicators, headlamps and grille. I still think they need to go (unnecessary adornment).
In conclusion, then I've come to accept that, unlike the Minor (which looked 'unpleasantly old-fashioned') to me, the SD1 is in contrast, a lovely, timeless design that needs very few 'tweeks' to keep it desirable.
That brings me to 'Stance'
As was pointed out, modern car design has evolved to 'fill' the wheel arches to make the vehicle look more purposeful and dynamic. Sadly, however that has been taken to extremes with massive wheel housings that demand equally massive rims to the detriment of comfort and driving enjoyment (as from experience, tyre section reduction generally aligns with feedback reduction).
Thankfully, (as the Minor), I don't think the SD1 needs 'massive' rims. 17" (maybe even 16") with a deep dish (and of course, wider rear rim with deeper rear dish) will set the car off beautifully. However, due to a lack of similar wheels styles in larger sizes, a hub PCD change looks necessary as I dislike the concept of PCD adaptors and they erode the opportunity for the largest rim dish. Ride height should be matched to the rim size but ultimately near Vitesse, but avoiding the often 'saggy rear' stance that's often seen.
So, I've made some observations:
The door rubbing strips OR the Vitesse graphic both appear to delineate the 'blood trough' feature - the car looks thin/waisted without one of them. So I'm thinking to keep the strips as a VDP clearly can't have the graphics...
I'm also having second thoughts about body-coloured bumpers - they make the styling look very generic (even if modern). And of course, if I'm keeping the rubbing strips....The S1 car bumpers were much shorter however - maybe?
Now, orange indicators. A common detail to force clear. Modern, yes. Interesting? I don't think so - comes back to the Daytona link. I've literally just bought some S1 clear versions to use with orange bulbs (hence remove the internal orange filter) and I think I've already changed my mind...
So that leaves the chrome trim around the front indicators, headlamps and grille. I still think they need to go (unnecessary adornment).
In conclusion, then I've come to accept that, unlike the Minor (which looked 'unpleasantly old-fashioned') to me, the SD1 is in contrast, a lovely, timeless design that needs very few 'tweeks' to keep it desirable.
That brings me to 'Stance'
As was pointed out, modern car design has evolved to 'fill' the wheel arches to make the vehicle look more purposeful and dynamic. Sadly, however that has been taken to extremes with massive wheel housings that demand equally massive rims to the detriment of comfort and driving enjoyment (as from experience, tyre section reduction generally aligns with feedback reduction).
Thankfully, (as the Minor), I don't think the SD1 needs 'massive' rims. 17" (maybe even 16") with a deep dish (and of course, wider rear rim with deeper rear dish) will set the car off beautifully. However, due to a lack of similar wheels styles in larger sizes, a hub PCD change looks necessary as I dislike the concept of PCD adaptors and they erode the opportunity for the largest rim dish. Ride height should be matched to the rim size but ultimately near Vitesse, but avoiding the often 'saggy rear' stance that's often seen.
Hmmm that body coloured bumper doesn't look the business does it.
I'm with you that the side rubbing strips work well on it. Do like your idea of close coupling the bumpers to the body, I think that would really sharpen it up.
Chrome trim - yeah it's not needed on the bonnet or lights is it.
Unsure what other chrome trim you would want to remove, if anything. My earlier comment about blackening the chrome came from my Mk1 Celica, which had thick stainless steel inserts in all the window rubbers, but if I wanted to restomod it, I felt that having them redone in brushed satin finish or a matt nickel effect would have worked really well (but then I was planning a modern metallic colour for the car...). If you're keeping the factory colour, perhaps it's not needed.
Thinking back to my earliest cars, which were all sadly Astras and they all had black bumpers with chrome inserts, just applying red tape to the chrome trim really helped modernise the look of a car that still had its roots in the 70s. I'm not suggesting getting out the electricians tape, but it could have mileage to reduce the amount of chrome. That said, if you're then left with chrome only on the window surrounds, that's not gonna look balanced.
Re stance. I've no idea what size would be best but I think I've seen an SD1 on 17s and it looked over-wheeled. Didn't help that the wheels were flat faced design, and too modern for the era. If I was putting a fiver in an envelope on this one, I'd say 16" would be about right, with some dish to the wheel or it'll look wrong.
I'd also say that I don't think increasing rim diameter is all bad, as very high profile tyres on narrow rims really roll over onto the sidewall (not helped by soft springs and roll bars permitting roll at odds with the suspension's camber compensation geometry), so reducing sidewall and increasing width a bit will probably improve things. But go low profile and yes your sensation of the edge of grip disappears, as does ride comfort, as does the look of the thing. Much as I like a well done restomod and I like going up on wheel size, even I think 20s on a '68 Camaro looks silly.
I'm with you that the side rubbing strips work well on it. Do like your idea of close coupling the bumpers to the body, I think that would really sharpen it up.
Chrome trim - yeah it's not needed on the bonnet or lights is it.
Unsure what other chrome trim you would want to remove, if anything. My earlier comment about blackening the chrome came from my Mk1 Celica, which had thick stainless steel inserts in all the window rubbers, but if I wanted to restomod it, I felt that having them redone in brushed satin finish or a matt nickel effect would have worked really well (but then I was planning a modern metallic colour for the car...). If you're keeping the factory colour, perhaps it's not needed.
Thinking back to my earliest cars, which were all sadly Astras and they all had black bumpers with chrome inserts, just applying red tape to the chrome trim really helped modernise the look of a car that still had its roots in the 70s. I'm not suggesting getting out the electricians tape, but it could have mileage to reduce the amount of chrome. That said, if you're then left with chrome only on the window surrounds, that's not gonna look balanced.
Re stance. I've no idea what size would be best but I think I've seen an SD1 on 17s and it looked over-wheeled. Didn't help that the wheels were flat faced design, and too modern for the era. If I was putting a fiver in an envelope on this one, I'd say 16" would be about right, with some dish to the wheel or it'll look wrong.
I'd also say that I don't think increasing rim diameter is all bad, as very high profile tyres on narrow rims really roll over onto the sidewall (not helped by soft springs and roll bars permitting roll at odds with the suspension's camber compensation geometry), so reducing sidewall and increasing width a bit will probably improve things. But go low profile and yes your sensation of the edge of grip disappears, as does ride comfort, as does the look of the thing. Much as I like a well done restomod and I like going up on wheel size, even I think 20s on a '68 Camaro looks silly.
Again, all good points;
However, single advantage of a live rear axle (shared only with a de-Dion as used by the P6 and others) is near-100% camber correction with roll - only tyre squash reduces that value - so ultimately very good for smooth road limit capacity - however, unsprung mass ultimately works against it on undulating roads. Obviously, front static camber has to be selected to suit desired handling balance.
I have a modified Z4 3.0i for fast road driving (which only comes alive at questionable road speeds - thankfully it's also a great daily roadster) - I want a aurally satisfying (& rewarding) A-road bruiser to fulfil my fleet requirements - but I haven't ruled out a De-Dion conversion (with plunging driveshafts rather than P6 plunging De-Dion) if I feel it needs it for consistent road behaviour.
I'm therefore comfortable that widened 16 or 17" rims of a (very) similar design (Japan racing JR9, Vintage Calibre etc) will work but a PCD change is likely to make them fit without PCD adaptors that will erode the desired deep dish look. That may align with a rear disc conversion.....
However, single advantage of a live rear axle (shared only with a de-Dion as used by the P6 and others) is near-100% camber correction with roll - only tyre squash reduces that value - so ultimately very good for smooth road limit capacity - however, unsprung mass ultimately works against it on undulating roads. Obviously, front static camber has to be selected to suit desired handling balance.
I have a modified Z4 3.0i for fast road driving (which only comes alive at questionable road speeds - thankfully it's also a great daily roadster) - I want a aurally satisfying (& rewarding) A-road bruiser to fulfil my fleet requirements - but I haven't ruled out a De-Dion conversion (with plunging driveshafts rather than P6 plunging De-Dion) if I feel it needs it for consistent road behaviour.
I'm therefore comfortable that widened 16 or 17" rims of a (very) similar design (Japan racing JR9, Vintage Calibre etc) will work but a PCD change is likely to make them fit without PCD adaptors that will erode the desired deep dish look. That may align with a rear disc conversion.....
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff