Building "Thor"
Discussion
Steve_D said:
The glass you use must be marked R43 (etc). R43 was introduced in 1981 I believe so that would perhaps restrict your choice of donor unless it was a very popular model and glass is still available.
You could have a custom screen manufactured. Expensive but not cripplingly so.
Steve
Hi SteveYou could have a custom screen manufactured. Expensive but not cripplingly so.
Steve
Good to see another reprobate is still up at this late hour.
It is not just the windscreen, but the side windows too. It would be nice to have leccy windows too.
Not overly keen on electric roof as these are alignment critical.
The XJS is not a bad donor candidate. But the door might be a bit short on the height front.
Your info is always useful so keep an eye on what I am doing, and put me right if I have gone outside the rules please.
Paul
I don't like the height or angle of the Saab windscreen.
I think the Audi may be a better bet.
The slant on the screen is better and it is shallower. The roof has a nicer shape too to my eye.
It may seem mad to chop up a car for just the screen, bulkhead, doors and roof. And it will need to be a reasonable car too. But getting those parts of the car right are a major issue.
I want to be able to use the finished car, and decent weather proofing is essential. Might even look for one with air-con, for those trips to warmer climates!!!
I will not be using the interior as this will need to be more in keeping with the art-deco exterior but it is amazing what you can hide!
What do you chaps (or gals) think?
Paul
I think the Audi may be a better bet.
The slant on the screen is better and it is shallower. The roof has a nicer shape too to my eye.
It may seem mad to chop up a car for just the screen, bulkhead, doors and roof. And it will need to be a reasonable car too. But getting those parts of the car right are a major issue.
I want to be able to use the finished car, and decent weather proofing is essential. Might even look for one with air-con, for those trips to warmer climates!!!
I will not be using the interior as this will need to be more in keeping with the art-deco exterior but it is amazing what you can hide!
What do you chaps (or gals) think?
Paul
Here are a few of the cars I am considering all together to view.
No drawing of what it will look like yet as that is still a little fluid.
I like the art-deco look of the first picture for the front end and rear wheel cover(s). Then add the extra wheel and slope of the rear of the Captain America car.
The XKR roof would be my favourite and might work similar to the look of this roof...
If I knew how to do photoshop (or could be bothered to learn) I would try to create a design model to play with and test ideas. Maybe I will have to try!
For the nay-sayers.
I have two businesses to run, a family to keep (reasonably) happy, other cars to work on (or modify), I make a lot of the tools/equipment I use, have a few other hobbies as well as a social life.
Sometimes finances cause a change of plan, sometimes it is the law/bureaucracy or practicalities. Spending a bit of time on the planning can save a lot of problems in the future too.
If any others on here would like a Meteor engine I am happy to sell them one. Just pm me.
I have spent the day sanding down the filler primer on my new front clip for my Ultima and there is still a bit to do tomorrow before I can add the colour, hopefully tomorrow afternoon. The 6 coats of colour will then need flatting (1500 wet and dry) before I add the 4 to 6 coats of clear and then flatting that (2000 wet and dry). The flatting will take at least a day each time. The finish should end up 'show quality' metallic silver.
I intend making a new rear clip too and this will be happening alongside Thor progress. I want it finished before the Le Mans Classic.
Thor (or whatever I call it) will take quite a while and cost a fair bit (probably in excess of £50k), so if you feel you could complete something similar faster, then be my guest.
Feel free to remove this topic from your watched list.
For everyone else, please keep the suggestions coming.
Paul
No drawing of what it will look like yet as that is still a little fluid.
I like the art-deco look of the first picture for the front end and rear wheel cover(s). Then add the extra wheel and slope of the rear of the Captain America car.
The XKR roof would be my favourite and might work similar to the look of this roof...
If I knew how to do photoshop (or could be bothered to learn) I would try to create a design model to play with and test ideas. Maybe I will have to try!
For the nay-sayers.
I have two businesses to run, a family to keep (reasonably) happy, other cars to work on (or modify), I make a lot of the tools/equipment I use, have a few other hobbies as well as a social life.
Sometimes finances cause a change of plan, sometimes it is the law/bureaucracy or practicalities. Spending a bit of time on the planning can save a lot of problems in the future too.
If any others on here would like a Meteor engine I am happy to sell them one. Just pm me.
I have spent the day sanding down the filler primer on my new front clip for my Ultima and there is still a bit to do tomorrow before I can add the colour, hopefully tomorrow afternoon. The 6 coats of colour will then need flatting (1500 wet and dry) before I add the 4 to 6 coats of clear and then flatting that (2000 wet and dry). The flatting will take at least a day each time. The finish should end up 'show quality' metallic silver.
I intend making a new rear clip too and this will be happening alongside Thor progress. I want it finished before the Le Mans Classic.
Thor (or whatever I call it) will take quite a while and cost a fair bit (probably in excess of £50k), so if you feel you could complete something similar faster, then be my guest.
Feel free to remove this topic from your watched list.
For everyone else, please keep the suggestions coming.
Paul
hedgefinder said:
in fact why not just buy a plymouth prowler and lengthen it to fit the meteor and then build on the existing body structure......it looks like a prime candidate to me - if a little on the small side currently.
Had a quick look to see if they are available and 
a 15 year old one is between £25k and £30k. God knows why!Still want the 3 axles too.
Going to see Charlie and his Rover while his Meteor engine and transmission are out of the car next week. Hope to get plenty of information, some drawings and pictures for the layout and all the components I will need to make.
Paul
RoverP6B said:
What glazing does Bob Petersen use for his specials?
He buys old Rolls Royce Phantom II's or Bentleys with a V5 and registration number.This was the route I was going to take but there are a number of limitations on what modifications you can make. It is also something I think the DVLA are trying to stop as it is no longer the same car.
It is also a very expensive build too.
Paul
HammyUK said:
Take a "holiday" to Tenerife Paul - you'll be amazed at whats lurking on many of the scrapyards there.
PM me if you want any locations.
There's quite a few Prowlers circulating there along with allsorts of very very old stuff.
I had a little sideline for a while sending Santana's back here as the bulkheads don't rot there.
Interesting. PM me if you want any locations.
There's quite a few Prowlers circulating there along with allsorts of very very old stuff.
I had a little sideline for a while sending Santana's back here as the bulkheads don't rot there.
A Plymouth Prowler is not a real contender!
However, the other (much) older stuff may be. Any more information or pictures?
Paul
Thanks Ian
Due to the size of the car it will need a larger side area of glass to look right IMO. I had one of the early TT's so know a bit about them.
Spent an interesting few hours with Charlie Broomfield today. He is not far from having his Rover SD1 Meteor back in one piece. I am not going to post any pictures as he works with a magazine, Practical Performance Car ( www.ppcmag.co.uk ), so I feel that they have rights to that type of thing.
We looked at all aspects of my car and how he had overcome some of the issues with his. His engineering work is impressive and I hope to achieve something similar (probably with more of his help).
My next step is to sort out the gearing of the car.
I need to find out what the differential ratios are (or what the one's I am going to use are). I now have an idea what the wheel size will be, know the engine revs at WOT, the gearbox looks like it will be an Allison auto box.
Depending on the diff ratio will determine if I need to speed up the input shaft speed into the gearbox.
Tick over engine speed is important so that the auto can 'stall'. The input stall speed is about 600rpm. Engine tick over will be around 300rpm so if I can avoid speeding up the gearbox input speed too much would be good. The big wheels should help this. The Allison will take the torque (the wheels will spin first) if it is a straight input from the engine.
Even if I need to increase the input speed it will be by about 1.6 x whereas Charlie has increased his by 2.77 x (his wheels are 620mm dia and mine will be 880 to 920mm).
I hope to get the body off the chassis next week but will spend a bit of time trying to sort the axle ratios. Also sorting the Allison.
Paul
Due to the size of the car it will need a larger side area of glass to look right IMO. I had one of the early TT's so know a bit about them.
Spent an interesting few hours with Charlie Broomfield today. He is not far from having his Rover SD1 Meteor back in one piece. I am not going to post any pictures as he works with a magazine, Practical Performance Car ( www.ppcmag.co.uk ), so I feel that they have rights to that type of thing.
We looked at all aspects of my car and how he had overcome some of the issues with his. His engineering work is impressive and I hope to achieve something similar (probably with more of his help).
My next step is to sort out the gearing of the car.
I need to find out what the differential ratios are (or what the one's I am going to use are). I now have an idea what the wheel size will be, know the engine revs at WOT, the gearbox looks like it will be an Allison auto box.
Depending on the diff ratio will determine if I need to speed up the input shaft speed into the gearbox.
Tick over engine speed is important so that the auto can 'stall'. The input stall speed is about 600rpm. Engine tick over will be around 300rpm so if I can avoid speeding up the gearbox input speed too much would be good. The big wheels should help this. The Allison will take the torque (the wheels will spin first) if it is a straight input from the engine.
Even if I need to increase the input speed it will be by about 1.6 x whereas Charlie has increased his by 2.77 x (his wheels are 620mm dia and mine will be 880 to 920mm).
I hope to get the body off the chassis next week but will spend a bit of time trying to sort the axle ratios. Also sorting the Allison.
Paul
The more I think about the use of a donor cabriolet the more useful and sensible it seems.
It is not just the roof, glass and doors but also wipers, locks/central locking/alarm, heated rear glass window, aircon/heating, column controls (probably not using the actual stalks), maybe hidden sat-nav (probably not!).
I intend that the interior will look art-deco or 1950's but use hidden current tech.
Pray for some dry weather next week so I can get the body off the Range Rover chassis.
Paul
It is not just the roof, glass and doors but also wipers, locks/central locking/alarm, heated rear glass window, aircon/heating, column controls (probably not using the actual stalks), maybe hidden sat-nav (probably not!).
I intend that the interior will look art-deco or 1950's but use hidden current tech.
Pray for some dry weather next week so I can get the body off the Range Rover chassis.
Paul
HughG said:
Storer said:
Didn't realise it had the buttresses, so maybe not. Almost certainly too complicated if can-bus as well as being too costly a route to take.
I would prefer it if the chosen vehicle has 'simple' electrics as leccy is not something I am good at.....
Paul
The a4 cab is canbus after 2005, the b7 platform. The one picture above is earlier so should be ok I would prefer it if the chosen vehicle has 'simple' electrics as leccy is not something I am good at.....
Paul
Paul
HammyUK said:
Sent again.
Still nothing. The info Pistonheads has is correct and there is nothing in my inbox or junk.I am reluctant to post my email on an open forum. All I can suggest is try again or send one via Pistonheads to someone else you know to see if the system is working.
Paul
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