Total Reconstruction.

Total Reconstruction.

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Rudders

Original Poster:

18 posts

165 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Well after some 6 years of lurking it is possibly time for an introduction.

Hi.

I had previously built a Gardner Douglas GD 427 - great car - but having finished and driven it round a lot I realised it wasn't what I really wanted!

Skip forward a few years and now I have a shed of a Cerbera. It took a long time to find the right car but in that time I have absorbed most of the excellent info on this forum - thanks guys.

The plan is to adopt my previous kit car mentality and pull it completely apart to its constituent pieces and rebuild it!

Yes it will have an LS engine - but purists need not be offended - it came with no engine or gearbox - be offended by the lotus 7 dealer that put the original motor in..... errr..... a lotus 7.

Yes it needs a lot of work - spent 2 1/2 years on the GD - but I have gone into this eyes wide open.

Given myself another 2 1/2 years.

Simon.


phillpot

17,105 posts

182 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all


We'll see in two and a half years time if this is what you really wanted!.. wink


Have fun.

stainless_steve

6,028 posts

257 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Nice one , you beat me to the car.
Good luck with the project.

Rudders

Original Poster:

18 posts

165 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
stainless_steve said:
Nice one , you beat me to the car.
Good luck with the project.

Sorry Steve.... but I had the distinct advantage of it being only 10 minutes away from where I work :-)

ukkid35

6,138 posts

172 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Rudders said:
I had previously built a Gardner Douglas GD 427 - great car - but having finished and driven it round a lot I realised it wasn't what I really wanted!
Curious to understand what was missing from the GD 427 experience?

stainless_steve

6,028 posts

257 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Rudders said:
stainless_steve said:
Nice one , you beat me to the car.
Good luck with the project.

Sorry Steve.... but I had the distinct advantage of it being only 10 minutes away from where I work :-)
2.5 hours for me

Rudders

Original Poster:

18 posts

165 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
ukkid35 said:
Curious to understand what was missing from the GD 427 experience?
Didn't have a proper roof

Could'nt lock it and leave it anywhere

Had a big cam in it and it wanted to "push on" all the time.

Consequently SWMBO would not undertake a European tour in it.

Don't get me wrong..... really good product from GD.... but probably due to some niaivness on my part it ended up being a bit of a "take it for a blast / make your neighbour wet himself" kinda car.


FarmyardPants

4,099 posts

217 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Transplants incur the wrath, but plants are OK.


ukkid35

6,138 posts

172 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Rudders said:
"take it for a blast / make your neighbour wet himself" kinda car.
So you thought it would be a good idea to get a Cerb instead?

Rudders

Original Poster:

18 posts

165 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
ukkid35 said:
So you thought it would be a good idea to get a Cerb instead?
Haha.... obviously not completely grown out of my naivety. ... but I have got a new neighbour.

Jhonno

5,762 posts

140 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Well done on saving one! Looks like you have plenty to get your teeth into..

Rudders

Original Poster:

18 posts

165 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
quotequote all
Body separated from chassis today. A few holes in the nearside sill tubes but so far looking a bit better than expected. Main chassis elements don't seem too bad. We'll find out more week after next (hols) when the body is lifted clear.

Wasn't too bad to get to this stage.




Mr Cerbera

5,031 posts

229 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
quotequote all
Only had one experience in a Cobra rep and it didn't fill me with desire.

The Cerb, on the other hand, gives you both worlds.

Superb, leather-bound luxurious calm (if you keep the pedal below 3K)
and balls-out race car if you prefer to go North of that.

Good Luck with the huge job you've taken on (BUT go for a 4.7 instead thumbup)

Rudders

Original Poster:

18 posts

165 months

Saturday 18th March 2017
quotequote all
So now it is in two pieces. Either of which can now be wheeled outside whilst the other remains inside. The worst of the chassis corrosion is limited to the outriggers with the main chassis members appearing to be generally in pretty good nick.




Edited by Rudders on Saturday 18th March 17:03

thefrog

341 posts

218 months

Saturday 18th March 2017
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That body support cradle is a work of art !!!

Jhonno

5,762 posts

140 months

Sunday 19th March 2017
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thefrog said:
That body support cradle is a work of art !!!
What I was thinking!

Wolvesboy

597 posts

140 months

Sunday 19th March 2017
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X3 ... that cradle is awesome. A great idea to be able to wheel each one out individually.
I will be interested in the LS/ gearbox transplant, especially how you line it up plus how you marry the ecu to the Cerbs electrics.
Lots of pics please!

gmw9666

2,734 posts

199 months

Sunday 19th March 2017
quotequote all
Great work :-)

That body cradle reminds me of when I took the body off my old tasmin.....borrowed these, simple yet effective and height adjustable


stainless_steve

6,028 posts

257 months

Sunday 19th March 2017
quotequote all
Chassis in better condition than I thought looking at the old mot's, great joinery skills BTW

Rudders

Original Poster:

18 posts

165 months

Sunday 19th March 2017
quotequote all
Wolvesboy said:
X3 ... that cradle is awesome. A great idea to be able to wheel each one out individually.
Thanks... You can also work inside the car no bother and when the body is outside you can put scaff boards down the side on top of the cross members for easy access which makes it more or less the same height as normal.

I constructed something similar when I built the GD427 .... This version just includes all the features I wish my first one had had biggrin