Total Reconstruction.

[Rudders]

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.

[Rudders]

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 :-)

[Rudders]

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.

[Rudders]

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.

[Rudders]

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.

[Rudders]

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

[Rudders]

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

[Rudders]

Well, the interior has been stripped



I've taken it outside for a jolly....



... and I'm ready to start glassing the repair section in.



For those on FB you can follow it in more detail here

www.facebook.com/rudmanworld

[Rudders]

Repair section glassed in from behind....... to do from the front next.

[Rudders]

Wolvesboy said:

Amazing work so far - in your garage too!
I cannot wait to see how you fit the LS engine and make the necessary mods etc.
Which LS and gearbox are you going to choose and why? I'm so interested in how you will physically set this up plus link into the Cerbs electrics etc.
There are plenty LS engines available here in Australia - don't discount the idea of sourcing from here instead of the usual USA. A few come up in the weekly salvage auctions around the corner from where I live. Sometimes the car has had a rear end prang with the front completely intact.
When my AJP goes bang this will be my route also.

Chassis and engine are a bit down the line but will be planning on a crate ls3 with tko 600. I had a tko 600 behind the 383SBC in the GD and it was fine - dont really see the need for a 6 speed ( and all the problems with fitting) with all that torque - the plan is for a fast road car not a track car. I plan to use the chevy run kit and have the engine effectively separate from the body electrics. The cerb electrics are all being binned and replaced with an aftermarket programmable canbus system.

Front repair now complete bar bodywork finishing.

[Rudders]

All repairs completed on the front, all body filling done and block sanded to 80 grit. Guide coat and block sand to 180 grit next.