Pro Jag "MeGa B" GT V12

Wow, haven't spotted this thread since its V8, great to see that big engine fitting under the bonnet. Expecting a clear Acrylic bonnet bulge/scoop to show off those trumpets! (did Ferrari GTO do that?)

Thanks for those pics - I had thought of a perspex scoop/cover but I'll wait to see how the ram pipes look before deciding how to do that. I'm hoping to get a bit more done tomorrow on the roll cage/chassis.

After a lot of too-ing and fro-ing I was able to hire a tube bender on Friday. I used some old copper tube to get the shape that I wanted and started to bend the back hoop - simple I thought....


The first 10 degree bend went well but the next 80 degree bend resulted in a severely flattened tube! I tried again with the same result........Obviously the tube wall was too thin for this type of bender and I could not attempt the sand packing method so I had to try and get some thicker wall tube. AH Allen in Northampton came up trumps with a 5m length of 4mm wall 42mm dia CDS which they cut in half so that it fitted in my car.
Anyway back to the workshop and the rear hoop was bent



I then tacked it in place and began bending the front hoop. Quite tricky as it is a 3 dimensional shape but I just about got it right. Tacked it in place on the chassis then put in one of the straight roof bars.
So progress made again but I had to return the bender before 5.30.....



All the other bars are straight so I will be able to crack on over the next couple of weeks.

Looks ace, love the concept, look forward to seeing it done!

Thanks House and Em.
Meanwhile Man with hacksaw and Mig welder in action again
First I put a bar from the front hoop to the front cross member



And also on the other side. Then I cut a tube to go across the back - diagonally to withstand the torque forces as well as the beam bending load.


Then another two half tubes to provide symetrical load distribution. The top of the tubes meets the other hoop linking tubes, the bottom is on the subframe where the coil over shock absorbers are mounted.




Turn it all over to weld all round the various joints and central rear "floor" sections


and a quick spray to stop surface rust.


Now to see if the rear suspension fits



And it all does! Well three wheels as I ran out of time.

I wish I had his skill and his workshop space as well

Thanks Guys - it certainly is very nice to have a large workshop to do these jobs - it makes up for the forty years working in a driveway or 1 car garage!

Now got four wheels on and it rolls nicely!
I also cut a tube to go across the front hoop, but it will need the engine in before I actually weld it in place - in the meantime masking tape works well!

an old school trick to bend tube without mandrel/insert is to weld a steel cap on one end of the tube length, fill the tube with fine sand then weld another cap on the other end, then bend.

Spent a happy couple of hours putting the UJs back in the driveshafts . These were then bolted back onto the diff, which was put back into the subframe.
I also had the engine in and out to get it closer to its proper position - cutting out a section of the middle floor panel to allow the gearbox to be lower - there will also need to be clearance for the starter motor mounting flange.