1970 Ginetta G15

As with many aspects of a rebuild/restoration the plans that you discussed over the first mug of Tea of the day soon start to drift off course no sooner have the tools of day begin to warm up in your hands and today was no different in that regard. What started as a simple clean up and prep ready to lay up a stiffening rib for the roof panel soon expanded.

First up was cleaning up and scuffing off of the roof panel which started with the removal of some old glassfibre paste type filler that had been inserted into the top of the 'A' pillars.



This had been mixed with far too much activator and had just stayed as a sticky mass doing nothing for the strength of that section. It was dug out and the area cleaned up and scuffed.









This also meant that some of the old original filler that was used to bulk the 'A' pillar was leveled off with the die grinder which is where the extra works started. Removing age old filler with a hammer and chisel at it was only fractionally bonded and filler has no structural benefit. I think it was probably used to stick the headlining to closing off that panel and as a block to stop fingers(thumbs) ripping through.







Cleaned out and prepped.







Both sides






Then took some time to clean up the sill repairs.





The reason for removing the filler in the 'A' pillar is that I am going to strengthen the area by adding a 'rope' stiffening alongside the steel bar that runs up the 'A' post - it will continue over the door and above the rear window before dropping down to the Double skinned panel behind the 'B' Post as well as that another section of rope will run in the 'B' pillar down to the same double skinned section significantly strengthening the roof structure for very little weight penalty - if any after removing a Kilo a filler!

After that week finnished off scuffing over the roof cut a couple of strips of coremat and dropped two layers of 280gm twill weave glass cloth over it - about 250grams all in.







And that's where it got left as the rope was back at my place.

After a full day yesterday sweeping up leaves tidying around the garden and then doing an Oil- Oil/Air/Fuel filter service on the L200 in the freezing temps I thought that today I would do a bit of warmer work the G's.

The wishbones on KBW have been sitting about for a good few weeks whilst the fibre work on BOY has been going on so I figured that wrapping up warm and doing a bit of welding would get them finished and out of the workshop back to their owner.

So - I gave the wishbones a quick brush over with the wire cups in the angle grinder to brighten up the steel and cut some strips suitable for wrapping around the mounting bushes and started welding.



Going well enough



Right up until the point where the wire ran out.



- I did have a full reel of 0.6mm but its going so well with the 0.8mm I did not fancy having to mess about finding the new settings plus changing rollers and tips - better to call it a day and pick up a new roll of 0.8 wire tomorrow.

After that drawback I trotted down the garden and found the rope for the GF work around the door etc. on BOY

With the temperature this weekend being a little warmer and suitable for working with resins and glassfibre today was spent completing the strengthening works of the A pillar, the over door, the B pillar and getting the stiffening section in the roof tied into the top of the screen sections.

As is the routine the day started of with decent mug of tea and an assessment of the task ahead. After that the tools were assembled and the compressor coaxed into life to clean off the area's not yet fully prepared for the latest works. Mask, gloves, glasses, ear defenders, all the usual PE was assembled and the die grinder and vacuum set to work.







Once completed the car was rolled to the other side and the same works repeated - Tea.

Laying out the rope







The rope was tacked in with hot glue and the CSM cut and weighed - we decided on a first pass of 600gm about 25mm wide to then some 6mm chopped strands to pack out voids etc. another layer of 600gm 50mm wide and then a 75mm wide layer of 300gm CSM. The resultant section is about the same as a 1-1/4" 1.2mm steel box section running from the bulkhead over the doors and then down to the rear B post area. It should made for a very stiff structure.







Resin - MEK - then get busy





Break for some lunch and another - Brew. - Suitably recharged and refreshed is was back for round two - Flip the car on the jig glue in the rope and get the materials ready.









Same again throwing resin about and then go for a mug of tea. No photo's of that side done - see above as it looks just the same - leave to cure until Wednesday when it will be a quick trim of the area to remove all the sharp pointy bits.

What sweetpea asked?

Three posts - thankfully I only need answer the first.

The rope is just compressed paper with a steel wire in the centre so it can be shaped and it is bound togther with a fine thread and all it does is provide a form for the glass fibre to follow it has no intrinsic strength and adds none even though it does absorb a little resin. It also weighs very little. Same with the coremat it just creates a void it makes a small foam filled composite sandwich increasing the effective stiffness by a massive amount.

The lamp pod mould -

Wax all three parts - assemble the two semi circle round parts.
Apply gel coat just short of the top of the mould and leave to gel
Lay up resin and cloth making a taper to the top of the mould and allow to gel
Assemble the top of the mould.
Working through the hole in the what is now the top of the mould apply gel coat to meet the gel in the two halfs - allow to gel
Complete the laminating process with mat and resin working through the hole and completing the taper overlap.
Allow to cure for 2-3 days

Photo below gives an idea - as the gel coat stages used different colour gels.







It takes a fair time to produce as each stage needs an hour before the next can be undertaken even if it takes just a few minutes to do each stage - It will take all day to produce the part and you must complete the full process inside an 8 hour period!

No idea if that is the way the factory did it but its what we came up with - Trouble is you have to go through the full process of making the mould before you can test the theory!

Wishbones / Trailing arms again this evening - last bits of steel bracing prior to leaving the Shropshire workshop. Welding tomorrow so I can drop them off at Itchy's place for collection.




I should really get on with doing a set for my own car as well!

Just complete the story on the trailing arms - A day when it was not raining and not freezing, that also coincided with me feeling motivated enough, got the final welding done on the gussets for the bearing housing. - Done.










Completely OTT but if you fancy doing some strengthened Hillman imp trailing arms that's one way to do it.

Thanks for the compliment - much appreciated - hopefully the owner molebert is similarly minded.



Which reminds me Mr H - Mr B (Cov) has found a full set of bigger valves for the 998 head - He will be cutting the seats to fit them as well as a new set of guides - So it's now on its way to being a big valve 998 to the same specification as the full race Chesman heads - Memory like a sieve also forgot to tell you that the inlet has also had quite a lot of aluminium removed from it today so I better not it up when doing the welding for the SU's.



I am kind of forgetting that although the works on the bodies and chassis will be winding back there is still plenty going on with engines in the background and will report back on these in due course.

Very nice strengthening indeed lovely bead run along as well. Isn't it nice when the metal's just a little bit thicker?