1978 Reliant kitten rebodied in hand formed aluminium

I finally managed to salvage the extension piece bringing the quarter panel to the B post which is nothing short of a miracle given how oxidised the joint was not to mention the distortion. Fortunately, the other side didn't need the same treatment which has to be good. Apart from metal finishing that particular section, I've spent an inordinate amount of time nit picking the same panel by trying to shrink out the high spots and bring up the lows. It has certainly improved but still leaves a fair margin to be desired.

Both quarter panels are now riveted to the body frame and are ready for Neil my welding tutor who is due tomorrow to weld the sections together. As far as I can, I have clamped adjacent panels so that the joints are flush but there will be hammer and dolly work needed once the tacks have been put in.





So, having gone as far as I can, to use the spare hour or so I began wiring the edges of the wheel arch. As always seems to happen I've made life more difficult for myself than it could be by using 6mm steel wire instead of the usual 4 or 5 which requires less metal to turn over. It is normal to allow 2.5 to 3 times the diameter of the wire so that there is sufficient material to wrap around the wire. Both shrinking and stretching are needed around the curve and this is made more difficult by the additional material need to go round the 6mm wire. But on the positive side, is the arch is very rigid.

WELL ...he's done that before hasn't he ...very neat .

just needs little jackin action inside the wing adjacent to the gap john ?

Not much done today but I have managed to complete the edge wiring of one wheel arch and it was a terrific relief that the job went well and without any damage to the panel. The 6mm wire is welded at both ends to the body frame which has made the the arch very stiff which was of course, the intention.

Just to give a little boost, I fitted the rear lamps. Still to come are the two high intensity fog lamps and a couple of reflectors.

looks production .

I'm pleased to report a bit more progress. I'm trying to keep the mechanical side moving along as well as the bodywork so it is nice now to have a fully functioning brake system. I shall need to source level sensors for the two reservoirs but I believe CBS keep them. I have also made a start on the B post.








The boot floor is now screwed in place and the tank offered up.

That looks very DB2/DB5 with the lights in.

Very nice job bringing the arch round without warping it all.

This continues to be an awesome build, written and recorded in a very modest manner. Simply superb, thanks for keeping on posting!

That's really kind of you both, thank you. I'm really glad that this build has created so much interest and so many positive comments. I'm only too aware of my shortcomings and my first thoughts are to cover them up by having the car painted. I felt the same about the Lightweight and despite only me wanting to have it painted I went ahead anyway and had it finished to such a high standard that I was afraid to leave it parked anywhere which is a ridiculous situation to put oneself in.





The interesting thing is, is how tactile aluminium is when it's unpainted and nobody can resist giving it a stroke as they pass by, (the car body you understand). This never happened after the car was painted. Aluminium does corrode and that was another reason I went for a painted finish. But this time, I'm really tempted to leave it in aluminium with all its imperfections and perhaps use a Carcoon through the winter which may well keep the corrosion at bay. I'll reserve the final decision until the body is finished and I can decide if I can live with all its flaws. It would certainly save a shed load of money if I did take that route, that's for sure. And think of the weight saving in bondo alone.