Le Mans recreation

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Well I have started the process of turning my GTA into a Le Mans, the last job I had not done on the car was the final bit of rot busting the sills.
Took the car for the last drive last week and then into the workshop and within 2 days there is not a lot left, I was going to cut the bottom of the rusty sills and do the usual re welding of new metal along the bottom including repairing the jacking points and centre support, but after a while decided to look at it in a different way how is this metal fixed in is it possible to remove it all together well Yes it is.

The sill is only bonded in lightly along the top sill and to the rear panel and the to the plastic floor it is not bolted at all though to the roll bar plate in the rear it only has 2 bolts Conecting to the door pillar, so if you have put a roll bar in and welded the plate to the rear sill it is not Conected to the plate the uther side it will just part away from the fibreglass, having said that the fibreglass tub is very well built and very strong. I would say it is much quicker to take the sill out and replace in one peace than welding bits on.

[mettersl]

Wow, so you can get the sill out without removing the fibreglass door step, but presumably the rest of the sill cover below has to be removed and re bonded?
Will be a very sound car when you've finished.
Keep us updated....

Yes just cut the sill out all the way along and peel of the rusty old sill it will have lost most of its bond.
The time is then making the new one from the old one so it is important to get it out whole, one side now done in s/s ready to go back in.

[phildini]

One project I always wanted to do. Will be an interesting thread to follow.
Where are you getting your Le Mans panels from?

I picked the kit up in France couple of years ago been sitting in my garage since then now just starting the project, The front section is the hard bit to get back as it's all in one piece just managed to get it in the back of the motorhome.

I think by "where" Phil was after a company name rather than a geographical country.

[phildini]

I think by "where" Phil was after a company name rather than a geographical country.

True...

Ok I have tried to find the site on my history but I cannot remember the name so will find it and post, it was near Lemans, the chap was operating out of a small unit but had a large number body kits for loads of cars, he did not speak any English so it was a challenge to order it but that was one of the only times the phone came in handy.

Ok the car has sat in the workshop for 4 weeks owing to house improvements which to be fair have needed to be done 12 years ago, nightmare but now finished and now have the green ticket to go back to the workshop.
The kit is good and the frunt tub fitted fine but the French man did say the rear sections were hard that is an understatement, 4 days and now fixed and epoxied in. The rear sections I thought I could make a template but this part of the kit is not that good, the thickness of the layup is not consistent, and the way they were trimmed is not consistent, so each section is different so you have to cut each side to mach the panel.
This is not an easy kit to do as the lineup of all the panels is set from the rear sections, as the layup is not even as you fix the new panel to the rear it requires packing in places to keep it even with the existing, plus it is very thin as it has to be but you have to countersink the fixing holes, it is very hard not to go right though.
Now it is done the car looks pretty fat from the back and the rear wheels look like the space saver.

Proper man cave, car in bits and an arm chair
Good progress Stuart.

Thanks mate you have to have chairs to be able to take stock over tea, and later in the day some cold beers. That is what doing old cars up is all about, plus a load of banter with mates who call in and stop progress.

I agree, often find myself sat down pondering how best to approach the next task or what order to do the list of jobs in or even more fun how to design/make that widget to complete the current job and all whilst sipping a cup of tea...

Well enough banter back to work, have now got all the interior back in the car what a nightmare comes out in minutes takes hours to put back in, but there where tea brakes and the discussion progressed to wheels, being influenced by the 70/80s I prefer the deep dish wheels I was going to do it copying the original with bbs wheels however there are some other wheels which looks similar but will probably be easier to clean as I do use this car for a bit. However it is interesting that my mate is about 6 years younger and hates the look of deep dish wheels and prefers the rallying style wheels which were flush, well that's what makes the world go around. So I will have see how fat a tire I can get in the back, of I don't know if you can get hold of a 295/40/17 or a 295/45/16 plus how big a tire can you fit in the frunt 225/45/16 will start looking tonight.

17s will fit easily, 18s will be a pinch, especially at the front.
plenty of tyre choice on 17s, much better than 16s.

Thanks mate I thought this would be the easy bit, I don't want to go low profile as the ride normally goes to shit, 45 profile should keep the ride not to hard but I put the rear tyre on the front which is the 225 and it filled the arch perfectly, the rear should take a 275/295 but have not had a look to see if such tyres are available in 17"