By the way you are quite right about the body panels - Jesus they are heavy!!!

Hi Jamie,

No problem. I'm pretty sure I won't use it, so once I've the wiring off it I'll post a pic so you can see what it's like. If I'm not going to use it, you can have it surely. I'm 99% sure I won't, but would like to get going on the cage first before making the call. Hope to have started the cage in the next 4 weeks (Want to do a few other welding projects before I'll be content with my TIG ability).

You got any pics of your rebuild in a thread or anything? Wouldn't mind a look for inspiration.

Willie

Thanks, that would be great.

I don't have any build pics up yet but I'll try and do that, its early days for me at the moment but I should make a bit of progress now.

Mind will be a pretty traditional build, not changing much although I am going to fit a BMW K100 head a series with a view to turbocharging it in future.

Jamie

Definitely get pics up of that. Would be especially interested in how you get on with the BMW head.

Haven't got at the car all week, except to weigh those body panels. Curiosity was just eating away at me.

- Front bonnet (Inc headlamps): 20kg
- Front trunk box (Inc dry radiator): 27kg
- Rear trunk box: 27kg
- Rear boot cover: 18kg


Not sure how these reflect on standard parts as mine have had some modifications in the past. Still, that's 92kg total. That's got to be about 80kg for the panels.

I suspect they were made so heavy to be a kind of crumple zone/sacrificial part to save the tub in an accident.

I think you're right and the Rossa has designed in crumple zones - sure I read that somewhere. I know the body panels are heavy but I must say it is quite reassuring to see a decent bit of thickness in the tub area - I recently sold on a mini marcos and the thickness of the glass tub was wafer thin, there is no way you'd walk away from a heavy accident in one of those without a very substantial roll cage.

Couple of pics of the BMW head mock up attached. Its tight but it does fit! Sorry for the poor quality phone pics, I'll get some decent ones up as things progress.

Looks like it was meant to be in there! The big access holes in the top of the rear tub make a lot of sense. Mine didn't have those. Keep us updated with progress, really keen to watch it.

Got the frame stripped of the heater and rubbish. It has had a few holes drilled in it...the fuse box was held on with two tiny self tappers. Now sure how it compares to yours:

The car had the large holes drilled in the rear bulkhead boxes by the previous owner and they certainly make access easier to the subframes mounts etc. I've bought a couple of boat deck access hatches to fit the holes and this makes the whole thing neat and tidy - less than a tenner on eBay, spot on!

Can't claim it as my idea though, I think RaymondH and some others have done the same thing. I'll post some pics later. I expect you may well end up removing most of the rear bulkhead and subframe with your engine transplant though so probably not something you'll have much call for

I'll definitely take that frame off your hands if you won't be needing it. Its the same as mine but my one has been chopped about and ruined

It's yours then. If you send me a PM with your address, I'll check out postage for it, it's a heavy enough and big enough yoke, so postage might be the awkward bit.

Thanks Willie - PM sent.

Not much time has been spent on it since the last post, but got the tub stripped right down. Removed all the wiring/plumbing, brackets and so on. That's her now ready for fabrication.

A friend dropped me in a flow meter for the argon, lighter gloves and triple de-oxidised rods. The difference is night and day. So much easier to get acceptable welds. Turns out using standard gas welding rods was a bad idea, they seem to put lots of contamination into the puddle. The lighter gloves are 10 times the job too.

I'll do some more practice joints which I'll bash about and cut up to ensure they're good, then fabrication can start. Can't wait!

On Sunday afternoon I was pondering the one piece front and rear end idea. It's a long, long way away, but I couldn't help think ahead. Could I change the look of the car by making new front and rear ends? What if I took the "seam" out of the tub and made it roundier too? Decided to draw up a few options...just for the craic. Took me back to 3rd yr French, sitting bored, dreaming up cars on the back of my jotter.

Watching this with much interest Willie, this is going to be a serious bit of kit!

Personally, I like the look of the 3rd drawing from the top - kind of reminds me of the Nissan RC390 Le Man car from the 1990's.