Manky's Pop.

[Manky Monkey]

  They're not actually mine, just an accumulation from everyone who visits the workshop.
Those who've met me know I drink nothing but Diet Coke. Gallons of the stuff. I guess it's a caffeine addiction.
A couple of years ago I started digging the footings for a new shed at the end of the garden. 16 feet by 12. I went down about 10 inches & I'm going to fill it with rubble with a concrete screed on the top. Someone said I should chuck any old scrap metal I had in there to help bulk it out, so every time I wandered past with a Coke can in my hand, I'd throw it in the hole.
...When the mountain of cans got to 4 feet tall I thought maybe I should do something about it. By chance, one of the neighbours had arranged for a scrap metal collection yesterday, so I've spent the last couple of weeks filling black bin bags with cans. I stomped them all flat so they took up less space. I filled 20 bags. Probably worth a bit if we weighed them in for scrap, but it was just easier to let the local guy take them away.
So now I've got to start filling the hole with rubble again.

[Manky Monkey]

Back at the shop again this afternoon. It might be Sunday, but I've decided no more car or bike shows for me till this thing's finished. Well, maybe just a couple.
Loony was having a lie-in, so I spent a pleasant couple of hours bimbling around the workshop on my own  -not that I don't enjoy his company, but there's something very theraputic about just losing yourself in the job. I often achieve more that way than by trying to be organised & efficient.
By the time Mr L arrived, I'd sliced & spliced the other half of the bonnet & removed the paint along the cut edges, ready for him to tack together.
I've got some 6mm stainless steel rod which we've decided to run around the edge of the bonnet vent opening to form a slightly raised bead. I'm really pleased with the way the vent's incorporated into the raised swage along the back edge.
We thought the bonnet would be a pig of a job to get right, but, (hopefully), it's gone O.K

[Manky Monkey]

While Loony worked on the bonnet top, I started on the side panels.
Again, they need extending, but this time downwards as well as backwards. So I experimented with paper & scissors then cut an L shaped section out of the spare panel to my template. Seems to work.

[Manky Monkey]

.

[Clive]

That's starting to look even more coooool than before Andy!!

[brock]

   and that was a deceptively simple explanation of a shed load of work, well done ( if that's not too condescending ) , good choices well executed . Looking good .

   That little nagging doubt you've got , leave it until after the test then re-make the front two pipes with a roll to match the curve of the old wing line

[panthershaun]

looking good mate, your lucky having Mr L waving his welder about... I'm VERY slowly getting the welding done but its hard when you are crap.....

[poprodder]

nice progress andy,
good to see you on here shaun! :-)

[TwistedPatience]

 

[blair]

looks like an old citreon to me

[blair]

looks like an old citreon to me

eiy nae that im slaggin it off you understand i quite like vintage frenchies

[Manky Monkey]

What, like Charles Aznavour?
Brock -funny you should say that -Loony opined the 'zact same thing today.
Shaunus -good to see you back mate. My own welder's on loan to PD, so Loony's on weddling duty.

Moving on-
With the bonnet side tacked together, we set about hinging it. I picked up a pair of nickel plated "piano hinges" in B & Q, (British chain of hardware stores for you Johnny Foreigners). They're a bit lightweight, but the only ones I could find. With luck, once they're fully welded they'll be fine. Loony tacked one edge to the underside of the bonnet top panel & after some measuring up & a bit of trimming, we fixed the other side to the side panel.
Taddah! We has a working, folding bonnet. Well, one side of it anyway.

[Manky Monkey]

Bonnet shut.

[Manky Monkey]

Bonnet open.
Just like a real car.

[Manky Monkey]

Obviously it'll need a hinged strut to hold it open & all the parts are only tacked together for now to make sure they work, so it's all a bit wibbly wobbly, but it opens & shuts &, we think, looks pretty cool. All this because it fouled on the headlights when we tried to open it -would've been easier to move the lights I guess, but I think the double hinge gives it a more vintage look somehow.