Daniel,
I would love to get a copy of the videotape .
I bought a Mig welder and many steel body
panels . I am still taking the car apart (restoring
each part as it comes off) . I have not started
the actual sheet metal restoration yet.God help
me :-) BTW if you don't mind me asking , how
much were you quoted for the sheet metal work?
Mark Hanna
AN5L/13731
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daniel Thompson [SMTP:dthompso@total.net]
> Sent: Thursday, April 09, 1998 11:32 AM
> To: spridgets@autox.team.net
> Subject: bugeye body shell
>
> Found this amusing and thought I would share it with the list. I am
> restoring my 1958 Sprite and, not too long ago, delivered the bare
> shell
> to my bodyman for restoration. He has finished shot-blasting it and
> has
> now complete cutting out the rusted areas. Not much left of the car!
>
> What I found amusing is his reaction upon seeing the complexity of the
> shell's construction. This guy has already done an XK150S and 3 Jaguar
> E-types, there was one more in the shop when I was there along with a
> big Healey and an MG PA. He restored Auburns that have won at Hershey
> and countless other cars. He has fantastic panel making skills.
>
> Anyway, he cannot get over how complex the construction of my Bugeye
> is.
> For example, the rear "deck" being spot welded onto the beading which
> is
> then spot welded onto the support bracket which is then spot welded to
> the inner wheelarch which is then spot welded to the outer wheelarch
> which is then spot welded to the outer fender. All in all, five layers
> of spot welds which he is not looking forward to recreating. In the
> seam
> in question we had to drill out about 70 spot welds before removing
> the
> rear fender.
>
> Now, this car is serial number 612 and was produced in early April
> 1958
> (before the official launch). I told him that the British were
> probably
> afraid that the Sprite, the first mass produced unit body car, would
> fall to pieces. So they over compensated by welding it like crazy. My
> body man figures you could drop a "hemi" into one of these shells and
> it
> won't twist/flex.
>
> He swears that an E-types shell is much easier to restore. Just
> another
> reason to get a fixed price before you commit to a resto shop!
>
> I am videotaping the whole process for those that are interested. The
> shell should be finished within a couple of months.
>
> Long live the list,
>
>
> Daniel Thompson
> AN5L 612
> HAN8L 40474
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