Rebody Z3 Based Ferrari 250 California Build

jaguartvr

Zorg Guru (I)
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Jan 9, 2017
Points
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Hey Pingu, hate to p*ss on your parade but can your power plant compete with this?

Corvette 6.2 (or 6.7) with Corvette gearbox and diff fitted to a Z3 with 250 body. The guy who is doing this is seriously talented.
 

MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
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British Zeds
Joined
Jul 24, 2020
Points
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Location
Tunbridge Wells
Model of Z
Z3 2.8
So the PITA bonnet fitting continued to be a PITA last night, but, after 1 1/2 hours of:

  • Doing up two 6mm bolts
  • Lowering the bonnet - twisted
  • Undo one 6mm bolt and move bonnet slightly
  • Do up 6mm bolt
  • Lower bonnet - now it touches windscreen end when it closes
  • Undo 6mm bolt
This goes on for 30 minutes Grrrr.....

Then tried:

  • Pack out one hinge with 3mm of penny washers - this helped push the bonnet sideways slightly but it is then, of course, being resisted by the pressure from the other hinge plate pushing back, helped a bit though.
  • Undid the hinge plate bolts to release the pressure and did back up - this also helped a bit but not enough.
  • Adjusted the lateral movement of the whole front clam slightly to pull this into line with the bonnet - this helped hugely but opened up the door to wing gap excessively, so I put it straight back again.
Finally resorted to a bit of gratuitous brute force:

  • Applied a pry bar to the hinge mechanism with "reasonable force" (like the "reasonable force" you are allowed to defend you and your property with!).
After the judicious use of force on the hinge mechanism "Bingo!" the job is done. The rest of the panel gapping for the bonnet will be done with sanding, and looking at the corners, possibly a little GRP paste.

Oh, and made/fitted a blanking plate for the Secondary Air Pump, a bit messy, I will need to clean the paste off!

By the way "you did not see the chipped bonnet where some muppet hit it with a hammer, right!"

7.30pm and time for dinner and telly!


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MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
Supporter
British Zeds
Joined
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Points
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Location
Tunbridge Wells
Model of Z
Z3 2.8
Hey Pingu, hate to p*ss on your parade but can your power plant compete with this?

Corvette 6.2 (or 6.7) with Corvette gearbox and diff fitted to a Z3 with 250 body. The guy who is doing this is seriously talented.
It's not you then Steve =)) Sorry matey, could not resist!

That is going to be a rocket ship and sound amazing. Fits in there well too.
 

jaguartvr

Zorg Guru (I)
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If only, way above my skill set, I'll stay with "sticken n gluen" with a bit of duct tape for extra strength.
 

MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
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British Zeds
Joined
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Points
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Location
Tunbridge Wells
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Z3 2.8
If only, way above my skill set, I'll stay with "sticken n gluen" with a bit of duct tape for extra strength.
One for you then Steve?

Glue Needed.jpg
 

jaguartvr

Zorg Guru (I)
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Jan 9, 2017
Points
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No thanks!
I've had classic cars for years and it was always a battle keeping the dreaded rust at bay. Too old now to be crawling around on my hands and knees welding them back together.
Rust free galvanised BMW's with bolts that actually undo rather than rusted solid that snap as soon as you look at them.
Only thing that's tempting me at the moment is another TVR but need to find a small space on the drive.
 

t-tony

Zorg Expert (II)
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#ZedShed
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Dec 31, 2013
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Torksey Lock,Lincoln, England
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E89 Z4 23i Auto
Wouldn’t have a TVR if you paid me. Do like the “sound track” though in all honesty.

Tony.
 

jaguartvr

Zorg Guru (I)
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Points
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Best car I ever had was my Griffith, with sports exhaust. It felt as if it would drive up a vertical wall. I had the Griff and a series 2 E-Type roadster together, in the end one had to go so I kept the Griff.
You need to have owned one to love it, TVR haters have never owned one.
 

MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
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Points
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Location
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Z3 2.8
No thanks!
I've had classic cars for years and it was always a battle keeping the dreaded rust at bay. Too old now to be crawling around on my hands and knees welding them back together.
Rust free galvanised BMW's with bolts that actually undo rather than rusted solid that snap as soon as you look at them.
Only thing that's tempting me at the moment is another TVR but need to find a small space on the drive.
Tell me about it! I did consider buying an MGA or VW Splittie for renovation but at £7-10k for a V5C and a pile of rust that someone swept up from the garage floor, plus £20k to renovate and said "crawling around on my hands and knees welding" (read burning holes in rusty metal), I decided to go for a Fauxrarri on a rust-free (almost - inner sill ends rotted through on front - 2 small plates to weld in), galvanised and treated Z3.

TVR's are better than people think, I had a 1988 420 SEAC (Blue Cheese Wedge, with cream cheese coloured leather), which went like a missile and did not break down (oil change every 3000 miles). Yes, a few bits of trim started coming loose but once fixed properly (not a la TVR) everything was fine except the fuel bills.
 

MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
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Joined
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Points
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Location
Tunbridge Wells
Model of Z
Z3 2.8
Another 250 Cal at £85k:


A tad pricey when you look at the shut lines. Take a closer look at the shut lines of the bonnet and boot, orange peel on driver's door top etc.

Nice though, and I like the 2-tone interior. SWMBO wants me to do Black/Red inside mine?
 
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Pingu

Zorg Guru (III)
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Dec 8, 2011
Points
145
Hey Pingu, hate to p*ss on your parade but can your power plant compete with this?

Corvette 6.2 (or 6.7) with Corvette gearbox and diff fitted to a Z3 with 250 body. The guy who is doing this is seriously talented.
No. That is what Deano has (engine wise - LS3). It's better than any Z3 engine - more power, better economy, cheaper fuel. The corner weights and chassis design are probably compromised, but that's the price you pay for going "off-piste". BMW designed their cars before building them, kits car tend to be built and then you live with what you get. I expect the LS3 250 will be an absolute hoot to drive - like Deano's, it will probably be over-powered and a nightmare in the wet, but it will be fun finding out.

Mine is just a bog standard BMW with a different dress and different interior. At the end of the day, I see mine as just a kit car bolted together by an enthusiastic amateur. Anyone who sees it any differently has had the wool pulled over their eyes.
 

MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
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Location
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Z3 2.8
Finished working on the Beastie for tonight.

Finally got the bonnet fully in:

  • Upper bonnet catch positioned, drilled, tapped and fitted
  • Bonnet lower catch plate adjusted and bolted in place
  • Windscreen wiper positions marked
  • Rear of front clam bolted through bonnet catch plate - this helps set the height relative to the bonnet
  • Bit of fence wire looped around the bonnet cable as a temporary emergency pull
  • MGB seats stripped down to see what I need to order
All good sensible progress with no effing and blinding. Trouble is the whole front end needs to come off again to paint the bonnet bracket, fit wiper motor and operating cables, change ECU, add M54B30 manifold and oil catch can!!!!!!

Bonnet Fit

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Pics 2-5 Pile of rust and foam - ehemmm I mean a pair of beautiful Fauxrarri seats!!!

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Seat pads are OK, backs may need attention or replaced.

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Card backs need replaced or repaired

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Recliner levers are nice (need a polish)

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Previous owner must have been sitting on the floor judging by the diaphragm!


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Wiper and washer positions

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Bonnet catch plate fixed in place

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MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
Supporter
British Zeds
Joined
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Points
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Location
Tunbridge Wells
Model of Z
Z3 2.8
Not much progress tonight. Went down to my workshop:

  • Drilled the headlight and front indicator lights out
  • Ran tape down the swage line to help with line up - as can be seen in the pics there is a bit of fine tuning needed before final fix.
  • Took one look at the mess in the workshop and decided to tidy up, organise my tools etc.
Also been ordering and spending more money!

  • TR6 internal door levers and window winders
  • MGB door pull handles
  • Momentary on-off-momentary on rotary switches for the electric window switches
  • MGB bootlid push button
  • MIG welder
  • MGB number plate lights
  • Pair of 5.5" Wipac spot/fogs
  • MGB seat rubber diaphragms
  • Mini interior door opening mechanisms
  • 2-way electrical connectors
  • Some decent cobalt drill bits
£300 spent in 30 minutes eeek!!!

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MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
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Location
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Z3 2.8
Small amount done today as we have people coming in 30 mins!
  • Bootlid in position but not adjusted.
  • Wiper positions marked and drilled
  • Rear clam adjusted and bolted in place.
Do you like the seats???

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MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
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Joined
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MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
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Points
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Location
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Z3 2.8
The whole afternoon lining up panels:
  • Bootlid sorted but sits up high in O/S front corner. Seems to spring up, it will push down into place
  • Doors set as accurately as possible and swage lines lined up perfectly
  • All bodywork in the correct positions ready to fix permanently
The panel gaps look a lot tighter in the flesh/GRP than in the photos - trick of the shadows.

A lot of grinding and fiddling, the bootlid was on and off 15 times, and the doors adjusted 10 times each! How people can do bodywork full time beats me.

Petrol flap & Sills to go and the bodywork is ready for paint prep. Having said that I have take the front clam off to do the windscreen wiper motor and turrets. Whilst I have the clam off I will do the ECU, M54B30 manifold and oil catch can as access will be easier.



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MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
Supporter
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Tunbridge Wells
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Z3 2.8
Not a happy bunny!

2hours messing with the sills to try to get them to fit:
  • curve of the sill is shallower than the curve of the front and rear clam
  • Sills are not long enough
  • Supposed cut marks on the sill are wrong
  • Sills have a 35-40 mm vertical drop at the base, clams do not
Result: Grrrrrrrrrr....... F........ etc.

I am not going to post a photo as I am so peed off!!!!

Looks like a lot of modification with glass matting and resin.
 

MisterP007

German-Italian-British Mix - What could go wrong?
Supporter
British Zeds
Joined
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Points
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Location
Tunbridge Wells
Model of Z
Z3 2.8
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