Project GT2 - Sport 300 Le Mans Replica

[Artie]

Ah, the caveat of driving something so strikingly AWESOME! Keep it up Jonathan! I'm salivating for more pics of the painted car!!!

[Jonathan]

You might have to wait a few months then, progess is snail pace atm.

Weathers turning and I need the heat to make thing like paint and resin cure - we'll see but I might box it up until early next year - my old faithful GT3 is outside and played 2nd fiddle to this project all year

[BLUETHUNDER]

Great stuff. Keep up the good work.

[Loose Cannon]

Superb attention to detail as usual Jon. Shame to lose the momentum, but I hate working on cars in the winter too. Are you not fitting the magnesios to this car then?

[Jonathan]

Yes, I've spent about 4 months trying to get someone to look at them - FINALLY some helpful chap who restores ferraris, lambos and all manners of exotics told me to just do them myself as ha had the same issue - mags will be going on but I want to do them propperly which means curing temperatures and so on, ideally it needs summer weather. In the mean time I'll probably put the saturns on the car.

It is a shame to lose the momentum - a LOT has been done but there is a lot of trial and error / waiting for parts / developing / chasing companies for work etc.

Sometimes on the car I have worked a week, only to have it largely undone becuase the process wasn't right - I've spent most of this week re-working the oil cooler ducts.

It's so far from "just bolt it all on and drive it" that a lot of people think it is, I cannot emphasise how much time and effort this has taken me, it's like building a new car, as opposed to restoring an old one.

[Artie]

Jonathan, from a person who has undertaken like projects on other marques, I assure you that I know what you are going thru! It would be great if one could just bolt it all on and drive, but then, if that were the case, there'd be ALOT more of them around! You go at the pace you need! You've taken meticulous care so far, it would be a shame to hasten it and make silly mistakes! I'm patient, and I am pretty sure the rest of us are....As for you chap, I think you are getting impatient! As I would if it were my project! Brilliant work Mate! Keep it coming!

[Jonathan]

Patience....moi ?

LOL

You're talking about the guy who couldn't be bothered to drill out some rivets from a ladder and just hit the thing with a sledge hammer to break it off

...I'd be good at junkyard wars

[Simon350S]

Thought she was going off for paint this week??

Didnt know you were doing it yourself.

[Jonathan]

No the bits have gone off but lo and behold there is another delay - used to it now.

Paint is 4 weeks behind - expect it back....mid november ? If I'm lukcy.

Nothing on the breaks though - I ordered them Mid August, they're made just can't be found - it's a bit embarrising tbh, I've chased them up about 10 times....I mean, what can I do ?

Which has nothing on the wheels 16 wheel companies I think I contacted and not a single reply about re-furbishing

Amazing...

Decals are coming along well, which is cool - got a nice company to do them and they seem to be eager for the business....shame about the other stuff.

I'm pretty zen about it now - I know it wont be ready to roll before December, then I'll work on the mechanics, thoroughly road test it and so on.

TBH right now, enjoying the GT3, it's been neglected and sat outside all year and it still plods on, still eats porkers and BMWs up and it just all round awesome

[Jonathan]

Wow AGES since last post.

Word up ! Finally the weather broke here for long enough to try this...

Thats the front bumper sprayed (nicely too), S300 lip mounted, stainless grilles (inc brake duct), all ducting resored, restored oil coolers, new foam etc, lights restored bleh bleh.

Just needs some fitting tweeks and so on to get it right. Perspex cover is a current nightmare of mine, might just make a GRP one for the time being. Hopefully tomorrow might see the light bay blackened cus it looks a bit wiered atm, and the whole lot fitted and secure. Looks really lame with the standard wheels though - saturns will be going on pretty soon with rear tyres the width of my house !

Then it's off to the spray shop again so it doesn't look too 1/2 completed chav car.

After the work that's gone into that bumper part alone I'm gonna be uber miffed if I front end this thing !

* * * * *

If anyone knows someone with a HUGE oven to form this clear plastic cownling can anyone help ?

I tried and failed heating it at home, sadly the plastic needs to be streatched durig the forming and that requires a whole 1m sqr piece of 2mm acrylic to be heated in 1 go to about 250c

At the moment it's a bit of a stumbling block - cash waiting of course.

* * * * *

[Bibs]

That looks super, can't wait to see it finished

[matk]

Brilliant work, nice one.

[mayevora]

This is going to be the Dogs when finished. Looking good!

[silverfrost]

Jonathan,

Car looks fantastic great effort on the front bumper and the bodykit, cant wait to see this thing painted with decals fitted and a nice set of alloys Lookiing forward to more updates.

Regards Danny

[mangel]

This is going to look the dogs!!!

Have you tried to see if a local college or manufacturer has a vacuum former or even a kiln maybe?

[lotus4s]

Look good Jonathan, looking forward to seeing the finished work.

[Jonathan]

Cheers for the encouragement.

Sadly all work is outside at the moment in the rain so little progress, the GT3 is also laid up - hopefully the brakes will be done by the weekend and I can get back to driving again ! (haven't driven an Esprit in 4 weeks !!!)

The wheels have to go asap, they look ridiculous, the rears are shy of the body by about 10"

[cjtpb13]

Jonathan,

Quick question in regards to heating the Perspex cover. Do you know anyone that owns a Pizza shop. Their conveyor convection ovens are perfect, digital set temperatures and large enough for what I believe you are trying to accomplish. Just a thought and having a friend in the States here whom owns two such ovens I know how big they are, mater of fact I have crawled in them ( cold of course ) to help with repairs.

Christopher

[Günter]

that's the same thing i was thinking ...why not simply ask an local bakery !?

[Jonathan]

Lol ok I'll give it some thought !

[Russell Mills]

Cheers for the encouragement.

Sadly all work is outside at the moment in the rain so little progress, the GT3 is also laid up - hopefully the brakes will be done by the weekend and I can get back to driving again ! (haven't driven an Esprit in 4 weeks !!!)

The wheels have to go asap, they look ridiculous, the rears are shy of the body by about 10"

Hi Jonathan

Project Looking good and wondered if you would be doing anything to the Engine or Exhaust System over the Standard SE Equipment?

Also if it Helps I could always pop over with my Sport 300 (Road car - not race) if you need to look at anything for measurements etc, I live only about 20m mins away from Maidstione so let me know if I can help out in anyway.

With regards to the rear tyres the Road going Sport 300 are fitted with 315 section rear tyres and are "just covered by the extended wheels arches", what size tyres have you gone for that are sitting proud?

Russ

[Jonathan]

Hi Russel - why not pop over ?

When the snow clears that is...

I built the exhaust myself, nothing special. I cut the old cat off, fitted a silencer where the cat should be and then the pipe comes stright out of the back of the car (near side)

Fairly loud but throttle response is great.

At the moment the V8 saturn wheels will be going on soon as the weather becomes nice (GT2 outside atm with 3" snow on it)

Theyll run probably 295s maybe more but also need to be spaced out by a few mm to achieve the required road width.

Project is in limbo atm, too cold for me (I'm solar powered) winter projects are not my thing, doing some of the behind the scenes work though so it should be stepping forward about feb/march time.

[Jonathan]

More pics for the past week....plod plod plod plod

About 4 degrees outside (shade nicely provided by house) it's been really really hard work - esp finishing off the bumper

95% happy with the front end now, had to mole 2 more holes into the bodywork to lift the bumper into it's correct seating place due to poor grp moulding on the bumper side.

Have to make 2 wheel arch covers now which arn't as easy as they seem.

Opaque lightpod cover, note this is NOT a simple [ shape, it was formed off the old bumper smoothing out the original licence place recess so it is smooth and follows the curve of the bumper.

Some of the endurance racers had these for non night racing and carried sponsor decals on them. My main reason for doing it though was so that I could make a reverse mould for the clear cover (when I can find a company to take money in exchange for work) and it gives me more time to work on other areas as opposed to the light pod.

[silverfrost]

Cracking work Jonathan,

Glad to see your still cracking on well with the project, the real gt2 that was posted the other day on here must have given you a real insperation to crack on, the car will look fantastic when done, personally i would just copy his colour and sticker profile as it looks excellent especially the black atthe back.

I know a company that may be able to help you on the perspex, especially if you have the fiberglass template, I have not seen the owner in a while though as i have not been in that neck of the woods for a while but will try and drop in on him next week to see if he is still in buisness and if he can help, If he is there though he is probably your best bet as he used to make the elise headlight covers, tvr covers and f1 race screens etc!

Regards danny

[Jonathan]

Cheers Dan, I do need all the help I can muster.

TBH the project is only done on the driveway and last week is the 1st time in about 5 months it hasn't snowed or been torrential rain here (had 2 covers on the thing !)

I actually set the GRP cover in concrete as well, as the perspex needs to be heated up and will start to melt the GRP cover and an awful mess will insinuate as the resin sticks to the clear plastic.

At the moment I'm just looking to get it on the road again, luckily I MOT'd it late last year when it was breifly road worthy so I still have grace for using it anytime.

I might even follow this car's decal set :

For the time being all 1 colour and running on the road would be just perfect