Right then better start my '77 S1 project...

[Bibs]

Very nice

[dixi4uk]

Now that is a result, very, very impressive.

[CharlieCroker]

Cheers lads, your positive comments really make all the hard work worth while. Here's a few production photos, bit of a story involved so bare with me. Basically I went woth the ribs to hide the fact that I had to split the front piece of material from the rear, why you ask? Well, if you remember I had to create a 'good' rear quarter from a poorly covered elite panel by combining an eclat panel with the elite. Now this creates a problem in the fact that one single sheet of material is impossible to adhere to all the convex and concave bends of the combined two, still with me? So I was looking for a way to split the two without making it obvious, and by luck I had seen a 1970s alfaromeo with ribbed leather rear panels and I thought that would fit perfectly with the elite. Anyway after many hours of practicing I found a way to create the ribs with piping. Believe it or not there is not one single stich involved, it's all cunningly hidden within the panel. Have a look at these production photos, should give you an idea of what's involved. [br][br][br][br][br][br][br][br]I reckon the interior will be complete this time next week. All the best, Charlie ;-)

[mikeeech]

Looking good charlie. A real professional job. I'm loving the chrome strip. Where did you get that?

[CharlieCroker]

China, £1.50. Can also be used to edge the center switch panel as it is a very close match to oem aluminium.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/251173604434?txnId=1596944998015

[johnpwalsh]

Grrrrr, pigging sick Charlie, followed this all the way through and now stuck in Kazakhstan and cant open any pictures, but I bet it's as good as the rest.

 

John.

[CharlieCroker]

Just a quick heads up, it is exactly a year ago to the day since I took these photos.

Now looking something like this.

[Simon350S]

Looks great and only 1 years is amazing! Well done!

[CharlieCroker]

Listen to this it makes interesting reading, I've just done a rough calculation of the hours involved and an approximate hour to price ratio, and the figure is stunning!

 

So if you take my hours in this car, roughly 6hrs per week (and that's a very frugal estimation) every week for 52 weeks at a rate of £60 per hour (based on an average garage price these days, a Lotus specialist I know charges £120), if we take all these figures and add them up the car has £18,720 of labour alone, no parts included in that figure! Amazing the amount of time needed to pull this car around. All the best Charlie ;-) 

[DaveyT]

Outstanding!

Frankly I'm amazed that, with under an hour's work a day, you've been able to do all that inside 12 months...I guess it shows what a consistent, dedicated attack can do.

Dave

[CharlieCroker]

To be honest it became a bit of a battle of wills, the car against mine. No way I was going to let anything beat me, (determined bastard) so I've been tackling each job methodically and treating each job as a single element. That way it never really seems like a massive task, just breaking it down. Few more visual touches to come and the aesthetics will be complete. 

[mikeeech]

Its a great job. The interior was horrible. Your dash board will finally get cut about this weekend.

[CharlieCroker]

All done. One complete originalish interior all ready for the show season. Of course nothing's ever easy and this quarter decided to fight me all the way. Firstly my upgraded speakers (much bigger than the pony original 4" jobbies) didn't want to fit and began hitting the door stanchion, so I had to whip that off and relocate it a good 2" to the left. All good, no not all good, for some reason the seat belt roller was hitting the quarter pocket, so I've had to move that to the side, using some old 5mm steel brackets I had lying around, I've bolted and welded that into place and is now as strong if not stronger than factory. I've tried to take photos of the interior the best I can but it's not easy using a smart phone, could do with a fish eye lens.

Just got to bolt it all down other than a little bit of fettling to get it all to fit snug but we can safely say that this is job done. All the best, Charlie ;-)

"He's done it Mr Bridger, he's done it..." Cue the music...

http://youtu.be/aIechPy5ycc

[cbclotus]

Great job Charlie.i have said it before but all your hard work has paid off.and you must get a lot of satisfaction by doing it yourself.Mike

[CharlieCroker]

Cheers Mike, it has been hard work but that's practically it now other than jobs to keep it on the road. RetroCars magazine will be doing a full feature on it (like you haven't already seen enough photos!) Plus a rolling 3 minute HD video is in the pipeline, shooting around April. I'm also hoping to make as many shows as I can, so feel free to come over and have a chat should you see it. :-)

[CharlieCroker]

Just been tidying up a few minor details, seeing as I reupholstered the rear panels I thought I'd relocated the rear hatch lever. So I've re-routed it under the car and behind the spare wheel so that I can get it open even when the doors are locked. I'm hoping to get ot out of the garage today, been on axle stands for months now.

[dixi4uk]

That is a neat idea.

I am working on a keyless central locking idea to include the tailgate.

[CharlieCroker]

Note to ones self: Remember to fill the bloody tank before I go on a test drive! What a tit, I've just gone out and ran out of bloody petrol, erm embarrassing to say the least! Never even had a plastic tank or money with me, luckily enough I ran out at a garden centre and a young family rescued me from the dilemma, the kids were loving the car and the mum offered me a fiver and had a canister with her, how bloody good is that! I hasten to add I drove back and reimbursed the fiver. Car was running beautifully, brakes are sharp as a knife now and it really wants to go, nice burble at idle with the cherry bombs. The new interior is such a luxurious place to be, smells a lot better too, can't wait for the next show this year and a full tank to get me there! Oh and having the rear hatch release outside the car is so much better.

Edited February 15, 2015 by CharlieCroker

[dixi4uk]

Note to ones self: Remember to fill the bloody tank before I go on a test drive! What a tit, I've just gone out and ran out of bloody petrol, erm embarrassing to say the least! Never even had a plastic tank or money with me, luckily enough I ran out at a garden centre and a young family rescued me from the dilemma, the kids were loving the car and the mum offered me a fiver and had a canister with her, how bloody good is that! I hasten to add I drove back and reimbursed the fiver. Car was running beautifully, brakes are sharp as a knife now and it really wants to go, nice burble at idle with the cherry bombs. The new interior is such a luxurious place to be, smells a lot better too, can't wait for the next show this year and a full tank to get me there! Oh and having the rear hatch release outside the car is so much better.

That is the dumb kind thing I do.

Your story just goes to show there are some nice people out there.

Although the best has to be the time I removed the tank of an Escort for cleaning. Whilst cleaning out the tank at the back of the garage my wife jumped in the car and drove off to go shopping. Amazingly she got as far as the petrol station a few hundred yards down the road only to find nowhere to put the fuel! We are still together 40 years later. We have a rule she does not drive my car and I don't drive hers.

[cbclotus]

good on you Charlie.there are some decent people out there.Spent the day with the help of a friend who has been a great help to me fitting new oil coolers to my se turbo.new ones weeping .any way he came out today long story but hope fully getting there.Mike

[CharlieCroker]

Every body feeling the love, must be cos' of valentine's!

[Denis247]

That is the dumb kind thing I do.

Your story just goes to show there are some nice people out there.

Although the best has to be the time I removed the tank of an Escort for cleaning. Whilst cleaning out the tank at the back of the garage my wife jumped in the car and drove off to go shopping. Amazingly she got as far as the petrol station a few hundred yards down the road only to find nowhere to put the fuel! We are still together 40 years later. We have a rule she does not drive my car and I don't drive hers.

Good job you weren't overhauling the brakes

[CharlieCroker]

Gentlemen we have ICE. Bought a bluetooth headunit which arrived yesterday, just fitted it, all hidden of course. Beauty of it is I can run it via my smartphone, just been flicking through tracks and adjusting the volume on the phone's touchscreen, so easy so cool. It's more than sufficient and loud enough however I might add a subwoofer to add a little bit more base. =-D

[dixi4uk]

Sounds good. ('cuse the pun).

[CharlieCroker]

OMG, want face.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/171679430817?nav=SEARCH