For the past couple of weeks I`ve been doing one of the less enjoyaable jobs, (in my oppinion). … I have cut the bodywork bulkheads from marine ply and arranged them on the bed timbers, making countless small alterations untill the general shape of the body is pleasing to my eye. … The job I refer to is designing and making the various brackets that hold the bulkheads in place, fasten the bed timbers to the chassis, and generally provide the strength and rigidity to the bodyframe.
Making brackets involves making up cardboard patterns. With lots of measuring, checking, and altering untill a satisfactory design is achieved. Then using a cutting wheel in a angle grinder to cut the component parts. And then welding, drilling, dressing-off with a grinding wheel, and finally painting ready for fitting. …. Good, well designed bracket work is an important part of building a special. Bits of bent metal and the cheap DIY store offerings should be avoided. …. A chapter in Wheatly and Morgan vintage car restoration book covers the subject brilliantly.
The collection of brackets I have produced over the last couple of weeks are cut from high quality 2.5mm steel and arc welded as required. … I have paid very little attention to weight saving, (the body will be far lighter than the original anyway), or to calculationg stresses and loads. Prefering to “over engineer” everything so that it is more than equal to what is required! …. The reason I refer to this as donkey work is: It is hard, time consuming, dirty, smelly work that produces lots of dust and little can be seen of the progress made when all are bolted into place.
However, the next phase is cutting timbers to form the shape of the body and connect the bulkheads. This will be far more enjoyable work and will produce visual progress for all to see.
Phil Smith is a vintage car enthusiast with many years experience of owning, restoring and using vintage, PVT and classic cars. A longstanding member of The Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC), The Riley register and The MG Car Club. Makes he has owned include Alvis, Bentley, Lagonda, MG, Talbot and Riley, of course. Now retired, Phil satisfies his 'old motor urges' by competing in the MGCC Luffield Speed series in MG Midgets from the 60's and 70's. This blog will chart his return to vintage/PVT cars.