39 replies to this topic

[jbwelda]

Well, sorta. I fully expect to finish my Austin rod and the Karmann Ghia and the Jaguar and the...uh well you get the picture; meanwhile i started on a Surfite i have been meaning to build one of these days due in no small part to the uber kool Austin motor and just the pure gestalt of the kit!

the plan is basically out of box with ignition wiring added and i also am planning on smoothing the body seams and making the body lift off the chassis, so i am smoothing the chassis to make a nice presentation when stripped down to the bone as it were.

so...first step of course is the shack. ready to spray it with dullcote and then leave it outside for the winter to, uh, age properly. meanwhile i have an excuse for not finishing up the car till the spring!






as always, encouragements encouraged and haters can hate!



i might build Ed a HA bike to hang outside the shack too if i can find that harley parts pack bike!

Edited by jbwelda, 01 February 2013 - 08:03 PM.

[jbwelda]

and here is an engine!











btw just noticed scalemasters thread on his build of this some couple years ago. great and certainly a high water mark for mine!

thanks for looking!

[Michigan Madman]

What kind of engine is that?

[Joe Handley]

Rover I think, IIRC he found a Mini in the junkyard and used it as a basis for this car.

[jbwelda]

i am pretty sure its an austin...and that was way before rover had anything to do with austin or morris wasnt it?

that would still mean its basically from a (austin) mini rather than a (morris) mini, most likely.

Edited by jbwelda, 21 November 2011 - 04:51 PM.

[Kombi]

That does appear to be an Austin engine, complete with the SU carburetor.

Not entirely unlike my own 998. Although this one appears to have the generator versus the alternator which makes it from a Mk1 or Mk2 Austin Mini (assuming the mold is entirely accurate to the motor).

[Michigan Madman]

Sweet. Might need to pick one up just for that engine. Always wanted to throw together a hot rod with a European four-banger for power.

[RodneyBad]

Shack is looking good.
Engine is looking Great..
Cool Lil Engine too.

[Dave Ambrose]

It's a British Motor Corporation A-series engine. Displacement could be 948, 1098, or 1275 cc. The single SU could have gone into either an Austin Mini, or a Morris Minor.

[Danno]

Kewl! It's a Roth Renaissance!

Go Bill!

[jbwelda]

and on the new years eve, got some progress to report here as well: a nearly completed chassis.

brass rod is just for alignment; i have a polished aluminum axle to replace it. really stabilizes the suspension. its pretty fragile and fiddly to put together and align properly. it did fit together surprisingly well. no heroics here just some patience and superglue. looks good though. will look better with the motor in tomorrow after the epoxy dries on the rear hubs. then its wheels and tires to make a rolling chassis while i fiddle with the body seams and hopefully my first airbrush paint job! will practice on the interior tub first!














happy new year everyone!

Edited by jbwelda, 31 December 2011 - 08:42 PM.

[SoCalCarCulture]

The Surfite currently sits in a private collection here in SoCal...

[gpugh1976]

That looks fantastic Bill!! Nice work! Are you bringing that Tuesday?

[jbwelda]

thanks greg, and if i get the wheels and tires mounted by tuesday i might bring it along.

Edited by jbwelda, 01 January 2012 - 03:15 PM.

[jbwelda]

time for an update, heres a chronology of sorts:























a couple of notes: sometimes it helps to read the instrux BEFORE assembling something, even when you are sure you know exactly what you are doing. witness, wheels are assembled inside out and the knockoffs are glued to the inside of the wheel. duh. the last photo shows them corrected and the way they are supposed to be but the first few photos show them the way i knew they were supposed to go!

in the last photo, the rear wheels/tires are just stuck on the axle right now, awaiting epoxy, probably later this evening. its looking good but its particularly delicate, especially that front end and steering linkage..

next on to the body...

Edited by jbwelda, 05 January 2012 - 07:11 PM.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Nice job. Glad to see you are finishing this.

bobthehobbyguy

[jbwelda]

>Glad to see you are finishing this

thanks! but lets not go putting any (ala) karts before the horse!

[Psychographic]

I recently got a Surfite kit thinking the body would make a good cab for something.

I have to say, the beautiful work on yours has me thinking I should build it somewhat stock, if I was building this and the rolling chassis looked as good as yours, I would leave the body off of it.

[jbwelda]

funny you should mention that, psychographic, as i have been getting other ideas for this chassis!






this thing has some potential! some flotation tires and a whip antennae and it would be a cool sand buggy!

maybe next time...heres rolling chassis and a body test fit. body still has some filling and smoothing to do...that horizontal seam is a pain.

but all four wheels touch the ground! this kit is actually very well engineered and everything pretty much fits like its supposed to, delicate as it may be.

Edited by jbwelda, 08 January 2012 - 04:21 PM.

[jbwelda]

not all that exciting but along with smoothing the body and sharpening the edges, i actually did my very first airbrush session and painted the interior bucket, flat black on the outside and classic (gloss) black on the inside. came out pretty nice too. probably have this built up later in the weekend: its pretty simple but i am going to flock the carpet and do some other little detailing.




ps: look at those stupid ejector pin marks right in the middle of the upholstery!

Edited by jbwelda, 21 January 2012 - 05:01 PM.