PHASE IV : The Bodywork
The following are a series of photos showing the progression of the build on the main body of the car. A good deal of this became trial and error and I had to deviate from the original drawings at times. Where possible I will point out learning curves and important steps.
Initial plywood base & running boards. These are attached to the outrigger bars scene in the chassis photos.
Cockpit & Dashboard substrate.
Nose cone elements
You can see the addition of the wing pods, tail gate for picnic basket and the first of the sides going on.
I ussed craft paper to start working out dimensions for the size of the nose cone and the taper
Front Fender: I designed the fenders in illustrator tracing an image of the original car. I then printed out full scale drawings and spray mounted to 5mm board.
Rear Fender
Then cut out the skeleton and faced with hardboard. Be very careful when bending as you can see it creased on one end.
Figuring out the nose cone substrate took some time, but then....
I found the hard plastic sheets that are sold to protect your floor during construction. (see resources page) They sell these at most big box stores. Bend well and will take and hold a screw.
NOTE: You can see in this photo the long opening above the front axle. This is very important if you are going to have the car lift in the air. This gives the axle and wheels a place to go as the back lifts up, otherwise it will crush your wheels (see video)
Internal skeleton of nose cone. Platform for the airtank is behind the exhaust holes.
Car is starting to take shape.
I used standard aluminum roof flashing for the metal bonnet. Sheet metal screws end up looking like rivets.
Since this was for the stage, I used black gaffers tape and white electrical tape to create the distinctive bonnet design.
The more daring and talented among you can also do this with paint.
The outer body is constructed of the blue 2" insulation foam available at all big box stores. It was shaped by my friend and expert Surfboard shaper John Glomb. Sometimes it really helps to live on Maui!
After initial shaping, he used multiple coats of bondo to refine the shape.
To add rigidity to the entrances, the edges were covered with wood and then covered in bondo and shaped.
We often went back to our model for inspiration and guidance. Look carefully, there's a little Chitty on the fender.
The finish coat was primed and the dashboard arch was added made from the same plastic as the bonnet substrate and then later covered with a smaller piece of flashing.
The grill is made from 5mm plywood and screen mesh. The headlights are painted flower pots wired with LED bulbs.
I couldn't resist a few little touches like the copies of the original radiator badges and of course the GEN 11 license plate. (badges included in resources page)
The exterior parts like exhaust, lights, radiator, and windscreen were painted with metallic spray paints.
Then the artistry began! Multiple layers to create beautiful wood finish.
He used pinstriping tape to finish the look..
And a few coats of polyurethane to finish the entire car.
