Wearymicrobe's 550 Spyder Build and SB100 Registration adventure.

Bad news cannot get it till Monday, interior still not there, which wipes out the time I had this weekend to really get dug in proper. So doing struts both my brother in laws Subaru while the lift is empty. 

Ok still ordering parts. I did not get T joints with my brake kits and I need to buy a gallon or so of undercoating for the wheel arches and under the rear bonnet and rear bulkhead. 

But decision time. 

Banjo Wheel which is what the street cars would have had and I have a street car body. The Nardi is more expensive and I already have a Nardi replica but its dished very heavily and its about 2 inches to small in diameter. 

Or Nardi. 

As a fat man. i reccomend smaller diameter wheel. For thigh clearance. I also prefer the wheel closer for more comfortable arm angles.

Id say wait and sit. See what works out for you better. 

However,  the nardi is pretty!

Banjo

I've always been a fan of Nardi wheels.  Well... since my ex- bought one for her 1800ES - for similar aforementioned thigh clearance - since the Volvo wheel is like 15" in diameter. 

Got some tires mounted and balanced. They are decent used Kuhmo's. I put my name down for a set of CZ66 Avon race tires in 185 / 65 / 15 today as well. They will be here in a month or two. 

Not 100% sure I like the turbo wheels right now but I am sticking with them. They are 1000% more beefy then a set of VW stockers and the vw recast stuff is garbage right now. 

Got everything all organized and ready to rock. Been playing with some 1 shot to do the lettering but I will need to have the vinyl done. I don;t have a smooth enough hand and lettering it out myself in tape would be a pin. 

Slightly different blue on red we are thinking about. I love picking colors out and I love to paint. This was avaliable on some of the 550 spyders and done with a white hood for a few of the endurance races with the red interior. 

All done at the shop they are boxing up all the extra parts in the crate and getting the body / chassis in the transport crate as well. Will not be ale to get it till Friday but so be it. 

My SS brake lines came in, my transmission shims are on my doorstop right now. Waiting on the undercoating to ship as that is the very very first step on the car. Still need to see wiring harness so I know what I am dealing with and I still need to figure out how to get the clutch cable to run back to the transmission and what I want to use as the throttle cable. But those will need to be done onsite. 

Still cannot pick a color. 

Found this at the mille site. 

Chassis 59 allegedly at the Bahamas speed week in 1955

https://www.collierautomedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Bahamas-Speed-Week-14.jpg

I like that Bahama blue

Pretty much settled now on Oslo Blue as the final color with the red seats. I am going to do the wide 5 wheels on adapters and run the western 4 lugs on the track with the Avons. I just cannot keep the feeling that the Nardo Grey will look dated in a few years and why not go crazy with the paint. Its not like I cannot just repaint the car later if I get bored. 

I cannot keep my head straight today I am loosing my marbles at work and cannot concentrate. 

That Oslo Blue is pretty fantastic. 

Though do you notice that everyone in that picture looks like a zombie?  You may want to check if that color is an attractant.

Any blue.  With any red color interior.

I am sooo excited about this build!

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

They are probably marveling at how tiny the car is. 

No info yet. Supposed to get a call today soon to see if we can come up and get it tomorrow. My new tub of guide coat powder showed up and I got a bunch of new sanding blocks including a new one called the "Holy Terror" that is supposed to be really good for curved cars.  

Typing this in a meeting to keep myself sane. 

Ordering wheels tonight the banjo steering wheel and I should have almost everything I need except the paint. 

Local paint shop said that they have a new water based single stage that would work for this paint color that they would suggest which would make it super easy to paint and even easier to repair. 

We got the ok to come up and pick everything up tomorrow at 11:00am. You guys are going to get photo bombs of this because I am really happy.

Ordered my paint, wheels shipped, still need to hear back if my rear disk brakes will be here in time. Should have the bodywork sanding done this weekend, the engine and transmission in and at least the front brakes done. Once I get it as a roller I will do the paint, which will require the rear brakes to be here. 

My transmission axle retaining strengthening plates are backordered but should be here soon likely will assemble without axles.

Then the real fun happens where I try and make a 50 year old design really handle well, which means fully adjustable suspension front and rear, sway bars and anything else I can throw at it that will bolt or weld up to a tube chassis.

I have spent ~29K on parts so far counting the rear brakes and a few other small things, I have 1000$ in Avons coming in to pay for and I need about 600 for sway bars. Its mostly assembled at that point. Leaves me another 2.5K or for supplies to paint (paint already bought but need sandpaper and some new blocks).

Should go together quickly but I am really going to take my time on the suspension setup and getting it to really look like a privateer car that gets pulled out of a garage every 3 months or so.

Love Love Love the look you are going for, that is an awesome color combo.

Loading up the truck right now we leave in ~30 or so. Almost no traffic the whole way up on google so should be a pretty smooth pickup. 

Pictures to come. 

Exciting!  I'm looking forward to your day much more than my day!

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) said:

Exciting!  I'm looking forward to your day much more than my day!

Truth!!

I am inclined to say that Oslo Blue is the right choice. 

Curious what code you used. It took me a while to find a good code for my painter to order with. 

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) said:

Exciting!  I'm looking forward to your day much more than my day!

So am I!

Sweet!!!! We're all waiting (and more than a bit jealous!) 

I believe we were promised a photo-bomb.

#disappointed.

He's too busy sitting in the middle of the unpainted unmounted body making vroom noises I think...