Pretty in Purple

[DustyM]

At the risk of boring you all with yet another project we have on the go I'll post up some of the more interesting parts and leave out the standard (they all need that) stuff.

The project is a wide body backdate.

The car came in as a wide body car with Turbo arches.



Stripped down and put on the jig.



As most of you know the turbo arch profile is quiet different to the early wide arch cars being much more angular with a flat side to the flare. This gives the game away on a lot of RSR backdates. Obviously being a targa gives the game away anyway but we thought it would be a much nicer job to give the arches a period look, so set about to modify the profile of the turbo arches.

So cut them off to reprofile them











And weld them back on.







With the filler flap, repeater hole and front indicator housing also welded that completed one front wing.







And repeat!

[yoda]

Unusual project! Will be interested to see how this develops.

[DustyM]

On to the rear arches, a little more complicated since as well as re profiling the arch we wanted to use steel rear bumper quarters, so these would also need to be matched to the rear arches.



After much trial and error we got it right. The wing was brought in and the rear bumper quarter flared out.

You can see from the original return lip on the wing how much its changed in shape.





The original arch shape on a turbo drops almost vertically, the sweep in we now have flows much better.









Next to alter the torsion tube access



A quick tool knocked up



And a piece made.





And repeat!

[Gary71]

Interesting project John, and great metal work as usual. Is this one getting the additional floor bracing?

[DustyM]

Is this one getting the additional floor bracing?

Yes double floor skin fitted to this one as well.

[hot66]

loverly work Jon. Not my cup of tea a wide body targa, but respect for the quality of work & the vision the owner has

[DustyM]

loverly work Jon. Not my cup of tea a wide body targa, but respect for the quality of work & the vision the owner has

I hear you James, we get a 50/50 response from people that have seen it, most of those on the negative side are more "hmmm not so sure" rather than outright "no that doesn't work" or perhaps they are just being polite The customer loves it though and thats what counts.

[Lightweight_911]

.

- plus the change in arch profile is a definite improvement ...


.

[210bhp]

Lovely work Jon.

Targas are getting more popular all the time!

Regards
Mike

[DustyM]

Lovely work Jon.

Targas are getting more popular all the time!

Regards
Mike

Thanks Mike.

When new Targas sold in more or less the same numbers as Coupes throughout the latter half of the seventies and into the eighties so always a popular choice, I guess now though with more people using the cars as weekend and summer toys the popularity is back.

[DustyM]

So with the front panel back dated and most of the metalwork done it was time to take a saw to the bonnet!



A bit of measuring first though

[DustyM]

Final primer in black shows up the contours (and imperfections)





And then Paint, in this case Amaranth Violet

[DustyM]

Which is then rubbed down again.



Before a final polish.





And then the panels hung on for safe keeping

[DustyM]

And one for fun.

[markm]

Thats a lovely colour John