Friday, 23 January 2015

Freds Cape Henry 21 kit build

This is where Fred is at right now.

Hi Roy:
Moving right along. :)
Cheers!
Fred

Thursday, 22 January 2015

Superform (tm) bending ply arrives

I was busy adding lables to the various packs of Superform bending plywoods for our retailers yesterday, this is still the best such product as far as I am aware.



Superform bending plywood can now be supplied in a fire proof grade to special order.

Contact me for the specification sheets.

Roy

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Project Binky

This is just what keeps the likes of people like me going.

I think I have mentioned 'Bad Obsessions Motor Sport' before but with the Binky program now having reached stage eight its well worth another look.

Project Binky



It was a dark and stormy night…
Safely ensconced in a shed in deepest, darkest Shropshire, two men with their faculties dulled by liberal dosing’s of Jack Daniel’s finest No.7 brand embarked upon a journey that would change their world.
Project Binky was born.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Take one rotten 1980 Mini 1000 and one Toyota Celica GT-Four and use all their guile, cunning and skill to graft them together to create a Frankenstein’s monster of a car.
Not content with just the trifling matter of shoe-horning the entire running gear from the Celica and grafting it into the little Mini, they also decided it might be fun to film the entire journey and post it on YouTube for all and sundry to see.
The goal is to create one of the fastest Mini’s on the planet but also one that looks just like a fast Mini. The brief is simple; we can’t lengthen it or widen it – save for the arches – but the 2.0l turbo-charged engine, 4WD transmission and all the suspension from the Celica must go inside the Mini. We never said it was going to be easy, it was always going to be a difficult project, but Bad Obsession Motorsport has never shied away from a challenge.
So far it’s taken hundreds of hours, thousands of cups of tea and not an inconsiderable amount of grey hairs, but it’s coming.
Track the progress on this page and check back for irregular updates.

 http://www.badobsessionmotorsport.co.uk/category/projects/project-binky/

Now on part eight, its worth starting from part one.

Roy

Sunday, 18 January 2015

Hillman Imp Californian

Now in red!


The sticker advises you to leave a 1" (25mm) slack in the fan belt, this is so as not to stress the bearings in the water pump and dynamo.


The details like badges and related stickers can really make the car.

Roy


Saturday, 17 January 2015

A red paint day for the Hillman Imp Californian

Early days but progress!


This car is a pleasure to restore.............

Roy

Friday, 16 January 2015

Project Hillman Imp Californian by the Rootes Car Co, Scotland 1967.

This one has been with the family over two decades, then sold and bought back six months ago in mid July 2014.


The car is dated 3rd February 1967, a rare export model, it was found with Mozambique plates on it some many years back.

It was originally white, then sprayed red and right now its in an automotive twin pack grey primer and almost ready for some red paints.

Soon to be red again.

The car is licenced and even has its original engine so the numbers match, not only that but the crank still has its original bearings (they are perfect) and the pistons are the originals also!

Roy

Thursday, 15 January 2015

Barry's Proteus 106 build

Barry took delivery of his Proteus 106 kit last May, he has made great progress since then.


The fact he has a suitable covered space is a bonus, he has reached the stage where the cabin roof will be constructed.


He also fabricated his own forward cross beam, it looks good to me.

Roy

Tuesday, 13 January 2015

The International Mirror dinghy class kit is available ex stock

We have a number of these here In Cape Town right now, this far we have produced ten (10) kits and they are the first ever cut in the fifty year history of the Mirror with a CNC machine.


To enable our customers to understand the size of the kit and what it contains we have produced a Word document with a decent description of the kit and with lots of pictures.

Please email me and I will forward the Mirror Word file and pricing right now.

Roy

Saturday, 10 January 2015

Hout Bay YC marina members

Seen here yesterday is John and Athol on the far side of the marina.


As you can see we have really nice weather right now.

Both yachts in the pictures are wooden classics designed by Wm Garden.

Roy

Thursday, 8 January 2015

Black Cat to win the 2014/15 Governors Cup Race ??


Well I really do hope so.

This is the startling news just in, it turns out that the yacht Avanti used her motor to get in front the the Dix Design Black Cat.



Black Cat on her way to winning the 2014 Governor’s CupPicture taken just after they rounded Cape Point on Saturday 27 December 2014

There is still an outside chance that two yachts and some 500 miles away can still win but this seems unlikly?

http://www.fbyc.co.za/page14.html

Read more on the story on the FBYC web site.

Better still read about the event at the link here http://dudleydix.blogspot.com/


A Trevor Wilkins photo, taken at the island and when Black Cat was finishing.

The name Black Cat came from a sponsership that the boat got over twenty years back, I note the sponsers are still being rewarded for their support!


Well done to the Black Cat team for winning fairly.

She took the first across the line and handicap award, so did a clean sweep and will have been awarded the Governors Cup !
Roy

Hillman Imps in South Africa ?

There are some and I know of most of them, some pictures of others exist but I have no idea where they are now?

One picture shows three and all with CL plates, they were some place in Stellenbosch, I wonder where they are now?


This car has been in our family for around twenty two (22) years, it may be longer? I have now removed all the sports parts such as lower competition road springs, front disc brakes, 13" road wheels and tires, sports exhaust but left the twin Stromberg 125 CD carburetors on. I also rebuilt the cars engine for the new owner.


Having now sold our 1967 Singer Chamois I am looking for another Imp related challenge, do you know where an Imp based car my be hiden and for sale in Southern Africa?

Cars like the Hillman Imp can be prepared to a very high standard to your order, finding them right now is the issue.

There is a classic Mini Cooper looking for a new home if anyone is interested?

Roy

Monday, 5 January 2015

Optimist kit pricing in January 2015

Another enquiry just in was for the next smallest kit we offer, the Optimist dinghy, prices are as follows:

We can supply as follows:

The jig to build in is made from MDF or Chipboard, its reusable if your careful.  R800.00


The plys and CNC work are R4875.00 .

Plans are free and we supply a 14 page builders guide with pictures.

We can also offer epoxy at R285.00 per 1.65 kg pack, you will need two of those, micro balloons at R40.00 a pack, fumed silica at R40.00 a pack and 50mm glass tape at R12.00 per meter, you need 20 meters?

Vat applies to the above prices. (no vat for those outside South Africa)

You will have to source the required meranti wood list from you local timber merchant, we can supply the cutting list.

Regards

Roy


Dix Design Dixie Dinghy

Starting the new year off with a request for a price on one of our smaller boat kits seems like a good idea for me. The Dixi Dinghy is just two sheets of plywood, we have nothing smaller that I can remember?


Multi-purpose, they can be rowed, motored or sailed and are light enough for one person to lift on and off the family car or yacht.
Simple stitch and glue construction, they can be built with the minimum of tools, no previous boatbuilding experience and in very little space.
Step-by-step instructions included in plywood plans.

http://www.dixdesign.com/dinghies.htm



The Dixi is on the left and the Argie 10 on the right, both are really great projects to build.

Price wise and including the plans, CNC work, epoxy and glass tapes we have a price of R4139.00 which includes Vat of 14% for local customers.

Roy


Saturday, 3 January 2015

A holiday in Hout Bay near Cape Town, South Africa?

Its posted that we Cape Town residents do not need a holiday as we live a life of holidays every day?


This is the sea side village of Hout Bay and as we can see its a real tourist attraction, the big red bus makes regular stops in Hout Bay.


Benches and sun umbrellas are brought out for the waiting riders when its really busy.
I asked the management of the red bus company about the service, next they will erect gazebos!
Roy

Friday, 2 January 2015

Hillman Imp wanted in South Africa

The 1967 Singer Chamois we have owned for over twenty (20) years has been sold and will travel to the North in a month or so, I am busy preparing the car by removal of the upgraded parts and taking it back to standard specification. These include re fitting of the 12"steel rims and higher profile tires, re fitting the front drum brakes over the Ford KA disc brakes now fitted, taking off the Monte Carlo lower competition road springs and re fitting the engine that matches the cars licence papers. There is more also but I can talk about that another day?


So I need another similar car for my next Imp based car restoration project.

The move back to an  'As Standard'   car is interesting, as the 1971 Hillman Imp Deluxe I restored last year went to an owner who wanted an upgraded but otherwise standard car. The special parts on this Singer Chamois will be re used by myself and possibly on the 1967 Hillman Californian coupe I am re building right now?

Does anyone own or know where I can find one in Southern Africa? a bare shell can also be considered as my parts stash includes many body panels, front bonnet and rear engine cover, suspensions and engines etc etc.

Roy