I've read the article of Whick kit 2004 telling about the conversion from the classic to the RT style body.
Anyone out here done that already?
I'm thinking of doing the conversion, but would like to know if it can be done DIY.
Also the flip bonnet conversion, anyone done that before?
classic stylus to RT?
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Werner Van Loock
- Stylus owner
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Marcel
Hello,Bikenuts wrote:I'm planning to create a flip front in the next couple of weeks, so far I've modified the front subframe to create a hinge and renforced the two panels it bolts to. Any tips anyone can offer before I make the big cut would be most welcome.
Cheers
Matt
sorry no tips. but would you please be so kind to make some pics of it, I am not sure if I want to make a flip front, because I am afraid that it is very difficult to get it real nice
Greetings Marcel.
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Bikenuts
- Stylus owner
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- Location: Weardale England
Hello,
sorry no tips. but would you please be so kind to make some pics of it, I am not sure if I want to make a flip front, because I am afraid that it is very difficult to get it real nice
Greetings Marcel.[/quote]
It will be the Easter break before I start cutting, but when I'm done I'll post some pics -good
or bad 
sorry no tips. but would you please be so kind to make some pics of it, I am not sure if I want to make a flip front, because I am afraid that it is very difficult to get it real nice
Greetings Marcel.[/quote]
It will be the Easter break before I start cutting, but when I'm done I'll post some pics -good
or bad -
peteb
- Posts: 20
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- Location: Towcester, Northants
Hi Guys,
I did the big classic to RT cut and shut last year and its not as scary as it first appears (easy for me to say!)
1. Get the classic body bonded on as it says in the manual, boot returns, sill tops (csk rivets are easiest here) and scuttle top. Bond the bits in the nose for the front and reinforce them.
2. Get your new wings and sills and place them over the top of the body lining them up by eye. Glue them down with a hot glue gun.
3. Mark a line about on the new panels about half an inch from the edge along the entire length of the car.
4. The best technique for cutting is a jigsaw with the finest tooth blade available (metal cutting blade). I tried using a thin cutting disc on it. When the third disc exploded after a foot of cutting I decided to change tack! I found some of the disc when I cleared the garage 6 months later (tells you one of two things, either the discs went a long way or I don't tidy up very regularly!)
5. This is the really scary bit when the side falls off your car! Don't panic it gets better soon.
6. The hot glue breaks off easily so remove all the old bits from the new bits.
7. Stick the new bits back on in their correct place level with the original bodywork. Stick it back on with gaffer tape, the hot glue gets in the way at this point.
8. roughen up the back of the cut line to provide a good key for the fibre glass, sand papers good, a grinder with a flap disc or paint removal disc work well if you're careful. Clean all the dust off and wipe down with acetone if possible.
9. Bond the back with strips of fibreglass 3" wide and about a foot long (easier to manage) If you can use proper woven glass cloth approx. 300gsm it's much easier than chopped mat and I think gives a better bond. I managed to find some carbon/glass mix cloth that was fantastic. If you're having a flip front then you may not want to bond the front approx 18" of the sill as this will act as the split line.
10. Once you've finished that and all the pretty colours induced by the polyester resin have cleared, have a beer and go to bed, you desrve it!!!!!!
11. Let it all dry overnight and then we're back to the outside again. Make a groove about half an inch wide along the entire length of the join through the top layers of bodywork, don't touch the fibreglass you've just added. I used an angle grinder to make this groove although a black and decker powerfile is better (try amazon.co.uk £30!).
12. Clean the groove with acetone again. Fill the groove with bridging filler just below the surface of the groove (try fibral, halfords but i'm sure there are cheaper alternatives). bridging filler has fibres in it that will restore the strength to the panel. Level the groove with normal filler and sand down to finish.
13. Stand back and admire your work!!!! Grab another beer and then get some sleep, you look like you need it!!!!
14. If you want a flip front then first get everything level.
15. Cut the steel plates off the end of the front frame.
16. I then drilled into the end of the frame and inserted a 1/2" steel tube in each end. I then fabricated two new plates for the front from 5mm aluminium plate and fitted some 1/2" internal diameter plain bearings to fit over the tubes.
17. bolt the front end back together.
18. to cut the body mark a vertical line approx. 8" from the rear edge of the bonnet opening down to the top of the new sills.
19. Speak to Tim at SSC, he's got some mouldings that bond under the cut line on the body that extend 2" ahead of the cut line. This is for the bonnet to sit down on.
20. I made some returns to stiffen the sides of the bonnet and bonded these underneath the bonnet just ahead of the mouldings.
21. Bond the bonnet in place now, If you want to remove the bonnet line then make sure its perfectly lined up otherwise theres a lot of bodyfiller reguired!!
I know it sounds difficult and this essay probably makes it sound worse but the results are well worth it. As with most jobs take your time, measure twice cut once as it goes. Good luck!!
I did the big classic to RT cut and shut last year and its not as scary as it first appears (easy for me to say!)
1. Get the classic body bonded on as it says in the manual, boot returns, sill tops (csk rivets are easiest here) and scuttle top. Bond the bits in the nose for the front and reinforce them.
2. Get your new wings and sills and place them over the top of the body lining them up by eye. Glue them down with a hot glue gun.
3. Mark a line about on the new panels about half an inch from the edge along the entire length of the car.
4. The best technique for cutting is a jigsaw with the finest tooth blade available (metal cutting blade). I tried using a thin cutting disc on it. When the third disc exploded after a foot of cutting I decided to change tack! I found some of the disc when I cleared the garage 6 months later (tells you one of two things, either the discs went a long way or I don't tidy up very regularly!)
5. This is the really scary bit when the side falls off your car! Don't panic it gets better soon.
6. The hot glue breaks off easily so remove all the old bits from the new bits.
7. Stick the new bits back on in their correct place level with the original bodywork. Stick it back on with gaffer tape, the hot glue gets in the way at this point.
8. roughen up the back of the cut line to provide a good key for the fibre glass, sand papers good, a grinder with a flap disc or paint removal disc work well if you're careful. Clean all the dust off and wipe down with acetone if possible.
9. Bond the back with strips of fibreglass 3" wide and about a foot long (easier to manage) If you can use proper woven glass cloth approx. 300gsm it's much easier than chopped mat and I think gives a better bond. I managed to find some carbon/glass mix cloth that was fantastic. If you're having a flip front then you may not want to bond the front approx 18" of the sill as this will act as the split line.
10. Once you've finished that and all the pretty colours induced by the polyester resin have cleared, have a beer and go to bed, you desrve it!!!!!!
11. Let it all dry overnight and then we're back to the outside again. Make a groove about half an inch wide along the entire length of the join through the top layers of bodywork, don't touch the fibreglass you've just added. I used an angle grinder to make this groove although a black and decker powerfile is better (try amazon.co.uk £30!).
12. Clean the groove with acetone again. Fill the groove with bridging filler just below the surface of the groove (try fibral, halfords but i'm sure there are cheaper alternatives). bridging filler has fibres in it that will restore the strength to the panel. Level the groove with normal filler and sand down to finish.
13. Stand back and admire your work!!!! Grab another beer and then get some sleep, you look like you need it!!!!
14. If you want a flip front then first get everything level.
15. Cut the steel plates off the end of the front frame.
16. I then drilled into the end of the frame and inserted a 1/2" steel tube in each end. I then fabricated two new plates for the front from 5mm aluminium plate and fitted some 1/2" internal diameter plain bearings to fit over the tubes.
17. bolt the front end back together.
18. to cut the body mark a vertical line approx. 8" from the rear edge of the bonnet opening down to the top of the new sills.
19. Speak to Tim at SSC, he's got some mouldings that bond under the cut line on the body that extend 2" ahead of the cut line. This is for the bonnet to sit down on.
20. I made some returns to stiffen the sides of the bonnet and bonded these underneath the bonnet just ahead of the mouldings.
21. Bond the bonnet in place now, If you want to remove the bonnet line then make sure its perfectly lined up otherwise theres a lot of bodyfiller reguired!!
I know it sounds difficult and this essay probably makes it sound worse but the results are well worth it. As with most jobs take your time, measure twice cut once as it goes. Good luck!!
-
Werner Van Loock
- Stylus owner
- Posts: 531
- Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:37 pm
- Are you a Stylus owner?: yes
- Location: Antwerp, BE
- Contact:
Thanks a lot for the posting such a extended manual.
Did you alter any of the mechanics as the RT is a bit wider then the classic if I'm correct?
Is it possible to build a classic without getting it painted and then convert it to RT? Or do you advise to do it straight away during the build?
But do you have any pictures of it as some of the tech terms confuse me completely. My english is not that good.
What the heck are sills?
Werner
Did you alter any of the mechanics as the RT is a bit wider then the classic if I'm correct?
Is it possible to build a classic without getting it painted and then convert it to RT? Or do you advise to do it straight away during the build?
But do you have any pictures of it as some of the tech terms confuse me completely. My english is not that good.
What the heck are sills?
Werner
-
peteb
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:01 pm
- Are you a Stylus owner?: yes
- Location: Towcester, Northants
Hi Werner,
My front wishbones are wider than the normal ones, giving an increased track. I'm fitting wheel spacers to the escort axle, probably about 45mm per side. It may be worth investigating the Capri axle as its wider but I'm not sure by how much.
You can fit the panels when you've finished but I would suggest doing it as early as possible because its a big job out the way and with all the cutting and filling its a bit messy.
I've got some photos somewhere and I could take some more if you want, I'll have a search.
Sorry, sills (or cills as sometimes spelt) are the bits along the bottom of the door between the front and rear wheels.
Cheers
Pete
My front wishbones are wider than the normal ones, giving an increased track. I'm fitting wheel spacers to the escort axle, probably about 45mm per side. It may be worth investigating the Capri axle as its wider but I'm not sure by how much.
You can fit the panels when you've finished but I would suggest doing it as early as possible because its a big job out the way and with all the cutting and filling its a bit messy.
I've got some photos somewhere and I could take some more if you want, I'll have a search.
Sorry, sills (or cills as sometimes spelt) are the bits along the bottom of the door between the front and rear wheels.
Cheers
Pete
-
Werner Van Loock
- Stylus owner
- Posts: 531
- Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:37 pm
- Are you a Stylus owner?: yes
- Location: Antwerp, BE
- Contact:
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Blitz
- Stylus owner
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 6:42 pm
- Are you a Stylus owner?: yes
- Location: Ashford, Kent
Hello,
I have just done started the flip front bonet and it is relatively straight forward, although it is scary when you actually make the cut! here's rough guide to making it happen:-
1) I modified had the front assembly modified to trun them into hinges.
2) Then with the body work clamp a straight edge accross the bottom of the car and measured up 250mm on both side of the car to mark the horrizontal cut line.
3) Put a straight edge accross the top of the wings with 2 plumb bobs hanging down and take a measurement of 320mm from the door edge. The plumb lines are then used to mark the vertical cut line.
4) where the 2 lines meet add a radius (I think I used about 50mm rad as it looked quite neat)
5) Then the really scary bit:- cut the lines. Make sure you support the bodywork to stop it falling off when cut! I used a small cutting disc in a dremmel it gave a nice cut. ith the radius I just used a 1mm drill bit and drilled loads of holes along the cut line.
6) I have bonded an aluminium strip to the insde of the body work to create a lip for the bonet to sit on when closed. I also intend to add more support to the inside of the wheel arches as it still feel a bit floppy for my likeing.
I do have a few more photo's if anyone wants to take a look, just send me an e-mail address.
Hope that helps and good luck!
I have just done started the flip front bonet and it is relatively straight forward, although it is scary when you actually make the cut! here's rough guide to making it happen:-
1) I modified had the front assembly modified to trun them into hinges.
2) Then with the body work clamp a straight edge accross the bottom of the car and measured up 250mm on both side of the car to mark the horrizontal cut line.
3) Put a straight edge accross the top of the wings with 2 plumb bobs hanging down and take a measurement of 320mm from the door edge. The plumb lines are then used to mark the vertical cut line.
4) where the 2 lines meet add a radius (I think I used about 50mm rad as it looked quite neat)
5) Then the really scary bit:- cut the lines. Make sure you support the bodywork to stop it falling off when cut! I used a small cutting disc in a dremmel it gave a nice cut. ith the radius I just used a 1mm drill bit and drilled loads of holes along the cut line.
6) I have bonded an aluminium strip to the insde of the body work to create a lip for the bonet to sit on when closed. I also intend to add more support to the inside of the wheel arches as it still feel a bit floppy for my likeing.
I do have a few more photo's if anyone wants to take a look, just send me an e-mail address.
Hope that helps and good luck!
-
plasticfantastic
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- Location: lampeter, wales
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stylussprinter
- Stylus owner
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- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:49 pm
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- Location: ASTON CLINTON BUCKS
your RT conversion pic's
That's the best set of '' how to '' I've seen , Tim ought to have those printed !
You've got me planning now !
Rob.
You've got me planning now !
Rob.
I just love the Stylus but she keeps swallowing £££ !
Alfa Red 159 2.4 jtdm ti 260bhp 365lbft / BilsteinB12 + Adjustable Powerflex camber/castor bushes. Red STYLUS 2lt zetec 231bhp 185lbft Dunnell . RED 1972 Alfa 2lt GTAm replica 170bhp.
Alfa Red 159 2.4 jtdm ti 260bhp 365lbft / BilsteinB12 + Adjustable Powerflex camber/castor bushes. Red STYLUS 2lt zetec 231bhp 185lbft Dunnell . RED 1972 Alfa 2lt GTAm replica 170bhp.
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plasticfantastic
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- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 2:29 pm
- Location: lampeter, wales
Re: your RT conversion pic's
ill send you a "how to" on fitting a 2.3 duratec if your planning rob!stylussprinter wrote:That's the best set of '' how to '' I've seen , Tim ought to have those printed !
You've got me planning now !
Rob.
control is nothing without power!
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stylussprinter
- Stylus owner
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- Location: ASTON CLINTON BUCKS
Re: your RT conversion pic's
Yeh , well if you're going to do that send me a plan for buying one for peanuts !plasticfantastic wrote:ill send you a "how to" on fitting a 2.3 duratec if your planning rob!stylussprinter wrote:That's the best set of '' how to '' I've seen , Tim ought to have those printed !
You've got me planning now !
Rob.
I just love the Stylus but she keeps swallowing £££ !
Alfa Red 159 2.4 jtdm ti 260bhp 365lbft / BilsteinB12 + Adjustable Powerflex camber/castor bushes. Red STYLUS 2lt zetec 231bhp 185lbft Dunnell . RED 1972 Alfa 2lt GTAm replica 170bhp.
Alfa Red 159 2.4 jtdm ti 260bhp 365lbft / BilsteinB12 + Adjustable Powerflex camber/castor bushes. Red STYLUS 2lt zetec 231bhp 185lbft Dunnell . RED 1972 Alfa 2lt GTAm replica 170bhp.
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Bikenuts
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- Are you a Stylus owner?: yes
- Location: Weardale England
A bit later than promised but here are a couple of pics;
[/img]
hope that's worked takes forever on a dial up
Still need to add some strengthening and latches etc but i was relived to see how well the two halves lined up - I was worried stresses in the bogy might lead to it warping but no there no sign of movment.
[/img]
hope that's worked takes forever on a dial up
Still need to add some strengthening and latches etc but i was relived to see how well the two halves lined up - I was worried stresses in the bogy might lead to it warping but no there no sign of movment.
