volvo p1800 into ferrari 275gtb spyder: v12, 5spd, tube chassis

[AdrianBurton Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AdrianBurton]

That was my first bike

[Casper Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Casper]

This is incredibly bad ass!!

[csdilligaf Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close csdilligaf]

Very well thought out build. And your a much better beginner at TIG welding than I am. Those welds look pretty darn good I say. I am looking forward to watching this progress. What do you have in mind for the body work?

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

Thank you for all the encouraging comments.

Very well thought out build. And your a much better beginner at TIG welding than I am. Those welds look pretty darn good I say. I am looking forward to watching this progress. What do you have in mind for the body work?

While I would really love to make the body out of aluminum The tentative plan is fiberglass with steel door jambs and steel door skins. I would like to cnc a foam buck or possibly employ a combination of methods to build the buck. One that could work well is to cnc the more intricate parts of the car like the nose and tail and fill in the rest using a ribbed plywood structure with strips of masonite over top like below:



I think the body shape of the ferrari with smooth rounded curves lends itself well to this method.

[C5GTO Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close C5GTO]

It's great to see another classic Ferrari project underway. You've hinted at it for a while, I'm glad to see you're now revealing some details.

I'm a bit surprised at how little of the P1800 is actually being used. Just an observation, not a slight in any way.

My 2 cents on body materials. I'd suggest aluminum unless that sounds way out of reach for you. I went the fiberglass route for the main body on mine and I'd do it in aluminum if I were to do it again. The fiberglass route sounded easier and faster at the time. Looking back I don't think it was either. Knowing what I know now, aluminum is a great material for a 1 off project. If you're planning to make more than 2 or 3 of the same car, then fiberglass starts making sense. But for a 1 off, it should be faster to go with aluminum.

Keep it up!

[csdilligaf Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close csdilligaf]

I'm doing a project that is still in the early stages and have been contemplating what to do for the body. All the fiberglass work over a foam buck turns out well enough but I really want to go with aluminum. That's why I asked what you were planning. It seems like a daunting task but after seeing a number of beginners forming sheet metal on a forum gave me the push I needed. Take a look at this beginner's work with minimal tools and see if it gives you the same nudge. I'm in no way saying you or I can master it right off the bat but I bet we could pull it off for now.
http://www.allmetalshaping.com/showthread.php?t=11100

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

I have given an aluminum body some thought lately. I will continue to ponder that while I sort through the upcoming mechanical hurdles. I figure that an accurate buck will be necessary to build from regardless of body material.

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

It's great to see another classic Ferrari project underway. You've hinted at it for a while, I'm glad to see you're now revealing some details.

I'm a bit surprised at how little of the P1800 is actually being used. Just an observation, not a slight in any way.

My 2 cents on body materials. I'd suggest aluminum unless that sounds way out of reach for you. I went the fiberglass route for the main body on mine and I'd do it in aluminum if I were to do it again. The fiberglass route sounded easier and faster at the time. Looking back I don't think it was either. Knowing what I know now, aluminum is a great material for a 1 off project. If you're planning to make more than 2 or 3 of the same car, then fiberglass starts making sense. But for a 1 off, it should be faster to go with aluminum.

Keep it up!

Thanks Joel. Yep I really am not using much from the 1800. It's similar to the guys who only use streched fieros for their the a pillars, windshield frame, floors, and doors.

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

Got it rolling on the wire wheels. I needed to remove a lot of material from the ouside of the calipers and also grind away the "nubs" on the inside of the wheel bore. It looks super long without the doors or front bodywork but the wheelbase is the correct 94.5-95"

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

A little progress to report. I have been busy dressing up the engine a bit.







new timing indicator plate which took a few weeks to get here. This allowed me to pull the distributor.






I removed the upper valley cover and re-sealed it.






Then I got a little busy with the wire wheel to get rid of some of the corrosion as well.

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

next I can tackle those awfully ugly water rails








powder coated the engine lift hooks. I'm sure it'll chip off but it looks better than rust!






Hardware needed to be replaced.

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

Before the water rails go back on I cleaned and added a little sealant around the cam tower blocks. This is a common area for leaks and this simple fix supposedly keeps it from leaking further.





water rails back on. I will fabricate a new front crossover/fill pipe and powdercoat the cam covers soon.

[275NART Active Users Find all posts View Profile Close 275NART]

I have started fitting the engine. Even with the custom front end it is like putting a square peg in a round hole.





I want it to sit about 6-7 inches further back so the firewall will need to trimmed before I can even make the engine mounts.



I also need to move the pedal box over about 1-2". It would barely clear now but I want a little room. I am going to switch to an electric power steering column and move the steering shaft so it enters through the firewall much lower as well.



The alternator is also going to need to be relocated higher up. I will switch to a smaller higher amperage unit in the process. I'd like the engine to sit much lower down so I'm going to need to play with the steering rack mounts. I welded them a little high up on the crossmember to begin with.

[Don Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Don]

Looking good. There are always adjustments to be made while fitting new pieces.....

Keep it up
Cheers
Don