My 904 replica build thread ...

[pht9]

Nice work Andy, it's real fun finding all those detail parts, look forward to seeing it progress

[OliveR]

Awesome Andy !!!!
Do you think it will be ready for CLM ?

[andyjboy]

Do you think it will be ready for CLM ?

That was what I was originally hoping for Oliver but sadly that's highly unlikely ...

Another detail that I planned to change was the seatbelts/harnesses - I just don't like the look of modern harnesses (& in particular the 'hardware').

Since the 904 was/is a race car, harnesses, by necessity, have to conform to current local &/or FIA sanctioning bodies so it is quite difficult to find examples of what would have been fitted originally - indeed there almost certainly wasn't a std fitment (they were options).

However, many period photos show American Racing/Safequip/Race-Quip harnesses & 904-028 which has been owned by Alex Pollock since 1970 still has this original type fitted:





Now, it just so happened that I had a pair of these harnesses languishing in the back of my garage ...






- but the webbing was 45 years old, the shoulder belts are only 2in wide (& too long) & the hardware on the ends of the belts needed swapping around to give the correct configuration.

Similar belts are currently available but would still need altering - & I really didn't want new.

So I tracked down some of the extra period-correct belt ends & adjusters that I needed:





rubbed through the unwanted cadmium-plated finish on the adjusters & sourced the correct pattern 3" black webbing:





- & finally cleaned up the other hardware - managing to retain the right degree of patina :





They were then sent off for professional replacement of the webbing/checking the hardware - & less than a week later I received them back looking like this:










Another small piece of the jigsaw finished ...

[andyjboy]

When discussing my engine earlier in this thread, I showed pictures of the 906-style lightened flywheel that I'm fitting & my intention to use a '69S lightweight clutch.

I've had a few enquiries asking for details of the weight -saving with this set-up so here are the approx figures:

Std '65-'69 911 2.0 (& 914/6) flywheel = 5.73-5.86 Kg (they seem to vary)

My lightweight 906-style flywheel* = 4.2 Kg

Std '65-'69 911 2.0 (& 914/6) all-steel clutch pressure plate = 4.3 Kg

'69S lightweight aluminium/steel clutch pressure plate = 3.1 Kg

So the total weight-saving is around 2.8 Kg (1.6 Kg from the flywheel & 1.2 Kg from the pressure plate) - quite important/useful at 8000rpm !

*since I want to be able to use the car on the road without too many problems, I didn't want to lighten the flywheel too drastically.

[andyjboy]

The steel/alloy wheels have now been painted so that they look just like all-steel wheels ( ) & are waiting to be fitted with a set of Dunlop CR65 Historic race tyres (5.00Lx15 front & 5.50Lx15 rear).

The 6"&7" steels have been fitted with 185/70 (F) & 215/60 (R) Avon CR6ZZ's.

I have 2 x 5.5" steel spares - one with a 5.00L CR65 tyre & the other with a 185/70 Avon CR6ZZ so that I can have the correct spare to match whichever set of wheels & tyres I currently have fitted.

[Mark Morrissey]

Like a great book — I get something new every time I read it. Incredible job Andy. Your attention to the details is amazing

[Mark020]

+1. And what I especially like is your approach: not too new looking! Really a pleasure to read. Keep up the good work!

[andyjboy]

Earlier in this thread I mentioned that my intention was to run 2 x MSD 6AL spark boxes + 2 MSD Blaster coils as the ignition sytem for my twin-plug engine but that these would be hidden from view & I would use some visible 'dummy' Bosch CDI boxes & Bosch black coils to appear period-correct.

I wasn't happy about the extra weight of the extra pair of ignition coils ( ) so decided to 'backdate' the MSD ones ...

I started with a pair of high vibration MSD coils which have the advantage that they're black to begin with.

First job was to remove the 'flashy' decals - one done for comparison:

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I then masked the black main body of the coils & sprayed the tops with (red) plastic primer (after 'keying' them with 600 grade wet n dry) :


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- then added the Bosch decals & used some original Bosch coil clamps :


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The proportions are different to the original Bosch black coil (the MSD ones are longer) but they're going to be mounted upside-down below the CDI boxes on the rear bulkhead in the engine compartment so hopefully won't be too obvious.


Now I need to 'age' them so that they don't look quite as new ...

[andyjboy]

The MSD coils after having been 'aged' ...


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Someone pointed out that the one on the right looks '6 months newer' - that's because when they're mounted upside-down (on the rear engine bulkhead) it will be the inner one so won't have been subjected to the same degree of 'weathering' !



The engine & gearbox have now been installed :


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& the fuel tank & dry sump oil tank fabricated & fitted:


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The dash, gauges/switches, modified upper column & switches (very pleased with how these have turned out - just need to swap the knobs to the correct 'Ivory' version) are in :


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[andyjboy]

- as are the pedals & gear linkage


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The next stage was to fabricate/fit the front & rear suspension but unfortunately there has been a delay (6 weeks ) in supplying the laser-cut steel components ...

Whilst waiting, I returned to my 'wanted' list:

One of the features of the original cars that I was keen to emulate was the aluminium quarter-turn fasteners used to secure the bonnet & rear opening 'hatch'. These vary slightly from car to car (I think they were probably individually fabricated rather than 'off the shelf' parts) but essentially this is the style (the rear ones are smaller versions of the same):


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Barrie uses a commercially-available fastener that comes in a black powder-coated finish:


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which he bead-blasts & then reshapes slightly:


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Needless to say I'd already spent countless hours trying to source something closer to the originals (or, better still, some actual originals) but hadn't found anything that I'd be happy with, so ... I turned again to UK Early S member Andy Haas (who'd machined my steering wheel parts).

After numereous discussions backwards & forwards, we decided to start with the fasteners that Barrie supplies & fabricate new upper parts from aluminium bar.

The end results look great & managed to produce the look I was aiming for :


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