Mongrel Street Racer

[SloMo]

This is such a nice build!
Always nice to see such cars being build, with all the "little" things that you won't always see when they are at a show…

Great work!

[endo911rs]

Great work! I always follow Barry's work with great anticipation and excitement

[Darren65]

Thank you for the nice comments guys, much appreciated

[Darren65]

Well it's been along time coming and maybe this dog should have been put down long ago…….but like all wily ol' Mongrel's it's has come back fighting, barking and biting to become the perfect base for a Mongrel Street Racer!….

….the car had been 'restored' a couple of years before it was taken off the road in 1989 with new outer panels and this hid the fact that underneath is was rotten as a pear and shaped like a banana and with approaching 700 hours of Barry's remedial work it's fair to say the dog has truly bitten in the backside! ….

…but that's history and the shell is now looking great with a few neat touches.



With gale force winds and torrential rain spreading across the UK it was a little daunting collecting the car on an open trailer, extra layers of cling film were called for…..



…at which point the wind had died and rain ceased and we were able to load up in the dry….



….amazingly I hit a break in the storm during the 3 hour drive home, I nervously watched the sky becoming darker and blacker as I approached my destination and with minutes to spare the trailer was wheeled into the workshop, bone dry, just before the heavens opened!

What can I say…..born lucky! …

[Darren65]

Unwrapped the next day, this Mongrel sure has scrubbed up well…









Now straight, true and very solid, the shell has enjoyed new inner front wings, front pan, new roof, door skins, a-post repairs, parts of the floor, inner and outer sills, numerous inner rear wings repairs and much, much more….

[Darren65]

Nice sill backdating detail…..



…and gutters look great...

[Darren65]

The résumé for this project is that of a Hot Rod built in 1978…a time when the early cars had undergone much development and testing, everything had been done, all enhancements were known...

…so when it came to strengthening we figured there's no point holding back, we'd do the lot……albeit with our own little twist!...

Engine bay strengthening….









…..torsion hole area….



….rear ARB mounts….

[Darren65]

…one of my favourites…..jacking point strengthening mod….



Front ARB area…..seen these done a few ways and love Barry's interpretation….





Torsion tube and trailing arm mounts….







…front strut brace…

[Darren65]

I do like the roll hoop…a perfect reproduction copied from an original and made in the correct 40mm tubing….









…there's one or two modifications as well….

[Darren65]

I'm fitting a set of Repa harnesses and asked Dave (stretch) to make me a pair with twin tails, he wasn't keen on the tail idea but did a fantastic job, will show these later….

…I'm using the factory type mounts, perfect reproductions supplied by John Gausden at ST-Classic, although doubling up and have them fitted central…..