Pic of the Day

[Mike Bull]

Now now, team effort and all that- the guts of the inlets were freed by Rob long before I ever turned up, and part-fettled back to life by the lads and chucked together for the dry build before I was about too. Mention making the new duct to Bill and you'll still hear the faint tremor in his voice and the sound of a cuckoo/tweeting birds somewhere.

We fully repaired the formers and internal structure together in 2010(!) and then I really settled into the intakes last year with a big chunk of work fitting and detailing the new outer skins, before the final fettle and build was commenced which has taken something like the last seven months solid and counting- the last month and a half of which has been almost nothing but me choccie sauce and blind riveting. Even then, Bill's done the snap rivets around the back (some with Jordan) and there's more snaps needing to go in yet for one of the more experienced/up to speed rivet teams to finish off. Just last Saturday, Checkie was working on the gas seal at the back- see, team effort.

For me, the most exquisite thing is that they look, without question, exactly like they used to.

[Piston Broke]

For me, the most exquisite thing is that they look, without question, exactly like they used to.

Yeah right size, shape and everything, should suck like a good'un down there

[Renegadenemo]

Saturday, Checkie was working on the gas seal at the back- see, team effort.

I always said it's the sponsor who supplies the blue paint that's going to get the best value for their contribution and so it goes for the assembly work. Team effort on the intakes, undoubtedly, but nothing we ever did to them before made them look like they do now.

[Dominic Owen]

In that case I volunteer to come up, buff the final coat of wax on the shiney new blue paintwork and, therefore, claim all the glory.

I promise you that not one 'hidden' detail of the work done is lost on those of us who have also bashed the odd bit of tin, played with big machines, cut metal with fire or stuck bits of it together with hot metal glue. I've also had the misfortune to play with that rock-hard aero-grade stuff myself, so some of the 'between' shots of panels being unravelled and pressed back into service really do blow me away.

The aerial mount is a prime example: It's green... which means it's new... and I bet it's not exactly an off-the-shelf part either!

[Renegadenemo]

The aerial mount is a prime example: It's green... which means it's new... and I bet it's not exactly an off-the-shelf part either!

That was a fun little thing to do. Mike turned up one day pointing at a picture and wanting one of those so we cut a few bits of card to get the size and shape right then fabricated it from a few scraps of 1.5mm tin. It has a longitudinal bulkhead inside and a slightly curved base with four captive nuts in it to fasten it down onto a rubber gasket. The sides were made like clam shells then it was welded around the base and along its spine. Finally we machined up that little fitting in the top and welded that in and dressed it all smooth. Dunno if Mike has any more pics of it.

[Mike Bull]

Here's a shot looking the other way to the current pic of the day showing the recreated old aerial mount in progress, and also showing the original piece that sits under the fuel filler flap-

Nipple.jpg

Incidentally- in the workshop the aerial mount is referred to as 'the nipple'.

[Dominic Owen]

By bizarre coincidence.... that was the same word that came to my mind.
If there wasn't atleast one suggestion to make a pair of them and a reference to Madonna, I'm going to be seriously disappointed.

I have to admit that as soon as I saw it I couldn't help think about the processes involved. I'm quite chuffed to say I was pretty spot on about everything except the internals but I had that down to three possibilities.
I'll bet it took bloody ages as well, but you can never impress that upon someone unless they've done something similar themselves or watched the whole process from start to finish.

[DWC21]

Fantastic Work!
I was so blown away by todays pic I had to take a look back at the pictures of the old girl coming out of the Lake; just to remind myself of how much time, effort, hard work and passion has gone in bringing these beautiful intakes back to life.

Pats on backs all round chaps!

[ace_chris]

Love the pic of the day, if the previous one was about nipples, this one is about the dogs nuts! Brill.

[Dominic Owen]

Just out of interest (and with that final top coat coming ever nearer), what was the verdict on the colour for the intake structure: The right wrong shade of blue or the wrong right shade?