Phantom GTR - The rebuild part 2

Only a small amout of work will be needed to get a nice blend thanks to the section of mould I used as a jig.

seams will be ground down into shallow V shapes and filled with matt for maximum strength at the join line.

Ground down until the edges of the two panels disappear, ie the new matt underneath is reached

Matt layed up on top of the join to form a fillet

excess matt is sanded down and then gel coat put down to build up the top layer, this gives a better, smoother surface for paint.

gelcoat sanded down, not perfect but I'll leave that for the painter!

This is the latest version of the Phantom console, I plan to modify it with a recessed area for the stereo and switches. The whole console will then be trimmed in vinyl and a metal body colour plate will sit in the recess.

Time to have a clear out, garage was a desert of fibreglass dust!

I made up some new headlight buckets from the phantom moulds, the guts of the M3 bi-xenons are fitted in on long studs to allow adjustment, angel eye will be the sidelight.

making sure the light beam is horizontal, M3 shroud in temporarily. I will make a custom shroud with a recess for the angel eye out of carbon fibre, the rest will be painted matt black.

Angel eye side-light sanded down and flame-polished

I think it looked a bit strange with a raised plinth on the standard console, so this piece of MDF will create a recessed area into which I will fit a body colour section, the rest will be trimmed.

Phase Linear 10" subwoofer, the choice of audiophiles! Very small box requirement too which helps.

Centre console in position, it's slightly wider than the old one so the dash will have to be modified to suit. I think I'll also modify the rear section to be lower or make it into a stowage bin..

Not finished, but I couldn't resist painted it all black to see what it will look like!

sidelight and dipped xenon... the shroud needs more paint to stop light bleeding through but it isn't far off how the final light will look.

bought a fourth wheel off ebay but it was a bit manky with parts corroded so I stripped it down, etch primed then top coat...

Holes now cut out for indicators and the 'fog light' holes to become extra grills. I saw some pics of the micra fog lights close up and they look very dated so the passenger side will become a ducted heater intake, the other will be a dummy grill. I will be replacing the indicator lenses with clear versions from Rich at www.protocast.co.uk

number plate plinth from a scrap car, this is the beginnings of a moulded plinth so the plate doesn't look like such an afterthought

Just about perfect size! Lots of cutting to get it in, the dashtop ducting has been clearanced and the thin section of the dash replaced with a steel frame for the door hinges

Centre console lid form the Rover 200 will donate it's hinge and clip..

Rear lights imported from America will suit the headlights really well.

re-profiling the dash to match the corsa steering column shroud

Polyfiller expanding foam, easy to shape and resistant to fibreglass resin so I'll probably fibreglass on top and then dig out the foam afterwards from the rear.

Roughly shaped in foam, now fibreglass is laid up, before final filling.

Main dash is now finished apart from trim.

Console modified to be opening

I moulded a second depressed section from the handbrake surround and cut it in half to give more space to open the lid with a recess under the front and a raised section at the front of the lid. Hinge and catch also fitted.

Mock up of centre console switch panel

Actual aluminium faceplate cut to shape and stereo hole cut. It actually looks pretty good in a brushed finish! Need to buy a 28mm hole saw for the 27mm round switches to poke through..

Steel brace fabricated and fibreglassed into the rear of the console to properly support the head unit.

thicker aluminium plate holds the switches in place behind the front panel

Electric window and aux buttons holes cut in faceplate.

Everything positioned, just have to paint it matt black now and refit after the rest of the console has been trimmed.

The door panel needs building up to take the 6 1/2" mid speaker

Here you can see how much it needs building up, I have cut out an mdf mounting ring and cut a recess in it to sit the speaker sub flush.

Finished instrument panel (I have since painted the back black too so you can't see any white around the buttons)

For some reason the mounting points on the S2000 seats weren't symmetrical, so I cut the longer one off, shortened it and then welded it back on

As I have moved all the buttons to the centre console, I am slimming down the side parts of the instrument surround, the tape is roughly the amount to be cut out.

Being fibreglassed back together..

main dash section had to be slimmed down to fit under the narrowed binnacle

and new material added to fill the hole..

I got this sub box with the beetle, I removed the sub and turned the box around and it will fit nicely behind the passenger seat

This is the chassis that was built after mine, it has several 'productionised' tweaks and I will rebuild this with the production front suspension.

All one piece now!	Only a small amout of work will be needed to get a nice blend thanks to the section of mould I used as a jig.
seams will be ground down into shallow V shapes and filled with matt for maximum strength at the join line.	Ground down until the edges of the two panels disappear, ie the new matt underneath is reached
Matt layed up on top of the join to form a fillet	excess matt is sanded down and then gel coat put down to build up the top layer, this gives a better, smoother surface for paint.
gelcoat sanded down, not perfect but I'll leave that for the painter!	This is the latest version of the Phantom console, I plan to modify it with a recessed area for the stereo and switches. The whole console will then be trimmed in vinyl and a metal body colour plate will sit in the recess.
Time to have a clear out, garage was a desert of fibreglass dust!
I made up some new headlight buckets from the phantom moulds, the guts of the M3 bi-xenons are fitted in on long studs to allow adjustment, angel eye will be the sidelight.	Back end of light
making sure the light beam is horizontal, M3 shroud in temporarily. I will make a custom shroud with a recess for the angel eye out of carbon fibre, the rest will be painted matt black.	Angel eye side-light sanded down and flame-polished
I think it looked a bit strange with a raised plinth on the standard console, so this piece of MDF will create a recessed area into which I will fit a body colour section, the rest will be trimmed.	Phase Linear 10" subwoofer, the choice of audiophiles! Very small box requirement too which helps.
Centre console in position, it's slightly wider than the old one so the dash will have to be modified to suit. I think I'll also modify the rear section to be lower or make it into a stowage bin..	Not finished, but I couldn't resist painted it all black to see what it will look like!
Sidelight on...	sidelight and dipped xenon... the shroud needs more paint to stop light bleeding through but it isn't far off how the final light will look.
	bought a fourth wheel off ebay but it was a bit manky with parts corroded so I stripped it down, etch primed then top coat...
Holes now cut out for indicators and the 'fog light' holes to become extra grills. I saw some pics of the micra fog lights close up and they look very dated so the passenger side will become a ducted heater intake, the other will be a dummy grill. I will be replacing the indicator lenses with clear versions from Rich at www.protocast.co.uk	number plate plinth from a scrap car, this is the beginnings of a moulded plinth so the plate doesn't look like such an afterthought
Rover 200 glovebox	Just about perfect size! Lots of cutting to get it in, the dashtop ducting has been clearanced and the thin section of the dash replaced with a steel frame for the door hinges
Centre console lid form the Rover 200 will donate it's hinge and clip..	Rear lights imported from America will suit the headlights really well.
re-profiling the dash to match the corsa steering column shroud	Polyfiller expanding foam, easy to shape and resistant to fibreglass resin so I'll probably fibreglass on top and then dig out the foam afterwards from the rear.
Roughly shaped in foam, now fibreglass is laid up, before final filling.	All sanded!
Main dash is now finished apart from trim.	Console modified to be opening
I moulded a second depressed section from the handbrake surround and cut it in half to give more space to open the lid with a recess under the front and a raised section at the front of the lid. Hinge and catch also fitted.	Mock up of centre console switch panel
Actual aluminium faceplate cut to shape and stereo hole cut. It actually looks pretty good in a brushed finish! Need to buy a 28mm hole saw for the 27mm round switches to poke through..	Steel brace fabricated and fibreglassed into the rear of the console to properly support the head unit.
thicker aluminium plate holds the switches in place behind the front panel	Electric window and aux buttons holes cut in faceplate.
Everything positioned, just have to paint it matt black now and refit after the rest of the console has been trimmed.	The door panel needs building up to take the 6 1/2" mid speaker
Here you can see how much it needs building up, I have cut out an mdf mounting ring and cut a recess in it to sit the speaker sub flush.	Finished instrument panel (I have since painted the back black too so you can't see any white around the buttons)
For some reason the mounting points on the S2000 seats weren't symmetrical, so I cut the longer one off, shortened it and then welded it back on	As I have moved all the buttons to the centre console, I am slimming down the side parts of the instrument surround, the tape is roughly the amount to be cut out.
Being fibreglassed back together..	nearly finished..
main dash section had to be slimmed down to fit under the narrowed binnacle	and new material added to fill the hole..
I got this sub box with the beetle, I removed the sub and turned the box around and it will fit nicely behind the passenger seat
This is the chassis that was built after mine, it has several 'productionised' tweaks and I will rebuild this with the production front suspension.