Goodfellas Streetmachine

[Tommy]

Steering wheel came out decent. It's just covered with the same vinyl as the seats. My 3 wheel options :-)

[indisguise]

Tommy,

Love the steering wheel. Your sewing skills are awesome. How did you make the template?

[Tommy]

My mother did all the sewing. It was quite difficult. The first picture shows how the template was done. The spokes were just roughly cut at that point and then trimmed later. They were on right place on the second try. Material was stretching even more than I expected. It's not perfect but good enough.

[Tommy]

I have finished the structural fixing of rear subframe mounting points. I fitted the rocker panels with pop rivets so that they can be removed if necessary. I also made extra turbo-style sheets to strengthen rockers. Test fitted the front wings for the first time - they are decent not perfect.

Last picture shows my biggest worry. I'm in deep shit with the rear wheel arches and 1/4-panel area. I have crappy repair panels and then nothing forward from them. I'm now asking around quotes for original quarter panels and contemplating if I can afford to invest about 15 hundred euros in them. :-(

[Tommy]

Center console is nearly finished and my "new" Pioneer is installed. I will try to make a connection for mp3-player. There will only be one speaker under the radio or another option is spherical speakers on rear shelf.

It seems I have to re-write the budged and make the order for quarterpanels...

[indisguise]

Tommy,

The progress on your build is amazing. I always enjoy the quality of your work ..one word is INSPIRING..alot of people pay professionals good money to do this and its usually inferior to this!.

Good luck on the rear 3/4 panel.

Lance

[harrym2]

Good project blog and loads of good info . going to be a good car when done

[Tommy]

Thanks Harry and Indi :-)

The fenders fit mostly fine. Fitting to nose is good on other side and other - well, not so good.

I'm now preparing trunk area for new floor and quarters. Again ended up doing a bit more than planned. I replaced the whole beam where diff is mounted.

[Tommy]

I removed the nosepanel. Pictures show some problem areas of the replacement part.

[Schweineback]

I reckon it's an aftermarket replacement part. I have some sills laying around. Like 0.6 mm steel (okay maybe 0.8). Flimsy like a pancake, and way off.

Don't W&N sell original noses? You're so meticulous a shame to waste your work with ill-fitting parts.

My 2 cents...

[Tommy]

Well I don't know about availability of original noses but I'm on limited budged. Actually the nose and fenders are ok for being aftermarket parts. With some work they will be fine.

[Tommy]

I've been fighting with the nose and fenders for hours. Of course fenders don't fit with the new nose. Patched the crooked snorkel. At least it was easy to remove, 3 lousy spotwelds. I have now bored out about half of the spotwelds from the nose. It would have been easier to fix the old one than fit this - easy to say now.

Today I bough a set of wheels - again. Well I traded a set of Bilsteins for a set of BBS RM's 7x15 ET25. I still have the 6x15 ET35 RA's too. Now I don't have shocks though...

[Tommy]

I have been working all the time but there's not much finished to show. Nose is welded on, trunk floor is fitted temporarily. Rear panel is under construction. There's a lot of work but I'm not gonna buy a new one.

[Schweineback]

Tommy if you want to "upgrade" to roundie tail lights I got a more or less decent upper rear panel you can have for shipping costs.

[oz_tom]

Going well Tommy. Looking forward to more updates!