It's not going to happen

Sat.29.09.07. It was necessary to drill 20mm holes in each of the corners of the ‘boot collar’ to enable the rectangular space to be cut using the jigsaw.  This frame will become the support structure for the ‘bootbox’. A 6mm rebate was later cut in the corners of the actual box to accommodate the rounded edges of the collar. The box was then secured to the frame by a series of 10mm screws at 60mm intervals. A definite consideration at this point, to ensure the weather proofing of the assembly, would be to line all the exposed exterior panels with glass fibre. As in the original construction, the body parts that have best survived the neglect of 27 years have been the ones where the marine ply has been smothered in glass: this combination of materials, particularly on the more vulnerable bare edges has endured, extraordinarily, every extreme type of environment.  The construction, gluing, eventual screwing and glassing will be completed after a further dry test on the body tub itself. The boot lining has inevitably suffered some peripheral damage that has been effectively repaired by bonding and clamping the laminates. Just as with the ‘box’, although not quite as open to the elements, the boot lining would also benefit from a substantial layer of glass.

The fine moulding of the undertrim continues with minute additions of filler to achieve the definitive form. The further employment of ‘maple’ for this appendage still remains an uncomfortable design decision. Leather or wood, an S and M dream.

Sun.30.09.07. I made a sneaky run up to Westmead, whilst Chris was in ‘Sam’s’, to verify, uninterrupted, the accurate fitting of the bootbox, before I begin to reinforce the structure with a layer of fibreglass. Mon dieu, whilst there and to my dismay, I noticed that it also appears that Chris has spent some time, yet again, flatting down the bonnet and nose cone. If my memory is correct Young Danny undertook this work many months previously, his toil had been accepted to every body’s satisfaction and approval. The fact that Chris had decided that this work was no longer up to standard was another reminder that in his eyes ‘nothing is’ or ‘ever will be’ good enough. But, to re-peat, re-do, re-plicate and re-work, at this critical stage of the project, is utterly pointless, down right wasteful as well as just plain strange, but more significantly, this simple act is yet another signal that also, in my view, potentially undermines every other persons contribution to the overall project.   

This is the last day of September. The body tub has not yet been removed and we have a maximum of 30 days to get the car on the road for tests. NFC.