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 Post subject: Leitch Super Sprint with doors and top
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:52 pm 
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Hi guys. I have been working on the car over the winter and have made a tonneau, doors, and fold down top. The tonneau is just on the rear and the doors are made of aluminum with windows. I don't like the snaps a bunch of people use so I made up an aluminum header bow and one to go around the rear of the car and the top attaches to them. They in turn latch to the body and windshield frame on the inside and the complete top can be removed in about 2 minutes with 4 latches and 2 bolts. The top can also be folded half way back for easier access and then pulled forward and latched down from the inside. The doors attach to the windshield supports and I made a slide/spring latch for the rear. Can be opened from inside or out. I put Lexan in the windows, they don't roll up or down. I had it up to about 60 the other day when it was sunny and 23 and it was pretty good. I still have to finish it up and paint the upper edge of the door to continue on my stripe etc. Doors weigh about 5-6lbs each. The top and tonneau are my first attemps at sewing so they could be better and I will make another later on when I sew some more stuff. It will do in the mean time. Have a look and let me know what you think.


Attachments:
File comment: Tonneau
11-11-07 006.jpg
11-11-07 006.jpg [ 43.24 KiB | Viewed 11762 times ]
File comment: Side.
IM000009.JPG
IM000009.JPG [ 60.72 KiB | Viewed 11762 times ]
File comment: Side and rear. At this stage it is about 90% complete. Drip rails over door tops are now added.
IM000003.JPG
IM000003.JPG [ 249.69 KiB | Viewed 11774 times ]
File comment: View from the front. The doors are bowed at the back to give some more elbow room.
IM000001.JPG
IM000001.JPG [ 245.5 KiB | Viewed 11769 times ]

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:59 pm 
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Location: Visalia, Ca
Those doors look real good! Can you post a picture of the rear latches you talked about. Any pics with more detail would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Rod

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Driving a +442E with 450 Hp Ford 347 v8, T5, 8 stack EFI w/EDIS8 & MegaSquirt ITB Mode.
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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:32 pm 
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Yeah I would like more pic's of the door. Everything looks great. Russ


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:47 pm 
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Sure can.. They are a little fuzzy. :oops: I haven't taken one of the latch yet but I will and add that later.


Attachments:
File comment: Latch isn't on at this point. Sits just above the body line at the rear.
11-11-07 037.jpg
11-11-07 037.jpg [ 24.49 KiB | Viewed 11725 times ]
File comment: Outer door skin
11-11-07 040.jpg
11-11-07 040.jpg [ 19.32 KiB | Viewed 11725 times ]
File comment: The hard part. Double concave with a lip on either side. Skin attaches like a regular door skin
11-11-07 041.jpg
11-11-07 041.jpg [ 19.72 KiB | Viewed 11724 times ]
File comment: Around top of door
11-11-07 034.jpg
11-11-07 034.jpg [ 22.28 KiB | Viewed 11719 times ]
File comment: Frame in opening
11-11-07 033.jpg
11-11-07 033.jpg [ 22.96 KiB | Viewed 11719 times ]

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:00 am 
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Location: Lexington, KY
Looks great! I like the aggressive look of the top. Sweetie says it looks like the Munster's hot rod! 8)

Got any pictures of the door open?

-dave

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:10 pm 
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Here are some pictures of the latch and the inside of the door. Not quite finished yet as I have some clean up to do etc. At the moment I have an allen head bolt as the handle. The shaft of the latch has a threaded hole in it. There is a hole at the rear of the shaft, this is where a cable will attach and it will be mounted at the front of the door. The shaft in the latch is spring loaded so when you pull on the cable the latch will slide allowing the door to open. The cable idea came from the early Minis (1960 era) The lexan is two sided taped around the perimeter of the frame, pop rivited along the lower edge and then painted on the inside to hide the attaching. Similar to how new cars have their mountings hidden. This is not a crash worthy door, :shock: just what I feel, a better version of the Caterham door. Looks more like it belongs on there rather than what somebody made from an old tent. Mine fits the top and seals up against the top. All the Caterhams I have seen have gaps around them. Mine will keep the rain out. Designed to be water resistant, not water proof. :wink:


Attachments:
File comment: Outside of door
Inner door 006.jpg
Inner door 006.jpg [ 16.78 KiB | Viewed 11648 times ]
File comment: Sliding handle (temporary allen head bolt)
Inner door 004.jpg
Inner door 004.jpg [ 12.41 KiB | Viewed 11653 times ]
File comment: Latching area on extension. This latches to inner panel and is attached at the rear where the bolt goes through to attach the center hood bows. The top is velcroed to the extension to allow the top to fold all the way down.
Inner door 008.jpg
Inner door 008.jpg [ 17.72 KiB | Viewed 11643 times ]
File comment: Latch. Spring in the inside, cable attaches at rear in hole to slide the lock open.
Inner door 003.jpg
Inner door 003.jpg [ 17.23 KiB | Viewed 11640 times ]
File comment: Inner door open. I may put some carpet on the inside to keep the coolness out.
Inner door 007.jpg
Inner door 007.jpg [ 19.15 KiB | Viewed 11638 times ]

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:04 pm 
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So, to the windshield and the rear it attaches kinda like a Jeep top?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:42 pm 
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Location: Sunny-Okanagan, Canada, eh?!
Caterhams use two leather(?) straps with snaps to secure the door - one at the door bottom and one near your shoulder. They remain unsecured when you are out of the vehicle.

I like your doors though. I need to make some....

G

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:16 pm 
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Location: Visalia, Ca
Thanks for the pics Graham, excellent work!

Rod

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Driving a +442E with 450 Hp Ford 347 v8, T5, 8 stack EFI w/EDIS8 & MegaSquirt ITB Mode.
12,000+ enthusiastic miles as of 1/1/11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvYJlYc4GU
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/beergodrod/
Now building a 1953 Chevy 1 ton panel with Frito Lay truck parts and a Cummins 4BTA
and a 1963 Nova SS


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 Post subject: Doors
PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:28 am 
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Location: S.E. Michigan
Graham

Those are great looking doors. I like the idea of two sided tape for the Lexan. Let us know how it holds up in the weather.
This is good timing I just finished my hinges and door frames, and I have been trying to come up with a latch that would would. The problem I have is that my doors go all the way back to the roll bar. But it looks like your latch designed could be adapted to a pull cable that I could position mid way on the door frame. Is it spring Loaded?
Your doors looks real good with so few rivets, I had planned on riveting around the perimeter, but your looks much nicer. How did you fit the panels to the door frame, is it just the folded over the frame, did you use any glue.
You did a great job on the doors Dave W


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:06 pm 
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Looking good, Graham! :D

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...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:34 pm 
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Hi Dave. The skin is just folded over the frame like a regular car door. The rivets go through the skin, lexan, and into the center part of the frame. The screws for the hinge also hold it on at the front as I have just a folded (90 degree) edge there to attach weather strip to. The w/strip seals to the windshield mount. Seems to work for air so far but it hasn't seen the rain yet. Still snowing here.

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 Post subject: Doors
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:48 am 
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Location: S.E. Michigan
Graham

I think I'm going with your rear latch design, I was toying with putting a latch in the center, actually made two latches but I don't like a post even a small one sticking up in side rail area that you would have to pass over. I have to think that the rear latch is going to be more effective. I 'm not looking off water tight doors, I'm just looking for enough to extend the driving season another month. I'm planning on putting a sliding window in half the section. We'll see how that works. Thanks for the info.
Another one waiting for the snow to melt Dave W


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:13 pm 
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Graham,

That's looking great! What are the tail lights and the gas filler cover from? Were they big ticket items?

John


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:57 pm 
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Both the tail lights and the gas flap are motorcycle ebay items. The tail lights are similar to the series one 7 which I believe were Morris Minor units.

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