Dave's la(te)st buggy build...

I had to pop to B&Q today to get some draught excluder strip for the front door... while I was there I picked up some steel blades for Mr. Jiggy...

So door seal fixed and I can’t ouldn’t help myself... sneaked out into the garage and used Mr Angry to cut most of the rectangular holes for the JimnyBits recovery points to poke through and then finished off with Mr Jiggy -



Lovely! Just needs the number plate recess hole cutting the same way and the last inch of each side folding over, welded and shaped... Sunday’s job then? Seems none of the family are at home for my birthday weekend, so I might as well go and play in the garage!

Won;t the tyres catch on that front bumper?

Nah mate



Miles away

happy birthday

gv42 wrote: happy birthday

o

Thanks! you’re the first to wish me that...

... as it’s tomorrow

Dave

Bit more today..

I started a bit late as I had a nice lie-in after a busy week in the shop, walked the dogs down the river for a swim with the missus, and then had a nice cooked breakfast, before...



... finishing the front bumper. I cut the number plate hole out, cut and bent the edges*, welded them up and ground and sanded it all to shape, and then welded three bars across the hole...

*The edges of the bumper(-ette) are angled to match the body mount above, as I can't alter the chassis in any way they have to remain in place. so those 3" bodylift blocks will get me to the right height to join up to the slam-panel with the bonnet latch... and those big poly bodylift spacers will eventually be hidden behind the JCB headlights I have sat around waiting to be fixed on when the mounts are in place...



... so that the number plate can be eventually fixed straight and slightly recessed. and will allow a bit more air through to the radiator...

It just needs painting later when the grill above is built...

What next? Time was ticking on so I thought I'd do something easy and quick...



So on went the previously modified JimnyBits sill protectors (you may remember I managed to buy an end-of-line pair of driver's side bars and modified one to be the passenger side by flipping all the mounts round).



Passenger modified one fits as well, Phew! That's a relief



And they fit nicely with the line of the wheels and tyres

More soon! It's my birthday weekend... some time for a shower and a Chinese Takeaway!

Bit more today...



I'd been writing a couple of lists in the shop - bits I thought I had, and bits I thought I still needed to finish the buggy, so I started by pushing it out, swept the floor, and then worked through what bits of steel I had in the garage, checked the lists, amended, and will order some more steel soon, but for now I'm trying to use what I have and not spend too much money...



so I dug out the bit of 6"x4" box section I'd cut the bumper from (I bought it to make Vitara steering idler arm brackets but then decided not to bother!) and began marking it up...



And made the top of the grill section out of it, to mount onto the two +3" poly body lift blocks...



The tabs on the ends are for...



The JCB headlight mounts



The original upper grill section / slam panel will be mounted on top (the sheet steel at the bottom will be cut off, just the 'feet' will be welded to the new bit).



I then cut two pieces of plate to make the sides of the lower grill, the donut fairlead mount will sit on the right but needs an extra bit welding on the top to make it the right length and shape, and the other bit is the matching left hand side... It was easier to add a bit to the supplied donut fairlead mount as it would mean cutting the big hlole, and drilling and countersinking the mounting holes!...



Like that, with some perforated sheet to make the lower grill section...

Note that the bonnet is just loose on the safety lever, it will fit more snugly when it's slammed shut

The bonnet will be JCB bright yellow to match the rest of the remaining bodywork, and the lower bit will all be black...

It's all shaped and tacked in place, and just needs stripping off and welding up and then tidying on Sunday... and the headlight mounts adding...

It's coming along now Dave!

It'll be nice to see the vision in your head become realised!

Kirkynut

Some great work Dave

(Nothing done yesterday, I ended up giving myself a well deserved day-off)

Bit more today though! (CBA'd on Sunday :blush: )

Welded the original slam panel to the top of the new upper grill section made last week
Welded all the bits up that had been tacked last week
Dis-assembled it all and welded the back up, and then painted it
Then reassembled it all again, ground it down, sanded it
Painted and added the headlights to their new mounts -



The bonnet catch and release all work fine, that photo shows it slammed down and on the main latch

They are JCB headlights, just enough to make it road-legal, I don't really 'lane in the dark, so no lightbars, etc, have been added to the front... They also have side repeaters built into the body of them, I'll get another photo up sometime...

The lorry wings from Poland via eBay (thanks to Riccy's Ulysses inspiration) are due to arrive with Parcelforce this afternoon

We're out greenlaning on Sunday, so some more next week, hopefully...

Ask Lambert about "cycle wings" for the front mudguards. He suggested it for Ulysses at the back, but I went fixed in the end. They might work better for you with less bodywork around the wheels than me