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thread: F355 GTS replica restoration

  1. #1

    Sep 2012
    Southend
    97

    F355 GTS replica restoration

    Well, I jumped in with both feet on this one!

    Pros: Woodsport 3VZFE conversion, adjustable coil overs, Heywood and Scott loud pipey thing, Burgandy leather, full targa

    Cons: Full targa - with no extra bracing, rear deck split, cracks at roof join, wibbly panels and rough finish

    So someone obviously spent a fair bit on this car at some stage - the engine conversion we all know represents a few grand, the exhaust must've cost a grand, the interior retrim probably 1500, coil over conversion, correct size conti tyres all round - prolly £600 and then fitting the kit and painting. It's so weird that the kit fitment and finish is unbelievably rough considering the money that's been splashed. the car has been left for long periods as the previous owner works in Saudi most of the year - consequently it's a bit unloved.

    When it was in storage the rear screen got broken - to change it they just cut a chunk out of the left hand buttress - nice!!

    Thing is with the V6 and exhaust it does a very passable impression of the real thing and from 10 feet plus away the overall look of the car is reasonable convincing. It's the Extreme kit which is probably the most right looking out there (none of them are correct despite all the panels molded off the real thing BS!)

    She cam to me with a broken drop link and I've only just managed to get a set of adjustables sorted. Next up is replacing the targa door window seals as it's leaking. Following that something a bit radical... I spoke to Paul about ways to wring extra go out of the 3VZ but as we know it's not a tuning behemoth and the only option really is the bolt on TRD charger. Paul suggested the other thing to concentrate on was weight - this MR2 is probably considerably lardier than the average wearing as it does and a heavy fibreglass skirt. I say skirt because, well it's quite funny looking underneath it to jack the car up cos you can see the MR2 in the middle and then this sort of hovercraft skirt of grp round the outside!

    Anyway the double skin bonnet weighs a bloody ton - no joke it's ridiculously heavy and the rear deck is no lightweight either. Luckily I know a man who can help and has bravely offered to make me up an alloy bonnet and rear deck! www.bonvillepanelcraft.co.uk Buster's a top bloke with proper skills. So over the winter the old gal will be getting some new skin which will solve two probs - the weight and the rear deck split.

    Before that though I have inner arch rubbing to contend with - going to need a bit of gentle reshaping of the tub to get proper clearance and also allow me to lower it a bit.

    After the alloy panels are on it's body shop and paint - money, money, money!!!

    This is what she currently looks like:











    If you're in the Southend area and you see a rather dog eared Fezza gunning about the place say hello (it's alright, I don't mind if you wear dark glasses and a moustache so as not to be associated with it, lol!)

  2. #2
    Goldy's Avatar
    Nov 2005
    Liverpool/Manchester
    2,227
    looks reasonably smart to me! Nice to see one in silver rather than the usual red!

  3. #3

    Sep 2012
    Southend
    97
    Ha-ha! the wonders of photos.

    Close ups reveal a little more of the issues...








  4. #4
    snowtigger's Avatar
    Sep 2007
    stockport
    5,475
    Not bad have a look at pilot Petes now that's a good looking replica, with 2gr power best money spent if you want the go as well as the show.

  5. #5

    Sep 2012
    Southend
    97
    Seen Pilot Pete's on youtube - I'm extremely envious of that engine! I just can't justify the cost - I'll never recoup it - 355 reps top out at £10k these days. I must console myself with alloy bonnet and boot and (fingers crossed) a supercharger

  6. #6
    briweekes's Avatar
    Aug 2010
    Ireland
    372
    Aha, I was looking at that very car when it was for sale, looks great IMHO. Have one already, the wife would not have been impressed. I used to live near southend (Rayleigh), and my brother has a specialist fibreglass manufacturing facility on Canvey Island, send me a message if you need any help (als the F355 replica (private) facebook group). I'm guessing you havn't seen many 355 reps, I'd say 70% are very rough. There are some amazing ones in the Italian replica car club, dare I say- as good as or better (ie usable) than the real deal in a couple of cases- you think that one has had lots of money spent, you've not seen anything yet! It'd be good to meet up, I get to Southend a fair bit

  7. #7

    Sep 2012
    Southend
    97
    Brian - I'm in the centre of Southend any time you're about give us a shout. GRP specialist? You're my new bestest pal!! LOL!

    FB group would be great - I'll pm you.

  8. #8

    Sep 2012
    Southend
    97
    I have got exactly the sum total of nowhere on the car so far. I've not even fitted the new adjustable drop links I finally got!

    Actually I have done something. Possibly one of the most essential items ever - what better for a fake Ferrari than a fake Momo steering wheel! (No-mo as I like to call it).

    Lack of funds is causing agro as my other toy has failed to sell and is likely to come back to me (had it on sale or return at a kit car specialist) so I am a man of cars but no money!


  9. #9

    Sep 2012
    Southend
    97
    And to top it off I got a flat rear offside at weekend - didn't notice and the alloy sliced a nice hole in inner wall so tyre is total loss. Strange even with massive hole and clearly no air the tyre still doesn't look that flat!

    To make matters worse the rears are Continental ContactSport 265 40 17....ouch!

    In the end I managed to source part worn with 5mm @ £50 delivered so not too bad

  10. #10

    Aug 2012
    old knebworth
    10
    I have been warned about doing a full targa conversion on thr mk2 MR2, some say it affects the handling, others say it weakens it to much, so what do people think? It looks right for the replicas, i saw Extremes yellow car with full targa & it had me guessing, so is it a can do or has there to be more bracing?

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