Musings on Design for a Special

[Jamie]

I have been sketching ideas for a Ruby based special for a while now. As I originally had just the chassis; no engine and no shell, I was going to fit a Reliant engine and a shell fabricated from scratch. I have since picked up a decent A7 running engine and gearbox for a very fair price and the rotted and mangled remains of the original body. My current musings are based on using what I can salvage from the shell, minus the parts which are beyond the pale.

The top picture was my original plan, but I cannot really get the proportions to look quite right. The rest are my current ideas; I have always wanted a convertible, like a Morgan, but not an Ulster or anything of that ilk. The lines will need refining, but this gives a general idea.
 
Time will tell what I actually end up creating...........

Jamie.

   

   
   
   

[Tom the Blacksmith]

Looking good Jamie, do you think you will introduce some bracing once the roof gets removed?

If I had a sacrificial ruby I'd be tempted to do a hot rod roof chop, loose the rear seats and seat box, rake the steering and bolt the seats to the floor further back.......but I've already got too many projects   .

Keep us posted on your project, always like to see a special progressing.

Tom

[Howard Wright]

Excellent ideas.

I have in the back of my mind an idea to create a coupe Ruby.  A little like your first sketch and my all time favourite movie car (the little deuce coupe in American Graffiti). Holden produced one in Australia as shown on page 434 of the Source Book. I'm sure our Australian friends may be able to provide pictures.

Cheers

Howard

[Duncan Grimmond]

I found that a plan and elevation outline drawing(s) which you can repeatedly print out is invaluable. You save so much time having the basis there on which you can run riot with your "rose-tinted pencil".

I like your initial ideas and particularly the soft top/open sports tourer option. A doorless body is always easier and in general much stronger than one with big gaping apertures in the sides IMHO. A single half door is also an attractive option...
Beware of narrowing the gap between the bottom of the steering wheel and the forward top edge of the seat squab and definitely measure your inside leg!

[Derek Sheldon]

Looks similar to Chris Gould’s Epsom special. Google it

[Timothy P]

Here's Photo link to all of Clive Barker's Flickr photos of Chris Gould's Big 7 Epsom Special, as referenced by Derek. Just click the photo and it should take you a set of all of them.

[Jamie]

Thank you for the suggestions and comments. Recently, I found some sketches of a car which I did when I was still at school and I remember day dreaming about building it for real one day. I have realised that those drawings are very similar to the open top design I have posted.

Tom: yes, I shall introduce some bracing, but I am not sure where, yet. I have sat in a box saloon which had had the roof chopped and lowered and the seats bolted to the floor. Otherwise, it was cosmetically standard. It looked good, but felt claustrophobic and the windscreen was like looking through a letter box.

Howard: I have seen somewhere pictures of an Australian Ruby Roadster which was rather nice.

Duncan: I agree that having no doors, or at least just a part door would be easier, but I really cannot imagine my wife clambering in, over the side of the thing. Good points about leg room and knee space. I shall need to do a fair bit of checking and experimenting with layouts. My son is well over six foot, so I shall need to make sure that it will accommodate him as well.

Derek and Tim: thank you for the links to the Chris Gould Epsom special. I shall have a good look at that as it looks good.

Once I get started, I shall post updates. Before that, though, I need to put up a new garage.

Regards,

Jamie.

[Martin Prior]

This thread is of interest to us (Martin Prior and Son's Motor Works), as for some time we've been quietly developing plans to address the problem of specials with saloon paperwork,

We're working on a prototype hard-top sports coupe body, based as far as possible around our standard RK saloon woodwork kit, but built significantly lower.  We plan to offer this in short and long wheelbase versions.

Subject to fitting it in with other work, we would hope to have a rough full-sized mock-up built over the next few weeks.

More in due course! 

PS - this is why we have a "Wants" ad for a suitable scrap floorpan!

[Mark R]

A friend was planning to build a special, along the lines of a simple GN type body. He then took on a dog and thought a saloon may be more suitable. I tried to suggest a miniature version of the Blue Train Bentley, always thought that'd make a nice Austin special, not sure if the proportions would work, it never got further  than my suggestion.

[Timothy P]

Martin, that sounds very smart indeed.
Jamie, here's another special that may be food for thought for you, though it is SWB. 
Gerald Walker's 1929 Coupe Cabriolet. Photos from 750MC Beaulieu last year click the photo for more of the same car...