A new car for a keen daughter...

[Peter Naulls]

Depending how ambitious you are feeling I could supply you with a flat-pack pointy-tail special body complete with assembly instructions, or just one or two parts on which to base your own body. A Cambridge would seem to be the most straightforward, either fabric covered ply or metal depending on where your skills lie. 

Avoid anything with doors or wheelarches (i.e.keep it narrow) if you want it simple. There are a handful of crucial measurements you need to work everything else around but you can measure these off any of the cars in your workshop. 

Happy to chat to you any time about this.

[Malcolm Parker]

I'd go for something like the Paxton body.   It is quite simple to make a sturdy plywood floorpan, especially if you have an Austin steel one to take measurements from.  Body sides could be in 4mm birch ply, one 8 foot sheet would do both sides.  Laminate the curved cockpit sides with two or three strips of similar plywood and fit a plywood bulkhead at the rear of the cockpit and you will soon have a simple, strong and pretty body.  Cover it with leathercloth or apply thin curtain lining material with varnish then paint with  oil based eggshell paint, as I did with the Pytchley.
How about a copy of the record car, ex Mr Jo-Jo, used by Chase and subsequently raced by Derrington?

[Martin Prior]

Does Daisy have her own ideas about what she wants as a body style - open or closed? Sporting, "family" or commercial? 2 or 4 seats? A project like this always starts with a dream and if properly thought out to start with, anything is possible.

[Ian Dunford]

Since Daisy is now at the same age as you were when you started on your mother's Swallow,I really have high hopes for both of you.

[Reckless Rat]

Ah, the Swallow. "It'll be ready on Thursday..."

[Stuart Giles]

If Daisy wants an open 2 seater, the Cambridge Special body shape has good proportions and with the exception of the scuttle 'eyebrows' (which wouldn't detract from the car if they weren't there IMO) is very simple shape with no compound curves. It should be equally straightforward to make over a steel tube frame as with the original timber.

[Davemayle]

I don't know if anyone would have drawings for a Super Accessories body but it looks like one of the most straightforward to build with a couple of ash frames & no compound curves. There are certainly some nice examples finished to a good standard.

[andrew34ruby]

I'm putting up a few photos from one display of various cars in Malaga.

This Rolls Royce shows what can be done with flat panels, even wood, but the compound curves of wheelarches would not be easy.


   

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This shows that a really nice looking seven doesn't have many curves, but again those mudguards/wings would't be easy to make at home. Maybe it is too much like the Highland Coupe.

   

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This has no curves, and looks do-able, but   it's very high and might not look right if done at a more normal height.

   

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This final offering might not appeal, but there are some ideas in there, and no compound curves in these wings.

   

[Ray White]

Hi Ruaidridh. Referring again to your Swallow. You have, presumably, thought about offering it to Daisy? If she wants a project would that not be a good skills training for her?

Should either of you require any help with measurements, photos, patterns etc. I can help.

Ray.

[AustinWood]

When we lived in Bristol & my daughter was about 4, I was starting restoration of a 1935 Straight-8 Daimler.
Lorna used spent time with me on the car.
She would ask "Can we do some spannering Dad?".
30 years later, she's still the same. If there's a job to be done, she just gets on with it. Still the occasional phone call such as "How do you lay under-floor heating"?
Best to start young!