Looking at photos of the original GE Sunshine Saloon floorpan, the plywood used looks to be very thin indeed for what is expected of it. From a structural point of view, the weak point on the early GE floorpan was not particularly the rear body mounting point, rather the sides of the foorpan rear of the chassis.
If you study the photos of the earlyl plywood floorpan and the later 'Wembley' steel floorpan (I am assuming that is what it is) it demonstrates exactly where the weaknesses were in the original design. As an exercise I would like to make a 'Wembley' pattern floorpan out of modern plywood. A project for next winter perhaps?
Those of you who were at Beaulieu or have seen references elsewhere, might have seen the Gordon England Wembley Saloon that attended and I think is now for sale. This photo, taken at a very early Beaulieu rally, shows EC Gordon England talking to Ray Walker, who originally restored the car. I well remember Ray telling me that EC was utterly amazed that any of his cars had survived!
30-07-2021, 05:56 PM (This post was last modified: 30-07-2021, 06:01 PM by Duncan Grimmond.)
Ruairidh, I'd love to make you one in tinplate if I could get some dimensions! The angle of the wing would be a start, but I'd also need the width of the base and top as it seems to taper upwards slightly(?) length along the wing and height from the lower edge.
I can't see a stiffener but there is a slight tip around the circumference just below the seam which I imagine will go under the edge of the top panel.
(30-07-2021, 11:22 AM)Robert Foreman Wrote: Duncan,
If you look closely at the photograph you will see that the can has a stiffener pressed in a semi circular shape.