Guest Anonymous Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 web page http://photos.yahoo.com//ljohnson Nezzie 76 and I are tooling up for a fiberglass top for his Vello Rossa since the TR7 ragtop option is a handyman's nightmare ie: "cut 2 inches off the top of the rear strut towers for the top to lay flat". We just cut 2 inches out of the strut tubes to get the car to lay flat. We plan to cast a mold from my Origin fiberglass convertible top. The Origin convertible top does not fit the Vello Rossa but we will take the "copy" from the mold and fit it to the Vello Rossa. This fiberglass work and mold making is not cheap for materials and rather labor intensive. No wonder the carbon fiber parts are so expensive. We should get started within a week. I made some molds today for some louver vents to try out the gelcoat,release wax, and PVA release agent. We are on the look out for an easy bank job and a fiberglass expert to kidnap. Any confidential leads will be apreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maichor Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Wow! I'm interested to see what that would look like. I'm not familiar with the Origin top. Any pics? It would be nice to get a hardtop for the VR. I thought John had a hardtop mold. Is that gone with the rest of the stuff. It might be cheaper than making a new mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 web pagephotos.yahoo.com/ljohnson97438 A Vello Rossa hard top from John Washington? John is still active and trying to revive his business from the other folks. I for one hope this happens since he had a solid reputation in the kit car business. Apparently John Washington acquired the Origin convertible "molds" in Arizona, a few years back when that friend of his went out of business. I also plan to use the Origin convertible top mold for a top for the Tomahawk also. The top resembles the 60's Jaguar XKE roadster top and will need to be lenghened to accomodate the Vello Rossa and Tomahawk bodies.. The mold will also be good experience for both of us to learn from.The copy from our mold will have to be modified to fit the two different cars rear bulk head and windshield header. I just popped my real first fiberglass (2) molds from the bucks: louver vents. All the "defination" is there but I made the mistake of thinning the gel coat with acetone but an easy repair fix to remedy. I have no way to adequetely spray gelcoat without the fear of permanently clogging a spray gun with hardened resin and rely on sponge brushes which does not produce a smooth even finish. As for pictures, we both seem to neglect this aspect. Wagz in Portland has offered to host pictures for us......BTW Arizona Z Car is also offering a GTO 250 kit "mold" in their fiberglass going out of business sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Drewz Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 MMMMMMMMMMMM Hardtop would be sweet !!!!!! Keep a posting on this one please. Will it be for stock bodies or just Toma. and GTO's??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 web page Drew Z... the top I plan to make the mold from is for an Origin Z convertible kit that was manufactured a few years in Phoenix Arizona by Steve Hammond which utilzed a rear fiberglass cap with trunk lid and built in spoiler similar to the Velo Rossa. I know a fellow that has a Z Therapy all steel Z convertible with a TR 7 rag top but I am now curious how close the fiberglass top is to fitting the Z Therapy convertible. If I get the chance, I will see. Since my Origin convertible cap was out of the way in a the shed, I never checked the "fit" of the TR7 rag top when Nezzie 76 brought it out. The TR7 top bows were not even close for the Vello Rossa . I have long suspected (?) that the Origin rear convertible cap may have been splashed from a Z Therapy convertible. John Washington may be able to give us a history on the developement of the Origin and Vello Rossa since Steve Hammond offered to take me to meet John W. and see a Vello Rossa when I purchased the Origin kit. The Origin's rear bulk head is similar to the Vello Rossa in style but not dimensionally. The Origin trunklid is similar to the Vello Rossa and utilizes the same Mazda RX7 out side hatch hinges and Volkswagon pull lock. The fiberglass windshield headers are different between the VR and Origin too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Drewz Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Need................more.........info.......heheh Any info on the top dealie whether it is a soft or hardtop is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Drew Z.. I took a couple pictures with my film camera of the Origin convertible top today web page . Hopefully the cut out rear window molding problem was solved to day by mounting the plexiglass window on the interior flange and sealing the exterior window flange to the plexiglass rear window with hardening gasket goop. Had a little bowtie engine paint in a rattle can and layed it on the goop and plexiglass to lay a better foundation for the "green wax" and PVA parting agent.Looks like the day after Thanksgiving, we will be "splashing a mold" on the top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Drewz Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 If possible some scanned photos of the process of fitment and whatever else would be nice. I am going to fab the convert. myself but I would rather buy the hardtop as I barely have time to do the things I have on my plate now. Thanks for the updates you efforts are duely noted!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 additional HYbrid web page post on the TR7 convertible top conversion for the Zee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 29, 2002 Share Posted November 29, 2002 Pictures are coming. web page Nate obtained a digital camera. Started on the header flange of the convertible hardtop today...Layed on the green wax and parting film..smeared on the white gelcoat with a cheap brush..wetted the fiberglass cloth and got real serious with the fiberglass mat and resin.(approximately 3 1/2 hours for this one part) Hopefully the mold will pop off tomorrow..We worked outside in the sunshine and still got high on fumes. Looks like it is curing properly in an insulated shed. Wrapped some garage sale "shrink wrap" over the curing fiberglass to cut down on air exposure.Turns a blue /green color when curing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Drewz Posted November 29, 2002 Share Posted November 29, 2002 Thanks dood!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 5, 2002 Share Posted December 5, 2002 web page Pulled the new fiberglass mold off the Origin convertible top today..Really looks good with 3 small spots with aligator wrinkling of the gel coat (acetone).Plans are to begin laying glass for the new top header flange in it's seperate mold, Sunday and wax preparing/gelcoating the new top mold for the first COPY of the Vello Rossa fiberglass convertible top. The top mold really surprised me with the ease that it came (cracked) off the convertible top and the quality and smoothness of the inside finish. Found some good door glass seal at the junkyard in 80's Toyota Celica. Screw on flat metal channel and rubber weatherseal that fits the Z window profile and Origin window flange. Still have not figured out a good weather seal for the windshield header Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 8, 2002 Share Posted December 8, 2002 Some new (poor) pictures from my 35 mm that I have on YaHoo web page One photo shows the fiberglass block off plates that I made around the Griffin Radiator to force all the air thru the radiator to engine. One photo is the inside of the new mold for the Vello Rossa convertible top. Another is the 1980's Sentra scissor trunk hinge that is mounted on the Tomahawk fender flange to the hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280Zone Posted December 8, 2002 Share Posted December 8, 2002 It says there are no photos in your album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 8, 2002 Share Posted December 8, 2002 I just tried it and there are 13 pictures web page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VRJoe Posted December 8, 2002 Share Posted December 8, 2002 Just tried to check the pics and it said no photos in album - Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 8, 2002 Share Posted December 8, 2002 web page http://photos.yahoo.com/ljohnson97438 It works for me ????? RE-EDIT Works about half the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280Zone Posted December 8, 2002 Share Posted December 8, 2002 I tried again and still nothin : ( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 8, 2002 Share Posted December 8, 2002 I had earlier emailed pictures to WagZ in Portland to post for me. I have no idea what the problem is..sometimes the pictures are there and at other times not.Keep trying web page http://photos.yahoo.com/ljohnson97438 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nezzie76 Posted December 8, 2002 Share Posted December 8, 2002 I'll check it out tomorrow, that's where I post my pics. SOmetimes they have you do some weird stuff. Should be out around noon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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