It all started innocently enough. Mike brought Ermy (the orange MX5) as a £200 non runner which “needed some work” and Jamie joined in with the fixing. Together they welded some rust, replaced a head gasket (twice) and other small tasks.
They had fun with that, so then they went crazy and decided to go much bigger and build an ‘Exocet’ kit car based on MX5 running gear. A donar car was found and the rest is a work in progress.
The Twits
Jamie + Lion
Jamie is an autistic web developer and general geek. fod his day job he works for the BBC making internet’s as well as regular public speaking events on the subject.
At weekends he is head of saying “we are being dumb, let’s Google this” whenever Wookie reaches for a hammer. Jamie prefers a more meticulous and planned approach and when replacing Ermys head gasket created his own 12 step manual having decided that the Haynes, RAC and multiple online guides needed improving on.
Car-Daver is technically Jamie’s first car, having previously owned only Lego models and the occasional RC car.
Jamie is normally seen with his plush side kick Lion, although when it comes to the garage, Lion stays inside where it is clean and dry. And clean. Most importantly clean.
Wookie: (His mum calls him Mike)
Wookie is a regulatory compliance consultant. Which is as much fun as it sounds. He left Google as he found the politics annoying and now works for Hamilton Court, a london based Foreign Exchange firm where he is the firms Chief regulatory Compliance officer.
Wookie has always repaired his own cars, having started off by servicing an old Peugeot 205 (the wrong sort, a diesel) and moving on to welding and more serious stuff. He has discovered that bodywork takes bloody ages and more patience than he really has, hence building a car without any. Wookie’s approach is more akin to diving in and hoping he can swim and in in doubt find a hammer.
Wookie’s other car is a 2006 X-type which he leaves to a man in overalls to service and look after so that there is always one car on the road to drive to a breakers or parts shop.
The Cars
Ermuntrude.
“W341 SJH - But you can call me Ermy”
Ermuntrude started out as a Freelander 2 in farmer green, which Wookie brought to do a driving tour of northern Europe. Her head gasket blew 50 miles into the trip, but through regular transfusions of oil and coolant she made the full 3000 miles.
Whilst the body went to the big scrapyard in the sky, “Ermy” stayed on, hiding in a Lego model until a new body was found and she could regenerate. A bit like Dr Who, but 1.4 tons of steel.
Her current body is a 1999 MX5 Mk2 purchased as a non runner on eBay for £200, with the usual rusty sills and a faulty airbag. This body was Jamie’s first chance to pickup the spanners, and wookie’s first time with a MIG welder.
Ermy will be receiving all of the useable and good spare parts from Car-Daver and will be using the finished Exocet as a summer body.
Car-Daver
Was purchased from a guy called Syd, who deserves his own entry here as he was, well nuts. But the right sort of nuts. We think he may have spent too much time inhaling welding fumes.
Anyways Car-Daver is our doner vehicle. It is a 1.8 Mk2 with sills you can poke a finger through without much (any) trouble and 100k on the clock.
It also has a lot of spare parts that Ermy is eyeing up such as a leather interior and some lovely 16” alloy wheels, as well as ABS and lots of other useful bits.
As doner vehicles go it is a bit “too nice” but the sill rust will cost more to repair than it is worth. Ermy says sills aren’t essential anyway so we will just cut those out.
Many parts of Car-Daver are available on eBay including wings, bonnet and a big pile of Sill rust.