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Side Screens


Guest piddy

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I’m thinking about making or getting made some side screens with a bulge (Elbow room) as fitted to the Caterhams.

Has anyone got any ideas how to make the bulge or what could be used to make them?

I have even wondered if it’s worth getting some for a Caterham and then making them longer.

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Sign makers plastic can be moulded with a hot air paint stripper so you could make up a buck out of wood and hot air mould it over the buck then cut it to size.

Or panel beat some thin ally sheet then cover with thin foam and leather cloth.

Don't i make it sound easy :huh:

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In a mad moment a year or two ago, I trekked over to Caterham's at Dartford, and bought a pair of sidescreens - arm & leg job at around £100 each, but well-made. The thing I liked was that they fitted very well at the windscreen end, and the hinges were well-engineered as well.

 

The problem I didn't quite realise until I got them home was that the screens are a shade too short from front to back, and the bulges could have been longer as well. Makes sense when looking at a Caterham, as they are shorter cars than RH ones. Anyway, in true Hoodie tradition, I made up a pair of triangles to finish off the shape at the rear end (where on a Caterham it fits around the wings). I made these of domestic lino tiles (the sticky ones that you remove the backing paper), sticking 2 together per sidescreen. After cutting the triangular shapes roughly to size, I stuck on vinyl sheet (bought from John Lewis - fairly good match to Caterham's stuff). The raw edges I stuck on U-shaped black plastic edging from Woolies.

 

The finished oversized articles I bolted onto the screens with tiny bolts/aero nuts. With a bit of juggling, I fitted the Caterhams hinges without any bother, drilling the necessary holes and using the tiny bolts Caterham supply with the screens. With the screens in place, I trimmed off the surplus lino tiles/vinyl triangles until I was happy that they looked OK and screens opened/closed OK.

 

As a belt & braces, I keep the screens in the closed position with some straps and press-studs, plus tonneau fasteners of the type where you turn part of the fitting through 90 degrees. The end-product has worked well, and nothing has fallen off. Unless you knew, I don't think you would realise the screens came from Caterham. I was lucky that the John Lewis vinyl more or less matched their design, so the bolt-on shapes don't scream as bodge-ups!

 

Cheers

Mike G

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