|
This
F2 has recently been purchased by a new and
enthusiastic owner, having been sold by Gary
Thomas in August 2009. However, as an illustration
of the kind of project that can still, occasionally,
be found, here are details of F2044. We look
forward to seeing the car completed
!
 Gary
took delivery of his chassis and component parts
in 1989, and worked steadily on his new project
for several years. Like one or two others, however,
circumstances changed, and the F2 dropped down
the list of priorities, to the point that F2044
then stood, virtually untouched, for the best
part of 15 years.
Accepting
that there was little likelihood that he was ever
going to be able to complete his Latham, Gary
offered it for sale, part-built but complete with
nearly all the necessary parts to finish the build.
Here is a description of the kit . . . .
Completed
Build
The kit is at the rolling chassis stage, and most
of the major components and ancillaries have been
incorporated. After such a length of time of inactivity,
however, some elements may require a further degree
of refurbishment.
 F2044
is fitted with a rebuilt Dolomite Sprint 2.0 litre
16 Valve engine. This work was done at the beginning
of the build, so there's every chance that the
engine may require a strip-down before being started
for the first time. Certainly the new owner would
be advised to proceed carefully. The engine is
mated to the Sprint overdrive gearbox and comes
supplied with the special inlet manifold and twin
48 Weber carburettors. In addition, the rare and
very sought-after Latham four-branch exhaust manifold
and complete twin-pipe system is installed. Note
also that the front Spax adjustable dampers are
already fitted - these are only made to special
order and are now costly to obtain.
As
is normally recommended, the door skins were fitted
as separate elements - inner skins and hinges
first, and then outer skins to achieve a good
fit to the monocoque. Gary has completed one side,
but the second outer door skin has yet to be bonded
to the inner, although this is in position.
 The
wiring is very nearly complete with just the section
behind the dashboard to finish it off. The dashboard
is not yet fitted, although a full set of gauges
(previously unused) are boxed and ready to be
clipped into place.
The
headlight units, side lights and rear lights have
all been installed. The brake and clutch hydraulics
have also been plumbed in, although Gary suggests
that these may need checking, a possible refit,
and fresh fluid.
With
the exception of those items listed below, all
the unique Latham parts are present and correct,
including dashboard (uncut as yet, but marked
up for the instrument apertures), pedal box cover,
transmission tunnel trim, heater elbow and seat
shells. These, together with the unfitted bootlid,
can be seen in the photograph below.
 Gary
is also "throwing in" a huge stack of
spares, parts and extras, including leather-trimmed
steering wheel, spare axle rods etc.
Components
Missing
The following items are not part of the
sale, but will be required to complete the build:
Latham acrylic headlight covers, soft top (although
an MGB hood frame is included -see photo left),
windscreen glass (but a suitable frame part of
the deal) seat trim, side window glass, and all
soft interior trim. Availability on these items
varies. Headlight covers will be available again
shortly, pending sufficient orders to make remanufacture
viable - and we're only two or three sets short
of that number at the moment. Windscreen glass,
being MGB, is readily available. Side windows
are flat glass, and a template is available, and
new glass can be made to order by any reputable
automotive glass supplier. Hoods are basically
MGB in design, with some slight tweaks to the
rear three-quarters, and similarly, any experienced
hood manufacturer should be able to make a new
Latham hood. Patterns are available. Seat trim
is a matter of taste. F2044 comes with a pair
of Latham seat shells, and these could be trimmed
by a competent upholsterer, but other proprietary
seats can also be employed.
Click
on any image to view an enlargement.
These
enlargements will appear in a fresh window, and
can be closed by clicking on the [x] in the top
right-hand corner. Your browser will need to be
enabled to permit pop-up windows.
Good
luck to Graham, the new owner, who has a busy
time ahead of him! |
