JonW wrote:
Every Series 1 Seven I've seen has been in polished alum. They look best that way.
I think you need to do the same. (Only partially kidding.)
The front wings are easiest with the low crown. The nosecone is next due to 4 piece (top, sides, & bottom) construction. Welding is critical with this piece. The most difficult will be the rear wings which I believe are usually one piece. They have a very high crown.
You'll need an E-wheel, shrinker with 6" jaw, hammers and shaping bag, and a lot of patience.
I once had a customer many decades ago with a 1955 Gullwing MB his wife opened the passenger door when he was backing it out of the garage. I had a guy craft a new door skin for it out of aluminum. (This was when a Gullwing was only worth about 60K.) The experience was very expensive and took a long time.
Keep in mind that my car is a "tribute:" to a 59 lotus. That's different than a replica. And lucky for me, since I have lots of fiberglass experience. My metal shaping experience is in the form of beating back body work prior to finishing! I've seen aluminum motorcycle tanks fabricated and then gas welded together. It looks to me like the gas welding of thin aluminum is every bit as difficult as the shaping.
At this point I plan to paint the entire car BRG with a large maroon stripe down the center. The wire wheels will also be maroon.