Monday, 18 December 2017

Revisiting the gospel according to Timothy.

Written in September and then forgotten...

It's been 16 months since my last wordless post. I'm on holiday, can't sleep and haven't anything to read so I'm out of excuses when it comes to updating this journal.

So, back in May 2016 I basically threw everything that I had onto the car (like a ceramic-coated silencer and some interior panels) before getting a local graphics company to apply a couple of stripes and then dragged the trailer to Stoneleigh where the car was displayed on the Autotune stand. It got lots of interest and featured very prominently in Complete Kit Car's event review. 

While the car looked pretty much finished, there was still tump-loads to do. In the intervening period, the list of outstanding jobs has been dramatically reduced albeit I'm still a little way off completion.

I've had to look back through my photos to work out what I did when. In July and August 2016, I fitted the supports for the tub at the sides, added the swirl pot and started to line the panels near the exhaust with heat resistant cloth.

By December the exhaust was finally bolted-up into position for the last time.

By the end of January, I'd wired-in the main switch panel. I wanted this to be quick release/plug-in as it needs to come out for the side-intrusion bar to be fitted and this fabrication is still outstanding.  The only multiplug with sufficient channels that I could find was an OBD-II socket so that's what I used.  I also had to replace the crank sensor since the wires were damaged on the original.

February saw the completion of a major project in work and a holiday so nothing seems to have moved until March when I sorted out the distribution block for the oil pressure sender. I'd never been happy with the original and found just what I needed in the U.S. so swapped it all out. I've also temporarily fitted an analogue gauge that'll disappear after initial start-up runs etc.

By the end of March, I also found the necessary hwyl to get stuck into the remaining wiring and other electrical items. Both front and rear lamps needed to be wired-in and a number of controls and senders for the dash hadn't been bottomed-out.

Fitting the rear lamps was a significant hassle. Neither mounting the rubber lamp bodies nor the Lucas bullet connectors could be done in the conventional manner but by the end of the first week of August, the rear lamps were all tickety boo and as of a couple of weeks ago, the fronts were sorted too.

I've spent an unhealthy amount of time trying to get rid of the fried-egg look resulting from the LED light clusters behind the front lenses. They aren't absolutely perfect now but I'm happy enough.

Attention is currently on prop-catchers.  Once in place, I can then fit the passenger-side tunnel panels which will also mean that the wiring gets bound-up to pass through to the engine bay.  

In theory, there's no good reason why the car won't start now. I just need to add fluids and find a pal to standby with an extinguisher while I go for it. 

Believe it or not, things will likely slow again now though - a house move and second child are both due between now and mid January.

I would like to be finished by then but time (and money) are not abundant. What's new?