I’m afraid I’ve run-out of time! My July deadline shifted to August and then to September and beyond. On 1st October I started my Masters Degree which I’m studying part-time for the next two-and-a-bit years. This is a demanding course and I simply don’t have the time (working full-time too) to work on the car. So in terms of updates, I have nothing to show.
However, all is not lost. I have shipped the car (two trips, 735 miles, 21 hours and no sleep) to a fellow ‘Locostbuilder’ in Cheshire. Steve Hignett has built two similar cars in the past and is a top bloke. I have no doubts that he’ll do a great job on the car. We’re not yet 100% sure whether or not Steve will complete the car – either way I’m sure he’ll make more rapid progress than I did. He’s kindly agreed to take lots of photographs so I’m hoping to keep this blog up-to-date in the hope that it’s useful t someone.
I am of course very disappointed not to be completing the jobs on the car myself but I’ve taken a pragmatic approach to try to get the car ready for the track-day season next year. It’s been two years since I’ve done a track-day now and I’m itching to get back on to a circuit.
So, stay tuned!
TC
Saturday, 6 October 2007
Monday, 24 September 2007
Bits and pieces...
There's not been a lot a lot of action since the tub got painted and trimmed but I thought I'd post a few pictures of things that have been finished.
Here you can see a cover that I made to hide some of the wiring. I also wanted somewhere to put some stickers so here it is:
My battery needed something to lift it up in it's tray so it now sits atop some 12mm high density rubber. The result is that it is now fitted for what is hopefully the last time:
That's about it...Yawn...
TC
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
On the brink...
I’m now very close to fitting the body tub for the last time. Unfortunately I’m also on the brink of cracking the side of the tub! I’ve cut and carved around the bars under the scuttle and I’ve had to take it quite close to the edge. The body has then flexed when moving it around and a tiny crack has appeared on the top of the tub. I’ve glued it together and also glued a plastic ‘splint’ (i.e. part of a zip-tie) underneath the crack. I’ll also duck tape some wood to the side when I fit the tub to make sure that it doesn’t flex again. Once it’s in place I’ll try to cut the holes for the suspension and permanently fix it so that the crack can’t migrate.
In the mean-time, the rear is all trimmed (as pictured) and the edges are sanded.
It took me an age to decide whether or not to paint the inside of the panels around the cockpit.
In the end the raw fibreglass was just a bit too raw. Despite the fact that the car is destined for the track it’s important that it looks good too.
I think the end result is good. I just hope that I don’t crack the tub trying to fit it!
TC
In the mean-time, the rear is all trimmed (as pictured) and the edges are sanded.
It took me an age to decide whether or not to paint the inside of the panels around the cockpit.
In the end the raw fibreglass was just a bit too raw. Despite the fact that the car is destined for the track it’s important that it looks good too.
I think the end result is good. I just hope that I don’t crack the tub trying to fit it!
TC
Monday, 3 September 2007
On second thoughts...
The tub is not going on tonight. I've decided to slow down and do everything right. It's so easy to scratch the tub and the chassis so I'm going to take my time and aim to have it on by next week sometime. It's going to take me a while because I want to rub-down the edges so that they're not rough and also paint the inside of the tub in the cockpit area. I'm not fitting interior panels so this should at least tidy it up a touch. So, no exciting pics today I'm afraid.
TC
TC
Sunday, 2 September 2007
Quick update...
The steering rack is in - albeit temporarily while I sort out some bolts which are the right length. The body tub is almost ready to slide on - I'm mid-way through trimming to fit.
Updates and pics tomorrow all being well.
TC
Updates and pics tomorrow all being well.
TC
Monday, 27 August 2007
The best possible news...
The engine is a runner! I haven't got a means of capturing it on video unfortunately so you'll just have to trust me! Considering the toil and worry that have gone into the wiring koom, it's possibly my biggest achievement on the whole car.
I've also fixed the leaky diff (I think) and I've painted my calipers:
I've also fixed the leaky diff (I think) and I've painted my calipers:
They're not exactly light and the orange paint is a bit red but they look tidy enough. Masking them off was no fun at all.
This week should see the steering rack and main body tub go on!
All downhill from here?
TC
Sunday, 19 August 2007
Success snatched from the jaws of defeat...
Okay, let’s get the bad bit out of the way: I nearly set the garage on fire! A dopey mistake when wiring my FIA Master Switch meant that the resistor attached to the switch caught fire. Because this was underneath the scuttle, I couldn’t see how bad the fire was and could only see smoke. As a result, I saw no other option than to give the whole area a thorough covering with the fire extinguisher. In 20/20 hinesight this may have been an over reaction. The loom tape that I’ve used is ‘self extinguishing’ and must have done a good job of preventing the fire from spreading. The net result of the incident was a very messy garage covered in blue-white powder and the need for a new resistor and (being cautious) a new FIA Switch. With this in place and correctly wired I now have a fully operable loom – at least as far as I can tell. All that’s left to test is the ECU when I try to start the thing – yes I know that I’ve talked about it for ages but I would have done it this weekend if it weren’t for the set-back!
Another problem that I’ve had was with prop-shaft and the alignment of the centre bearing. For some reason when the bearing was mounted directly to the chassis as designed it twisted the flexible part of the assembly into a most unnatural position. The bearing would not have lasted at all long in the position so a solution had to be found. This solution came from a mate of mine, Lyn (Lenny.)
He fabricated some angled shims to position the bearing at a favourable angle and it seems to be a job well done.
In the picture above, as well as the shims, you can see a couple of other parts that Lyn has fabricated for me. These are a stainless steel vent pipe for the differential and a plug to take the place of the unused oil-level sensor in the sump. Each of the parts is incredibly useful and I’m as grateful as I’m impressed.
Once I’ve started the engine (please start!) I can finally start bolting-on big bits like the body and suspension; not before time. Unfortunately I also need to find a remedy for my leaky differential back plate. It's anothet job likely to get messy!
TC
Another problem that I’ve had was with prop-shaft and the alignment of the centre bearing. For some reason when the bearing was mounted directly to the chassis as designed it twisted the flexible part of the assembly into a most unnatural position. The bearing would not have lasted at all long in the position so a solution had to be found. This solution came from a mate of mine, Lyn (Lenny.)
He fabricated some angled shims to position the bearing at a favourable angle and it seems to be a job well done.In the picture above, as well as the shims, you can see a couple of other parts that Lyn has fabricated for me. These are a stainless steel vent pipe for the differential and a plug to take the place of the unused oil-level sensor in the sump. Each of the parts is incredibly useful and I’m as grateful as I’m impressed.Once I’ve started the engine (please start!) I can finally start bolting-on big bits like the body and suspension; not before time. Unfortunately I also need to find a remedy for my leaky differential back plate. It's anothet job likely to get messy!
TC
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