Hi all,
I've reached a bit of a crossroads in the build and need a bit of advice on what order I should do things next.
Basically, I'm at the rolling chassis stage with brake lines run and most of the ally pannelling replaced and fitted except for passenger tunnel sides, top and battery tray.
Engine and gearbox are basically ready to go in as is wiring loom.
I assume I would start with the loom, to enable it to be run along tunnel.
I've looked at Pat's and Gary Symons build sites and they have threaded the loom through a hole in the battery tray panel. Is the loom threaded through from the top of the panel i.e starting with wiring for rear lights so that bulky items like fuse box etc are left more or less in situ? or will these items thread through from underneath?
But, if the battery panel is fixed in place before the engine/gearbox go in, won't it hinder their installation?

Cheers,
Andy.

Andrew,

I would and did fit the loom before the engine and box. I don't think it would be very easy at all to get down the tunnel with the box in there.

I think you'd have to thread the loom through from the top, I can't remember what I did, but I didn't use the tiger loom.

The panel won't get in the way of putting the engine and box in, but the chassis rail under it will! So you might aswell put the panel on top.

Hang on, I've just thought about drilling the gearbox mounts. Perhaps you'd be better off dropping in the engine and box, sorting both sets of mounts and drilling the holes, then taking them back out to do the loom?

What ever you do, put some pipe lagging round the chassis member at the top of the tunnel when you fit or remove the engine and box.

Some Tiger Cat (i think) owners say it's easier to lift the car over the engine and box to put it in. I don't know if it would work on the Avon, but it can't be any harder! They have to be angled alot to get the box down the tunnel.

Did that help?

Cheers, Graham.
I don't have to worry about the gearbox/engine mounts as I they were already fitted by previous owner (I bought the Avon part-built and I've now got it basically back to the stage of build as when I bought it - albeit now done properly!)
As (like me) you've fitted floor mounted pedals, and hence presumably, removed all the unnecessary bracketry for the sierra pedal box from the chassis, did you fit a battery tray panel that goes the full width of the car? and if so, did you do it in one piece or split it (so you have some form of access to the pedals/ clutch cable etc?)

Thanks,
Andy.

I'd already fitted the panel over the passenger footwell and tunnel before I cut off all the Sierra pedalbox crap. I still haven't put a panel over the drivers footwell, that's a job for this winter! Perhaps I'll make it out of Carbon fibre?

With regards to the loom - thread it down into the hole and locate and fit the handbrake switch wire (think it's black/white). Everything else falls into place then after locating that wire.
Pat..

don't wish to sound patronising but dont forget the reverse light switch on the gear box (and make sure it is well secure as i think mine has come off and access is pants when its all together) also dont forget speedo cable routing ( mine goes across drivers footwell under the carpet clipped to one of the chassis rails) also in the passenger foot well inner bulkhead (tunnel wall) i have cut a hole so i can fill the gear oil and over the hole i made a cover held in place by screws and anchor nuts.As far as the fuse box is concerned mine is in the passenger footwell on the rear of the scuttle forward face. my battery tray only goes 2/3 rds of the way across the bay leaving the pedal box area open although at some stage i do intend to cover it ,it does serve a duel perpose open as it is ,firstly it helps keep your feet warm when its chilly and secondly it helps with heat dispesion when its hot. i cant speak for others but i did have alot of trouble with over heating last summer. since then ive removed the thermostat and also most importantly changed the polarity of the fan motor so it now sucks instead of blowing! oops! hope this is of some help even though some of this maybe slightly off topic . scott

I brought one of those fans from lolocost for £13. Will I have to reverse it polarity? if so how do i do it?

Thanks

Use the locost fan on the back of the rad and you can just swap the input wires - just make sure the fan is sucking - stick a sheet of A4 paper on the front of the rad and it should stay there.
Pat...