CorseChris
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| posted on 30/11/19 at 10:12 AM |
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Another hijack post from me.....
Still working in this. I confess, most of my updates are on the Midlana site and a couple of others I frequent more....frequently.
Bodywork is almost done now, soon be time to strip it down and paint it all before the final assembly.
Recently been working on completing the cooling system to the point I can run the engine up properly. Getting increasingly paranoid about it siting
idle for so long and although I've been turning it over by hand from time to time, that's no substitute for a proper run up to temperature
now and then (although of course there are problems with constantly idling an engine too....).
Anyhoo, been having some fun with leaky silicone hose joints but getting there. Engine now sounds much better after getting the oil warmed up and
circulating properly.
https://youtu.be/voJxcTIKo9E
Currently sorting out a P0135 error it threw but pretty sure that's down to a new but dodgy cheap lambda probe I fitted. A genuine(!) Bosch one
is on the way so fingers crossed it's A) genuine and B) fixes the problem. I did substitute an old and iffy probe I took off the Jeep ages ago,
and that didn't display the fault, nor did substituting a 21W bulb in place of the heater circuit, so I think that's fairly conclusive.
Since last posting, I've discovered the joys of 3D printing and have to say, it's been incredibly useful to be able to design and print
plastic doo-dads to solve all sorts of problem on the car build. I've made loads of marking gauges of various sorts, a curved piece that runs
along the bottom of the dash to give an IVA friendly radius to it as well as providing a mounting for the under-dash panel, IVA covers for the
suspension pickup points, custom cable clips, replacements of missing covers on various OEM bits I've used, a casing to accept the Alfa light
switch and instrument dimmer that had to fit into a really awkward corner, internal structure for the rear light pods that carry the light units, hold
the vac formed ABS shell and provide solid fixings to attach the whole thing to the wheel arch, an adapter to fit the petrol filler to the curved
bodywork, etc, etc. There are limitations to what you can use the parts for of course, as the plastic I'm using isn't great with too much
heat. I could in theory print nylon or ABS but not got the required kit for that yet (have to enclose the entire printer and keep the whole thing hot
while printing)
[Edited on 30/11/19 by CorseChris]
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big_wasa
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| posted on 30/11/19 at 04:55 PM |
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Well done that is a very nice looking engine.
I always imagined my Midlana exoskeleton style.
[Edited on 30/11/19 by big_wasa]
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CorseChris
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| posted on 30/11/19 at 09:10 PM |
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A few folk have tried to encourage me to go that way with it. Doesn't appeal to me though (just not my thing), and I quite like the way it looks
with panels.
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ianhurley20
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| posted on 30/11/19 at 10:17 PM |
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Having driven a 7 (no screen or roof) in very wet conditions I cannot imaginge driving an exo thing in similar conditions, I like panels like you!
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CorseChris
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| posted on 22/7/20 at 09:42 AM |
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Still plodding along with my Midlana.
Now Photobucket is broke, I don't know if this will work?? Should be a shot of the car in the sunshine, as it is at present.
[Edited on 22/7/20 by CorseChris]
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ianhurley20
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| posted on 22/7/20 at 10:39 AM |
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That looks like a really nice build Chris, well done, I am very jealous 
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big_wasa
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| posted on 22/7/20 at 06:53 PM |
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Really nice, as ever.
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b14wrc
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| posted on 11/10/20 at 06:59 PM |
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Yes that’s coming on well, looking at it wishing I could get some real traction on mine!
20vt powered rear engined locost
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CorseChris
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| posted on 11/10/20 at 08:38 PM |
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That prompted me to do a quick update. Almost done now. So much so, I plan on filling in the IVA application tomorrow.
Anyhoo, couple of shots. Not 100% done but oh so close. Screen surround rubber trim to fit, a line of pop rivets at the front where the Clecos
currently are, PPF on the front face of the rear arches, fit the front mud flaps, fill the screen wash bottle.
And with the screen fitted. I cut this from a Defender screen. Took 2 tries  Still, a LOT cheaper than a custom one. I was quoted well over a grand
from Pilkington now they have to comply with their Euro-masters. Was a bit scary clamping the rain sensor on though. The all-important compliance
marks are clearly visible, which is what matters. (That isn't a crack down the left side of the screen - it's a tide mark from the
wipers)
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b14wrc
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| posted on 12/10/20 at 07:52 AM |
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Wow, good progress. I said to my partner the lock down could have been a benefit to some for getting on with their builds, I’ve got two young children
so it hasn’t for me.
Any photos of the rear? What size wheels are you using? What’s it like to drive, bet it sounds nice.
Steve, how’s yours coming along?
Rob
20vt powered rear engined locost
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ianhurley20
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| posted on 12/10/20 at 10:36 AM |
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Wow from me as well, that looks like a really nice car indeed, good luck with IVA - locally a friend applied for IVA in March and after eventually
getting in touch (again) today they are guessing about another two months, hope yours goes through much quicker
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CorseChris
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| posted on 12/10/20 at 11:26 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by b14wrc
Wow, good progress. I said to my partner the lock down could have been a benefit to some for getting on with their builds, I’ve got two young children
so it hasn’t for me.
Any photos of the rear? What size wheels are you using? What’s it like to drive, bet it sounds nice.
Steve, how’s yours coming along?
Rob
This was my retirement project so shed time hasn't been a problem. I can't imagine taking on a build of this sort if I was still working
or had a family to worry about. A 'simple' kit build would be bad enough.
Back end, here you go:
Rims are 16". 7" & 8" width IIRC.
No idea what it drives like - it's only moved about 6 feet forwards & backwards so far. The first proper run will be to a pre-IVA MOT, and
that will wait until I have an IVA date as I don't want to insure & MOT it now then find I have to wait 4 months for an IVA test.
It sounds pretty good actually - nice V6 burble, not to loud. It should sound good when pressing on though.
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b14wrc
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| posted on 12/10/20 at 12:47 PM |
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Thanks for the photo and detail on wheels. I went for a staggered fitment too. J9 rear J7 front. So was interested to see what you did, not sure what
Kurt used, can’t remember what the book specified.
Yer that Alfa V6 will be nice.
Your exhaust is neat, just wondered how you did the rear, think it’s the hardest part to finish.
Lol, I started mine in 2010.... and look how far I’ve got. Love to get some proper time with it. Eventually, just hope I don’t have to convert it to
electric before it’s finished!
20vt powered rear engined locost
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 12/10/20 at 02:21 PM |
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you've done a terrific job of that car looks really cool from the back
Possible IVA edge issue round the filler cap cutout?
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CorseChris
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| posted on 12/10/20 at 02:35 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
you've done a terrific job of that car looks really cool from the back
Possible IVA edge issue round the filler cap cutout?
Cheers
Good eye! I hope not, the panel is blunted and there is a radiused adapter that fits between panel and funnel. Maybe I'll stick some rubber
trim on there for the test now you mention it......or perhaps just print yet another IVA piece, a rounded lip would do it using the 6 fixing bolts.
[Edited on 12/10/20 by CorseChris]
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CorseChris
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| posted on 17/10/20 at 09:01 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by b14wrc
Thanks for the photo and detail on wheels. I went for a staggered fitment too. J9 rear J7 front. So was interested to see what you did, not sure what
Kurt used, can’t remember what the book specified.
Yer that Alfa V6 will be nice.
Your exhaust is neat, just wondered how you did the rear, think it’s the hardest part to finish.
Lol, I started mine in 2010.... and look how far I’ve got. Love to get some proper time with it. Eventually, just hope I don’t have to convert it to
electric before it’s finished!
Just checked, the rims are 8J & 9J.
In case it's of interest, my weight estimate for the car as it stands now is 860kg. Basically, I have weighed every single piece during the
final assembly. Add 7 gallons of petrol and that's it. (It already had a couple of gallons in it when I weighed the tank assembly). I even
weighed the coolant
A good alternative for a V6 engine would be a Jaguar AJ30 V6 I think. Lighter and more powerful than the Alfa.
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BigDawgV8
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| posted on 17/10/20 at 02:14 PM |
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Looks like an excellent build, I would be interested in finding out more!
Is there a list of metals required to build the chassis somewhere on-line or I think someone mentioned a book?
Any links?
Thanks
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CorseChris
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| posted on 17/10/20 at 03:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by BigDawgV8
Looks like an excellent build, I would be interested in finding out more!
Is there a list of metals required to build the chassis somewhere on-line or I think someone mentioned a book?
Any links?
Thanks
The starting point is to buy a copy of the book. Initially, it might seem expensive, but even though it's not a totally comprehensive set of
plans as such, as quite a few details are left to the builder to sort out, it does contain the vital dimensions and a wealth of information.
Head over to www.midlana.com for more detailed build info.
The book is available here https://www.lulu.com/search?adult_audience_rating=00&page=1&pageSize=10&q=midlana
Check Kurt's midlana.com site as he frequently lists discount codes.
The cost of the metal is only a small part of it TBH. I got the bulk of mine from metals4u and parkersteel. I didn't bend the main
'cage' tubes, had them done local-ish but there's at least one builder who did his own bending.
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CorseChris
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| posted on 17/10/20 at 03:57 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
you've done a terrific job of that car looks really cool from the back
Possible IVA edge issue round the filler cap cutout?
Thank for the nod - here's my solution. 3.5mm radius inside and out.
[Edited on 17/10/20 by CorseChris]
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CorseChris
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| posted on 5/12/20 at 10:26 AM |
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Minor update. Took the car for a pre-IVA MOT on the 1st. No problem passing and it was a great opportunity to get the brake balance tested, headlamps
aligned, emissions checked and have an experienced eye look it over. My tester was disappointed as he couldn't find anything wrong
He's a great guy, always helpful but always straight too, so nothing gets by him...which is what I want from a tester, personally.
Two issues came to light, maybe three.
The speedo was playing up. I've used the donor Alfa instrument cluster, a SpeedoDRD calibrator and an ETB Instruments 'M8' Hall
Effect sensor, triggering of an ABS tone ring on the MX5 outer CV. It's this last bit that was the problem. Basically, I used the wrong sensor,
or put it in the wrong place, as the M8 sensor is designed for more crude triggers like bolt heads - it has trouble discriminating between the
relatively fine teeth of the ABS ring. I stupidly thought an ABS tone ring would be the perfect trigger source.... I did call ETB and they reckoned
it could be OK, but weren't enthusiastic. Basically, too polite to tell me I was an idiot I think. Anyhoo, time being tight, I panicked and
ordered one of their gear sensors (designed for ABS ring use etc) but meanwhile relocated the M8 sensor to pick up on the inner CV bolt heads and that
worked. I used one of these M8 sensors on my last build, which was the same gearbox, and put it in the same place. Worked fine. So, after some
head-scratching over calibration, I'm happy it's now reliable and stable and I think calibration is pretty good too. Hopefully I'll
be able to adjust on test if it needs it. Only takes a few seconds to re-program the SpeedoDRD.
So, BNIB ETB 'Gear' Hall effect speed sensor for sale....
Steering self-centring. It actually does the opposite. I only really tested it at full lock and close to full lock, but it felt OK when driving
normally anyway. Numerous suggestions have been received on that - so far I've upped the caster from 6 to 8 degrees, adjusted toe from about 1
degree toe-in to zero, upped tyre pressure and will reduce camber from where it was at about -1 to -0.5 I think. I'm also going to reduce the
rack travel to keep away from the ends where it all gets a bit extreme. I'll do the camber and rack limiting today then try to test it again now
the rain has stopped. It's going to be a bit tricky testing it given I can't use it on the road though.
It felt generally really good driving to the test - very happy given it's had zero setup other than some best-guess starting figures for
everything.
The maybe third thing is braking effort. The pedal is really dead. No spongy, just takes a LOT of effort to stop. I tried to bed the brakes on the
trip to the test, but there's only so much you can do in a relatively short trip on public roads, on the very first outing, so I'm sure
there's is more to come there. It passed the MOT brake test with decent numbers - Efficiency 72%, Brake lock 50%, imbalance 0% both axles,
handbrake 31% The tester said it was an easy clear pass. I forget the threshold values but it was way above them. Rears wouldn't lock, fronts
did.
So, anyway, I've been fretting about the braking effort but have finally decided to stop second-guessing it and just take it to the test as it
is. The only fix is either new master cylinders with smaller bores or start messing with new calipers and probably discs. New masters will be the
cheaper and easier fix, that fact it locks the fronts on the brake test suggests there's plenty of actual braking force, so it's a matter
of reducing pedal force....or maybe just get some more miles on it and bed the pads properly! My concern is just that I have no idea what the test
criteria are for pedal force.
Right, wish me luck with the steering testing and the IVA on the 14th
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CorseChris
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| posted on 22/12/20 at 04:54 PM |
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Apologies for the delay - forgot to update this site
IVA failed. 3 items.
Brake fluid reservoirs not labelled with fluid type - had the right symbol on top of the reservoirs but apparently need the actual fluid designation
too (DOT3, DOT4). Easy fix, sticker purchased. Ironically, the clutch reservoirs that had the original Wilwood cap on it was correctly labelled...
TBH, I'm not totally convinced about this one, the manual says:
"17. An indelible label must be affixed in a visible position within 100 mm of the filling ports of the fluid reservoirs to ensure that it is
possible for the end user of the vehicle to identify the brake fluid used in braking system. DOT fluid references and/or the Symbols and text in Table
1 are considered acceptable."
..and each cap has the correct symbol, but I'm not going to argue the toss about something so trivial when a small sticker fixes it and it
wasn't the only issue. Had it been, I suspect it might have got a pass given the proximity of the lid on the clutch fluid.
Axle weights. Total cock-up really. Overall number a bit low and I got the front/rear numbers reversed, and what should have been the rear axle weight
was too low anyway (front axle weight higher than absolutely necessary but that's OK). I had taken some advice on the numbers and my advisor had
a brain-fart...and I didn't question it. It's heavier than I thought too, by about 60kg, so I suspect the scale I used to weigh the heavy
bits isn't very accurate. Anyway, it's another easy fix, just get the paperwork amended for the re-test and now I know exactly what values
I'll need.
Brakes. As suspected, pedal force was way too high (efficiency too low). Balance etc fine, but just way too heavy on the pedal. This is
relatively easy to sort I suppose, but it is a bit expensive and a bit of a faff. After the fail I decided to go to town on it. My last project as a
very similar vehicle in terms of weight, layout etc so I've decided to take a leaf out of that book as well as using information from
Midlana's designer of course. My hope that the Mazda brakes would do the job was clearly misguided. With a servo, no bother, but I cannot go
much smaller on the masters so bigger calipers it is....and while doing that, I may as well go large all round.
Front brakes will be 300mm discs with Wilwood Midilite calipers on 44.5mm pistons. Due to the bulk of the caliper, I've had to fit 13mm spacers
to get them behind the wheel, which is a whole world of joy as it has cycle wings, so they need moving too of course. It doesn't need any more
width at the front either TBH, so I may try and adjust the suspension back a bit. This is a kit from Freakyparts for the MX5, although they usually
supply the calipers with the small pistons.
Rears will be 300mm to 316mm discs (probably) with, of all things, Hyundai i30N calipers. These are a large single piston sliding caliper from a
heavy, relatively powerful hot hatch, so will be fine I think. I'm not 100% certain yet as I'm waiting for them to arrive, but pretty sure
these will fit behind the wheels without issue as they are compact outboard of the disc due to being single piston sliders....which was why I picked
them.
On my last build it went through SVA with some Lancia Beta rear calipers and discs, and although it passed, the brakes were pretty poor. I fitted some
300mm discs and Sierra Cosworth 4x4 rear calipers and it was transformed. Rear brakes on a mid layout like this need to be rather bigger than one
might expect. I had fitted caliper spacers and the 276mm Mazda discs to the back but the calipers are too small for a non-servo setup I think.
The other issue I found during investigation was that I had the 5.1:1 ratio pedalbox, so to help improve the pedal force thing yet more, I've
swapped that for the 6.25:1 version.
Otherwise, all good. Inspector was very complementary, which was nice, as he gets to see some proper decent kit. Lack of self-centring sorted with
some minor adjustments. Not driven it far since doing those tweaks so don't know it they will stay like that or not longer term, but it felt
fine on a very short trip round the IVA test centre. Inspector actually commented on how nice a ride it was. Apart from the terrifying wooden brake
pedal. He thought it might be a pass based on the brake numbers until he actually drove it and tried the brakes.....then he changed his mind.
More anon.
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big_wasa
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| posted on 22/12/20 at 05:29 PM |
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That’s not a bad result.
Will yours be the second ever to get on the road ?
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CorseChris
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| posted on 26/12/20 at 01:51 PM |
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Not a bad fail all things considered. One maybe, one stupid paperwork mistake and one...well, should have known better really, and Kurt had already
given details on his setup.
As far as we know it'll be the first after Kurt's, but there could always be another out there I suppose.
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CorseChris
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| posted on 7/1/21 at 04:11 PM |
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Slowly working through the brake mods. Ended up with some Mini Cooper front discs at the back. They have the same PCD as the Mazda hubs, although the
centre bore is bigger, but that's easily sorted. Disc depth is such that it all just fits behind the wheel without spacers, which was
essential for me given how tight the arches are to the tyres. The hat is about 1mm thicker, which is a shame, but it isn't that
tight!!
Modified the Hyundai HB cable fitting to take the Mazda cables and re-routed those. Yet to fully test them but fingers crossed...I had to
'lose' some excess length as the cable now comes in from the front of the caliper so they are a bit too long. Hopefully the re-route will
be OK, but if the path has caused too much friction, I can always shorten the cables as I made these up by joining two standard MX5 cables together. I
could have used the Hyundai cables, but just couldn't face digging in to the car to the depth required to achieve this. Sadly, a single MX5
cable is too short, so that option was out too. The new cable route will require a very minor adjustment to one of the inner wheel arch closing panels
each side, but that's OK as it's a removable piece and not normally visible. I never really liked the original cable path, although I had
got it to work OK. Another bonus with the Hyundai caliper is that they are mounted the correct way round/up, meaning the fluid inlet and bleed ports
are in the right places. That said, it would have been easy enough to swap them round if needed. Better than the MX5 calipers in that regard. With
those, they had to be mounted upside down, meaning the only way to bleed them was to remove the caliper, block the piston and bleed them loose,
holding them so the bleed port was uppermost. A bit of a PITA, but at least not that common a job. Anyhow, no need for that any more.
Made a start on the caliper brackets for the back so not far away from having that done. They ended up being pretty simple - just flat plates with 4
holes and a couple of spacers. I was going to get these made, but decided to DIY in the end as they are pretty simple. I've done the tricky part
- getting the holes in the right place, just got the hard part now - cutting out the profiles from a big chunk.
Still waiting for the front brake kit to arrive, but it was always going to be a bad time of year to order stuff like that, and it's due soon,
so hopefully not too much longer and I can see how this is all going to work out.
Rear brakes have gone from a 276mm disc to a 316mm one, solid to vented (solid would have been fine, but finding a disc that fit was the main thing),
calipers have gone from 32mm to 38mm piston, so +40% area.
Fronts will be a 300mm disc with 4 pot Wilwoods giving a 50% increase in piston area over the original Mazda calipers and +45mm over the 255mm Mazda
disc.
I'll be selling a slightly used (40 miles) complete brake kit for a Mk1/2 MX5 soon. All calipers rebuilt, new discs and pads and Freakyparts
caliper spacers for the rear to allow use of the larger 276mm discs on Mk1/2 rear hubs.
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CorseChris
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| posted on 1/3/21 at 03:50 PM |
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New brakes all done, a quick trip to the MOT tester confirmed they are working really well. Put the new numbers into the IVA spreadsheet and
it's looking like an easy pass now.
Fingers crossed, re-test is this Thursday (4th)
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