New Haynes Roadster BuildBadger_McLetcher - 15/9/13 at 11:44 PM
Well after many years of what can only in reality be called fiddling around with car projects, I have decided to build myself a Seven-esque car
I picked this up the other week from a kind gentleman in west Wales, who was selling it as an part built project. All seemed in good order for the
price, and so a deal was done and it was brought back to Brizzle. The whole package consisted of the chassis, bodywork and running gear, plus a few
extras.
The guy who built the chassis put in a couple of mods - a reinforced towing section in the front (with 5mm plate) and some pockets at the back.
So the first order of the (next) day was obviously to have a sit in it, make some "BRUMMMM" noises and see if the engine fits (it does...
just!).
The scrotey looking fellow in the overalls is none other than me, whilst the gentleman in the coat is my best mate Beaver who has been helping me out
with these kind of projects for far, far too long!
Since having it I have stripped it right back to inspect it, and it is now less complete than when I bought it! I've stripped out the floors (I
felt 2mm steel was a bit excessive!) and am modifying the chassis slightly to strength it. However like the eejit I am I've left the camera in
the workshop! So for now I shall leave you with a picture of Cooky, the car I originally bought as a donor but then found I don't need it, and is
now serving as a bit of fun
[Edited on 15/9/13 by Badger_McLetcher]
Nickp - 16/9/13 at 05:38 AM
Will be following this thread with interest, and hopefully picking up some inspiration
carlknight1982 - 16/9/13 at 06:31 AM
if you join the haynes forum the fella who build it was a member look for help for heros roadster build in the announcement section
Not Anumber - 16/9/13 at 01:27 PM
Its nice to see the Help for Heroes roadster has gone to someone who will enjoy finishing it. He did a grand job of getting it as far as he did
during difficult circumstances. The roadster forum has to be the next place you go to. http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/index.php
Badger_McLetcher - 16/9/13 at 06:05 PM
I'm already registered there I did a bit of research before I bought it, so I had a look at his blog and all - he was also kind enough to give
me a load of pictures that I can use to help get through the IVA.
I should point out that the fact that I am modifying the chassis is no comment on how he's built it- just on the different approach I am taking
Deanno - 27/9/13 at 11:31 AM
I wish in a way i had sold the grill to go with it but as i said it was very sentimental to me, but just hope you get to finish it.
I have found loads more build pictures on my works computer but will have to get them off for you and send them via my home e-mail as we have a small
amout of data we are able to send out.
quote:Originally posted by Deanno
I wish in a way i had sold the grill to go with it but as i said it was very sentimental to me, but just hope you get to finish it.
I have found loads more build pictures on my works computer but will have to get them off for you and send them via my home e-mail as we have a small
amout of data we are able to send out.
No worries mate, please bung them over if you get a chance No worries about the grille mate, I completely understand. So far it's been
consuming my weekends quite well, but there's steady progress being made.
And yep, it's quite tight- the chassis needs a little butchery to make it fit in fact! But I figured I'd go the whole hog and try to do
some strengthening mods whilst I was about it.
The bonnet fits over the engine... just!
These are the mods I'm doing to the front section.
This is the tube that needed removing - as with most of the rest of the bracing on the engine bay, I need to get it back on wheels and position the
engine in order to see how best to fit the bracing.
And finally a dangerous discovery was made... if I had a manual transmission for it, I'd probably be having a V8 roadster!
As per usual there were more pictures, but something went Pete Tong and they didn't upload... typical!
Julian Thrussell - 12/11/13 at 01:01 PM
Can you get to all the service points and sensors - you may need a double jointed arm?
Badger_McLetcher - 12/11/13 at 05:25 PM
Having made the engine mounts and all it's not too bad actually - especially if I were to use a custom intake (an idea with which I'm
toying). I'd even hazard a statement that access will be easier than on the original car!
Badger_McLetcher - 28/4/14 at 09:48 PM
So it's been a bit of a while since my last update. Between work and other projects this weekend was the first time I've been able to work
on it since just after Christmas. Over Christmas we managed to finish off welding in the new bars into the chassis and gave it a coat of paint to
protect it. I also made the engine mounts.
String: Useful stuff
Mods to the rear snout.
This weekend I started on the first assembly of the car to take stock of what I need to buy and what needs to be done (and also any further work to
the chassis that I want to do, e.g. brackets, reinforcing the steering rack mounts, etc.). So in went the engine, suspension and I started eyeing up
the steering arrangement (I'm planning on using a Fiesta column, as I got hold of one for free).
I now have a relatively significant shopping list for parts, including rear bearings, calliper refurbishment kits for the front and rears, tubing to
finish the steering column and some tube to repair one of the rear hubs which is misaligned.
Of course I completely forgot to make note of which bearings and calliper kits I need and since I'm away until the weekend I can't look to
see!
MBrown - 28/5/14 at 04:18 PM
Hi, I notice in one of your above pics that with the bonnet on as such the engine is about 2 inches too high, I am putting the same engine, how are
you planning on getting the engine lower? Thanks
Badger_McLetcher - 29/5/14 at 05:59 AM
So that picture was taken with the engine resting on one of the chassis rails because the sump is a funny shape, in reality the sump and gearbox can
poke out the bottom slightly once modified, making the whole lot lower. Also my bonnet is slightly warped and so looks worse than it is
If push comes to shove, there's always the bonnet bulge route!
[Edited on 29/5/14 by Badger_McLetcher]
MBrown - 29/5/14 at 06:17 AM
Awesome, I thought your engine was there after the sump modification! Thanks
Badger_McLetcher - 29/5/14 at 04:31 PM
No worries mate, I'll trial fit the bonnet again when I get back this evening - I've since made the engine mounts so it should give you a
definitive answer
Badger_McLetcher - 29/5/14 at 07:36 PM
Right, a quick update: Nope!
The nose cone and bonnet do not properly fit with the way I have mounted my engine at the moment - if it was dropped further a couple of inches it
would be OK, but then the gearbox would be a couple of inches below the bottom chassis rail, the sump a bit more (I've currently got a butchered
sump on for clearance, so can't tell you how much by). This was my choice to try to keep the bottom of the car smooth for ground clearance, so
it's possible you can get the engine slightly lower.
On the flip side a central bonnet bulge running into the nose cone would give the required clearance, or possibly some minor pipework re-routing on
the engine. My major issue is the front water hose on the head fouling on the bodywork, so that is where clearance is required. Also I don't have
the air intakes on at the moment, but I don't think those will create an issue.
Sorry for the mixed messages, I was running off memory as it's been a while since I trial fitted the bodywork! Ironically the V8 I tried fit
like a glove, being a shorter engine!
MBrown - 30/5/14 at 12:52 PM
I think it's probably best I get a bonnet with a scoop and then fit the engine so I can check at an early stage, thanks for the heads up
Badger_McLetcher - 15/9/14 at 09:55 PM
It's been a while again, so here's another update. First up: Handbrake.
Handbrake mounted - tabs are 3mm steel, handbrake is spaced down about 10mm off them for clearance. I've used the MX5 position as an inspiration
and put it next to the gear lever, at an angle for clearance. Yet to see how well this works.
I made a new balance baradjuster for the cable - it's loose here for the picture. When I do my full build I'll attach the cables inside
the bolts (not the clamps here) - not sure whether silver solder them or just weld.
It's all supported at intervals of no more than 250mm using plastic clips. It's my first attempt at doing brake lines, and isn't as
neat as I'd like, however there are no kinks in it and it's all tucked out of the way. Will have to wait and see if there are any leaks, and
how well it bleeds.
I would strongly recommend that your mcyl reservoir should be at the high point of your total brake system. Otherwise, it'll be a right bugger to
bleed successfully. Second thought - why did you route these brake lines along the top rail?
Badger_McLetcher - 17/9/14 at 05:16 PM
Thanks for the reply! I've pretty much resigned myself to having a remote reservoir for the master cylinder, even without those lines the
calipers are higher than the standard one.
The reason for running them up the top rail was because I was worried about clobbering them when I put the engine in if I ran them on the top or
sides of the bottom rail - the M52 is a long engine and there's only a couple of inches of clearance on that point. By running them along the top
I gained myself a bit of wiggle room, though not much.
I'm currently (still!) considering an engine change, so I'm not above starting again and welding up the holes!
Badger_McLetcher - 11/5/15 at 10:17 PM
Hmmm... I haven't updated this in a while! Soo... engine has been changed to a Jag V6, the brakes have been re-located, the system finished and
bled, the clutch is plumbed in and I'm currently working on the exhaust system. 3-1 collectors are a bitch to make. Apologies for the heaviness
on the pics!
No worries My only concern with these is that I'll need to flare and weld some stub pipe onto each end to connect it to stuff - they
didn't offer a clamped version!
alex1991 - 12/5/15 at 06:10 PM
I'm sure I saw clamped ends as an option.
I might message them and see if they do the clamped versions otherwise I'll have to take it to an exhaust place.
Badger_McLetcher - 13/5/15 at 05:21 PM
They do a clamped version on some sizes, however those are the largest size they do with a 2.5" bore and they weren't offering it when I
ordered them. I'm somewhat concerned they may be a little long with the collectors and cats, will have to get the wheel arches down to have a
check.
40inches - 14/5/15 at 01:33 PM
Interesting build
Who made the prop? seems like a neat gearbox end fitting.
Badger_McLetcher - 14/5/15 at 07:10 PM
Cheers, it's definitely a learning process! Hopefully it'll be worth it, at the moment I've starting to wonder if doing both a custom
exhaust and custom inlet is biting off too much to chew, but I'll give it a crack.
The propshaft was made by North West Propshafts, I have to say I am very pleased with their work - it matches the Jag and Sierra flanges very well.
Badger_McLetcher - 25/5/15 at 09:17 PM
Minor update: got a couple of hours in so fabricatedmodified my exhaust mounts to support my beefy cans (hur hur hur). Got both sides done, so just
(just!) the headers to do on the RHS and then I'll set about fully welding it. Wanted to get both sides done before fully welding in case
something needed modifying, and to allow me to spread the welding out and hopefully limit warpage due to heat.
Also the bent components for the roll cage arrived, but numpty here managed to give the wrong dimensions for the rear roll bar. That'll teach me
for doing it in a hurry! Don't suppose anyone wants an extra-width rear roll bar?
[Edited on 25/5/15 by Badger_McLetcher]
Badger_McLetcher - 9/6/15 at 09:51 PM
Been a couple of weeks since I've updated this, so here goes:
I've mostly been doing the donkey work on the exhaust, it's nearly finished though. I'd have had it finished on Saturday, but ran out
of gas... typical!
Kit of parts
Right hand done...
Left hand ALMOST done!
I've also had a pinking at a couple of little bits - the brake light switch and the cover for the front of the footwells.
This kind of shows my solution - I've made up a bracket out of 16swg onto which a microswitch is bolted - or at the moment held in with a couple
of nails as I have no bolts of the right size! The bracket bolts into the pedal box, so it's adjustable with the pedal. I've welded a plate
onto a nut which threads onto the pedal push rod (again allowing some adjustment) and is held in place with a locknut. Seems to work well enough for
now but I've got some misgivings about the plate on the pushrod - may try to sandwich it between locknuts or even put some loctite on it to be
sure.
Finally I've cut the top panels into shape, will rivet and bond them into place next weekend. The aluminium front of the scuttle will bolt down
onto the top of these, probable via rivnuts.
And finally my new rollbar compared to the existing one... whoops...
Badger_McLetcher - 21/7/15 at 09:38 PM
So it's been a while again since an update; I've been busy but it's all been little bits really. This is the summary:
Got the inlet manifolds made up (I used Alu-Weld to join the tubes to the plates since my TIG welder couldn't put enough heat into it), modified
the throttle bodies to accept bosch style injectors, made up some spacers and then assembled it all on top of the engine. An easy summary but there
was a fair bit of detailed work involved! Also got the throttle cable set up sorted for now - I expect I'll have to tweak it a bit in the future
(especially if I make some cam covers), but for now it proves that the throttle pedal has sufficient travel and both sets of bodies open equally.
I've also made a start on the rollcage - made the mounts, and notched the tubes. Turns out one side of the front rollbar is longer than the
other, didn't notice it before the trial assembly! Just need to move the notch up a bit. Other than that it fits together quite well
[Edited on 22/7/15 by Badger_McLetcher]
Badger_McLetcher - 4/8/15 at 10:23 PM
Sometimes you have to go backwards a bit to go forwards... after straightening up the front hoop I cut off the rear rail and pockets in order to gain
enough access for the roll cage rear stays.
I made up some plates so the for the rear stays and welded them in.
Because the garage has a relatively low roof and the car is quite high on the build tunnel I'm having a hard time judging the position of the
roof bars, so for now these will stay tacked only until I get it on the floor to have a proper look at it. I nearly got the rest of the welding
finished last weekend, just a couple more bits to do and then I'm onto the cooling and fuel systems.
Need to get the seats in (if only temporarily) so I can make the harness mounts and I need to weld in a bracket to support the throttle cable and
hold it clear of the exhaust. Also the garage needs a bloody good clean - it seems like it takes no time at all for everything to get covered in crap
and dust
In preparation for getting on with my cooling system I've been eyeballing the radiator and nose positions; I'm not yet convinced that I can
make them fit.
The radiator is from a Mk1 1.9D Clio and is a pretty tight fit within the nose cone - in the pictures below it's pretty much wedged in the nose
but also pretty damn close to the front of the chassis. The original fan simply will not fit, so I'm either looking at a slim line one or a pair
of motorbike ones.
Have I missed a trick here or something?
Badger_McLetcher - 23/8/15 at 10:40 PM
Minor update- not had much time and it's been slow going when I have. Got the roll cage finished for now, including making up some spacer plates
out of 5mm aluminium. This is so that the front roll cage mounts don't have to clamp the fibreglass bodywork (I'll "let" the
plates into the side panels).
Got both the passengers and drivers seats in position, both mounted on runners. I've tried to keep the drivers one a bit more adjustable
(there's a removable spacer in the mounts) so it can be adjusted in the future to suit someone who isn't me.
I've received my new radiator and fans - it's a 190E one and is considerably smaller than the Clio one, however it's also aluminium so
hopefully it'll be up to the job with some ducting and good fans. The fans are SPAL units off Aprilia RSV's and cost me a grand total of
about £30 Hopefully it'll all hang together Ok!
Finally I've had a quick go at knocking up some alternative mounts for my harness, after realising the original Haynes design may not pass the
IVA. It's a bit rough at the moment but I think proves the principal.
Badger_McLetcher - 11/1/17 at 10:46 PM
Well.. it's been a while. Turns out I'm a bit crap at keeping a build thread going.
I'm toying with the idea of moving this to the projects section, but for now a quick update of what occurred over Christmas:
There's a couple of minor niggles but it runs quite nicely
I did a bit of research before I bought it, so I had a look at his blog and all - he was also kind enough to give
me a load of pictures that I can use to help get through the IVA. 
