Before starting my build i went full circle thinking about how best to get the car i wanted. To start it was going to be a book build, but the welding was putting me off. The father-in-law suggested a kit car company, and after looking about I'd narrowed it down to MK or GBS. I went to GBS and a test drive showed I wouldnt go wrong with one of their cars..cant fault them and very professional (would recommend if anyone was thinking of going down that route).
But my head kept telling me this wasnt what I wanted, since reading the original book in school I'd always wanted to build my own. So, to get away with the welding..maybe a chassis from Talon? All good, but I'd have to weld at some point.
So I've bitten the bullet, bought the steel and come back to a book built Haynes Roadster, with Sierra donor (Sat in storage for a year but now on the drive to be broken).
I know its going to take time..an evening here and there and some weekend mornings don't add up to a lot of time in the garage. But i want to do it right, not quick.
So here's the progress so far!...


The table's mdf, built with metal runners underneath to keep the board flat...it ended up a bit taller than planned! But useful for storing the uncut steel underneath


A digital protractor's been great with all these angles, they've turned out so accurate, am really impressed with it






Been following Rosco's brilliant build. Saved me from putting U7 in the wrong place :-D
Also, i'm putting in most of the tunnel now, for easier access to tack the lengths in place and while ive still got the reference lines all square on the board


[Edited on 20/10/15 by christim]

Good work, I've build my own chassis too (the previous book thou) lessons learnt were invaluable. Be disciplined and dedicate planned time & your build will come along fine.

Cheers, I'm already getting better with the welds I think, and its coming on steadily

Sounds good but your pics don't seem to be working! As for U7 I can't remember! It was so long ago!!

So when it came to the engine, I was going with the donor 1.8 cvh...which i was ok with, but planned to upgrade post iva when money allowed. But then a find on ebay forced a change in direction. After seeing a 2.0 zetec blacktop with not many bids and only a few miles away i thought i'd have a punt. Got it for £80, so couldnt say no really!
I turned up in the focus and got a strange look from the guy selling it, asking if there was a trailer on its way?? Knew it was a long shot but the only way to get it home was in the boot....it only went straight in no fuss!



Strapped in tight for the journey home


Made it in one piece


Not even going to think about all the fun electrics I'll have to get it working..cross that bridge when I come to it

[Edited on 20/10/15 by christim]

Cheers Rosco. Hmm, will have a play around to get them to show

Almost there with the chassis now so time for some updates. Carrying on with the tunnel, I layed out the entrance flat on the board and tacked together



Then put this on the frame and added the front tunnel sections



Next, the seat back sections and finishing the tunnel

I'm going to try bodywork a bit different to the roadster...More like a morgan, or Ford Pop front maybe..and different rear. Not sure yet, but I definitely know I want doors So I've raised the struts where the hinges will go and lowered where the sills will be. To stop the chassis being weakened I've added extra bracing, and will add more to the tunnel and door hinge struts later. Hoping this works!







[Edited on 13/2/16 by christim]

Diff housing done



Now on to the sheet steel work. As the rear suspension housing is the first part that needs fully welding, I've been practising a lot before being totally happy my welds are up to scratch. They started out like this:




Not brilliant, but after welding through a lot of scrap hopefully the welds are now looking a lot better?:



I'm happy enough with that to fully weld the box section and brackets to the plate:





To make the brackets I'm using 40/40mm and 50/50mm box section and cutting/drilling down to size:









Making sure the weld seam is on the side being removed:



All cut up, just needs to be trimmed:



The finished brackets:



Everything welded together and tacked onto the chassis:



And thats it! All (well most) of the tubing now together. Couldn't resist a quick sit in it



[Edited on 13/2/16 by christim]

Looking through the book, its mostly 3mm sheet steel and mostly strips that are 40mm or less. So, rather than cut lots of sections from a big sheet, I've got in a load of 40mm strip to cut down to the lengths i need, where I can. With so many chassis plates being so similar, i dont know why the book doesnt just make it simple and use the same width?



Like the seat back plates..two are one size and the other two are a different size? Cant figure out why, so cutting all 4 the same size



Starting to fully weld the chassis now:







[Edited on 13/2/16 by christim]

Ok so next update. This isnt the fastest build I know, but I try to grab an hour here and there when I can.

Stripping the donor, the worst part so far has been trying to get the diff off. The bolts were completely seized in..I tried everything but they werent budging! In the end I got the grinder to the mounting brackets..That worked Once off i could then bash out the bolts






Hubs were another thing to come off. I needed to get the mushroom inserts so popped down to MK, and while there got the bottoms reamed out for the ball joint. Danny was a great help and I had a quick look around some part finished Indies - bit of inspiration

Next job, on to the brackets. First I've beefed up cp24 a bit (to 40mm wide) and made it into a box..I could see a lot of crud building up underneath it otherwise







Then the brackets..





The wishbones themselves took a while to do...setting up the jigs and wanting to make sure the measurements were dead on. Really happy with the results though and its one step closer to getting the wheels on!

looks nice work if you need owt give us a shout im a bit further on and local

Keep going it took me the best part of 10 years to finish mine, wiring is easy enough when you get there.

Maybe turn the wire down a touch on the welder.

Looking good pal, the early days are the best

Cheers guys. Im looking forward to it looking like a car soon

quote:

---

Originally posted by big_wasa
Keep going it took me the best part of 10 years to finish mine, wiring is easy enough when you get there.

Maybe turn the wire down a touch on the welder.

---

Fixing the broken links above. (Cant edit back photos back into original post )

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim
So when it came to the engine, I was going with the donor 1.8 cvh...which i was ok with, but planned to upgrade post iva when money allowed. But then a find on ebay forced a change in direction. After seeing a 2.0 zetec blacktop with not many bids and only a few miles away i thought i'd have a punt. Got it for £80, so couldnt say no really!
I turned up in the focus and got a strange look from the guy selling it, asking if there was a trailer on its way?? Knew it was a long shot but the only way to get it home was in the boot....it only went straight in no fuss!



Strapped in tight for the journey home


Made it in one piece


Not even going to think about all the fun electrics I'll have to get it working..cross that bridge when I come to it

[Edited on 20/10/15 by christim]

---

Time for a little update. I've been putting the rear uprights together, first making the jig to build them then lining everything up:



Had to then figure out how to orientate RU7/RU8...For drum brakes the book says to have these horizontal, but that would mean the brake pipe running straight into the top brackets:



A little play around and I've settled on having them about 45°, I don't think this should be a problem? Also the handbrake cable exits the backplate towards the front when on the donor, and I can see this maybe being a tight fit on the roadster so I've swapped the offside and nearside backplates around, the cable can then loop round into the bracket in the tunnel:





Welded into its final position. (Then ground down the weld and put RU8 on top, forgot to photo that bit tho:

I've also been finishing off some bits i'd not got round to doing earlier...welding on the diff brackets:



I do have a pic of RU8 with the diff mounts:



The rear upper wishbone connectors:



And the front suspension brackets..D'OH, didnt realise the mistake until it was too late. I'd measured out and bolted a length of wood to make sure they were the right distance apart. Oh well, the bolts can either be cut off or will stay there if the shocks manage to squeeze in place:



Finishing off these bits means I can have a go with the wheels on! It took ages to get it put together, not the 10 minute job i thought it was going to be, but I got the back wheels on at least:





I was panicking a few days ago as it's been so long since i took the driveshafts off that i couldnt remember which side the left-hand threaded shaft went on, and doing searches here and other sites people seem 50/50 for it being nearside or offside. Turns out i shouldnt have worried as the diff is off-centre, with one side longer (and so one shaft shorter) meaning the left-hand thread is on the nearside (which made sense anyways as it'd be turning itself tighter):



With alignments checked and ok'd, it's all off again now. I don't want to press in the wishbone bushes just to take them out again when i get painting, so thats probably going to be the next job as after that it's engine fitting time and i don't fancy having to lug the chassis around then..it's already heavy enough!

Looking at your chassis mods, I noticed a potential problem so thought you might like to have a look.

The red arrows show the opposing forces from the front and rear of the car which could fold the vertical tube as there isn't sufficient bracing.

I would add another tube where I have highlighted the green line.


Description

hope this helps

looking good so far

Yep that definitely helps!! I was going to run an extra bracing where the green section meets the lower red arrow, but going up not down..now i see it it's obvious (runs the stress down to the floor, and doesnt need to intersect another brace) I'm also thinking of running one from where the top red arrow ends down to the cill, but will leave that to when I come to designing the door shape and see what I can come up with

[Edited on 22/5/16 by christim]

Just a small update today. The wheels are back off, and I've fully welded the wishbone brackets now I know they line up ok. I'm getting ready to work on the pedal box so have welded the plate in:





I've also got the gearbox out of the donor (it's going to need a good cleanup), ready to get it and the engine lined up for the mounts and measure the length for the propshaft. As they're only a 2 minute drive from where I work I'm going to get the propshaft from Dunning and Fairbank...seen a few people write up good things about them on here so popped over for a chat. Very helpful, and once ive got the length measured up i'll get it ordered. Think i'll nearly be there with all the running gear then



Also had a couple of things arrive in the post. Firstly my VIN:



Second my polybushes with ss crush tubes. They're squigee! It's wierd but I always thought they were a little harder like say anti rollbar bushes I guess ones the tubes are in and they're pressed into the wishbones they firm up

You know the plate for the handbrake cables, I put mine in vertical and not on the angle as its bad enough trying to get them over a Sierra diff, Also a couple of slits from the holes down, it saves you un threading the cable etc

Aah good plan I like it...I'll be measuring up the handbrake cables soon so will remember that thanks

This weekend I hit a milestone! Engine, meet chassis.

Before I got to that I wanted to plug up the holes in the chassis (I saved the offcuts from the brackets and trimmed these to shape, then welded them in place):





Then it was time to screw the gearbox to the engine, get the engine lift back out, and get everything in place...all in an 8x16 garage:









Things I've found out now this is done:
1) some of the engine ribs will need to be cut away so the starter motor from the donor (1.8 cvh) can fit in
2) the donors alternator fits nicely in that alternator 'cup' section on the front left of the engine, just need to change over a couple of bolts to fit
3) i've taken the aircon unit off and will get round to putting that on ebay...and behind that unit revealed the 4 engine mount bolt holes that i couldnt find on that side!
4) the space between chassis and sump is 40mm. With a potential front ride height of 100mm that a 60mm clearance (not sure that's enough, may have to revisit this later, either cut sump and/or raise ride height)
5) nothing will foul...clear run for steering column, exhaust, pipes, etc
6) it's going to be a bugger to connect the reverse switch on the end of the gearbox!

So a few jobs to get on with, first of which is the engine and gearbox mounts, then it can all come out again

I'm going to try posting more regularly. Not that I need it, but it should give me incentive to make a little progress each week...
This week I have mostly been making mounts

I started by measuring out the size of disc needed to fit the rubber engine mounts and drilling out the bolt hole:



Then cut the disc to shape:





Next was measuring up the box section and cutting to shape, then tacking in place. I've used 50mm box. Might be overkill, but better to be safe:



And then fully welded then drilled out a hole to allow access to the nut:



Finally, I've started on the gearbox mount. The engine/gearbox is as high as I can get away with so hopefully I wont need to cut the sump and will have plenty of clearance underneath (I've managed to get it down to 25mm from the bottom of the sump to the floor). This means making a raised gearbox mount though, here's what I've got so far:



Thats all for now. Going to finish the gearbox mount then get the steering column sorted next

I got a couple of bits done over the weekend. Firstly making the hole for the steering column bearing. Drilling loads of little holes through 3mm steel is so much fun...



Once the plug was out I could offer up the bearing to measure/drill the bolt's holes:



Then the column's bushing needed sanding just a hair's width to get a snug fit in the bearing:



Time to put it all together:



When the weather was ok I was outside stripping bits off the donor. Couldnt resist laying some parts on the build to see what it looks like :



The blocks of wood you can see are me working out the final ride height for the seats I wanted (these). With everything measured up i'm going to have to change to a different set (possibly these)

Couldnt resist a sit in it:

Next job on the list is the steering column support. But before doing that I had to sort out the door upright/chassis layout. I'm quite happy with how it's turned out but will still add a final diagonal going down to the bottom rail, creating another triangulation, (and another by the upright next to the pedal box):





With that done I could get the steering column support on. The wheel's going quite high on my build, and with the altered chassis I had to work out some awkward compound angles, but again I think it's turned out ok:

Just a quick update today...I've been busy with the pedal box and nearly there with it, so I should be able to write it up on here soon.
In the meantime, I've put together the steering column. A few problems with it but all sorted now:

Firstly I cut the old shaft to extend it, then measured up the uj against my escort rack. Unfortunately my Sierra donor has power steering which means it's rack has a different spline number/diameter, so the Sierra uj wouldn't fit onto the escort rack:



Also even if the uj had fit, because it's too short the column was fouling against the upright. So first thing to do was order a new uj (one that would fit the escort rack and still have the trianglular Sierra column fixing):



That did the job! And as it's a bit longer I've now got a few mm clearance from the upright Bonus. Here it is all in place:



More to come in the next few days!

Here it is, my next update! After trying to steal a few hours in the garage whenever possible, the pedal box is finally finished, woo! I'm really happy with how it's turned out, given that I made most of it up as I went along.
So first off, I needed some angle steel but didn't have the right size. Oh well, box section is basically 4x pieces of angled steel right?...



The next bit is pretty standard, having cut some sheet steel i offered it up to the chassis, with the angle steel resting on the bottom rail:



Then welded the two pieces together:



And drilled the holes for the securing bolts, cables, and brake cylinder. I'm not bolting the pedal box to the floor, but onto the bottom rail...I don't want bolt heads exposed under the floor, and as I'll be using 1mm steel for the floor I want the box bolted on to a sturdier part of the chassis:



Next on to the pedal mounts. I started with some initial sketches then drew up my designs to make a cardboard template:



And used the templates to cut out the final mounting pieces:



Then welded these in place:



Now on to the pedals themselves. I started by using my fancy expensive metal bending jig to get the perfect curve in my pedal footplate :



Then I cut and drilled 2x lengths of steel per pedal, turned some rod on the lathe to make a few spacers, and welded on what will be the cable brackets:



And welded it all together. (I got some - I think anti rollbar - bushes, can't remember, and pushed them in to the spacers where the bolts will go):



After that was done I offered it up for final fitting, before welding the plate to the pedal at the right height for my foot (here it's being held in place with a magnet):



Moving on to the brake pedal, I drilled a hole in one of spacers - that I'd set at the same height as the brake cylinder:



Then turned some steel rod in the lathe to the right size to just fit snug inside the spacer:



I then drilled and tapped the rod:



And finally, I put a thread on a different piece of rod, which now screws into the piece turned on the lathe:



This now pivots in the spacer, pushing the rod into the brake cylinder when the pedal is pushed (and added bonus, the hole in the spacer provides a positive stop when the pedal pivots it all the way back, stopping the pedal going back any further):



That's it, all done! I just need to hook up the clutch and throttle cables, but will get to that when I start on welding all the pipe brackets to the chassis



[Edited on 5/9/16 by christim]

Great progress, looks like your really enjoying the build. Keep it up matey

Cheers Neil, yeah I'm really enjoying the build of it all! Sure i'll enjoy the driving afterward too, but its the build I like best

I've finished putting the handbrake together, so I thought an update was due!

I had a spare Focus handbrake cable, which i preferred the look of rather than the Sierra handbrake as it's adjustable - and less rusted

The cable being adjustable meant altering the handbrake, so i started by removing the 'crescent moon' shaped cable guide:



I then put a thread in the bolt (for the adjusting screw) that will go through the newly created hole in the handbrake arm:



And cut the adjustable screw part off the cable. (I dont need the extra length of cable as the trans tunnel is so short):



Also the cables from the zetec are far too long, so these were cut down to length:


(I then splayed out the wires and melted it all back together with a blob of weld)

And thats it done!:



The other ends attach into the drums ok, with a bit of fiddling and adjusting needed. Also I've not yet fixed the cables to the chassis as I want to get the brake and fuel cables in place, and the fuel tank. Then I can work out the best route for the handbrake cables.

After that, it was on with the wheels again and she saw her first light!:





It's great to get to this stage...I now have a rolling chassis which means that I can get more space in the garage, and work on both sides of the car now. I've sorted the passenger side door upright, and am now working on the exhaust. I wont be able to finish that until the bodywork support framing starts going on (more about that when I start on the bodywork) but I can at least get the bits cut to length:


(Using the blue string to help show my brake pipe routing )

Time for an update I reckon!
Carrying on from last time, I've been sorting out the brake/electric/fuel line brackets. I've cut up some steel strip to go in various places along the tunnel and across the rear diff cage, drilled holes ready to take rivets, which will secure p-clips throughout:





Half way through I may have got a bit side-tracked and decided I needed to get the bulkhead in place... But to get this done I'd need a sheet metal bender. I knocked something up cheap and quick, but it worked great! (Also it seems you can't get a bender capable of doing 1m without paying stupid money..and they're so simple to make!?) I already have plans to make an even better V2.0



With that done I could then bend the piece needed:



And put in it's place:



A bit of trimming and profiling needed, but not yet sure of the final shape so I'll leave it there for now.

Next I really wanted to sort out the seating, so I can get the rails in place and get the chassis one step closer to being finished. Earlier on I mentioned my dilemma about which seats to get. So as a test run I got my hands on the original one I wanted. Putting it in place it fits to the millimetre! Ok, when the side panels are carpeted it'll be snug..but it fits! I'm really pleased it means I can have the seats I wanted:





Not sure about the colour mind, that'll change.

For the past few weeks there's not been much progress, as I've been on the computer designing the bodywork. I hope in a couple more weeks I'll be done and can get some pics posted up here of what it'll look like

I've not posted in a while as I'm still either inside on the computer working on the bodywork design or outside stripping the donor...it's been sat on the drive long enough and time for it to go!

I've been workng on stripping the electrics out and this weekend managed to finish that job:


Finally got it all out of the donor:


And all packed away ready for when it's needed:


I've labelled all the connections....I just hope I can figure out what I'm doing when it comes to connecting them all up to the zetec!

Whoa...coming up three years since any progress or update! So what's happened?...I had a lot of problems trying to do my own bodywork and realised I'd bitten off waaay more than I could chew (see design and thinking thread here). A couple of catastrophe's and I got really deflated about the whole thing.

I got to the point of *almost* finishing the rear (see pic below) when the whole thing collapsed and it was back to square 1. This and the fact that I was already daunted by creating a full bespoke GRP bodyshell having never fibreglassed before, I now see how naive it was to think I could do this. It took me until this summer to admit defeat on the whole design.

SO...I've closed that chapter, and since buying a full set from Equinox i'm back on with the build, making much better progress and will try to update here as I really want my build thread to be a complete one and see this thing on the road





Still think it would have looked aces mind...

[Edited on 18/12/19 by christim]

Screw Photobucket. Imgur is the way forwards!


So i've made a list of things that need doing before I can get the chassis powder coated, and now working through that list...

I'm going to attach the nosecone (which i'm joining to the bonnet so it's a single structure) with heavy duty cabinet door hinges:



I've finished the radiator mounting brackets:






(Nosecone only just clears the radiator)

Also done the front brake brackets:

Got a few more jobs done in the last few days..
- I've cut off the handbrake cable bracket and will weld on a new one vertically, rather than in line with the seat back angle as the book says. The handbrake cables were pointed right into the diff before (a tip from Rosco a few years ago I've only just got round to doing)
- I finished off the roll-bar mounting plates; so the side panels fit snugly and i can weld in some mounting plates for them
- Finished the diagonals around the engine bay:



- And have now fitted the seat belt mounting points (driver's side points circled):



- Finally for now I've got together all the parts for the complete fuel system, so I can now get the back of the car's chassis finished:

I bought one of them tanks for mine.

In the main I am really happy with it for the money.
I think the guy under sell's his work a little with very sparse adverts.
Mine did come with a really odd size filler neck.

I've had to turn up an adapter and weld it on.

My suggestion would be to also re look at your belt mounting points.

My opinion is they look a little on the thin side ?

Yep I agree, the tank's great money for a good quality item, and a good guy to deal with (My Hermes 'lost' the first tank he sent and fair play to him he made and sent another one...hope he got some compensation from MyHermes for that).

Didn't even think to measure the filler size! Cheers for the heads-up. If needed i'll look at some sort or reducer

Yeah the seat belt brackets are 3mm (5mm angle for the seat back mounting point). The one in the corner is strong but I'll reinforce the trans tunnel ones

The seat belt on the tunnel looks too far forward to me as well as a bit flimsy . Would also suggest welding nuts on the inside and fully welding them.

quote:

---

Originally posted by rusty nuts
The seat belt on the tunnel looks too far forward to me as well as a bit flimsy . Would also suggest welding nuts on the inside and fully welding them.

---

You need 7/16” UNF nuts, standard thread for seat belts

A couple more items ticked off the list before i can get the chassis powder coated...

The seat mounts are now in:





And a little place to mount the horn:

Couple more jobs done...

For the brake/ fuel/electric hoses going through the tunnel i'm p-clipping them, so have cut up some brackets and added rivnuts:



Then welded in place:



I've also added rivnuts where the scuttle will be secured to the chassis:




7/16th UNF nuts have arrived so I'll weld those on next, then on to working on the rear section

As i've only thought about 4 point harnesses, I'm a bit surprised that your lower seat belt mounts aren't parallel and would have thought the tunnel side bolt hole would be nearer the floor. Are you using a 'production car' style 3 point harness?

quote:

---

Originally posted by jps
As i've only thought about 4 point harnesses, I'm a bit surprised that your lower seat belt mounts aren't parallel and would have thought the tunnel side bolt hole would be nearer the floor. Are you using a 'production car' style 3 point harness?

---

A few more updates...I've put a couple of brackets in the engine bay corners with holes to take bonnet locating pins:



And I've built up a diff rear bracket to give extra support:





Also tacked in the rear brake mounting brackets:





And one of the jobs on my list I'm glad to get out the way is cutting out the old handbrake cable bracket and put a new one in at a more sensible angle...vertically (was suggested a couple of years ago by Rosco and definitely makes sense rather than fighting to get the cable over the diff).

I also attached a little spur to take the brake line T connector



So that's a few more pre powder-coating jobs ticked off the list. Here is the list by the way - lots of brackets and mounts! I''ll finish it soon if I stop adding more things to it, ha:

im jealous at your progress - when you've finished could you spend a couple of days on mine?

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeR
im jealous at your progress - when you've finished could you spend a couple of days on mine?

---

I've spent the past few weeks on a side project...but it's going to help with the build! I made a roller bender so now i can get the box section lengths bend to shape (rear, scuttle, bonnet, etc). Think i spent as long on the paint job as i did making it! and the colour is a giveaway for the car



Original build from YouTube if anyone's interested:

So with the metal bender built I've started to put it to use, making the bottom support for the rear tub (the top support bend was too tight so had to make a 90° curve out of sheet steel cut and welded up to make the right shape):



It's a really tight fit putting the rear tub on/off when testing it! Once it's on again it's never coming off thats for sure (if I don't break it putting it back on that is).

With that done I've now put in the fuel tank and swirl tank supports:



Next on the list more brackets, for the low pressure fuel pump and filters. Gotta think about how best to fix the fuel lines in this rear section too

A few more jobs done this weekend, with more ticked off the list before powder coating.

I made the bracket for the fuel pump (the one that pumps from the fuel tank to the swirl tank):



With that done i could then work out where to put the fuel lines, and fixed in the rivnuts.
Next was the handbrake cable support bracket. A bit of fiddling about with the hubs and diff to work out the best placement, settled on putting them towards the back at the top, ensuring they wouldn't foul against the wishbones:



And finally the bendy bits...
Putting in the side arches.
Also an extra support for the rear tub. I'm taking advantage of the extra length in the Equinox side panel bodywork to create a longer rear, any extra luggage space is a bonus as i'm planning some big trips once she's built! I get about an extra 150mm this way. Not much but it all counts

Great stuff mate!

Cheers James!


Guys we have a problem. Same problem as on Stot's thread (great build...thread on Haynesforum) the clam wings won't cover the tyre fully so won't get through IVA. The problem's made worse by the bigger wheels, which now just poke out a midge too far.
Solution will also be the same as Stot's, and the part was ordered last night - 4x4 stainless steel spare wheel cover!

Rushing to get the chassis finished, (hoping I can still get it powder coated with all the disruption going on at the moment)! So only a few tasks left to do...

I'm carrying on with the welding, and grinding down the welds where they get in the way of the floor and bodywork, hoping to finish in a couple of days (before Easter)

The headlight mounts are now made and on the chassis (used a section of exhaust pipe for the round! and drilled through to the frame for the wiring to go through):



And made sure there was space for the clamshell wing if/when I decide to fit it after IVA:



Also thinking of the clamshell wings, I've added an extra mounting point to the chassis, for any wing framework to attach to:



And finally I've added some rivnuts to hold the exhaust mounting bracket:

So the good news is the chassis is now finished and ready for powder coating. But not surprising with the current situation they're on minimal staff and not taking on jobs at the moment. I guess I'll crack on with other jobs until then....plenty to be getting on with!

Getting the chassis finished meant finishing up the seatbelt fixing points - welding in captive nuts and strengthening the mounting points. I also built the back mount into a box so it's protected from the elements, seeing as it's otherwise exposed right by the rear running gear:











I also finishing any welding, and grinding back welds that would get in the way of panels. Lastly I got CP17 fitted, made from 3mm plate and an extra length of 20mm box:



On to the next job now

So with the chassis not going anywhere for a bit I've added a couple of 'nice-to-haves'....fitting a lip along the front of the engine bay floor and some brackets for Dzus fasteners, to hold a tray...keeping it nice and clean in the engine bay once the rest of the floor is riveted in:



Also fitted a plate to cover a bit of the rear that'll be exposed with the tub set further back:



Then on to a solution for fitting the nosecone and bonnet. I'm making this a single piece that lifts up from the front, so I built up a frame that i'll glue (PU adhesive?) the GRP pieces on to. (I'm going have gas struts towards the front and add the bonnet catch to the bulkhead, though wont add these until the bulkhead is riveted in and secure)





It took a bit of trial and error getting the final shape, and i'm glad I've got the metal bender to hand. The first design had straight lengths at the front where it's hinged, but they clashed with the wishbone and radiator mounts, so remade the front with it curving round those parts.
Also it took a fair bit of straightening and re-bending to get the final shape for the bonnet but i'm pleased with the final outcome, it's really solid.

The only thing is the strength of the hinges, they look ok but i don't want anything breaking at speed, so I've got the bonnet locating pins near the bulkhead, but looking at it in place I think i'll also add some horizontally at the front, either side of the radiator I think.

That's coming along well.

J

Cheers Jay, I'm hoping maybe...possibly...end of the year to finish. We'll see


Last week it was finally time, we took the chassis to be powder coated! Along with all the other bits - wishbones etc.
(I can definitely recommend Castle Powder Coating in Castleford, they did a mint job, even sent a couple of pics of the blasting and coating)

Had to get it to them first so it's on to the trailer:



And just like that it's job done:





Now she's back home and all tucked up:



So I can now get to work on the running gear, starting with the engine and gearbox:

nice progress, looking good

Thanks! Progress slowed up slightly but still plugging away at it

So just a small update as i'm working on cleaning up each individual part, pretty boring stuff so just a summary:
Another side project to help with the build, I built a blast cabinet to help with bringing some of the parts up to scratch:


I'm on with blasting the back plates at the moment.

Also cleaning up the parts that don't need blasting, it's amazing what a bit of vinegar and a brush can achieve!



I'm finding some parts aren't worth restoring, either too far gone (e.g. the rear drive shafts) or cheap enough to buy anyway (e.g. the front calipers as part ex.)

The master cylinder's good enough, but this particular one seems like a part you can't get any more so i've bought a new one in case in future it needs changing/fixing i can at least find a part for it - again they're cheap enough at £26

I also splashed out on a new steering rack, and glad i did the part that arrived from RallyDesign is awesome quality.

So i'll probably sell on the cylinder and rack I'd already got when i get round to it.

Getting fewer parts to clean up before i have to tackle the gearbox and engine! I'm building up to it


.....Oh also, big shout out to Gaz Suspension. I got their dampers from Rally Design but they have 1/2" bushes as standard rather than 12mm. Since my chassis' now powder-coated i didn't really want to drill the suspension brackets up to the 1/2".
One phone call, sent them in, they changed the bushes and sent straight back. Can't fault their customer service, amazing.

[Edited on 3/9/20 by christim]

I got the gearbox finished!
Been working on it for the past couple of weekends and the odd evening. It was pretty filthy so first job was to get the degreaser on it and give it a proper clean. Then a complete stripdown and put in new/uprated bearings, seals, and gaskets. Put it all together again and a lick of paint....good as new
A few pics from start to finish:

I'm half way through the engine rebuild, would have liked to have got it done by now but welding up the shortened sump has been a pain...a few pinholes, a few re-welds, then re-testing for leaks, re-weld again, etc.
Sorted now though, so here's a few pics of progress so far:

Started with mounting onto the stand:


Then everything stripped off and put aside:




Now for the first bit of work on the engine itself. I've cut up the crankcase so the starter motor will fit the type 9 bellhousing, and cut off a chunk that would otherwise be sticking out the bottom of the engine bay:


Messy job! Aluminium grinding dust gets everywhere

Next on to the sump. I cut up the new standard one I bought:


Then made some templates, cut the sheet steel to the shapes neeed, and welded them in:




Then as mentioned spent the next few days finding and fixing leaks. Finally all watertight so drilled a hole for the plug, welded the nut in, and out with the paint:


I also shortened the oil pickup and made sure it fit nicely...and a magnetic sump plug is ordered and on its way

So now everything's stripped and ready for a clean, new parts where needed, and rebuild:

Am seriously impressed with your engineering there Chris, even within this community, there aren’t many that would even consider stripping down and rebuilding the gearbox, so you engine sounds like it’ll be easy for you to do and achieve a very reliable kit car once on the road.

Jason

Cheers Jason! Either that or it's all going to go very wrong, haha.
tbh it's been the best part so far...I love taking things apart and seeing how they work

So engine rebuild part 2...reassembly is the reversal of removal
These are just a few pics of the build, I didn't photo all stages there's just too many steps

First job, painting the cylinder block (brg of course it's gotta be)


Then deglazing the bores


Next time to clean out the galleries of all the rusty gunk...that's the last time they'll ever see H2O!


And then on to cleaning the pistons...before and after pic:


Now on to the head. First job taking the valves out


Then time to give the valves a good clean...before and after pic (ones on the left aren't black holes...they were just that black with soot lol):


And then lapping the valves getting them nice and snug


All clearances and tolerances were checked and parts replaced where needed...including the shells which although were mostly still good, there were a few score marks on some so I thought best to get a new set


Finally all the parts got a good clean, paint, and put back together







So that's (nearly) it! Here's all the parts restored...time to start putting it all together I think



The engine and gearbox rebuilds have been the best part so far...really enjoyed getting right into the detail. And fully rebuilding now will hopefully mean fewer problems in the future

So I may be getting a little trigger happy with the paint!
I'm reversing the injector rail inlet/outlet so they point to the back of the engine, and figure the rail would look good painted...I do like it though tbh:



I may have even painted a few bolts here and there too

Update time!....Mostly I have been waiting for rivets to arrive. Ordered before Christmas, had two cancelled orders, and final order delayed in the snow but we got there, so finally the floor could be finished.
While I was waiting I made some bushes for the pedals. Acetal rod turned down on the lathe and pressed into the pedals. They're not going anywhere now and a nice snug fit with the bolt on too:



Also I took advantage of easy access to the tunnel to put all the lines in; brake, fuel, electric:



So to the floor. Started off with delivery of a massive sheet of steel:



Then cut to shape:



Next the bead roller came out to stiffen up the sheet, so no noisy 'dinks' when getting in etc:



On to drilling the rivet holes...264 in total for the floor, with 75mm spacing, 4mm stainless countersunk



Tiger seal everywhere the floor touches the chassis, then on with the floor for the last time and rivets in place. I'm so glad for the air rivet gun!



Last job on the floor itself, I added plenty of Waxoyl undercoating:



With that done i made up a hatch for the engine bay floor...This is held in with a lip at the front and Dzus fasteners (more to be added at the back of the hatch). It'll get a liberal coating of Waxoyl too:



And now it's back the right way up for the last time!! Really looking forward to putting things in it now!




...Oh and the round hole right in the middle of the floor? Access to the bolt for the gearbox mount I realised half way through there's absolutely no way I'll get to the bolt from the inside once the floor's in place and the gearbox is in. I'll put a blind grommet in or something to seal it off

Neat and tidy - looks very professional!

Crikey that's coming on quickly!

Mine took me 4 years although I knew nothing about how cars worked which didn't help!

Just one thing, on the Locost design (I know yours is a Chris Gibbs), the threaded ball-joint of the front wishbones should point upwards at the outer end so as to prevent run-out/binding of the BJ on full bump/droop. I couldn't tell from the photos if yours had that?

Also, I don't know the Gibbs suspension design well enough to know if that's still required. I thought you'd rather know now than on first drive of the car!

Cheers guys, I'm happy with it so far!

James yep the top wishbones are angled up all good there (Though every time I've put them on I have to look up which way round they go!)

There's a reason for the sudden pick up in pace...a baby's on it's way! (our first), and the body panels and all other items I've amassed for the build are no longer welcome in the spare room

Looking Great so far Chris, Keep the posts coming!!

Cheers Dave, time for another update then! Diff and interior panels...

The diff's in for the last time so all the bolts are fully tightened and not going anywhere. It may be overkill but once they were in I then drilled through and added split pins:



I'm also happy the brake lines clear the small gap between the diff mount and the chassis! With the chassis back the right way around I can check the clearance down the tunnel for the gearbox. Test fitted the gearbox and really annoying but both the fuel line and electric conduit got in the way:



So they've been rerouted now and there's a good enough gap:



Then on to the panels. Only remembered to take a few pics after the back panel was done - it's hard to do bead rolling with only two hands! and that's some pretty intricate work I reckon, testing my skills and trying for brownie points with the wife:



Sure it'll be covered up when the carpet goes in but we'll know it's there

The rest of the panels were cut, bent, sprayed on their undersides with anti rust primer, then rivetted:









The tunnel top isn't rivetted, just on for show for now...still deciding how best to fix it so it's removable with the trim I'm planning on.

Also annoyed now that I didn't spray the top side of the floor panel with anti rust but I suppose it'll do...I may paint some on later.

Next I think will be the fuel system, then front brake lines. But first a couple of extra dzus fasteners on the engine bay hatch. It's coming along!

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim
The tunnel top isn't rivetted, just on for show for now...still deciding how best to fix it so it's removable with the trim I'm planning on.

---

I made the tunnel tops to drop over and fix with screws in the side, I also lifted the front section up around 25mm to leave space for wiring etc. And made the rear section into an armrest.

tunnel
Description
Description

That does look really tidy! I'm going for a wooden trim on the top and carpet up the sides, I could attach a carpet-trimmed side panel to the top maybe
I'm also thinking about a press stud solution...like buttons on a coat! pushes on and pops off easily. Though that would create a gap between the top and sides that would need filling somehow
I like the arm rest as well...could be space for a cup holder in there too

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim
That does look really tidy! I'm going for a wooden trim on the top and carpet up the sides, I could attach a carpet-trimmed side panel to the top maybe
I'm also thinking about a press stud solution...like buttons on a coat! pushes on and pops off easily. Though that would create a gap between the top and sides that would need filling somehow
I like the arm rest as well...could be space for a cup holder in there too

---

Gotta stay hydrated on the long trips I'm planning

So I'm fitting the fuel tanks, lines, etc...and not really thought about the below arrowed areas before:



But now I look at it, these are exposed allowing road crap into the boot area and over the tanks/lines, not necessarily a problem and I don't think I've ever seen anyone cover these areas? Just to be safe I'll make up a screen to protect this area

Two steps forward one step back

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim
So I'm fitting the fuel tanks, lines, etc...and not really thought about the below arrowed areas before:



But now I look at it, these are exposed allowing road crap into the boot area and over the tanks/lines, not necessarily a problem and I don't think I've ever seen anyone cover these areas? Just to be safe I'll make up a screen to protect this area

Two steps forward one step back

---

Yeah looking at it I can see why. I'll be putting a panel and maybe diffuser under there eventually
After an evening cutting up cardboard to make some sort of template I can see why people don't really cover these spots...way to many compound angles! I'm going to leave it for now and add it to the "do it after IVA" list

So this weekend was spent doing the fuel setup...
First thing to do was make a custom p-clip for one of the fuel filters. Started by cutting a strip of steel:



Then bending it to shape and adding rubber trim:



Now to start bolting things to the chassis...here the filter and low pressure pump:



With the small tank fitted most of the lines could be put in place:



Next job was some straps for the main tank. Again cut these from some sheet steel, and also made up some spacers/guides to tightly hold the straps against the tank when they're bolted in:



Then strapped in the main tank:



So now everything in place, on to adding the filler cap:



Before fitting the cap I put the rear body panel on. Really worried it was going to break trying to get it over the chassis frame but it went on in the end, and definitely not coming off again!
After that I could then measure up and (very carefully!) cut the hole for the filler cap:



For extra rigidity I also cut out some more sheet steel for the cap bolts to mount on to:



And that's the fuel system is done! Just hoping it doesn't leak now, ha

quote:

---

And that's the fuel system is done! Just hoping it doesn't leak now, ha

---

Aah I guess that might be a trick of the camera lens as it's straight on the car no bowing. Yep there's a slight gap on the bottom chassis tube (only 1-2mm), which is odd because I welded the tubes up with the panel fitted then took the panel off. I'm thankful for the gap though, there was no way that panel was going on otherwise! (Possibly just enough space for some sort of spoiler to slide in post IVA)

Am sure that when you glue the rear panel to the chassis, a bit more placed in where the gaps are will take up the gap and stop any vibration defects.

Jason

Cheers Jason, yep there's already not much play in it so shouldn't need much



This week I finished off the brakes, a few pics:

Line from the tunnel attached to the brake light sensor and then on to the master cylinder:



Then worked on the front lines...cut, bent, held in with cleco's then rivetted:



But oh no! I cut the nearside line too short luckily just enough left on the reel to make another:



So finally all put together:



On to the next job now...Time for the engine and gearbox to go in!. Which means I have to finally decide what setup to go with in terms of flywheel, clutch, release bearing, etc. Here's the 1.8 CVH flywheel and clutch from the Sierra (left) and 2.0 from the Mondeo (right):



I did wonder about the diameter of the flywheel affecting whether the starter motor would work on both...measured and they're both the same diameter and sit at the same depth from the engine so that's fine.

So after reading a few threads and looking through the options here's the setup I'm going with:
• 2.0 Zetec (Mondeo, code NGD)
• 1.8 CVH Flywheel (lighter)
• 1.8 CVH Clutch (new...old one rusty, see above)
• Suspect then I'll need original CCT132 release bearing from the donor then, but i have the longer CCT133 Capri type too just in case
• Spigot bearing for the type 9 mounting into the Zetec

Best get cracking then!

I'm sure you know about it already, but if you run the CVH flywheel you'll need a trigger wheel for a crank sensor as it doesn't have the cut outs in the rear of it like the Zetec flywheels.

Build is looking really tidy though

Oh ffs annoyed at myself ...I remember thinking this back at the start of the build when I got the engine but completely forgot!
I don't want the hassle, so change to the above....2.0 zetec all the way mounted to the type 9
Thank you! that's saved me a lot of headscratching further down the road

I'd be tempted to sell the current ones and get a 1.8 Zetec flywheel as it's lighter than the 2.0 one. There was someone selling a few on facebook marketplace https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/5114 223661953157/?ref=search&referral_code=undefined

Anyone want a refurbished 1.8 cvh flywheel?

I'm gonna stick with the 2.0 for now I think. Clutch kit on its way. 1.8 route was just because I had one lying around

Ok so big job done...engine/gearbox in! New cutch arrived and the flywheel refurbished:



And engine off its stand...it's good to get a bit of space back in the garage! Clutch (and spiggot bearing) can then be attached:





Then I had to make some adjustment to the mounting plate. Forgot to take an 'after' pic but here you can see the Sierra plate and the top half of the zetec plate:



I've welded on some sheet steel where the starter motor would have gone on the zetec, and cut off the ridge that's on the bottom half of the plate otherwise it was rubbing against the clutch. Also sanded back and repainted

So on to getting it all in. I put the gearbox in separately and glad I did, no way it would go in attached to the engine what with the floor and mounting bracket in the way:



And engine in...bit fiddly getting it attached as always, but not too bad:





So next job I think will be plumbing in radiator and hoses, then starting to tackle the loom...

Just a quick update, and a thank you to Mike (Starterman on here) for the new Starter Motor. Great service, price, next day delivery, and definitely worth it...I think the new motor is even a tad smaller than the donor one which is even better, more clearance from bits cut out of the lower crankcase.

Here's old:



And new:

So over the last month I've managed to get a few jobs done, so time for an update...

With the engine in I'm happy the changes to the sump means it just clears the floor:



And another big thank you to Starterman for supplying the alternator. I'm glad I kept the donor's alternator bracket and the zetec mount...the two together make the Denso alternator easy to fit and no extra bracketry needing to be made up!. The idler pulley did need a bracket though, and i turned down a bushing to fit into the bearing:



With all that together it also turns out to be a really common belt size too (6PK1218) so won't ever have trouble when it needs replacing. Here it is all together:



I got the mechanical oil pressure gauge pipe fitted:



With the injector fuel rail turned around it's now a really easy routing for the fuel pipes, but the outlet gets in the way of the camshaft position sensor:



So I cut off the sensor's bolt flange, turned it 90 degrees, and cut a bracket to kind of 'pin' the sensor mount down:



Then moved on to the bulkhead. Got this painted, and made a mount for the radiator:





Which meant I could then fit all the coolant pipes, where I also had to make a mount for the expansion tank...and painted the rails to match the colour scheme







And finally, on to the electrics. I kept the full loom from the Sierra, and have all the engine wiring back to the 42 pin plug, so it's a case of merging the two together somehow, and I'm working through that.

At the moment I'm just working on getting the PATS to work. I've got as far as getting the LED to blink, though it's blinking a code at me so I'll be wiring up the OBD2 reader so I can see what it's saying. Also it's very much just testing the theory at the moment...wires everywhere and some dodgy connection pins. Will tidy it all up once i've proved it works....and can get the engine started!

Sierra loom:



Zetec loom and working on getting the PATS to work:

Today was the day...engine start up for the first time!
Feel free to ignore the MAF sensor falling off the inlet

Bouncing around a bit with what jobs I'm doing, after getting the engine started I've moved on to interior and bodywork. First I painted all the interior panels to stop the rust:



Got the carpet sheet ordered (from Martrim, along with the black trim and vinyls I'll need). Then got to work measuring, cutting, and glueing (the camera's deceptive it looks cream here but is actually quite a bit darker biscuit coloured):



For the outer side walls I plugged up the spaces with 25mm insulation sheet. Didn't know how it'd turn out but actually really impressed...it was easy to cut out and glue into the spaces:



With that done the side carpets could be cut to shape and glued in (upholstery contact adhesive is sticky stuff and unforgiving! You only get one shot at lining it up and the carpet ain't moving ever again)



Seats in (temporarily just to see how they fit):



Then working on the panels. Got the nosecone and bonnet fitted to the frame I'd made last year. They're now glued on and work as one unit, to be hinged at the front of the car:





Cut the front ready for the grille:



And all now in place. Still need to glue on the side panels but don't want to do that too soon as still need to cut out the steering rack and exhaust holes:

Update time, getting the rear finished and finding a solution for the upper seatbelt mounts and rollbar, which I'd been putting off for too long


Firstly the boot lid and other panels...

I cut, doubled up, glued and shaped the panels out of plywood:





then glued on the leather (vinide):



Lock and stainless steel hinges fitted, and panels mounted to the tub:



Next job was seatbelt mounts, I started with making a template out of card:



Then transferred that onto 40mm box section, and added captive nuts for the bolts:





Bent to shape and tacked onto the plates:



Then fully welded and mounted to the chassis. They will be powder-coated but for now paint and lacquer will keep them safe:



(I made sure the height was above the minimum level for IVA, and the belts don't rub anywhere).

Finally onto the roll bar, another job I was scratching my head over thinking of the options. Originally i had a mini roll bar but that wasn't going to work. I settled on an MX5 rollbar which I think looks great on the car, but is slightly too long so had to cut and weld the stainless tube down the centre so it's now the right length:



I'm pleased with the weld and it's neat enough...but it'll be covered anyway by a strap holding one of those acrylic wind-shield things eventually

Because I didn't know what solution i'd go for when making the chassis, I had welded in a plate on the back just in case. Glad i did but it's not quite wide enough to hold the rollbar mounting points, so had to make a bracket to extend that plate:



Here it is in place, (countersunk bolts so a panel can fit over it):



and here it is all fitted and finished:





(The idea is I can then fit headrests inside the rollbar arches, the seats are fixed but don't have headrests on themselves)

May I suggest that you cut a panel out from the top of the pedal side of the bulkhead panel, if you ever need to get to the pedals you will be glad you did

Carbon fibre2?

Great build thread. Glad you are nearly there.

Can I make one suggestion.
Bloody hurry up
Need to see it finished.

quote:

---

Originally posted by 40inches
May I suggest that you cut a panel out from the top of the pedal side of the bulkhead panel, if you ever need to get to the pedals you will be glad you did

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by roadrunner
Great build thread. Glad you are nearly there.

Can I make one suggestion.
Bloody hurry up
Need to see it finished.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim
I'm getting as much done as I can in three weeks when our baby's due (trying to convince the wife that babies sleep a lot so I can get garage time in then doesn't seem to be working lol)
[Edited on 18/5/21 by christim]

---

Yep our first...due on 8th June, not long now!
Hopefully you're right and the little one does lots of sleeping, at least long enough to get the car finished - this year sometime!??

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim

quote:

---

Originally posted by 40inches
May I suggest that you cut a panel out from the top of the pedal side of the bulkhead panel, if you ever need to get to the pedals you will be glad you did

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by roadrunner
Great build thread. Glad you are nearly there.

Can I make one suggestion.
Bloody hurry up
Need to see it finished.

---

Both excellent suggestions

The pedal access hatch may be a post IVAfuture upgrade...in the interests of getting the build finished (the list of future upgrades is getting quite long!)

I'm getting as much done as I can in three weeks when our baby's due (trying to convince the wife that babies sleep a lot so I can get garage time in then doesn't seem to be working lol)

[Edited on 18/5/21 by christim]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by jps

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim
I'm getting as much done as I can in three weeks when our baby's due (trying to convince the wife that babies sleep a lot so I can get garage time in then doesn't seem to be working lol)
[Edited on 18/5/21 by christim]

---

Is it your first? If you're lucky my experience has been this is essentially true, the first few months are the time when you can still get stuff done - and small babies really don't do much apart from sleep and eat. Once they start to move and do more, well - you might find that more interesting than playing with cars!

---

Right folks, update time. Since my daughter came along (May 2021, my last update here...time has flown!) I'm down to around 4 hours a week (read: nap times at weekends) and the odd day off work.
I've managed to get a fair bit done though, lots of pics, so i'll break this update up into two parts.
Part 1, Headrests, Gaiters, and Dashboard

The headrests fit into the rollbar spaces, making sure everything's IVA compliant (gap less than 50mm, height above 'R' over 700mm)
They have a plywood mount with foam covered by vinyl.



The rhs spine lets me get a flexi screwdriver in to screw the top on to the rollbar once all the padding and covers are in place



Firing up the sewing machine...all vinyl sewn for the headrests and gaiters





Here's the centre console. Sorry no pic of it the right way up (you'll see it in place later on). But this is how it secures to the car...The metal plate is screwed to the wooden console, and there's holes in the metal plate where bolts are accessed from the handbrake and gearstick gaps. These then bolt it all on to the car



Moving on the the dashboard (centre console in place). I started with making a cardboard template and offering it up to the scuttle. Then made an mdf template for the router to trace out the shape into plywood (I did it this way as there were multiple layers with different cuts in each layer), like so:









Putting some t-nuts in, this is how it's secured to the scuttle



Next on the the woodwork, using Sepele wood. I went for this to get the classic wooden interior look I'm after, but something like a walnut burl would be taking it a bit too far I reckon. Sepele has just the right amount of detailing, and stains really well



How's that for accuracy!





Cup holders!



You can't really see it, but the centre dash is book-leaved



And this is the glove box





Finally the dash was covered in vinyl, and all put together. (For the past few years I've been looking for any deals on magnolia smiths dials, and picking them up whenever there's a bargain...They're not cheap)





That's it...on to part 2

Part 2...bonnet, windscreen - and bits you have to do when you have a windscreen

So first, I've hinged the bonnet and added gas struts, locating pins, and Aerocatch quick release locks (mind you, with the struts pushing down it's already very tightly closed! This bonnet is definitely not flying off anywhere)







Now the windscreen. Firstly, I made a frame to fit under the scuttle and fix onto the chassis, so the windscreen actually bolts onto this and doesn't use the scuttle for any support at all. After this pic was taken I'd added all the brackets for the windscreen to bolt on to



Making sure to add the wiper motor early to check I had clearance



The uprights are made from stainless steel strips, welded (then ground, sanded, and polished)



On to the windscreen frame. I used standard 3/4 x 3/4 aluminium channel. To get the radiused edges I used a router with a normal concave bit. It worked fine, but this pic doesn't do justice to the amount of aluminium shavings that got everywhere!!



Out with the MDF again to make the windscreen template



And bending the aluminium around the template



The bottom windscreen channel was actually much harder to make. There's no way to bend it into a concave template (at least the stuff I was using, it's too strong to get into those tight curves, even after heating)



I ended up getting the metal bender out and using that instead. A bit of trial and error, bending, straightening, and eventually I got it good enough



Here's the frame offered up, ready to have the bolt holes drilled through it and the uprights



It's a landrover defender glass...bit nervous about cutting it but actually really easy to do! straight lines anyway. Curves not so much. I tried and failed, so the windscreen is cut into a rectangle. This leaves a gap in the bottom edges, which I'll cover somehow



With the windscreen in place I could then work on the wiper setup. Followed David Jenkin's excellent guide for some pointers



Also to make sure the wiper wheel boxes and air vents were really secure I made a sheet steel reinforcing plate



Everything done and in place, I could then add the rubber trim and wipers



On the inside, back to the wood for the air vent louvres



And heating vents. Got to play with my latest toy, a 3d-printer...I used it to make some vent flanges (And already making a list of other parts I can make for the build)



And putting it all together. You'll see I've extended the carpet up, to hide the gap behind the dash and mount the vents to. I figure if I have to have a heater it may as well keep my feet warm



And that's where I'm up to! well, I'm currently fitting the electrics. Hopefully not another year before my next update

(Oh and also, the side runners made from aluminium channel covered in same material as boot, with countersunk bolts)

One step closer. The past few months I've been working on the electrics:

First thing I did was fabricate a battery/heater air filter box, with holes cut in the base so air's drawn in from the passenger footwell. I'll pipe the air from here to the radiator fan



Also I cut a hole for the fusebox



With the battery and fusebox installed I know where I need to wire from/to



The next few weeks was spent unpicking the Sierra loom and Mondeo Engine loom, labelling each wire, following wiring diagrams, etc. I put all the wires in place first so I could find the correct length needed for each, then out with the wire cutters and cut all to length. I added connectors & wired everything up, to make sure all was working correctly. Then fault finding, fixing, and retesting





Once everything was working as expected, I cable tied and pulled all the wiring out, then got wrapping. Behind the dashboard is all wrapped in fabric insulation tape, and everywhere else is wrapped in fabric, then put in conduit, and the conduit's then wrapped in plastic insulation tape. May be overkill, but it's all definitely protected and not going anywhere!
With that done I installed the finished loom for the last time, securing in place with p-clips and cable ties where appropriate

Here's under the scuttle, with ECU in place (you can also see on the left the bracket I made for the OBD reader)



The dashboard wiring is separate for ease of attaching/removing the dashboard



It attaches to the connectors on the main loom (loose wires are for the PATS antenna, to be finished when I make a steering column shroud)



Engine bay all neatly clipped down






The headlight wiring goes into the chassis headlight stalk and through into the engine bay



For the side indicators I drilled into the headlight bowl and added slimline side indicators



Transmission tunnel wiring, where I 3d-printed a splitter which attaches to the different sized conduit



Conduit then goes on to the back with wiring connected to fuel pumps, reg light, rear lights clusters etc. Those aren't installed yet I'll do them when the rear arches are on. Putting that task off for as long as possible, as soon as they're on I'm going to have v.limited space to work in the garage!

Next step is inlet manifold modifications...should only take a few hours. Finding those free hours is getting harder though, with the little one now 2. She's keen to 'help' though

Been a busy few months but still managing to get stuff done. Here's the inlet manifold and extra bits done on the driver's side...basically anything I can do on this side of the car before I have to pull it out to get to the other side...The garage is getting pretty cramped so there won't be much space to move around once I've pulled the car out.

I'm using a GBS inlet plenum, so first step was to plane away the inlet flange from the OEM inlet:



I also had to re-fit the fuel rail. I'd turned it around so the outlets were pointing to to back, but the plenum gets in the way if the rail is that way round. So now the outlet points forward again. I bent some copper pipe all sorts of weird shapes around the various corners so now the outlet can connect back up to the fuel pipe coming out of the transmission tunnel again:



And I covered the pipe in conduit:



Next I want to keep the Idle Control Valve in the correct setup...meaning it needs to be mounted after the throttle but still taking air from after the Mass Airflow Sensor. Did some research and a sensible solution seems to be mounting it at the plenum entrance as described <here>. Only I need an inlet to the IACV that connects to the inlet air.
I designed and 3d-printed this part, which does the job nicely!:



Test version



And here's the part mounted (bolts go through into the plenum with lock nuts on the through bolts:



Next to the air filter, which is being mounted as far forward as it can go (i.e. in the only space available!). To do this I made up two mounting bars:



And attached the air filter to the MAF sensor, then mounted to the chassis using those bars:



With that, I could connect the two ends together and finish the inlet. Here it is with the pipe installed:



I got a t section from AutoSiliconeHoses to connect the IACV pipe to:



Staying in the engine bay, I made a mount for the washer canister:



Getting a bit tight on space now!:



And routed the washer fluid pipes via the hinge at the bottom of the nose cone, up and into the bonnet:





I also made a mount for the oil catch can:



Catching oil from both the crankcase breather and rocker cover breather:



And final job in the engine bay for now, adding a view/access point for the pedal...thank you to those who suggested.
It has a rubber seal around the hole and held down with Dzus fasteners:

Update time
Good progress made over the past few months, especially the past two weeks I took off work - child in nursery mon-fri - so I've got a lot done. Made a list of everything needed to finish, and on track to have it done by Easter (THIS year!).

Starting with a couple of minor things:

I made the front grille, started by laying out the roll and weighing down the template I cut, then used tipex to mark where to cut



Then cut this out, added flanges to pull it tight onto the nosecone, and added rubber trim



Here it is in place



Next was to finish the fuel tank. I've now mounted it on rubber trim to stop the vibrations (it's earthed). Here's my solution for expansion/fumes...filled an oil catch can with activated charcoal



and mounted it in place, with a non-return/anti roll valve and making sure the pipe is the highest point in the system



Now on to the exhaust. First the manifold...Ideally I wanted stainless steel, the cat inside, and a single exit in the side panel (as the bonnet has a metal frame meaning the exhaust can't go through there without stopping the bonnet being opened). After much searching I found this from Gravity Performance, and it fits perfectly, with about 10mm space between the top of the bonnet



The rest of the pipework I could do myself, so ordered various stainless straights, curves, and a turbo flange to mount to the manifold, then welded it all up





Here I've already welded a straight and a curve together, then polished down...to test my stainless steel welding. Looks good so the rest could be welded up too. Added a resonator too hoping that will help reduce some Db when it comes to IVA





And now the exhaust in place



For mounting the exhaust, I made a bracket and welded this on to the silencer





I'm not happy with the mount itself...it sits too low (the lowest point on the car by quite a bit). It wouldn't be long before it gets knocked off on a speed bump, so will make a version 2.0





Time for the side panels to be cut to their final shape. I'd always been trying to keep as little cut off as possible, with holes for each wishbone arm, suspension, etc. But in the end I had so many holes it made sense to just cut the whole lot away. I think in the end it looks much neater though so not regretting the decision





Lastly the exhaust hole





Taken a few tips from other builds: With a stainless steel (bin!) cut up to shape and wrapped in heat reflective tape, and kunifer brake pipe used to trim the edge and keep Mr IVA happy





I have the rear wheel assembly all done, handbrake cable in, and fixing the side panels...so won't be too long before the next update

On the home stretch now! I'm guesstimating finished by Easter at this rate. Here's what I've ticked off the list since the last update:

I 3d printed a tube to go from the air filter box to the heater unit. It's an odd shape so the 3d printing really came in handy for this. Here's what I designed



The part being printed



And finally the part on the car



Next some side trim was made up of aluminium bar wrapped in green vinyl to mount onto the side panel arches



And seat belt mount covers, so they're IVA complaint (hopefully). Cut out the patterns and it was out with the sewing machine again



they fit ok too, I was worried they'd look really out of place, but think they blend in nicely actually. Here they are along with the trim added to the side arch



On to the dashboard and getting the last bits done so it can be attached permanently to the scuttle. I attached wire to the glove box, and a push-release button, which needed another 3d printed part to mount it at the correct height to work magnetically with the latch



I made some bezels for the heater and light controls, using the same wood as the interior (Sepele) I cut, routed, and lathed them down to shape





You can see here how the older wood has already aged to more of a red colour. the bezels should blend in better once they darken too. The dash is now permanently attached.



Pedals are also now on with their grip (sandpaper) attached

Superb work Chris, keep it up

Cheers
David

Nice work

Looking good, just one observation on your windscreen, it has to have the manufacturers mark etched in the glass or between layers, it looked as though you may have cut it off, I hope not.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Schrodinger
Looking good, just one observation on your windscreen, it has to have the manufacturers mark etched in the glass or between layers, it looked as though you may have cut it off, I hope not.

---

So I put in some fuel and filled the coolant over the weekend and fired her up (Woop!), check everything works....I need to add a few things to the list
Coolant pipes and bonnet are too close to the exhaust headers when fully heated up:

1. Move coolant pipes away from headers as much as possible (not much room to play with), making room for:
2. An exhaust heat shield
3. Going to have to go with louvres on the bonnet, headers are about 10mm away from the top. I don't know what temp fibreglass/gelcoat will get damaged by but it's definitely too close
4. Insulate the windscreen washer pipes
5. Post IVA....heat protection for external bits of the exhaust/silencer

So extra jobs now mostly done, and a few other things ticked off the list:

Exhaust mount 2.0....much better clearance, only a few mm below the floor now. The bobbins are a trial...I've actually drilled two holes in the mount where the exhaust attaches, so if they fail I can quickly remove them and solidly mount to the chassis if needed





Coolant pipes have been moved and I've made a heat shield:



Also louvres and top grille added (Louvres are parallel I promise! must just be the camera lens):



Moving to the back again, the rear arches are now fitted...I've used rivnuts where the holes go into the metal chassis, and jack nuts where they go into the fibreglass:





Left on the list is:

2nd set of louvres and heat shield on the bonnet (It's still getting too hot above the headers)
Insulate the windscreen washer pipes
Rear lights
Front running gear
Brakes (make up flexi hoses and fill system)
Cut and fit handbrake cable
Front arches

Still on track for finishing by Easter...I think!

She lives!!

So most items on the list are now done:

Additional louvres and heat shield added. The bonnet still gets hot but it should be manageable now, and will be cooler when on the move





The front running gear also fitted. One problem though, I'd made the suspension brackets out of square tube....it's a little too square! I've had to grind the brackets back to a more round shape so the damper doesn't catch on it



And the rear outer lights (indicator/position/stop/reflector) are now fitted, another 3d printed part with the lighting mounts, angled so they point directly backwards on the arch (my biggest print yet...12 hours per mount!)



I've also set the right height (110mm front, 135mm rear) toe and camber (used a laser level clamped onto the discs).

So on 29th March 2024 - 8 1/2 years after starting the build - I fired her up and drove her out of the garage for the first time!



Amazing feeling, and great to finally see some daylight on her. Found a few niggles so now sorting them out, along with the last couple of things to finish...will then book the IVA!

To-do list is/was:

Front arches
Insulate the windscreen washer pipes
Re-seal/re-fit inlet manifold/plenum (it's got a gap and is whistling...thought it was the belt at first but nope, inlet is breathing somewhere)
Change front brake braided hose union...I'd used a 90 degree bend, but now I'm doing the front arch mounts they're getting in the way. Will change them over for straight unions)
Tighten up clutch as that was too loose...after a while it got hard to get into gear (DONE)
Tighten up brakes...they were too soft (DONE...handbrake cable was too loose, tightening this to 3 clicks has tightened up the brakes overall)
Change pedal washers from metal to plastic as pedals were too stiff (DONE)

[Edited on 16/4/2024 by christim]

Looking really good. That equinox bodywork looks smart, I've got the same kit. I need to get it fitted.

What's the wait list for an IVA appointment now, It must he tempting to get one booked?

Yep it's good, and the bonnet bulge helps getting the engine in without having to lower it too much.
It's longer than the standard chassis (I think the idea is to cut it to the length you need) but I've taken the opportunity to make the boot longer so space for more storage

I'm not chancing it with booking the IVA until the car's ready - if i get a slot in a fortnight I can't guarantee I can get it finished by then. When I book i'll post on here how long the wait time is....It'll (hopefully) be at Beverley

That video is amazing - you must be so proud, you've done amazing work.

Cheers Mike, yes very proud...also nervous, waiting for something to go wrong. I guess the more I go out in it the more confident I'll get

Great car. I don't know whether you have considered this but the amount of road rubbish including water that comes over the side of my car is considerable. I think that to protect that superb interior a pair of side screens would be handy.

quote:

---

Originally posted by PAULD
Great car. I don't know whether you have considered this but the amount of road rubbish including water that comes over the side of my car is considerable. I think that to protect that superb interior a pair of side screens would be handy.

---

Really am on the home straight now....I'll be booking the IVA this week, just waiting on the post to deliver new inlet manifold gaskets then I can refit the inlet and check the air leak has been solved (don't want to book until I know for sure everything's ok)

I've finished the front arches, using the bender to make the supports out of a single piece of tube



Then offered them up and used some guides to keep them the right distance from the wheels, and tack welded the brackets together



Then fully welded



And painted



Cut the arches to shape and trimmed the edges, and mounted it all in place





The final look



With the arches in place I found they were hitting the lights, so got on the lathe to make up some lock stops for the steering rack



Another 3d printed part....I made some sierra upright hub caps



And finally for this update, I fibreglassed in the conduit to carry the washer pipes



I'm so glad I didn't end up trying to make my own bodywork....This didn't turn out too bad but so stressful to put on, the resin sets in 5 minutes, the glass fibres come apart when you're painting on the resin. It was just a kit and I don't have the right tools for fibreglassing....but anything bigger than a patch job like this and I'm happy to leave it to the experts

Things left to do (this list keeps changing!):
Fit new rear light mounts (i've added a 7 degree horizontal angle so they point directly backwards)
Fit trim between the bonnet/scuttle
Fit manufacturer's plate
Refit inlet
Drill new side repeater holes in the headlight units (A shame....I drilled the original ones before the arches went on. Now they're fitted I can see the side repeaters are too low and obscured by the arches, so will fail IVA)

As posted elsewhere my IVA is now booked for 12th July, so countdown is really on!

a few things to finish off....I've 3d printed and fitted new rear light mounts (added a 7 degree horizontal angle so they point directly backwards)



I've fitted trim between the bonnet/scuttle



I've drilled new side repeater holes in the headlight units so they now comply with the IVA manual (5 degree vertical visibility). I've disconnected the lower ones so they don't blink...again IVA requirement that only 1 set of side repeaters are fitted.



An upgrade to my 3d printer...I treated myself to a laser cutter. Designed and etched this manufacturer's plate, 'Roadster' logo pulled from the book.
The name and VIN have also been etched in using the laser





With that all done in theory I'm ready for IVA! Been out a few times though (on private road not public highways ) and have some issues to sort:

• It was squealing when getting warm, which meant an air leak to the manifold. I found when I disconnected the crankcase breather/rocker cover breather pipes it stopped (they were connected to the vacuum side of the inlet as per OEM design). To fix this I removed the pipe from the catch can to the inlet and blanked it off. This effectively blocked off the breather pipes though and the pressure built up in the crankcase and has blown a hole in the crankcase breather gasket, so oil everywhere I'll need to fix this.
I'm going to add a filter to the catch can so venting to atmosphere
While I'm fixing that I'm also bringing forward what was going to be a 'future upgrade' and getting a raceline sump

• When taking foot off the accelerator the engine wasn't going back to idle. I thought this was the control valve being the wrong way round. I 3d-printed a new IAVC mount so the tubes were reversed and refitted the valve but found it was worse. I think the idling issue was also because of the breather pipes being routed into the inlet (not sure why, as again this would be how they're routed normally). So back to original design for idle control valve. (BTW....not all idle control valves flow in the same direction! seems 99% flow opposite to the ones fitted to a 1999 2.0 Mondeo. I wish they'd put arrows on them showing airflow direction!)

• The rear brakes lock before the front. The front brakes have always been a problem (even after several bleeds): too soft, bleed nipples needing to be excessively tight before it stops leaking, etc. I'm upgrading to Wilwood Powerlites - got the kit from RallyDesign and ready to fit

• I tried setting the speedo (Smiths Electronic) but it doesn't pick up the pulses until I hit about 20mph. I've currently got the ECU wire wired up to it, and the original donor electronic speed sensor from the type 9 gearbox wired to the ECU. I'll need to play around with some options...maybe wire the speed sensor directly to the speedo, maybe run a separate feed from the manual speedo hole on the opposite side of the gearbox

Any opinions or experience on the above issues welcome!

could me completely wrong but i think you'll fail the side repeater by having two in the headlight. I've got a memory of only 1 should be visible.

(you've done amazing building the car, really hope you get a first time pass)

Rear brakes, some people fit pressure reducing valves which may help.

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeR
could me completely wrong but i think you'll fail the side repeater by having two in the headlight. I've got a memory of only 1 should be visible.

(you've done amazing building the car, really hope you get a first time pass)

Rear brakes, some people fit pressure reducing valves which may help.

---

I've sorted the Speedo problem now. Still not sure what the issue is...I did some testing on the loom and confirmed the electronic speed sensor is sending pulses, but checking with the OBD reader the ECU isn't reading any speed...until about 20mph then it does. Could be the two are just incompatible (type 9 vss and '99 Mondeo ECU).
So I've cut the wire from the Speedo to the ECU that receives the pulses, and bridged it onto the feed directly from the sensor....so now the sensor sends pulses both to the speedo and into the ECU (not sure there's any need for the feed into the ECU but cant hurt and its future proofed for any ECU upgrade in future)

Anyway here's a picture of the spliced wiring (a right pain having to disconnect everything, take the dash off, cut out the loom tape etc, but it's done now and all back together)



Remaining items:
Fit Raceline sump
Fit brake upgrade kit - now also includes making the brake reservoir remote and mounting it higher, after reading info on fitting the Wilwood brakes I suspect the reservoir being lower than the calipers was causing a brake fluid flowback issue. Options are to fit a residual pressure valve or raise the reservoir

Brake upgrade...

Off with the Sierra calipers



And on with the Wilwood Powerlite kit from RallyDesign





Then I made a mount for the remote reservoir. I wasn't sure where to mount it but lack of space elsewhere means it's only really an option above the master cylinder. Will make access a bit awkward if needed but not a huge issue



I turned out some remote reservoir adaptors on the lathe



And plumbed it all in





Another item off the list. It's definitely an improvement, but the rears are still locking before the front. I've got a brake proportioning valve ordered & will fit that next.
Also, although the brakes are firm and not spongy (so bled ok), there's a lot of travel on the pedal before the brakes bite. Possibly that's just me being used to servo brakes, or the pushrod is too close to the pivot point.
I'll see if all's well at the IVA, but potential future upgrade is remote servo.

IVA READY!!

So with these last things done from the list, she's all set ready for this Friday's test

I've put smaller lights on, so I have a better turning circle

(mid swap...smaller left, larger right)




With the new lights on, the side repeaters won't comply with being mounted on them (vertical visibility too low), so I've mounted them on the rear arches (IVA; within 2.6m of the front of the car, min 350mm high)



Also 3-d printed some extensions for the track rod sleeves, as they weren't covering the full extension



...And some extensions for the front indicators, so they're now within 400mm of the side



Lastly, some trim on the exhaust. Not sure if necessary - depends how strict they'll be - but covering all bases just in case.

It's copper pipe bent cut and painted





I've also reduced the rear drum brake pistons from the Sierra (c.22mm bore) to smaller 19mm (better but didn't work), then 17mm bore. The rears now only lock up before the fronts sometimes (they respond earlier in the pedal travel too which is good)...hoping the fronts will bed in but there's nothing else I can do now short of fitting a vacuum servo on the front brakes. Will see what happens at IVA.

With that I THINK I'm done. Insurance is sorted ready for Friday, (just need to top up with fuel & fill the washer reservoir up). I really can't think of anything else.
100 mile round trip to Beverley in a car I built myself - just a little nervous! Father-in-law's being a one-man support crew following behind, and help with any fixes we may need on the day...(loading his car up with most of the contents of my garage just in case!)

Fingers crossed

Good luck!

quote:

---

Originally posted by JoelP
Good luck!

---

good luck, don't forget to have a full fuel tank when you present for the test.

Best of luck with today, seems very well built so should fly through the test &#128077;

Jay

Good luck!

ok, i know i need to have patience but ............... has it passed?

Thanks all!
Sorry to test your patience A quick write-up of how today went below but summary is...a really easy-to-fix fail, overall very happy with how the day went

Started with a 6 a.m. start, plenty of time to get from Leeds to Beverley...(90 minutes 50 miles on 1/4 tank (6 litres), so about 38mpg). I was so nervous by body was tensed up until about an hour in, eventually started to relax and get more confident...nothing falling off, everything behaving; maybe I've built a good'un after all! Wind deflectors definitely going on as soon as possible though...

Once there and with not having a full tank we were asked to pop back out and fill up - BP garage at the end of the road so no problem, then back to start the test

Checked VIN first, manufacturers plate, engine ID and year (had an email from Ford confirming engine age), then a good look over for exterior/interior projections and general build quality. Dashboard and headrest dimensions were both checked and passed

Then on to measure axle weights (can't remember exact numbers but around 600kg overall I think...will have to wait until I have my pass certificate for exact figures)

Emissions test next...passed (relief!)

Next onto the lift, checking build quality again, wheels, brake lines, engine bay from underneath, etc.

Then onto brake tests...passed again (big relief!) he was very pleased with the handbrake, which is good as it's parked on my sloping driveway when not in the garage

Speedo test: calibrated correctly...reading 2mph under at 70

dB check next...came in around 87 so well within the limit.

Finally it was driven around the test site checking for handling etc

It passed on all the major points and things I was worried about (dash radius, brakes, etc)....the fails were:

1) Starter motor terminals not covered - Fair enough, will get them covered
2) Heater controls not marked with identifiable marks - Again fair enough, will add a sticker or some identifying mark
3) Fuel line touching handbrake cable, risk of rubbing - I didn't see when pulling the handbrake cable tube tight and putting a circlip on in the tunnel that it had raised the line up into the fuel line...will remove the circlip and add a spacer between the two
4) Front wheel nuts not having sufficient thread on the studs - so apparently the discs supplied in the Wilwood upgrade kit are thicker by 3mm! Didn't spot that. They still wind on about 7 turns. Have ordered and will fit extended studs

So first thing Monday I'll call and get a retest booked. With those items above fixed it should only take 10 minutes to check, another excuse for a run out at least. Here's some pics from today and the fails:

That's good news. Hopefully they get you booked in soon. I didn't realise you were in Leeds too! I'm in Moortown.

All easy fails - well done.

The wheel studs is interesting as historically Caterham fitted wheel studs that only just were long enough - you want 1.5x the od of the bolt as a minimum. They got through IVA / SVA. I think they only did up 7 turns. They now fit longer studs & its certainly advisable to do so.

quote:

---

Originally posted by JoelP
That's good news. Hopefully they get you booked in soon. I didn't realise you were in Leeds too! I'm in Moortown.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeR
All easy fails - well done.

The wheel studs is interesting as historically Caterham fitted wheel studs that only just were long enough - you want 1.5x the od of the bolt as a minimum. They got through IVA / SVA. I think they only did up 7 turns. They now fit longer studs & its certainly advisable to do so.

---

Hysterically, I'd never even heard of the motorist! Sounds like a good destination though. I sometimes do a run out to Squires with 2 friends on bikes.

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim

quote:

---

Originally posted by JoelP
That's good news. Hopefully they get you booked in soon. I didn't realise you were in Leeds too! I'm in Moortown.

---

It is, can quickly sort those few things

Ah close by! I'm in Whinmoor. Any good meetups or drives you know of? Suspect I'll be popping over to The Motorist soon after it's registered

---

Well done. So close!

quote:

---

Originally posted by TimC
Well done. So close!

---

I've got everything fixed now, and a retest booked for 26th July.

Also got the paperwork (and various cheques - oldschool DVLA!) ready to mail as soon as it passes, just need to add in the IVA pass certificate and get it sent off!

For the fails:
I've made up some new fuel pipe and re-rooted it



The heater switches now have icons



I've replaced the studs with +10mm longer studs (I don't think they are 10mm longer than the my original studs, more like 7-8mm)

Before:


After:


And finally the starter motor terminals are now capped off



[Edited on 18/7/2024 by christim]

looks damn good,
don't forget to copy all the paperwork you are sending to dvla, but especially the iva certificate, - they keep the original!

The studs still don't look long enough, my understanding is that they should protrude through the nuts by 2 or 3 threads.
All else looking good and good luck.

protruding is for nylocs. For normal studs its 1.5 times the diameter as an absolute minimum. Personally I'd like to see them towards the top of the nut (but my car doesn't have this so i can't complain)

Very neat build and nice attention to detail

Good luck with the re-test

Phil

Cheers all, yep hopefully it all goes smoothly
I'm nervous about the wheel nuts too, but the rear wheels passed and the fronts (with the +10mm extended studs) now seat in as far as the rear, so should be ok.
Just to cover all bases though I ordered some +25mm extended studs which I'll take with me. Definitely overkill, but I can fit them there if needed

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim
Cheers all, yep hopefully it all goes smoothly
I'm nervous about the wheel nuts too, but the rear wheels passed and the fronts (with the +10mm extended studs) now seat in as far as the rear, so should be ok.
Just to cover all bases though I ordered some +25mm extended studs which I'll take with me. Definitely overkill, but I can fit them there if needed

---

Description

I still have the blind nuts from the Sierra...wish I'd put them on to start with! Reckon if I put them on now it'd look like I'm trying to hide something for the retest lol

Take the guess work out. Unscrew a nut and check that it has 8 turns minimum when refitted (more is better). Job done
I don't think that they will remember what nuts you had fitted, or care

[Edited on 23-7-24 by 40inches]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 40inches
Take the guess work out. Unscrew a nut and check that it has 8 turns minimum when refitted (more is better). Job done
I don't think that they will remember what nuts you had fitted, or care

[Edited on 23-7-24 by 40inches]

---

A PASS!!!!

They were completely happy with the fixes, no issues with the +10mm extended studs, fuel line heater control stickers, and starter motor terminal caps - all fine. Took no more than 15mins from arriving to getting the certificate

It was a great drive out too, perfect weather for it. Took the a64/a1079 there, and enjoyed the country roads on the way back

Now to wait for the DVLA...paperwork already sent off (that was ready to go if course, just needed the certificate adding). Fingers crossed for a quick registration!

Congratulations & my fingers are crossed for a fast turnaround.

quote:

---

Originally posted by christim
A PASS!!!!

They were completely happy with the fixes, no issues with the +10mm extended studs, fuel line heater control stickers, and starter motor terminal caps - all fine. Took no more than 15mins from arriving to getting the certificate

It was a great drive out too, perfect weather for it. Took the a64/a1079 there, and enjoyed the country roads on the way back

Now to wait for the DVLA...paperwork already sent off (that was ready to go if course, just needed the certificate adding). Fingers crossed for a quick registration!

---

Well done!

A thread that has been amongst the lifeblood of this site for a good while draws to a close.

Congratulations! Hopefully dvla surprise you with a next day turnaround

Thanks guys!

DVLA have been efficient & turned the paperwork around quickly, so we're on the road!

Yep that's pretty much it for the build now. I've already got a few changes/upgrades in mind, but for now will just be enjoying going out for spin

Superb. Are you on a Q?

age related K thankfully!...I can get the personalised plate on now