I Started

[LeonN]

After fiddling and being obsessed with cars for the past few years some one bought me the book a couple of months ago. i never thought i could do it but then soon after getting the book i started a new job in a welding shop and my mind started to run.
then my old m40b18 e30 bmw came up as a fragger on the zone. this was the first car i took to the nurburgring so holds a place in my hart. i contacted the dood with the car and got the engine and drive train back.
then i built a table that was flat and took up most of my garage. over the weekend i jigged up the bottom frame and this evening i added 4 uprights. low and behold my new car is starting to appear.
my welding and fabricating skills are not sooper hot but i have the support of work. most of whom think it is pie in the sky but are willing to help as long as i am plodding along.
i am so exited about the prospect and hope this site will be as much help as the e30zone has been for the years i have driven.

so there is my announcement. I HAVE STARTED:eek: :D :eek:

[RAYLEE29]

Welcome and well done its a good feeling
wait till you start puutting on the top rails itll really start to look like a chassis
Ray:)

[HandyAndy]

welcome to the mad house of being a "Roadster builder" :D
congratulations on making the first step to your new car , each time you weld on a new piece you will have a big grin on your face.:D
all the best with your build.

andy:)

[LeonN]

You do sound right adrian. not to wine but i have burnt my thumb and lost my rag (HackSawing angles is much harder than setting up a band saw, though appropriately named. i am building up a pile of hacked up cock ups) even the hard earned cash bit is not to far off the mark. though i am not middle aged. i am young and having dreadlocks prevents my hair from blowing in the wind but unfortunately encourages premature hair loss. thats my excuse.
in all seriousness (cough) thanks for the welcome.

[Rik178m]

Wooooo another zoner. That forum has gone abit quiet!
Good luck with the build mate you'll love it!

[squbti]

hi leon & welcom to the forum , there are lots of good people here who know alot about building this roadster , it´ll be great fun i´m sure . hope you enjoy your build .
cheers
Samy

[AshG]

1. welcome

2. where are my pictures to look at :D

[LeonN]

ash g. your pics. afraid i may not recognize your name. have i some pics of you at oulton or are you after my build pics? if i have pics of you on track then mail me and i will send (leon.newton@gmail.com) (include care details) and if build pics i am uploading them now but they look much like everyone eases. :)

[AshG]

i meant build picts i was being cheeky :D

[LeonN]

i am sorry i do not know haw to make this photo smaller. but you asked so...:o

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5381/img0046nwp.jpg

[HandyAndy]

Nice one , another Roadster being created :cool:

at the last count of the Roadsters currently being built poll i think we,re upto 55 cars,

keep the pics coming as you progress.

cheers
andy:)

[aerosam]

Welcome Leon,

I'm glad I'm not the only one pushing a BMW lump into a roadster!

[LeonN]

i guess you deserve moor respect than i. i am going for a m40b18 with the hope to transplant my m42b18 in at a later date (when my e30 shell finaley collapses or i bin hur on track. witch ever comes furst)
i have seen pics of the m42 so know mine shuld not be to hard. you are going for a v8 though? :eek: witch one?

[LeonN]

its all good in my garage today. it feels like a big task is complete. this is the first big task of many but non the less it feels good.
i have completed all the cutting and profiling of the front frame and tacked it all together well.
only time will tell haw i have done but i am pleased with my progress in just two weeks. and all mesherments are the same where need be and within a mm on tubes that are not suspension related. .5 mm ether way. ish
the frame came out for the first time so that i could clean the garage and mount it further forwards giving room for the back half to be made up over the next couple of weeks.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3372/img0058ere.jpg

my girlfriend is passenger and hur friend is driving. not very well i may add but she seems to be smiling.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4735/img0060j.jpg

The frame as it stands with modified transmission tunnel and steering brackets.

[LeonN]

just a little progress update.
after having two weeks of after cuting my hand open i started again to lay dawn one weld and my gass ran out. the boss was not happy to help with this problem (under a bit of stress keeping us all in work) it took me another fortnight to find moor gass. so thats a mounth with not mutch progress but.. i have gass againe and have spent the last week of eavnings (an houre or two) welding and dressing my welds.
at work we youse big 3 phase welders that would make light work of this though my hobby set is a tot orcward. you set up the power and wire speed to get a nice cleen weld on some scrap. move over to the schasie and all seems to have changed as the weld is a mess. it is a long and laboreous proses. grinding dawn snot to replace with a good weld onley to move to the next joint and all be diferant again. but we pursavear.
shuld have all the welds done and clean soon enough. off to sort out a new air line naw so i can get my dina file on the job of sprooding up inturnal welds.

[deezee]

It sounds like its coming along ok. Which engineering firm do you work for on the Wirral? I'm over in Bromborough, working in Ellesmere Port. Your posts are a little hard to read though :rolleyes: While it seems phonetically correct, it makes my head hurt :D

[LeonN]

Lol. Sorry about the spelling. I try and do the whole spellcheck thing on the desktop but the iPhone is a bit bad at it. I work for a mr swain of swain enganeering part of plymol tubes on the carlain in Hoylake. Do you know us? Not been there long. Maby 4 munths. A joinner by trade but thought a change was needed as if I had to hang another councile estate door I think I culd have shot mysealf. So naw I am lurning to be a welder and fabricator. All good fun and lots of help.

[fluxcored]

Wow, you're making good progress!!

[LeonN]

Thanks chaps.
Had my mouth surgarey thismoorning. All good. Managed to get it dun under lockal so I culd drive home and get on with the build but.... I think I might have the afternoon of. Canot go in to work tomorow as I have to keep dust out of my mouth. Apparantley the risk of infection is hi. Hoping to ask my partners famaley (all doc's) if I culd get away with jental work in the garadge tomorrow with a painters resparator on.

[deezee]

Yeah I know the Carr Lane industrial estate. We do a lot of work with Gunform, who are based there. I had an apicectomy done under local at Arrowe Park hospital. Proper uncomfortable, doesn't help when the doctor appears to be a freelance butcher!

[LeonN]

LoL. Been toled that i canot do any grinding today and thet my garadgesos to dirty and dusty a place for me to be today. Dam them doctors. They are out to prolong my life and spoil my fun. So I have been left a list of things to do around the house. Number 3 actualy says dust the livingroom. I thought a had to steer clear of dust for the day.

[LeonN]

well over the last fortnight i have been putting moor stuff on the chassis. a tot further on than this pic but its the latest i have. off back to hospital in a minuet for moor maxofacial surgery and this time i am going for the full anesthetic. so out of the garage till the weekend.

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/1614/pa210049.th.jpg (http://img213.imageshack.us/i/pa210049.jpg/)
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/5264/pa210043.th.jpg (http://img237.imageshack.us/i/pa210043.jpg/)