Alloy sumps almost always weigh more than their pressed steel counterparts. the use much more material.

TT

Going to list some other details for my own reference as much as anything.

Engine dimensions 620 x 580 x 615
Bore Stroke 78.0 x 83.6
cc 1597
CR 9.4:1
Max Pwr @ 6500
Max Tqr @ 5500
IVO 5˚ BTDC
IVC 51˚ ABDC
EVO 53˚ BBDC
EVC 15˚ ATDC
Gearing 1st 3.136 2nd 1.888 3rd 1.330 4th 1.000 5th 0.814 R 3.758 FD 4.3

Two pages from the book about compactness and lightness......

Great to see you've started a build thread, I'll be watching with interest!

You want to get signed up on the mx5nutz.com forum too, the OC forum is a bit of a graveyard nowadays...

Will do thanks.

Main fuse arrived today! Got it started and warmed up on the drive, sounded great, alt. belt is very loose but took it for a spin on the neighbours farm track. It goes it stops and it made be smile, but it still has to die for my build!:D

Brakes were rubbish but it had been sat for two years, engine was fine other than the alt. belt, gearbox felt great, no whines or unusual noises so my mind is at ease!

OK I have rebuilt a new and improved workbench at the back of the garage with old fire-doors (my preferred method of building workbenches) vice is very handy and well lit, sealed the garage floor as the concrete is crappy and by 6pm on Sunday night I had started knocked up a new and improved shopping basket and walking stick attachment for my old dads mobility scooter which I finished at about 10:30pm, he was well impressed. My welding technique is improving but I now understand the importance of jigging and weld magnets, oh and big gas bottles! I bought a big hacksaw, new wire-brush and a round file today too. I want to paint the garage floor grey this week and get more practice in but on 25mm SHS.:) Oh and put up some halogens over the bench.

The last 24hrs have proved useful, discovered my hoard of retro gaming paraphernalia is worth a bob or two and will fund a good part of the build, it was cluttering up the garage! 2 birds, 1 stone, springs to mind. Just got to test and list the lot, which I'm not looking forward to.

This morning I went over to a steel fabrication company we do some IT work for and had a chat with owner and he's going to supply the steel and allow me to use some of their equipment for bending and cutting, he also gave me some great advice on cutting angles in steel using a mini-grinder, and using co2 rather than argon due to cost, argon only really necessary for stainless steel apparently. Got some 3mm 40mm SHS, 3mm plate and 5mm channel to mess around with, Might even have a go at the wishbones with their help. Very Happy!:D

Sounds like you are making some great progress towards the grand build start day :) :cool:

Ebay is certainly a great place to help top up the build pot.

Pleased to read that all is well with your donor, I know what a relief that must be :)

Eager to follow your progress :cool:

Cheers bonzo, determined to do this right, involve the kids and keep the financial cost impact on daily living to minimum. My other family pastime is horse riding and that does a good job of emptying the current account regularly!