Chris's new build of an MX5 based car

[CTWV50]

Originally Posted by thailoz

not good at the moment the woman selling the donor was pulling a fast one and tried to sell a car that was not hers to sell .

so back to the hunt for something suitable may be a mix up of donor parts ive seen a merc 220 rear axle but its expensive .....over 300 quid. I am also looking into a hybrid of Haynes and locost i.e live axle .

but not giving up on the build and any suggestions are appreciated.

loz

Sorry to hear that, what about a BMW E3, any of them about cheap?

[Numplumb]

Pedal box looks good, I'm using mx5 pedals in mine too I have mocked it up and got the steering column over the rail and I'm using the bearing as NTS Saturn design, did you alter the loud pedal?.
I bent mine the other way and I think I will have to make it longer to clear the top of the servo, with it as Mazda made it I would not be able to get it to clear the side of the bonnet, I'm going to make a plate 280mm wide x 200mm high out of 3 plate and a frame of 20mm angle iron each side back to the steering column support and 30m x 3mm flat iron across to bolt the back of the pedals to and then make the top and sides in Ali back to the bulk head/fire wall when I make it.

[CTWV50]

Originally Posted by Numplumb

Pedal box looks good, I'm using mx5 pedals in mine too I have mocked it up and got the steering column over the rail and I'm using the bearing as NTS Saturn design, did you alter the loud pedal?.

Nice to see someone else using the mx5 pedals, I was feeling all alone! I didn't do too much to the accelerator pedal. I maybe shortened the length inside the car as it may of been a bit long.

Originally Posted by Numplumb

I bent mine the other way and I think I will have to make it longer to clear the top of the servo, with it as Mazda made it I would not be able to get it to clear the side of the bonnet.

What I did if I can remember as it was well over 12 months ago. I cut out the part of the engine bay from the donor that all the pedals mount to and then I chopped the clutch mounting from the the rest and moved it over closer to the brake, so much so that the nut for mounting the clutch cylinder on that side is inaccessible without removing the brake servo first. This means you can keep the accelerator as it is and you just need to bend and adjust the pedals to suit your feet. I did away with the clutch pedal stop and used a piece of 4mm plate welded to the tunnel tube. Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Numplumb

I'm going to make a plate 280mm wide x 200mm high out of 3 plate and a frame of 20mm angle iron each side back to the steering column support and 30m x 3mm flat iron across to bolt the back of the pedals to and then make the top and sides in Ali back to the bulk head/fire wall when I make it.

Sounds like it will be good and strong I'm using ali just for the removable top access cover.

[thailoz]

Originally Posted by CTWV50

Sorry to hear that, what about a BMW E3, any of them about cheap?

Unfortunately not any import car here however old it is goes for silly money eg I saw a mk 3 Cortina advertised for over £10,000 yes that is ten thousand .

so I have to just get on the search .

[Numplumb]

Thanks for the reply, I don't have the donor to cut any bulk head from but I will look into the rest of your suggestions when I'm ready to make that part, but when I mocked it up with the steering column in place it all seemed to fit except for the top of the loud pedal being to far over to miss the bonnet, I ground off the pedal pad and welded it back on straight
Regards Mick.

[CTWV50]

No pictures but I'm slowing finishing off the chassis, loads of final welding and grinding to do. steering column UJ is sorted now and column bearing and plate, pedal box needs a bit more to finish which I shall do tonight when it's cooler.

Then I need to get the drivers floor welded up. Passenger floor needs some welding from underneath to finish. Then it's just the backend to sort out but I think it's just brackets that need fully welding and maybe redo the underside welding on the strut towers as I wasn't happy with them last time.

Think I'm going to go for a fibre glass kit from AGM as I really can't be arsed doing the sides and back in ali I just don't have the space, tools, patience or skills, binning my custom rear end as it's still not finished, nosecone brackets will go, heater matrix and brackets are being deleted, it was leaking, and moving the waterbottle to the front of the car. No more steel to be attached to this car not even going to do the round bits near the seats, just going to leave that to the fibreglass side panels. All Ali tunnel in 0.9mm with foot rest, thin I know but cheap and easy to cut/bend.

Done some measuring and the AGM kit should fit fine, worse case is a bonnet bulge.

Got my paint, paint brushes, seam sealer, brake pipe, clips, unions, still to sort roll bar but think I'll just buy that one off ebay as I give up trying to get a CDS item made for reasonable money, but I will be cross bracing it and doing the supports with CDS.

Looking forward to having a finished chassis all painted and getting on with putting things back on for the final time!

[CTWV50]

Bodywork now for sale....

http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=12782

[vmax1974]

Originally Posted by thailoz

Unfortunately not any import car here however old it is goes for silly money eg I saw a mk 3 Cortina advertised for over £10,000 yes that is ten thousand .

so I have to just get on the search .

Is there any way to smuggle parts into the country as a government that greedy deserves to be ripped off

[thailoz]

I wish I could smuggle stuff in but also shipping is expensive so I am just gonna have to use what I can find here

[CTWV50]

Bloody hell when will this bit be over, it's killing me! "just a few brackets to weld" my arse!! Even the welder had to have a 10 minute break to cool down yesterday. Neighbours must love me, sat in there gardens listening to me grinding on this baby for over an hour continuously with the garage door open. Sounded like some epic battle between me and some giant steel dragon.



I really don't know how any of us manage to put these chassis together and build these cars it's a herculean task of gargantuan proportions! We should all be supremely proud of ourselves!