Gingea1pom's Build Diary

[Land Locked]

Ginge (the master of over engineering ) Those rad mounts will have less flex than the steering rack mounts. Well done.

Yes it's cheeky, but tongue in cheek cheeky. I too have a bent for Victorian engineering.

[gingea1pom]

Almost a month between up dates, not good.

I find my enthusiasm ebbs and flows a little, poor enthusiasm for de-greasing, de-rusting front uprights and great enthusiasm for getting the floor started poor enthusiasm for modifying my seat runners!

Any way since the last up-date 10 3.2mm cobalt drill bits have turned up and I purchased a few items from the Stoneleigh show, namely and most awaited was a pair of seats, which the whole family has sat in.

I had acquired some seat runners from the bin at work and was eager to find out if the runners fitted the seats. No is the simple answer, not in any direction. They need to be wider by about 40mm. This was the easy mod I just cut the lifting handle and now they can be as wide as you like, I just need to find a section of suitable tubing to fill the gap.

Making them longer is a little more involved as I appreciate the runners need to maintain there strength. I have fabricated a sort of box section that replicates the existing seat runner out of 3mm steel plate and welded it on and drilled a hole for the mounting bolt.

[IMG][/IMG]

They are going to mount to two 25mm box section tubes that run across from the outside lower chassis rails to the transmission chassis rails, the box section will have 5mm steel plates welded into them so they sit flush with the top of the tube, this will mean no nuts or bolts protrude through the floor. Lots of work but I should end up with me desired result.

Also purchased at Stoneleigh was a fan (mounting bracket required as the fins on the fan are way to close together to use the fixings that push through the radiator), some 5” head lights from CBS, thanks to Gus for putting me on to these, they are not in there catalogue and where not on display on there stand, £25 each (just need to finish the head light mounts now). I got 10m of 3mm thick soft rubber trim which should see me through the whole build and some tools.

I have started to try and get an hour or two in the garage in the evening, the only problem is I can’t undertake anything to noisy as Sophie, my daughter of 5 years, sleeps almost directly above it.

15 May

Had a fantastic full day in the garage.

I managed to get my seat mounting frame fabricated a welded in.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

It may not look like a day’s work but it took me from 9 to 5, the 25mm cross bars are notched out to take the 5mm plates so everything is flush and now there will be no bolts sticking through the floor. It is all welded up except the underside, just need to flip the chassis now get the last four welds done then continue with the 270 3.2mm holes!

The great thing now is when I go out for a cigarette I can sit in the car!

[IMG][/IMG]

Cheers Ginge

[Tatey]

Nice update there ginge, I always enjoy reading about progress. Just a couple of questions.

Whats seats have you decided to go for?

Also do the seat belt holes in the seat allow for the seatbelt to continue to where you have placed the top seatbelt mounts without the seatbelts having to go up through holes and then down to the seatbelt mount if you get what i mean? If you don't i can quite easily draw a picture.

The only reason I ask is because I don't think IVA allows for the seatbelts to do it as it puts the stress from your body weight flying forward on the seatbelt holes instead of entirely on the seatbelt mounts.

[gingea1pom]

Tatey,

You are totally correct about the seatbelts routing through the holes in the seat.

The seatbelt top mounts are in totally the wrong place and will need to be re-done, they need to be lowered by about 30mm and lined up with the holes in the seat, annoyingly my shoulders are higher than the holes in the seats, so the belts will have to go up and over my shoulders before going down.

I was not really happy with the cross bar part of the roll bar, good job really, need to get some more 7/16 mounts and a length of tubing and set to on getting it right.

The seats are the ones from the people who do the 2b and the zero, can’t remember their name right now!

Cheers ginge

[Tatey]

Are you sure the cross bar needs to be lowered Ginge?

The way I understood it the seatbelt needs to do the following:



Also by any chance are you 6'4" or taller?

EDIT: Here is a picture from Ash's archive which i think explains it:

[gingea1pom]

Tatey,

OK get ready for the dodgiest drawing EVER, my belt mounts are set into the cross bar, the cross bar is a little higher than the holes in the seat by 30mm.

[IMG][/IMG]

I am 6’ 1”

Cheers Ginge

[gingea1pom]

Little edit, my shoulders are as good as in line with the holes in the seats not higher, just need to lower the mounts and bring them in line, one is 110mm off to one side!

Cheers Ginge

[Tatey]

Ah it all makes sense now Ginge. I need to get my eye sight checked out .

Is it the angle that the picture has been taken, or is your head above the roll bar?

I only ask as I'm 6'6" and my head is too tall for Ash's standard roll bar, especially if using a padded seat and a helmet. So if the worst did happen it would mean my head would be hitting the ground before the roll bar would as I would also be hanging out of the harness if the car rolled.

[gingea1pom]

Originally Posted by Tatey

Ah it all makes sense now Ginge. I need to get my eye sight checked out .

Is it the angle that the picture has been taken, or is your head above the roll bar?

I only ask as I'm 6'6" and my head is too tall for Ash's standard roll bar, especially if using a padded seat and a helmet. So if the worst did happen it would mean my head would be hitting the ground before the roll bar would as I would also be hanging out of the harness if the car rolled.

I might have to get Nicky to check next time I go for smoke, looks like the whole roll bar could be up for a re-design.

Cheers Ginge

[Tatey]

Yeah I've decided to scrap the roll bar and go for a fully welded in cage made by welderman from the locostbuilders forum.

Once I have the money together and the chassis finished he'll be making me one for £400, including designing it around my height and to my design with side impact protection.