Started the build. Excited much? Yes.

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

Well after a hugely long time of research, indecision, having no where to physically build the thing, i've started the physical construction of the chassis. Took a two days off work and the weekend and have built from the front frame to just before the seat back. I'm hoping that the weekend will be free so i can get the seat back frame and transmission tunnel in place. Anyway, threads are boring without pictures, so here goes (if i can make it work)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V_oKBN6iGhQ/TizMYEbjY8I/AAAAAAAAAB4/AzWjTBdlU-s/s1600/photo.JPG
Build table ready to go. Dad's 1918 Model T in the background, so two cars being built at once, althought his is only missing the planetary gearset in the steering wheel. PS if anyone knows of some decent quality ones somewhere, drop me a line.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9hLkcmHTsBo/TjZq1hbW1gI/AAAAAAAAACQ/AKkOm8lwFf8/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NpBJeue4hIM/TjZtfDoCEoI/AAAAAAAAADU/zaK-S7oCGg0/s1600/IMG_0653.JPG
A mostly correct bottom frame. Made a mistake with the positioning of the engine support rails. All fixed now.

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qg0_pzG7UZg/TjZteX-eppI/AAAAAAAAADQ/jQyCqgzw6pY/s1600/IMG_0652.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5kznvBZUCbs/TjabtZkclSI/AAAAAAAAAEE/9MGWwtFVqp4/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG
The top long top rail sections when i put them on first time were only 0.5mm out of alignment. Reason is i didn't get the upright at the end perfectly at 90 degrees. A little bit of persuasion with a knockometer helped it out. Diagonal check measurements are withing 0.5mm, i'm fairly happy with that. That front frame was a bit of a bastard to get right. I had a few bodged attempts on it, but in the end it's spot on.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uL0V1wuI-k0/Tje9A20pmDI/AAAAAAAAAEo/dmhV6v2nVTk/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8iEz7Zypqe8/Tje9BM23DEI/AAAAAAAAAEs/nuRvdJ-2w9A/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG
Where i've made it to with the chassis as of Tuesaday evening. 3.5 days of work and i'm to here. I'm pretty happy with the result. Can't wait to get back and continue with the rest of it.

[John.W]

Thats a cracking start for 3.5 days, so we can expect to see a complete car in about 6 months. No??
Keep up the good work

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

Thats a cracking start for 3.5 days, so we can expect to see a complete car in about 6 months. No??
Keep up the good work

Fingers crossed it will be done in 6 months. That would be ideal. Well have to keep you all posted.

As a matter of fact, worked on it on Sunday and got all the side diagonals and seat back in place and tacked. Laid out the transmission tunnel and started tacking it. But encountered a problem when one the center bottom rail warped.

I now need to refit and properly work out a way to clamp the rails to the build table to prevent the warping. I'm off on a work trip next week, so progress will be slow. But when i get back it will be ready for the full welding so i can lift it off the board and move it forward to work on the diff area.

[AshG]

good start there. would strongly recommend that you clean up the ends of the tube where you want to weld them as having paint/crap in the weld pool will significantly reduce the strength of the weld/chassis. other than that good effort

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

So after a hiatus from the shed due to work commitments, i'm back. As of this morning i have 3 more members to cut and tack into place on the main part of the chassis. A mate who is a ticketed structural welder will be around in two weeks time to start the proper welding of the frame.

The rear diff carrier i haven't started yet as i would like to lift the frame and shift it forward. Oh well, good things come to those who wait. Also need to wait till the funds accumulate so i can buy the front whichbones and wishbone mounting brackets. It's the freight which is the killer getting the parts to Australia.

I removed the front seat from the MX5 and put it in for a test fit, and unfortunately it doesn't fit properly. Misses out by an inch and makes it too tight to mount properly and safely. I do have an ear out for a set of Recaro seats from a Mitsubishi RVR (EVO wagon type thing) which should fit nicely.

But here's the loon builder having a drive. Gotta love the vroom vroom moments as the frame takes shape properly.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mHG2bkYkJo0/TpZCG2ynG9I/AAAAAAAAAFs/piSlgM6hoyc/s1600/IMG_0754.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ndYNM9lkr3c/TpZCxDPiXRI/AAAAAAAAAF8/417kd2Wxl_I/s1600/IMG_0759.JPG

[Bonzo]

Hi Aussie H

Certainly looks as if you are making some good progress :)

Might want to lower the height of that steering wheel a tad :D :D

Shal follow your progress with great interest :cool:

[HandyAndy]

Might want to lower the height of that steering wheel a tad



:D and I thought the Sierra steering wheel was huge :D


Nice work Aussie H, you,re making great progress, keep the build pics coming :cool:

cheers
andy

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

I thought it was the cool way to drive these days, all 'gangsta'. Maybe that's just Australia?

The wheel will be bucket loads lower. Just messing around and it felt right doing it

Ok so update from todays effort. And i'm sure that Talonmotorsport and Voodoo might like some of these pics.

So knuckled down again today to continue. Seeing as the welder is coming, Dad mentioned it would be a shame to not have it completely ready to go for him in case he could get more done. So i continued on.

Also my mate with the Recaro seats from the RVR came around with one to test fit it. They actually fit worse than the Mazda. So we made a few ammendments and cut out part of the transmission tunnel top brace, and one of the diagonals in the side of the chassis. IT FITS. Just need to do some modifications to the chassis to keep it's strength.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DS-k_1wsYyY/Tplgse42j1I/AAAAAAAAAGU/t64idqOoQ-0/s1600/IMG_0762.JPG

Before the cutting to fit the MX5 seat.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s7uWPpwOQrc/TplpY6cg-NI/AAAAAAAAAG8/AH_qn2d80c0/s1600/IMG_0769.JPG

After the cutting to make the bloody seat fit!!!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ra8sH8ReaME/TplhCtIkcJI/AAAAAAAAAGc/iDf57daOxv8/s1600/IMG_0766.JPG

Diff carrier starting to look pretty good.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3RCLuD_7PrY/TplhYT43S0I/AAAAAAAAAGk/PM5l9Djp5q0/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG

Yep, looking pretty damn good.

Fairly complicated to attempt to work out how to get it all lined up, and the machining of the tubes around the bucket bushes was an interesting exercise in milling. Gotta love having a father who is a mechanical engineer and a fitter and turner by trade with a COMPLETE engineering workshop in his back shed.

[MarkB]

Hey, that is looking sweet.

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

More work done today as i have to go back to work tomorrow. Bugger. So again knuckled down and got as much of the rear sorted as i could. Unfortunately my calculations may have been a bit out as when i lifted the frame into place, it's moved if forward 15mm. Not too sure how it will go, so the MX5 is now up in the air and i've done a few rough measurements on the diff in situ. Hopefully it will be OK.

Next weekends job is to remove the diff and put it into the chassis and check dimensions and clearance. Should only take an hour or so, and then i can attempt to get the engine and gearbox out, split them and start giving them a wash. Hopefully i can lift the engine and gearbox into the frame and also see how they fit. Big plans for 2 days.

The bloke who is going to come and weld the chassis will be coming on Wednesday to have a look at how big the job is. I'm reckoning that there will be at least 2 days of work due to the heat being put into the frame.

And now for pictures . . . . . . .

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ELZoYm-j7yE/TpqmmymF2BI/AAAAAAAAAHE/zJWVuZ-fbEw/s1600/IMG_0771.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qQbF6miVS5A/Tpqm7KC_AJI/AAAAAAAAAHM/csY30MnKznI/s1600/IMG_0772.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jNpVYQdwx8I/TpqoFH2VV2I/AAAAAAAAAHc/b63CvVDSRl0/s1600/IMG_0774.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_eh9cIUAV0/TpqnOkQsWyI/AAAAAAAAAHU/HtjT3r9u8dQ/s1600/IMG_0773.JPG

[

[Talonmotorsport]

I would start taking some of that paint off the areas where you need to weld it, you'll have all sorts of fun trying to get a grinder in there once it's all tacked up. How did you find making the diff mounts, did you make a jig to hold all in place or use the 4 pairs of hands method?

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

A little from column A and a little from column B. Made a jig to get everything in place, and then had to have a bit of a hand holding a few bits to tack them in place. Looks fantastic. Will see about the welds with the primer. My mate should tell me if i've got it completely wrong or not. Anyway it's pretty thing stuff, maybe it can be blasted through with a bit more amperage. Find out Wednesday.

[Talonmotorsport]

Please don't just weld over the top of the paint or the black scale if using HRC/HRS, if you contaminate a weld it becomes porous like honey comb and you could of just used chewing gum or super glue.

[voodoo]

Nice work there mate, good to see the design start to get produced! I agree with Phil about the metal though - it can never be too clean.

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

Hi voodoo and Talon, any chance you guys might have a picture of the diff actually mounted. I'm after a few pics from the front mainly to try and see how the diff flange sits. Got the issue with the seats i have and if i need to modify the transmittion tunnel some more to get them to fit properly.

[MarkB]

Nose of the diff runs down the centre so whatever you do don't alter the tunnel too much just to fit a seat..And I love that Model T in the pictures, now that would be a cool kit to make so i could play at being Stan laurel on the roads:D

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

Well what a ridiculously busy day. No welding done this weekend. I started the mock up of the major components before the frame was too hard to ammend. With thanks to the welder mate who also suggested it was a good idea to do. The engine, transmission, diff and steering column all got removed and started to get installed in the chassis. I had to to this to ensure that everything fits properly. So far so good, i've found that the diff fits brilliantly and had to cut a hole in the build table to get the height and the clearance of the engine and sump. I was really worried that the diff would be an awrward fit, but it seems to be fine, i will have to make a slight modification to the transmission tunnel so the seat fits a bit better. The gearbox fitted really sweetly. No need for cutting and changing. Just had to angle the extension housing a bit more than i thought and it was all good.

Tomorrows job is to get the steering wheel and column mounted so it looks like a real car. Putting the gear knob on was not enough to satisfy me. Although i've spent about 30 minutes just sitting in the seat admiring the view and changing gears and making the nessescary vroom vroom noises this evening.

So now for pictures, it's a bit messy at the moment but thats what you get for

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWJlDV62VII/TqKesVc-JpI/AAAAAAAAAH8/r2FHcMt-cww/s320/IMG_0783.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tqcnlIeMJHI/TqKfBUc1BtI/AAAAAAAAAIE/L_gztBbk4G0/s320/IMG_0784.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NL0v4qSyM_A/TqKfUBS3lPI/AAAAAAAAAIM/KuAw_s7XFos/s320/IMG_0785.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZBAmfogcL8/TqKfxCbgiWI/AAAAAAAAAIU/HURIrV4482U/s320/IMG_0786.JPG

[Aussie_Haynes_MX5]

Last 2 pics

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xl84-5d_h7M/TqKgGpLjfjI/AAAAAAAAAIc/8gRIyyOAHzk/s320/IMG_0787.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q29owOVLuJg/TqKge54AvbI/AAAAAAAAAIk/kHwjQhEVAWU/s320/IMG_0788.JPG

Now to pose a question, what ride height do people have? I was going for 100mm chassis to ground clearance.

[Talonmotorsport]

Depends on what size wheels you are going for 100-125mm front - rear seams about right. The best way to do is look at what angles the wishbones are sitting at with the full weight of the car and 2 people sat on the springs. The wishbones should either be horizontal or have 1-2 degrees of upsweep to keep the suspension movements all in the same plain.