Time to start a build thread I suppose...

[Oscar]

I haven't started a build thread before now as I hadn't actually started building anything; but now I have, and can!

Summary_
Location: South Somerset
Donor: Ford Sierra 4x4
Engine: 2L DOHC

About me_
I'm about to start my Masters in Mechanical Engineering at UWE (Bristol) next week, so have access to lots of wonderful facilities and a wealth of knowledge, but never seem to have the time to use them! I have spent the last 3 months working as a knight in a Medieval Jousting Tournament, spending no money and saving up just enough to finally buy some steel!

Build Status_
I've had the donor for nearly a year, It's fully stripped of everything I might need or be able to sell and only the shell remains awaiting a trip to the scrappy.
The steel arrived today and i have started to actually build! some of the dimentions may not be perfect yet as I'm waiting for the rulers to be sent in the post :D
The build is all being done at my parents, between the straw-barn and my shed. This means access to all my dads tools.

Wow thats a lot of words...
Now thats out of the way I can get on with more important matters, where's the booze?

[ayjay]

Its one of lifes mysteries how nice clean unused tools in Dads box develop an urge to up sticks and move to the new surroundings of sons toolbox.
Ill bet 99.999rec % of tools collections were started using dads tools as the foundation:D

Anyway welcome and all the best in the build

[chrisponter]

You're doing much the same as me, I'm doing Mech Eng at Anglia Ruskin Uni.

Still working at disassembling my donor in my nans garage in Bournemouth (which is a 3 hour drive away) but it's getting there :)

Were you gonna try and keep the four wheel drive or ditch it for rear wheel drive?

[Oscar]

Dad and I have a very mature aproach to tools: He borrows mine and then "loses" them in amongst his mess. I borrow his, clean them up, fix them, use them, and put them back much neater...

Hmmm, seems like I may be getting the raw end of the deal here. Oh well, I spose he does provide shelter, food, alcohol and building facilities, so its not all bad ;)

I'm gonna have to use only 2wd unfortunately, there is a guy somewhere on here who is tyring to go 4wd and he's had to completely redesign the sump and front end!

What year are you in Chris? Might be able to each other some advice.

Building is progressing averagely, weather is great at the mo so spending it out in my shed cutting the steel. Must get back to that...

Made one cock-up yesterday whilst cutting FF3, any guesses?

[chrisponter]

I'm in my second year, but its probably easier than yours if you're at Bristol, I've got a friend in the second year of aeronautical and its much harder than mine.

Still, feel free to ask if you're not sure about anything, and I'll do my best :)

And I'm not one to spurn help if it's offered :D

And did you forget to cut FF3 with a slant on one end? Or cut the slant in the wrong direction?

[rapidtornado]

good luck with the build, I too am building with a DOHC and just up the road in Herefordshire, but work in Bristol, give me a shout if you got any questions... I'll help with the limited knowledge I do have:p

[Oscar]

May very well be taking you up on that at some point in the future rapid.

Have you got to dealing with the engine yet? It's a little way in the future yet but I want to be prepared for all the extra work when the time comes.

I remember second year... where did the easy times go? Oh well, one more year and I'll finally be more qualified than my Dad :D

[Oscar]

Made a fair bit of progress today, got the front frame fully welded up, and prepped a few more bits to help get the chassis started.

Had one dread moment when the welder decided it wasn't going to play ball. The welds were just building up on the surface and not even heating the rails. Started thinking I'd made a massive mistake, wasted lots of money, wasted time, would I be able to sell it? The problem is that i have 2.5mm SHS, thick black coated stuff. Did a manic search on here for a few threads I remember seeing back in the mists of time and found the solution: Thicker wire!

New problem: don't have the right bits to swap it over. Dad drove to the local car parts shop at 4.45 and got some 0.8mm wire and the right nozzle.

New problem #2: Nozzle is too big for the welder! Solution: electric drill and a file, cut a new thread and offer it up.

Success!! Now welds brilliantly. I just need to get my welding technique sorted and I'll be fine...

After all that palaver I only managed to get the front frame welded and wasn't able to set the table up.

Jobs for tomorrow: Get the table up, set the pieces out, tranport all my junk up to Uni, then start welding!

Oh yeah, and get some pictures uploaded. No problem ;)

[Oscar]

Lots of progress, so much so that I haven't been able to get on here!

Managed to get about half way through constructing the chassis before time caught up with me. Had to fully weld as much of the frame as I could so that it could be lifted and stored away whilst I'm back at Uni.

While I'm here I'm gonna try and find some time to stick a load of photos up, might brighten this build thread up!

[rapidtornado]

With respect to the engine, I got the engine mounts fabb'd up and inlet manifold modified to reduce the height by about 40mm (hopefully it will fit under the new bonnet from Saturn but I've not bought the bonnet yet so can't check) there's a thread on here somewhere with some pics of the mod, other have completely replaced the inlet manifold with a custom design (see Enoch's he did a good job on this)

Rapid;)

[Oscar]

I've seen a few different variations of inlet mods, does the sump still need chopping if the manifold is shortened and the large bonnet is used?

[rapidtornado]

I've not shortened the sump on mine the bottom of the sump is currently sat 40mm from the bottom rail

[Oscar]

Its been a little while since my last post on here, but don't worry, I am still working at it!

Latest progress: the majority of the frame is fully welded up to the seat back area. I haven't attatched U1 and 2 yet until I can set up the suspension mounts (haven't made them yet!)
I've started work on the rear suspension area now, with all the parts cut and the c shaped frames welded up.

One small issue: I'm a lazy git and haven't got round to sorting out the photos yet.
But I will do! Honest!!

[Oscar]

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6118/6257092728_1cd6c744e6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/6257092728/)
Photo-0024 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/6257092728/) by Oscarss (http://www.flickr.com/people/oscarss/), on Flickr
Yes! I've finally got it figured out!!
As you can probly tell, this is the donor car. Before stripping...

[Oscar]

Took me several minutes to find my own build thread, how has it been so long? :eek:

In my defence I have been slightly busy trying to finish a Masters in Mechanical Engineering.

Don't worry though, progress has been made!

Current position: Donor is fully stripped, chopped up and storred in the hedge till we have time for a scrap run.
Have made various parts at Uni whilst I still can (mushrooms, steering extensions, other parts from metal they have lying around ;) )
Chassis is coming along nicely, trany tunnel (MT75) is mostly welded with a couple of pieces fitted ready to weld.
All parts for rear end are cut waiting to weld.
All suspension mounts have been made, drilled, smoothed and prepped ready for welding.
Now waiting for some M12 threaded bar (ordered off fleabay) to arrive so I can make up the jig.
Others parts are lying around in various stages waiting for finishing or attatching.

Now I just need some good weather to weld in!

Wow, I might just have gotten this up to date! Deffinitely won't be leaving it so long between updates! :cool:

[will_08]

Good to see you pick your build up again Oscar, good luck!

[Oscar]

More work!

Was able to get to Uni to use the equipment and used the Colchester lathe (Huge piece of kit!) to finish the mushroom inserts.

Also found a piece of 40mm dia steel which i machined down to 31 and 27 mm diameters for the upper wishbone ends. This is an extra mm on the desired dimentions so that I can clean it up on the smaller lathes that I'm better acquainted with!

Oh yeah, still waiting on the weather to get some welding done! :mad:

P.s. Pictures are on the way, just need to get round to uploading them! (might go do that now...)

[Oscar]

Some Photos:

The Suspension mounts before I cut the ends off. They're simply made from a piece of box with holes drilled and then each chopped off the beam.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7428262354_edf9b3407e.jpg

The Chassis from a while ago, now has most of the tranny tunnel in place.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7138/7428264990_75207bfde4.jpg

The Donor car, mid-way through the final stage of dismantling:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8152/7428222524_b18ca54da7.jpgI quite like the look of this!

Just realised how behind I am on photo taking, will remedy the problem tomorow! ;)

[Oscar]

The shell has finally been fully decomisioned and "stored" for later removal:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8004/7454207928_01f52e1866.jpg
Should be safe here untill we have time to deal with it :D

Also, as promised, I've updated my supply of chassis records:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7454206296_8182348f24.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7454206098_5a3ae6d648.jpg
As you can see I've now got most of the tranny tunnel in place with the exception of one lower rail, this has been left off for now so that I can trial fit my gearbox; a 4wd mt75. This will be put in before painting happens!

[Oscar]

Last Item to bring me up to date: The Mushrooms!

These have taken me many hours to make, but I can now add another item to the list of pats that I've made meself:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7262/7454207252_78ce9eb2ca.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7454207086_232be0df95.jpg
They're a bit rough around the top, but I will be smoothing them off some more as soon as I have time, honest!

Wow! This brings me up to date!!! :eek:

Wait, no, one other thing; I'm now allowed to use one of the old calf sheds as my build area on the proviso that I do it up. This means I'm no longer dependant on the weather to get any welding done!

[Oscar]

If anyone says the internet is just for porn (I'm a student!:D ) then they're lying! Was having major problems working out the position of RS15 on plates CP3/4 so used the old search function.

Success! Found a 2 page long discussion between HandyAndy and NickHardy on just this problem!!

Without this forum I would probably have made a terrible c*ck up.

Did find find one error, drilled two of the holes on one of the plates on a random line about 10mm too close to the other pair :eek:

Fortunately there was room to drill them in their proper place, now just have to weld up the mistakes and clean it up :rolleyes:

[HandyAndy]

Was having major problems working out the position of RS15 on plates CP3/4 so used the old search function.

Success! Found a 2 page long discussion between HandyAndy and NickHardy on just this problem!!

Without this forum I would probably have made a terrible c*ck up.

Did find find one error, drilled two of the holes on one of the plates on a random line about 10mm too close to the other pair :eek:

Fortunately there was room to drill them in their proper place, now just have to weld up the mistakes and clean it up :rolleyes:


Glad the previous discussion helped out, & good to hear the forum search function worked ok for you :cool:

cheers
andy

[Oscar]

Wow, was starting to think noone was watching this thread!

That conversation layed it out clearly in so many ways it made it almost impossible to get it wrong.

If anyone else ever reads this thread and needs the info the link is here:
http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7982&page=2
and carries on for about 3 pages!

Back to build:
Now have a semi-clean indoorsy area to continue the build and have made much progress:

Front suspension mounts fully lined up and welded
CP3/4 cut and marked up
Various other small parts cut ready for welding
All welds cleaned and ground smooth where needed

Also, got some M8 nuts and bolts in the post today for the underside of CP3/4. Went for some dome-heads in the hopes they wont need covering, should look snazzy :cool:


One other thing: why no critisisms? There's no point writing all these essays if noone tells what I need to improve. Start finding faults!!!!! :mad:

[Oscar]

Wow this weather is miserable. Fortunately, I can still weld!!! :D
Having an enclosed area makes such a huge difference that I've prob'ly done more work in the last couple weeks that in the previous seven months!!!

Put D's 1 and 2 in today, hadn't done these before cos I'd left the uprights till I did the front brackets.

Also welded up all the parts on CP3/4. Will take some photos and you lot can tell me if I've got them right.

If anyone ever comments that is!!!

[vmax1974]

Sounds like your about to overtake me I better get my wriggle on

[Oscar]

Definately! Hoping to get the rear box made in the next few days... It's always good to have goals, even if they are unrealistic.... :o

[Oscar]

Quick question, (even if there isn't anyone reading this!) what size bolts are needed for attatching the steering wheel brackets to the support frame on the chassis?

The book says to use 13mm holes, but not sure if this is to give clearance for 12mm bolts or if 13mm bolts are intended for fastening?

[alga]

Both M10 and M12 will do with suitable washers.

[Oscar]

Excellent, thanks Alga. That means I can use the 1/2" (12.7mm) bit to drill the holes in the support plates instead of spending out on a 13mm bit. Will get these finished tomorow and hopefully have the SW's and plates welded!

Here's a pic of a few bits I made the other day (useless at remembering the names of parts and the book is out in the shed still!):
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7454206604_004649cb15.jpg

Amazing what you can do with a vice, a large hammer and a bit of brute force :D

Will those be sharp enough for the right angles? They should be far enough away from any crucial holes/welds but I always like to check.

[Johno]

Hi Oscar,
Can't see anything wrong with them.:)
Sorry to be ignorant but what are the dome bolts for? (don't have the book at home)...
The reason I ask is with a dome nut you can't tell if the bolt is the thread far enough. In theory it could only be in the nut by one thread so is this how Mr IVA man will look at it.:eek:
Also with it being a dome nut you will have to fit a spring or shake proof washer of some type the other side...
With reference to post #23 perhaps the reason nobody has critisiced your work is because there is nothing wrong with it...;) Trust me if there was something wrong it would have been pointed out by now...These guy's miss nothing:D
So don't be so hard on yourself, your doing a top notch build.
Just keep posting the photos......

Johno

[Oscar]

Hadn't considered IVA man Johno. The Dome headed bolts have normal nuts, they're for atatching the roll-bar to Cp3/4. Hoping the rounded edges will get arung the projections/radius issues without needing plastic caps.

Here's a pic:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7545212738_d39b4fa2ed.jpg

Its around 30mm long and threaded along the entire length. Will this keep Mr IVA happy? Do they need to be grade 8.8 on the roll bar or will standard be OK?

[Oscar]

Anyhoo, on with todays proress:

Had the day off to visit dentist this morning (and yesterday off giving blood!) so made up most of the remaining chassis plates:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8015/7545227094_ac9b5a75e2.jpg
All done today! Holes in Cp6 aren't as large as stated in the plans (done with an angry grinder) but should still be plenty big enough for a socket to pass through.

Spent Sunday pressure washing the new build area, so now properly moved from this:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6035/6257125320_928a4c4c20.jpg
To this:
[http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7545209596_9a6d6ae149.jpghttp://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7545207578_3fba619fba.jpg
With the old shed still being used for some starage and drilling etc.

[Oscar]

4 picture rule!
One mistake made today:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7545224516_fb7ebed5a6.jpg
Cp9: made two the same instead of one mirrored, will have to make another when I get the chance!

Also: Thanks for the kind remarks guys, (them as've said anything ;) ) always apreciated.

And: Keep forgetting to say, as long as the admin's don't change anything, I now have a Master's in Mechanical Engineering with merit. So if I c*ck up I know how to blame it on someone else :cool:

[HandyAndy]

Hi Oscar :)

I,m following your build & enjoy seeing your progress, & as Johno has said...its looking great so don,t worry about lack of responses, keep cracking with the nice work you are doing;)

If in doubt on anything then ask away, the members on here are great & always help with constructive advice when requested or if something is seen that "might" not be right etc :cool:

With regard the bolts holding the roll bar.... I think its common practice from other builds going thru the IVA process that it appears most ( if not all ) testers like to see the 8.8 stamp on something so safety critical, said politely...your choice but for the sake of "peace of mind" I,ve used 16 bolts of 8.8 grade to secure my roll bar / back stays .

One question ....before you get too far into the build....are you intending fitting a GRP or ALI rear tub ? ( from the parts/plates that you have made yesterday) I presume you intend to fit an Ali tub?

Keep up the great work :)

AND...A huge CONGRATULATIONS on your Masters Degree, nice one .

cheers
andy

[Oscar]

Cheers Andy, any advice (or congrats!) gratefully recieved!

Plan is to go for the Ali rear, no idea if theres a cost advantage, I just like the idea of trying to make as many of the parts myself as possible.

One thing I will be buying at some point (not saying who from yet :p ) will bea set of rear uprights. Dont like the idea of trying to cut/weld/align something that bulky and critical.

Re bolts: might go for 8.8 bolts for Iva then, maybe see if I can get some 8.8 dome heads? (trying to avoid plastic caps somewhere so prominent!)

One thing I wanted to ask; I noticed on another build (looked back and can't find who's) a different lower support for the steering column: bearing out on bars instead of supported by the bulkhead plate.
Was this for a specific reason or simply an individuals adaptation?

Edit: Also, what size should the slots in CP15 be for the handbrake cable? Want to get them cut before I weld on the rear end.

[Bonzo]

Hi oscar

Just caught up with your build thread.

Looks as if you have made a great start on your build. :)

With reference to the steering support bearing fitted to the bulkhead.
I think you will find details of that in AshG's build albums. ( Should find a link to that via his profile )

The slots in the CP plate that you mention only need to be wide enough to feed the bare section of the hanbrake cable through. ( It makes life a lot easier & no need to cut the cable in that area )

At a guess a 3-5mm wide slot should be plenty, if in doubt, measure the thickness of the bare section of a handbrake cable & use that as a guide.

One thing I would note.
I noticed that you may have made your steering rack support out of cold bent strip steel ?

Just be aware that strip steel can vary in quality.
I have seen this stuff fracture when cold bent .

Being as it is a critical part of the build, personaly I would have a close look at the bends for stress fractures.

Probably me just fussing about nothing though :)

[Oscar]

Cheers for the info Bonzo, will try and get that cut tonight allong with some other cleaning jobs.

The steel strip should be fairly decent, I managed to "Acquire" it from my uni! Didn't notice any fractures whilst bending and the curves are quite large, but you're right it was cold bent. I"ll add a close inspection to my list for this eve :o

Re. the bearing, the one I noticed was on some supports welded on the drivers side of the top rail. Not in the bulkhead. Had a look on AshG's posts and couldn't find a build thread. And his photo account showed the standard setup on the photos I saw. Any ideas? :confused:

[Oscar]

Found the bearing setup! It's Tateys build:
http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=2736&page=14
No completely clear picture but definitely a different arrangement. Not too dificult to copy, just wondering if there are advantages/disadvantages?

Also, had a look at the bent strip, no obvious signs of stress fatigue; slight evidence of poissons deformation and stress distortion but no signs of crack propogation or other surface defects that would be detrimental to the structural rigidity of the part.

:D I feel the need to speak in big words now I have a fancy piece of paper :D :D

Translation: can't see any damage.

Is it worth applying some heat to initiate grain normalisation, or just assume it'll be strong (not much stress aplied during use anyway)?

Question Time (again):
Would there be any problem with welding ends on the chassis tubes that're open? Have others been doing this?
Ordered my seatbelt mount nuts (for cp18?) off fleabay, nylocs arrived, welded on anyway. Nyloc melted. Would use threadlock on bolts. Problem with IVA?

[Johno]

Hi Oscar,
You're really getting into the swing of things now.....:)
Capping the end of chassis tubes is fine (stops the ingress of water). I TIG welded end caps to all my open chassis tubes which were open to the elements.
By what you are saying you have welded nylocs to the seat/harness plates.
To be honest that's not a good idea. IMO..:(
The reason being,

1, You don't need a nyloc nut as harness/seat belt bolts have a shoulder on the bolt to stop the bolt being tightened onto the harness/seat belt bracket. This way it allows the bracket to swivel on the bolt.

2, It doesn't look good to Mr IVA man (big gap where the nylon used to be if you get my drift)...

A standard nut welded to a plate will be fine for this. Just take a photo of the bolt with applied "Thread lock" for the "Men In White Coats" just to keep them happy....:D

The same applies throughout the build, for instance if you have to grind a weld off on a critical area ie.. harness point plates to transmission tunnel box section (for flush fitting of ally panels) make sure you have prepped the edge of the plate for the weld to be ground off this will show them you know what you are doing so to speak.

Johno

[Oscar]

Right, progress of a sort.

Have sorted out the nyloc problem, chopped out the empty part where the nylon used to be leaving standard size nuts behind.

Having some problems positioning the SW's (see other thread) and have now tacked Cp16 in place. Havn't added the angled section yet as I'm not sure which route to go yet regarding bearing/support in that area.

[Oscar]

Eventually made some progress today, spent lots of time doing other odd jobs this weekend. It's nice to get jobs done, especially when you have a list you can cross things off :D

Eventually got the rear end tacked into place; tooks lots of measuring, heaving, altering, shimming and more hands than I had available. got it done eventually though :cool:

Error = 1mm difference between diagonals thank you very much.

Also managed to get the SW's in place yesterday, meaning the bulk of the structure is nearly done. Yay!

[Oscar]

More progress!

Started adding more bits in the rear end, got cp 12 and 13 fully welded, front flexible brake pipe mounts welded and a few more ends capped on tubes. :cool:

Also tacked 2 of the rear suspension mounting points in place tonight, amazing how al these small bits add up!

And tomorrow I'll try and make time to upload some more photos, cos piccys make stuff look nice :D

[Oscar]

More progress:

Rear suspension area nearly done, no curved poles yet, need to buy them still!
CP 15/16 (I think-with rear shock mount?, need to get a second book for leaving by the computer!!!) and surrounding plates all in place and almost completely welded.
Steering rack support frame welded in place.
Steering wheel supports welded in after I finally found the rest of the tube!

Also, wages went in today so will soon have tubing for wishbones! Yay :D

Not planning to race so thinking of getting non-seamless but thicker walled tube for bones. Discuss...

Also, pictures! Many taken just haven't gotten round to uploading them yet.
Sorry :(

[Oscar]

Photos!
Setting up the Steering support frame for MT75 chassis:

The improvised Jig
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7738980564_34c129d130.jpg

Tacked in place
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7738979086_6c075775f6.jpg

Bar set to make bespoke element!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8290/7738981224_d91616b783.jpg

Final setup
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7738977268_1ffaaeb8fb.jpg

See next post for more!

[Oscar]

Full chassis a couple weeks ago:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7280/7738978348_6465043857.jpg

Bends on the steering plates, not great but everything measures up right:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7738982226_8d455104c2.jpg

So lots of progress, and even more that I haven't got photos of yet!
(sorry)

Also, questions that you lot haven't given advice on yet :mad: :
1: Bones, non-seamless with thicker wall (not for racing)?
2: Different lower steering column support (ala-Tatey)?

(and here's me thinking we all love any excuse to "give advice"! ;) )

Will try and get some photos of the new back end and steering column in place.

[Oscar]

Oi! Where is everyone? I need advice!!!

No-good bunch of useless car enthusiasts...

Anyhoo, insults aside, I'm just waiting to see what you guys think before I order any more parts/steel.

Question 1: If I use non-seamless tubing for the wishbones, what size thickness should I be looking for? Are there any positioning reccomendations?

Question 2: Roof for floor. The roof from the donor is around 1mm thick steel. I will most likely add some box section to bolt the seat runners to. Will this be ok? Any advice? Will stitch welding be enough or should I try for continuous welds?

Question 3: Tatey uses a different mounting system for the lower part of the steering column. Any reason/advantages?

PLEASE ANSWER ME!!! Someone, anyone, even if its just to mock my poor dress-sense. Acknowledge me!!

Oscar

[K4KEV]

hi......bye:p

[wylliezx9r]

Oi! Where is everyone? I need advice!!!

No-good bunch of useless car enthusiasts...

Anyhoo, insults aside, I'm just waiting to see what you guys think before I order any more parts/steel.

Question 1: If I use non-seamless tubing for the wishbones, what size thickness should I be looking for? Are there any positioning reccomendations?

Question 2: Roof for floor. The roof from the donor is around 1mm thick steel. I will most likely add some box section to bolt the seat runners to. Will this be ok? Any advice? Will stitch welding be enough or should I try for continuous welds?

Question 3: Tatey uses a different mounting system for the lower part of the steering column. Any reason/advantages?

PLEASE ANSWER ME!!! Someone, anyone, even if its just to mock my poor dress-sense. Acknowledge me!!

Oscar

Why not use aluminum for the floor no corrosion issues then, pop rivet it on ? I guess you can use whatever you want though ?
My chassis had box added for the seat runners so deffo a good idea.

ATB Dan

[ayjay]

Cant answer your questions but just stopped to say hello in case you get too lonely:D :D

[robo]

Oi! Where is everyone? I need advice!!!



Question 2: Roof for floor. The roof from the donor is around 1mm thick steel. I will most likely add some box section to bolt the seat runners to. Will this be ok? Any advice? Will stitch welding be enough or should I try for continuous welds?


Oscar

Smart as f@@k a sunroof in the floor:p Try plug welding the floor from underneath ,its more than strong enough and nice and neat.

Bob

[jps]

I'm also thinking about how to do the floor. Can't decide whether to go aluminium (apparently Westfield etc do) which runs a risk of corrosion because of contact with the steel, or steel - which doesn't - but does run a risk of good old fashioned tinworm.

Seems people have done both - and no-one can make a great case that one is better than the other!!!

It looks like putting extra support for seat runners is a good idea - although if you have box section I think you then need crush tubes - so I will just be using some strips of 3mm steel.

[deezee]

I've gone for an Aluminium floor with sealed rivets and sixaflex. I'ts going to take decades before it suffers galvanic corrosion, after all you need to add salt water for this to take effect! So don't drive your car during rain on salted roads.

As for the Tatey lower steering support, give us a clue as to what that means.

[deezee]

Right, had a look and assume you mean the bearing. I've done that on my car as the sierra bush is a load of crap and wobbles like hell. The proper bearing is a much nicer solution to supporting the shaft. Mine is bolted onto some box section. Then to avoid any IVA whining about the edges I made an little aluminium cover and even trimmed the edge. In the end they never checked it....

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/gallery/Steering%20Column%20Side.jpg

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/gallery/Steering%20Column%20Front.jpg

[alga]

Regarding ERW wishbones, it's a taboo subject. Not many people on here are structural engineers. The general mindset is that wishbones are a safety critical component, so compromising on their strengh is not something we laymen want to give advice about.

As a *cough* software engineer *cough* I would say that most probably you will be fine with ERW wishbones, and you should look at a thickness of 2 or 2.5 mm. The quality of your welding will probably be a more important factor than the ERW/seamless choice.

[mgglep]

I used 3mm aluminium floor sealed rivets and sika with regards the seamless tube for wishbones I would go for seamed tube as the little seam inside grips the polybush and stops it from spinning

[voucht]

Question 3: Tatey uses a different mounting system for the lower part of the steering column. Any reason/advantages?

Any stronger solution than the Sierra bush is good. I used a CP16 designed by Madis (on this forum under the pseudo of mopple) to take a UCFL206 bearing. This part is a standard, you can buy it anywhere. Price varies a lot according to the sources (SKF in Sweden sell it for more than a hundred euros, but I bought mine in France for 6 euros, a made in China thing I guess, but enough for doing the job as it is not supporting anything or turning high speed). This bearing is a bit big and heavy, but as I'm not making a racing car, I'm OK with it. I can communicate the CP16 drawings from Madis if you are interested. Here is a picture:

1501

If you chose this option, you will also need to machine an insert (bush?) to adapt the triangular shape of the steering column to the 30mm bore of the bearing:

1500

May be not the best solution, but at least it is another option:)
Good luck!

[Oscar]

Fantastic! Cheers for the info guys.

After that I will definately be looking into other bearings, seems like its almost the norm to improve this (I have noticed the poor quality of the old bush). And yes Deezee, that's the bit I meant!

My main reason for wanting to use the roof for the floor is to keep costs low. and large sheets of Ali are a little on the pricey side :o
I'll keep my options open on that one for now.

I am a Mechanical Engineer and the only reason I can see for ERW beeing bad is for its reduced fatique resistance due to the grain hardening caused through the application of heat (Harder = Brittle).
Around 2.5mm wall thickness sounds about right, need to double check what I had in my notes (when I find them...)

Thanks for all the advice so far guys, I'll think some more on it when I'm more awake!

[Oscar]

Progress! Of a sort...

Had some wages so decided to spend out on the tubing for the wishbones.
Got seamless in the end (after all my questions on using ERW) due to an inability to find ERW in the right size.

So, I'm now starting to make the jigs. Gradually. When I find time...

One question, Is there an easily available tubing for the ends of the bones? (where the bushes are inserted) I couldn't see any on the bay and I've read various references to reaming tube out for these so...

Any about or easier to buy them ready cut/reamed?

[ozzy1]

Here you go :D

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/haynes-roadster-locost-kitcar-hotrod-7-WISHBONE-BUSH-TUBE-/130745432409?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e7108f959

[Oscar]

I've been watching these,
Just wanting to keep prices down where possible. Cash injection means that I may very well be ordering a few bits from Talon in one go!

[Oscar]

Why does all action seem to come in spurts?

Did nothing for over a month, and now I've suddenly made great progress!
- Ordered wishbone ends, diff hanger brackets, rear end tubes and rear uprights from Talon.
- Started tacking first wishbones together
- Bought bearing for steering column (pressed steel version like Deezee's)
- Restacked all the donor parts in my shed (had a large clear-up)
- And ordered the Tap-spanner I need for the other wishbones...

At this rate I might have a rolling chassis before the end of the year! :cool:

I might get round to adding some more photos at some point...

[Oscar]

Even more work!

After a parts injection from Talon, I've fully welded my front and rear lower wishbones. Painted the fronts (one coat to keep the red fuzz at bay) and double checked that all the dimentions are spot on.

Must say, all the parts from Talon are top-notch, the bush tubes are even cleaned along one side to show where the join line is!

Have also made up some spacers from 2 lengths of 19mm box to hold the new steering bearing in place, and have sanded around 1mm off the plastic triangle-to-circle adapter so it fits in. Once all bolted in place it should provide a much stronger steering system.

Oh yes, also recieved my extra large tap spanner and tapped the large thread for one of the upper wishbones. So they'll be next made!

[Oscar]

Still slogging away. Making progress here and there...

Now have all rear bones fabbed and painted, various parts of the chassis undercoated, a floor on the back half of the cockpit, rails in for the seats to mount to etc... etc.....

Most recently, cleaned and painted the font uprights, painted the rear uprights and cleaned one of the rear hubs ready for painting. Off to the local motor-parts shop tomorow for some more high temp paint and might have some parts bolted together by the end of the week!

Oh yes, might take some photos at some point too...

[Oscar]

Well, I keep promising and not delivering but with any luck these will provoke some feedback! ;)

The current state of my chassis, back end almost complete and mostly painted:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8466/8361740087_df4fe60428.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8361740087/)

And my rear bones fully painted, bottoms:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8084/8361784849_3ab2f42885.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8361784849/)

And tops:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8361764395_8c1559c272.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8361764395/)

See next post for more.

Yes, more!!

[Oscar]

Heres a close-up of my modded steering bearing mounts:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8362804932_42145b0156.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8362804932/)

And, as I believe they're meant to be (though I'm still te be confirmed), the drivers side rear upright/hub/brake arrangement:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8354/8361775957_b29ebb619f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8361775957/)

Also where the bleed nipple will be as there was some debate about this:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8325/8362835790_1ff3653bc8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8362835790/)

This should be OK as the process of bleeding will push any bubbles out of the bleed pipe, which extends form the top of the cylinder. Calipers are going to be stripped, electrolisysed and put back together with new rubbers.

Think I'll wait to rebuild them untill I'm nearing the point of plumbing all the brakes in as I don't want the internalls to start rusting up before I've filled them will brake fluid.

Please feel free to discuss all elements so far in a polite, sensible and non-judgmental way. (Leave all projectile weapons at the door, hand weapons are fine.) :D

[Oscar]

Bit more work over the last few days:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8377493382_0e62892ddc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8377493382/)
Cleaned up and painted both rear driveshafts

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8376395431_4f2015b818.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8376395431/)
Cut the steel for the top front wishbones (last left to make) and 4 "shocks"

Then tried to set up some electrolysis:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8377482624_3f127cfa9a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8377482624/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8074/8377476304_5bfe7c9c2b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8377476304/)

Only running at 0.5A, so need to tweak it a bit!

[voucht]

Oscar,
I cleaned my Sierra parts by electrolyse a few months ago. Watching at your pictures, I just noticed the position of the electrode. From what I've read everywhere, current circulation is better if the electrode does not touch the walls and the bottom of the bucket. It is also better if you can make an electrode in a "cage" shape, surrounding the part to clean, cleaning will be more even (electrolyse is also function of the distance between the anode and the cathode)
Just thoughts.
If you want more details, you can read this page of my blog (http://vouchtroadster.blogspot.com/2012/10/electrolyse.html) (forgive my English) about that: I didn't come back on the electrolyse process that everyone knows, it would have been useless, but thanks to a lot of informations I gathered on Internet, I tried to describe what to think about to make it efficient, and what to avoid to keep it safe.
Hope that can help.
Good luck for the messy job (because it is :) )

[The V8 Files]

Oscar, I've been playing with the electrolysis quite a bit over the past 3 weeks with some quite good results, i'm planning on a bit of a write up but there's some pics and bits here

http://www.roadster-builders.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=181

Mine was running anywhere between 5.5 and 9 amps and everything so far has taken no more that 24 hrs

I found its best to take the piece out and give it a quick pressure wash/hose/brush to remove the softened bits every 2 - 4 hrs or whenever your passing it.

Give me a shout if you got any questions, after a while of using the battery and charger I butchered an old 250w Atx PSU which worked just as well.

[The V8 Files]

Some more pics here, I've got a load more still on the camera I've not uploaded yet.

http://s1157.beta.photobucket.com/user/barlidge/library/Haynes%20Roadster%20Build%20Pics/Electrolysis%20Cleaning?postlogin=true

[Oscar]

Just been outside to check the progress, wasn't sure if it was working till I checked the negative contact.

Big lump of rust on the old saw-blade! :D

Current setup is a nackered battery charger drawing a tiny current, and a mixture of washing powder (just ordered the soda crystals). Plans for tomorow: have a go at adapting an old PSU thats lying in the shed, and see if get a better current.

Cheers for the offer Dad-of-seven, really need to sign up to the new roadster forum, get the feeling I'm missing out on a few bits of info and gossip! :eek:

[The V8 Files]

I suspect your charger isn't up to the job, mine wasn't either which was why I ran the battery with the charger connected, only trouble with that is over a couple of days the battery goes flat cos the charger cant keep up, hence my move to a psu.

If you want a really fancy PSU conversion then there's a guide here

http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-a-Computer-ATX-Power-Supply-to-a-Lab-Power-Supply

I just cut all the yellow wires and joined together (+) and all the blacks (-) in a terminal block, the 250w psu is rated at 16amps continuous over 12v and never even got warm plus it has built in overload and short protection so gives a bit more piece of mind when leaving unattended.

Oh your going to enjoy cleaning the electrodes :D and if that saw blade is stainless make sure its all ventilated and wear gloves with the electrolyte as the chromium released from the stainless is apparently quite nasty.

[Oscar]

Just off out to try cleaning now, fortunately its an old tennon saw, plain steel blade. I'm staying well away from stainless ;)

Will let you know how the PSU conversion goes, trip-switch on standby :o

[Oscar]

More done!

Been spending the snowy weather (in between sledging on our far hill with the rest of the village, 3 landrovers and a quad :cool: ) in my shed working on the rear calipers!

Old PSU in the shed turns out to be a dud, so will drop by the local pc parts shop tomorrow when I'm in town, see if they've got an old one for beer money. Will then look at putting some form of cage together.

I have noticed a lot of silt in the bottom of the bucket. Is this just old rust or is it soda crystals that need stirring back up?

Now have both calipers electrolysiesedsded (or something like that), one is waiting for brushing off and stripping and the other has been stripped, cleaned, painted and put back together with new seals and oil.

Haven't touched the handbrake maechanism as it looks like an absolute sh1t to deal with :confused: . Also had real problems putting the final dust protector in place :mad: after the piston was in place. Gonna try a different order on the nect caliper; put the dust in place and then slide the piston through it.

Piccies to follow!

[The V8 Files]

Oscar just a quick thought and apologies if you did but did you connect the green wire to the case to simulate the on button? I forgot to mention it earlier.

The sediment I've always noticed has been crud basically, but one other thing I did find was a small pump located in the top giving a very gentle circular motion seemed to help a little.

Here's a pic of mine after a couple of pieces have been done so waiting to be cleaned and showing the pump:
http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p598/barlidge/Haynes%20Roadster%20Build%20Pics/Electrolysis%20Cleaning/A9F13DE7-B07A-4B16-B6FA-6A7AE4010F82-3646-000002C8BACA33AF.jpg

[Oscar]

Hey V8,

Yeah, read the link about building a power suply and connected the green to a black. Asked my dad after I'd spent time sorting it all and he confirmed that as far as he knew, it was a dud.

Thats a lot of rust built up on your cage! For some reason mine is mostly green...

Gotten round using a cage by turning the piece frequently. Nice idea using the pump, could easily add a large coarse filter to clean the surface a bit at the same time! Will have to be investing some time into this before cleaning up more parts.

[The V8 Files]

Hmm a filter, I played around with that idea, it needs an extremely fine medium such as sand or ideally DE powder (0.5 micron filter rate), I have both and I tried with the sand but found I needed a sealed filter cannister to be pressure fed by the pump, gravity couldn't push the water through quick enough. Tried also with standard filter mediums but the suspended sediment was too fine so was fairly ineffective. In the end I figured for a one off it was going to be too much effort or I was going to end up with a floor full of skanky water

http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p598/barlidge/Haynes%20Roadster%20Build%20Pics/Electrolysis%20Cleaning/SDC18436_zps40a8a004.jpg
http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p598/barlidge/Haynes%20Roadster%20Build%20Pics/Electrolysis%20Cleaning/SDC18437_zps17c8592a.jpg

[Oscar]

Here be some pics as promised...

Cleaned and painted caliper next to "Unclean!" one:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8401882022_45aa215dd3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8401882022/)

Caliper being put with sliding-bit-that-holds-the-pads, Threadlock in picture to keep Mr IVA happy:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8184/8400789389_5afff4b1af.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8400789389/)

And the effects of the electrolysis on my scrap saw-blade!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8507/8400796771_95e22d70bc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/8400796771/)
Holey mother of god!
(sorry, couldn't resist :D )

Went into town today, got a brand new, unboxed PSU from local computer fixers for £5. Can't get grumpy at that price!

Also picked up some bucket seats that I won on Ebay, 2 seats for £40 and he even threw in a pair of brand new 4-point harnesses that he didn't want!
The mounting holes are 16" apart and the seats are about 18.5" wide to go in my gap of 17.5" between the rails. Hoping they'll squeeze in, will find out tomorrow.

[thailoz]

Just read your build thread looking good

I cant jump in and comment as I have yet to start mine hopefully will be early next month
(goto wait for payday lol spent a fortune on tools welder etc already)

[Oscar]

Still making progress on and off. Kinda stalled a bit over the spring, lost enthusiasm and time was used in other matters (helping Mother sort out the farm inheritance, looking up all the old family history we're finding out about through old papers, can trace one branch back to 875!)

Since my last update:
-Both brake callipers cleaned, painted, rebuilt and stored
-Was much easier to push the piston through the final dust seal, still a pig though...
-All rear and front hubs cleaned, greased and painted
-All wishbones made and painted, also stored!
-Picked up a 2wd mt75 gearbox, cheap off ebay, stored in the back of the shed
-Made the last 2 panels for the floor and welded them in place on Thursday/Friday. Made them out of the rear floor panel that covered the spare wheel of the donor, so come with a nice corrugated shape for grip.
-Entire chassis (except the parts not yet built(not enough room for them!)) has one coat of red primer, and most has one coat of black hammerite for protection.
-Got a couple bucket seats off ebay for cheap, had to reduce the width by 70mm to make fit. have done one with great success so far!
-Sorted seat mounts/brackets, all fits bootifal!

Hmm, only just realised how much I've done. Knew there was a good reason for keeping a build log on here ;)

Immediate Plans:
-Finish headlight mounts (tube came in post yesterday)
-Finish first hammerrite coat
-Get chassis out to locate positions of engine and gearbox mounts
-Weld mounts and rest of rear end
-Finish painting chassis
-Start plugging the puzzle together!

Long term plans:
Drive around in a home made car in more of this gorgeous weather! :cool:

[Oscar]

More work over the last couple days, this warm weather is a curse and a boon; really want to get my build moving, but just dont have the energy for full on progress...

Anyhoo, cut out the box and replaced it with beams in the passengers side for the seat mounting (badly thought out initial idea I've now replaced).
Cleaned the Diff and put a coat of etch primer on it.
Painted various beams on the body, used up my Hammerrite so cant do any more untill I get to the shops.

And half an hour ago I fi8nally got the Chassis out of the shed so I can finish fabb'ing the back end!

As soon as I've worked out how to with my new phone (5 months!) I'll upload more photos.

[Oscar]

Update time, and Photos!

First, photos of previous work done and written about:

The floor finished
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5510/9384630173_927c83608e.jpg

Narrowing the seat back, done so that the top is still wide
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7423/9387401516_dbf71516fc.jpg

Narrower bottow, fits like a glove. A very tight glove...
You can also see the rails on the right that I've replaced with steel strips.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3684/9387403568_76b27b10a9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/9387403568/)

And one clean, shiny, freshly painted diff
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3736/9387397858_186046110e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscarss/9387397858/)

[Oscar]

Now for this weekends work:

The chassis in its new home, larger area so I can finish the rear end
Plastic covering to keep the worst of the weather/straw off!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7304/9385083029_74eea89d35.jpg

Todays welding
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7412/9387393054_d1c7997f12.jpg

And back on its base
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5327/9384613953_2c52a9165d.jpg

Annoyingly, I packed the welder and all the tools away before realising there was still 4 plates to attatch. The ones under the top curved rail for attatching the back panel. I'll try and get them done sometime this week and get the back end undercoated.

[Oscar]

Been doing a few bits today; finished welding on chassis (finally!) and started putting rear end 'bones in place so i can wheel it to another shelter for working on.

Problem: Should the wishbones be an absolute pig to go in? :mad:

Crush tubes went in ok with a G-clamp, and I got the 'bones onto the chassis with a little (read: a lot of) persuasion (girt big rubber mallet). But now I'm having trouble getting the upright into sittu.

I know the joints are supposed to be a tight fit, but surely theres a simple way of putting these parts together? :(
Any advice would be gratefully recieved.

[Talonmotorsport]

The wishbones pull and close up like a bastard when they are welded which is why I am not fond of the design, having said that it does allow you to do the following: you will need one a pair of good boots, riggers/welding gloves and a rule. Place the wishbone on the floor,clamp in place with a boot and pull it apart with the gloves then measure. I will at this juncture point out that I'm 20 stone and find this quite easy to do, you might want to find an adult to help you...
Disclaimer : Talon Motor Sport/Fabrication accepts no responsibility for pulled shoulders or back problems.

[TheArf]

Or another way is to put a scissors jack in-between and open it so that it pushes the arms apart. wind it just a bit further than you need as they will spring back.
Not everything requires brute force

Arfon

[Oscar]

I've already utilised much brute force (I find a length of wood helps, soft surface and leverage) to get them the right sizes, Im just finding the polybushes a "very" tight fit in the mounts.

[PorkChop]

Are the bushes bulging at all when they're fitted?

[Oscar]

Not sure where I'd see a bulge...

They fit into the 'bones ok, but they're wider than the crush tube. Checked the tubes, they're all 44mm as spec. Are the polybushes, tubes etc all supposed to be flush before instalation?

I did notice a minor chamfer where the brim of the "top hat" becomes the narrower tube and I believe this is stopping the poly-parts from pushing all the way.

Ideas?

[alga]

My polybushes were all nearly flush with the crush tube. I suspect PU rubbing into suspension brackets was the source of some creaking. The creaking is not a big deal at all when going fast, but it's pretty embarassing when you're posing & going slow. I plan to shorten all bush tubes a fraction of a mm so PU is not rubbing with the brackets.

[Oscar]

Thats the approach I've gone for; slightly shortening the tubes to allow the poly to sit flush with the crush tube.
It'll still be a tight fit, but will actually go together.

[wylliezx9r]

The crush tubes should be about 1mm wider than the bushes either side. This is crucial as otherwise the bush will be clamped rather than the tube, this will stress the nrbrackets and not allow the wishbones to move freely. The bush should be free to rotate around the tube. I had the same problem when I built my car, I took a belt sander to the bushes to remove the desired amount of material. Bit of a pain in the ass job but a must.

HTH Dan

[PorkChop]

There have been a few instances over with the MX5s where some PU bushes have bound on the wishbone tube, giving a very springy ride. This has led to complete failure of the wishbone in some cases. Some of the bushes shown had an obvious bulge to them, hence the question :)

[Oscar]

I've got the rear end together and moved the chassis on 2 wheels to its new site (4th one!). So cool seeing wheels on it :cool:

Chers for the info guys, never realised the extent of the importance re tube clamping. Knew it would affect ride but didn't twig the possibility of complete failure.

The polybushes all now sit such that the crush tube is at least flush with the poly-part. Will this be enough? I'll do the front bones so the crush's are all at least slightly proud, but will the rear be OK? Is this an IVA issue?

Pics to follow...

[alga]

I had one that was just flush, now it has all the paint and primer from the bracket embedded in the PU. Make them stand out at least a fraction of a millimetre. I doubt this would cause any problems at IVA, though, it's not very obvious from the outside.

[Oscar]

A few pictures, better late than never...

Wheels! And with me standing in the engine bay holding the front end up, it moved!
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5321/9636745405_92d0c769b1.jpg

Some welds on the rear end, managed to give myself a nasty burn on this beam too :o
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3769/9636746975_61f77a816c.jpg

And finally, what I'm planning to do next:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3757/9639980696_d4a6470b5c.jpg

I don't like the look of that rubber bush on the steering column, so I'd like to splice the socket from the Escort rack onto the Sierra's metal UJ.

I noticed today though that there's a rubber spacer/packing near the top of the Sierra column, this may complicate the welding. Thoughts?

[Oscar]

Progress report!
(Slightly delayed and overdue...)

Made quite a bit of progress since the last update, chassis is now fully welded with engine and gearbox mounting plates in place and it's all had a coat of primer and one coat of hammerite to stop the rust (except for one rail that I didn't notice untill AFTER I'd cleaned the brush!)

Midway through this I trial fitted the engine, took a while to shoehorn it out of the shed, but definately worth it.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3761/12070598646_578726f41f.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3807/12069996395_7d7520933d.jpg

This allowed to measure the positioning of the engine mount plates, weld them on and finish the chassis.

[Oscar]

Since then I've begun working on the engine mounts themselves. Step one, get the chassis on wheels.
Got most of the way there and realised the other two wheels in my shed were still grubby. No grubby parts near my pretty pretty car! :eek:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/12153493325_d2d511e67c.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5495/12153534355_d329163129.jpg

Cleaned the wheels today and finished off the plates for the engine mounts:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7363/12153573405_6f9e452112.jpg

I'm hoping to be able to use empty gas cylinders for the struts. Thoughts? (diameter of about 75mm and wall thivkness of 2mm)

Also, I'm starting a new job in a couple weks as a Process Engineer, so I'll fuinally be able to buy some of the other parts I need!

[voucht]

Hi!

First, congrats for the new job!

I'm hoping to be able to use empty gas cylinders for the struts. Thoughts? (diameter of about 75mm and wall thivkness of 2mm)

If you still have the Sierra you took the engine from, you will certainly not be able to reuse the propshaft, unless you want/can modify it yourself, re-weld, balance, etc. Not the easiest with this 2 pieces MT75 propshaft, I really struggled to find a way to re-use mine, and ended up bying a custom one from Duning and Faibanks (which I'm very happy with)

So you could use the propshaft tube for your engine mounts. I might have to change my engine mounts (I'm not extra happy with mine), and that is what I'm considering to do if I have too. I kept my Sierra propshaft for that, just in case...

Just an idea...

Good luck :)

[Oscar]

Bit the bullet and bought some box.

Spent an hour with the angle grinder and a couple old cylinders today trying to fab some engine supports and gave up; they're just too wide for my plates, too much wall that won't be supported and they get right in the way of the mounting bolts.

I've still got the old prop but I think it'll be just as much of a pig. I also don't want to chop it up too soon in case it can be used by whoever makes up my new prop.

So, bought some 40x40x3mm box off fleabay.

On a positive note my chassis and engine are both sat level and square ready to chop and fit my supports when i do get them!


One quick question before I go, SS1 (curved piece outside the seat backs), I left mine off for a very good reason I can't quite recall and I've noticed a couple builds also without them (Ste's?). Should I weld them on or bolt them or leave them?

[PorkChop]

One quick question before I go, SS1 (curved piece outside the seat backs), I left mine off for a very good reason I can't quite recall and I've noticed a couple builds also without them (Ste's?). Should I weld them on or bolt them or leave them?

You will need them fitted, or a replacement to give something for the rear arches to locate on. Lots of the GRP suppliers will have them as part of either the panel or side panel moulding.

[Badger]

Hurry up Oscar, I think I'm further on than you are now :P