New build started.

[Ryan]

Hope everyone is well? I have not posted anything for a while so I thought I would update as to what has been going on in the last week or so.

The start of last week I found a donor for sale, a 1991 1.8 cvh hatchback for less than £200 and decided I wanted it. Sierra had two months tax and test left so I hopped on a train and after 3 hours I arrived. A quick toilet break and brew with the seller and I was on my way home again. Drove just over 100 miles home in the sierra and it didnt miss a beat, everything works as it should do, the electric windows are fine and the interior is immaculate. The previous owner was an older chap who had owned the car for around ten years and just wanted something newer.

I then found myself with last weekend free from work so I got hold of Handy Andy and found that my flat pack chassis was ready for collection. So on Saturday me and my co-builder jumped in the sierra for a 300 odd mile round trip to Saturn Sports Cars, again the sierra was spot on.

If anyone is thinking of buying one of these kits from Andy then all I will say is go for it, they are great value for money and it together like a glove. They will also save you shed loads of time at the beginning of the build.

Quick piccy of my flat pack at Saturn.


Also provided was a template for marking out the lines on your build table. This is a massive help both with time saving and accuracy at the start of the build.

If I can offer some feedback Andy, with the sheets being so long when it comes to unfolding and getting flat on the build table the folds in the template can be a bit of a pain, but it soon flattens out with some rubbing. Maybe if the template was rolled up it would solve this?

Little piccy of one of the template sheets.


Time was taken to cut and join the two parts of the template together and block out ready for the br rails to be laid down. Before we scored through the template we decided to lay the br rails down over the template and check accuracy. At first we thought the chassis pack had been cut wrong as there was a gap of around 3-4 mil between br's 5-6 3-4 and 1-2. After checking and double checking every measurement we realised that the template was out by a few mil. As we thought we had the join lines spon on we could not figure it out. This was not really a big problem as we only had to move the template in a couple of mil or do the same with the br rails and re draw a couple of lines. After doing so, more measurements where taken and we found the bottom rails to be spot on as per book spec.

Join lines,


Bottom rails all in ready to be tack welded,


The flat pack all fitted together nice and snug with only a small bit of grinding required on br's 8 and 9 to fit nice and tight.

Andy (spud69) also took us out in the demo car up at Saturn. That blew my mind! well worth the trip up just for that. I was realy amazed that the speed and handling of the car. Andy and Andy are very nice blokes and I would recommend them to anybody thinking of purchasing one of there products.

Sorry about the essay! and I hope the piccys come out ok.

Cheers

Ryan.

[gingea1pom]

Afternoon Ryan,

Great post, good pictures.

I’m interested as to whether you are going to tack the BR’s together with the paper template in place? I suppose there is no other way as if you remove the template then you have no way of knowing if everything is in the correct place.

I have a vision of the whole thing going up in smoke as you try to save the template.

Cheers Ginge

[LeonN]

I like the essays. Gives me somthing to read insted of working. Looks like theys schassis packs are going dawn a storm hay andeys. Wuld dofo consider somthing like for my next build. Cutting the schassis with a hacsaw was a foolish thing to start. All done naw but never again.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by gingea1pom

Afternoon Ryan,

Great post, good pictures.

I’m interested as to whether you are going to tack the BR’s together with the paper template in place? I suppose there is no other way as if you remove the template then you have no way of knowing if everything is in the correct place.

I have a vision of the whole thing going up in smoke as you try to save the template.

Cheers Ginge

Hi Ginge, once the rails are in position you can score around them using a craft/stanley knife and then repeat with a fine tipped marker or the like and then the template can be removed and you are left with a build table complete with lines drawn on.

Ryan.

[Superloom]

Very nice job indeed, must be a shame to take such a nice Sierra apart though Chassis Kit looks excellent, very impressed
Good Luck with the welding!!!

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by Superloom

Very nice job indeed, must be a shame to take such a nice Sierra apart though Chassis Kit looks excellent, very impressed
Good Luck with the welding!!!

Cheers mate. Ive done nearly 500 miles in the sierra now and cant fault it. It will be a shame to strip it. I think the missus is getting worried that I will keep it as a daily driver and find another donor!!

Ryan.

[Bonzo]

Looking great there Ryan

Good news on the donor

Off to a flying start with the chassis kit & template, certainly looking the dogs whatsits

[HandyAndy]

Hi Ryan..

wow great pics

thanks for the feedback on the template, will see what can be done to stop the fold lines , thanks for that.

Phew had me going out & checking my steel ruler then glad you got it sorted .

just so folk know.... it may be worth running a file over some of the ends to ensure a tight fit as i might miss the odd burr from cutting the steel

Thanks for your kind words on the flat pack kit, means alot.

both of your faces when you came back from your spin in the Roadster had to be seen to be believed....

glad you enjoyed the trip up to see us, & don,t forget we,re here to help at all stages of your build.

keep the piccies coming as you progress your build.

cheers
andy

[Ryan]

Cheers Andy, Thank you for making us feel welcome and supplying all the drinks!

The ride in the roadster was awsome! could not believe how much grip it had even on the damp winter roads!

Thanks to you and Andy for all the help.

Will keep everyone informed of how the build is going on this forum, most of the time it will probably be pleas for help!

Cheers,

Ryan.

[HandyAndy]

you know where we are if needed

enjoy your build.

i look forward to YOU taking US out in YOUR Roadster soon

cheers
andy