Dean I am updating my blog just for you!!
It's nearly time to get back out on the road so I have been trying to get the final jobs done and dusted.
Really looking forward to finally being able to get the car to stoneleigh this year and show off all the hard work I have put into it.
Now due to a busy schedule I am having to update my blog via my iPhone which means I cannot upload any pictures of the work in progress but once I get back infront of my laptop I will add some.
The roll bar has been off for blasting and has now been painted Matt black and is looking very nice. Just need to re install my high level brake light on to it. The new carbon mods boot cover has been cut to shape and and has been marked out ready to cut the holes in for the rear stays with the assistance of some string and auto cad to generate my Ellipse shape to cut out where the stays pass though, to keep the gap as small as possible and tidy.
Now some time last year I purchased some carbon mods front mud guards, now at first I was unsure if I actually liked the look of them so never got round to fitting them, but over the winter I sat them on the brackets to see if I did get to like them. So last weekend I finally decided to fit them as they grew on me, and now they are fitted I have to say they do look very good. I decided to go with drilling and bolting them on as the safest option. But to make it a little less noticeable I have ordered some anodised black bolts to blend in with the carbon. Will get pics up of these soon.
The new clutch slave cylinder has been fitted after the old one shit itself. Easy job to get sorted.
All of the suspension bolts have been regreased as I was suffering from a few squeaks which was driving me mad.
Still awaiting for some dye to re colour the side screens, purchased some dye which after doing a small sample looked terrible as it was very shiny.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Monday, 7 February 2011
Upgrades have started
Now the weather has started to warm up and you no longer freeze when in the shed it was time to get a move on and do some work.
First job is getting round to fitting the new playskool roll bar which I purchased back in December. This like every thing else on the car needed some work to get the bar to fit. First hurdle to get over was the fact that the lower plate where it bolts to the chassis do not quite line up. Now they are not far out but it still needed the holes slightly enlarging or dragging across with a grinder to get them to line up. once these had been sorted the next apparent problem was that the plates on the bottom of the bar slightly overlap the bushes welded to the chassis for where the harness eye bolts go, so once again out with the air tools and a light scallop was put in place to give me clearance for these. But the fun doesn't stop there...
Now i could get the roll bar bolted to the chassis the next issue came along.... The rear stays on the roll bar that go into the boot and bolt to the chassis are 20mm to short of lining up with the holes. (nothing is ever easy with this car) so a quick phone call to Luke a playskool confirmed that Westfield have 2 chassis jigs one of which is longer than what the roll bar was originally jigged from. Luke apologised but said they have come up with some exstentions that need to be either bolted or welded in once the old ends have been cut off. I have opted for the later option and weld these in properly.
Now I really like the shape and look of the roll bar but the only downside in my eyes is the fact that it has been powder coated, which is ok but nothing else on the car has a shiny appearance. So I had decided from the outset that I would have the bar repainted to match the satin black that goes with the rest of the car. So today I had the bar shot blasted and all the powder coat removed ready to be welded and be repainted. Luckily for me the company next door to where i work deal with specialist material coatings. So hopefully by tomorrow I will have a nice satin black roll bar to fit.
Another job that had to be taken care of was a new clutch slave cylinder, now for some reason whilst the car has been up on axle stands I noticed a small few drips on the floor. On closer inspection the seals in the cylinder had given up and started leaking. I wouldn't have minded but this was new when I rebuilt the engine and as it had been ordered over a year ago there was nothing the supplying company could do any more. So a new one was ordered and has been fitted but now just awaits bleeding.
Next job will be getting the doors dyed black, now I have managed to get hopefully a good quality black dye in a satin black, the out come might be interesting but worth a try.
I am also having a rethink about the carbon mods front mud guards, I wasn't sure on them at first, but after sitting them on for a while they are starting to grow on me.
First job is getting round to fitting the new playskool roll bar which I purchased back in December. This like every thing else on the car needed some work to get the bar to fit. First hurdle to get over was the fact that the lower plate where it bolts to the chassis do not quite line up. Now they are not far out but it still needed the holes slightly enlarging or dragging across with a grinder to get them to line up. once these had been sorted the next apparent problem was that the plates on the bottom of the bar slightly overlap the bushes welded to the chassis for where the harness eye bolts go, so once again out with the air tools and a light scallop was put in place to give me clearance for these. But the fun doesn't stop there...
Now i could get the roll bar bolted to the chassis the next issue came along.... The rear stays on the roll bar that go into the boot and bolt to the chassis are 20mm to short of lining up with the holes. (nothing is ever easy with this car) so a quick phone call to Luke a playskool confirmed that Westfield have 2 chassis jigs one of which is longer than what the roll bar was originally jigged from. Luke apologised but said they have come up with some exstentions that need to be either bolted or welded in once the old ends have been cut off. I have opted for the later option and weld these in properly.
Now I really like the shape and look of the roll bar but the only downside in my eyes is the fact that it has been powder coated, which is ok but nothing else on the car has a shiny appearance. So I had decided from the outset that I would have the bar repainted to match the satin black that goes with the rest of the car. So today I had the bar shot blasted and all the powder coat removed ready to be welded and be repainted. Luckily for me the company next door to where i work deal with specialist material coatings. So hopefully by tomorrow I will have a nice satin black roll bar to fit.
Another job that had to be taken care of was a new clutch slave cylinder, now for some reason whilst the car has been up on axle stands I noticed a small few drips on the floor. On closer inspection the seals in the cylinder had given up and started leaking. I wouldn't have minded but this was new when I rebuilt the engine and as it had been ordered over a year ago there was nothing the supplying company could do any more. So a new one was ordered and has been fitted but now just awaits bleeding.
Next job will be getting the doors dyed black, now I have managed to get hopefully a good quality black dye in a satin black, the out come might be interesting but worth a try.
I am also having a rethink about the carbon mods front mud guards, I wasn't sure on them at first, but after sitting them on for a while they are starting to grow on me.
Sunday, 12 December 2010
a little update
Well i haven't managed to get much on here for a few months, but the car finally passed the IVA test and within 2 weeks we finally had a registration number, so out onto the open road it went, in the 6 or so weeks the car was registered before it was sorned for the winter we managed to rack up about 1800 miles, and touch wood, every thing seemed to go very well.
the first few thousand miles have been pretty gentle on the car so far, mainly just making sure every thing settles in well, and that nothing has worked it way lose or wants to drop off.
ear plugs have become the must tho i have to admit whilst out in the car, as the exhaust is a little on the noisy side. during high revs it sounds good, but at steady cruising speed it becomes pretty droning and boomy. this may need some attention!
the car is currently tucked away for the winter period and due a few winter upgrades, which i will hopefully get on here as they get on the car, but apart from that a good clean is in order ready for plenty of use next year.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Sunday, 12 September 2010
What sundays are for......
well i have had it sat in the shed for 6 months, and i thought it was about time that now it has passed the IVA that i should fit the carbon dash, i knew this wasnt going to be an easy task but with the car going for inspection tomorrow it left me with one day to get it all done.
but i am pleased to say it was well worth the effort.
IVA done and dusted and DVLA
So my last post was a little short and sweet, but at long last i have passed the IVA, after rectifying my few little problems, phoned them up on tuesday after the bank holiday and was told i could bring the car in on the friday.
So friday comes round, and this time the car was driven up to the test station, i drove it up there, and dad drove it back. Now i have come to the conclusion that it is most definitely not a car to be driving if you don't want attention.
After a very conservative drive up the motorway we arrived in good time, and was only at the test station for 30min, after testing the emission this time it passed with flying colours, now running at 0.19% CO, instead of the 11% it was pumping out last time. so heading home with an IVA cert every thing was finally coming together.
So on the monday after the IVA, the paperwork for registration was taken to my local office, they took it in and told me they would be in contact, so on thursday a phone call came asking me to bring the car in for inspection on monday, and after this we should finally have a reg.... fingers crossed.
So friday comes round, and this time the car was driven up to the test station, i drove it up there, and dad drove it back. Now i have come to the conclusion that it is most definitely not a car to be driving if you don't want attention.
After a very conservative drive up the motorway we arrived in good time, and was only at the test station for 30min, after testing the emission this time it passed with flying colours, now running at 0.19% CO, instead of the 11% it was pumping out last time. so heading home with an IVA cert every thing was finally coming together.
So on the monday after the IVA, the paperwork for registration was taken to my local office, they took it in and told me they would be in contact, so on thursday a phone call came asking me to bring the car in for inspection on monday, and after this we should finally have a reg.... fingers crossed.
Friday, 3 September 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)