Counts Firecat

[HolyCount]

At the request of some, despite it not being a buggy, here follows the exploits of restoring a sorry example of an Onxy Firecat.

After getting the beastie home and pondering, I have decided the best option is a full rebuild. Time and funds being limited, and the wish to end up with a nice example, means this will be a long term project. Luckily it has been registered as a Firecat, so I have no IVA pain to worry about and can fill the cockpit with all sorts of sharp edges!

Well -- the Firecat arrived from deepest South Wales, courtesy of T. Jones Haulage (who gave excellent service and I would recommend to anyone who wants a car -- kit or otherwise -- transported anywhere).

She needs a good clean before I start anything, just to see what we have really got!

Unfortunately, someone has let off a paint bomb under the bonnet -- this will be a pain to remove!:

 

[HolyCount]

Well. Over the last couple of days I have been doing a little digging around and made some useful contacts.

Hopefully I have a build manual en route -- then I can see how the Firecat was put together!

The original Firecat project was sold a while back to RPM Sportscars, who did some work to upgrade the kit to accept Punto mechanicals. Unfortunately, for health reasons, they are now selling again. So we await details of the new owners .....

The side windows in ..... I am going to have to give her a name ... I know she's not green and the frog was a boy -- but with the registration letters of KMT -- she has to be "Kermit" !! So ...

The side windows in Kermit, including the quarterlights, are perspex, which, although light, are over prone to being scratched and (as has already happened to the quarterlights) discoloured. So the search is on to find glass. I am told that the original makers of the windows for the Onyx were Pilkington and have contacted them ( with little hope) to see if there are any old windows hanging around or at least a pattern. I am not confident that the perspex items I have are exactly the corrrect shape being somewhat convoluted!

I have also accessed the last MOT details from VOSA:

The engine / gearbox mounts are defective, as well as there being play in the nearside front Macpherson strut and nearside rear wheel bearing. Front shock has a misting of oil and, the exhaust is a bit hit and miss!

Additionally, the loom has been botched with during it;s 22 years, so I think I will replace it with a Rapidfit Modular Loom. I also have to replace the receiver on the door openers ( no handles by design). At the moment I can only open the door by leanimg in and pressing the button on the transmission tunnel -- the passenger has to take pot luck as to whether their button works or not!  Leaning in isn't an ordeal at the moment -- but will prove troublesome when there is a top ( of hard or soft variety)!

On the subject of which I have found a very helpful guy who sold Firecats for a while and who might have a frame for me to get trimmed to make a soft top ..... fingers crossed.

I have also written to the last two owners before the guy who sold Kermit to me to see if they have anything to add to the scant history I have now .... more fingers crossed!!

 

[HolyCount]

You can see that blue gets everywhere:

Dash at present --- will probably keep that and extent the walnut down towards the transmission tunnel (unless I put heater controls and vents down there:

The poor old hard top -- apparently rare. I did get in touch with the guy who has the moulds at the moment -- but he declined to help!!!!

 

[HolyCount]

Just had an email from Pilkington -- "no go" -- as I suspected it would be  :-\

However, I have been given the name of a local manufacturer who is sure to be able to help. However, I will wait awhile -- having loose glass around while I take bits off will be asking for trouble  :

 

[HolyCount]

October 17th .... Homemade exhaust and ... more blue !!:

 

[HolyCount]

Still not got around to doing any actual work !!!  But have been researching the blue paint dilema and have come up with soda blasting !

http://www.soda-blast.co.uk/

They wanted £250 - £300 plus the dreaded just to do the engine. So I thought "what the hell" and went to get a 40kg soda blaster from Frosts @ £245 plus carrriage --- out of stock and unable to say when they would be getting more 

So ... am awaiting the arrival of this:

Only holds 10lb of soda but cost £105 including shipping from the States ( might get away without customs duty -- have done in the past -- but it's a bit of a lottery!).

Will let you know how I get on, once it arrives.

 

[HolyCount]

Just thought I would sign this topic off  ---- might even delete it shortly as irrelevant  :

Sold the Firecat, in largely the same condition I bought it, to a local group for "disadvantaged" young adults. They tidied it up a bit, and then sold it on (I think they lost their local authority funding).

Anyways, at the time I sold it there was a distinct possibility of me moving and losing my garage space --- that never happened and the garage has remained empty ever since!!!

After a lot of mind churning -- and to-ing and fro-ing (all things I am better at than direct action) I finally decided to get on with a trike project that has been sat in the back of my mind for nigh on 10 years!  I dug out some old tech drawings for a mini powered trike, like this:

However, I wasn't totally happy with it, very Servi-car, but set about finding someone with the wherewithall to build the frame from the drawings (after all I could tweak it later!!!). In my searches I renewed acquaintance with a guy who has built 30 plus trikes over the years and he agreed to build mine, or, at least the frame. The "servicar" has been thrown out and I am trying to design from scratch, with prompts from him as required. He is a qualified engineer and knows his stuff, so the geometry and dimensions will be his department.

Anyways ..... that is all "Trike" not "Buggy" stuff .......So the Firecat Project is no more.

The End