Freestyle GT Build

[jason_l]

Well while people where enjoying their extended weekend i was at work covering workshop duties again today. Luckily nothing really broke down and apart from sorting a few things out and a fire alarm going off and having to evacuate the building i was free to get on with the buggy.

Started by looking over the rear calipers i bought and it looks like they won't be any good. The part that the brake lines fix to is to near the driveshaft and the gaiter will foul on it and rip after a short use so going to have to change them for some golf mk2/3/4 calipers that have the fixings moved slightly. Hopefully already on the case with these

Anyway this sort of put a downer on the day as it means redoing parts i have already finished, or thought i had finished. I did however carry on with it and managed to get some bits done.

Got the horn fitted under the nosecone and started extending the wires to the acewell speed sensor located at the rear of the chassis and generally getting my head around the wiring. Going to take a little work to sort through this.

Then after a coffee break i thought i would look at the front indicators. I started off thinking that i would need to create some sort of bracket to fix them too and after a little play with some bits of steel etc i still wasn't happy with the way things where looking. So then i had a brainwave and thought why don't i just fix the indicaters directly to the headlights. Ok, sounds a bit crazy i know but im very happy with the outcome. Decided that the indicators would look great fixed to the side of the headlights and after a deep breath set to it.

Started by laser cutting a acrylic jig so i could get the same on both headlights and then dissmantled the headlights, one screw and they where apart......

fixed the jig in place and marked the holes to be drilled..........

Then it was time for the point of no return. Deep breath and got to it with a drill and needle file.......

The indicators i have are a very similar shape and style to the headlights but there was just one thing bugging me. The 'E' marking on them would be sideways if i fixed them at the side. So i took them apart as well.....

and just by shear luck i discovered that the internals could actually be rotated through 90 degrees and locked back into place. This meant that the marking would be the right way up. I know it doesn't matter really but it would have bugged me and im a bit of a perfectionist. So once rotated and put back together they looked like this.....

Then fitted the indicator to the headlights and after trimming the thread down a couple of mm all was good.....

Now i know at this point it looks like some sort of amputated mickey mouse head but once all back together will look loads better. Lens back on and ready to fit in place, look very neat if i do say so and almmost looks like they came like that as standard. Very happy with the outcome

Then the same procedure for the second unit and i ended up with it looking like this.......

I think they look great but please let me know what you guys think, obviously there is no changing them now as i have drilled them up though lol

Jason

 

[Phaeton]

Well, i seemed to have locked my other topic and i can't unlock it, not really too sure why? Maybe Danny or Alan know......

Been pretty busy but there are a few little updates.........

Started looking at starting the wiring, this may be easy for some people but wiring is not my strong point. However i am determind to do as much of the wiring myself with the exception of the engine side of things which was done by JDModified, although i know a little of it. I have a book on basic wiring for kitcars and it does have some very good circuit diagrams, although they are generic diagrams and some have needed changing to meet my needs it gives me a starting point. One thing that none of the books/manuals/diagrams seem to show is how to go from the large main battery size cable down to the smaller gauge stuff to run the lights, dash etc. The simple circuit diagrams don't show any of this so i had to make something up myself. After looking through the internet i found a couple of idea's but nothing seemed right and it just seemed a bit of a bodge. I looked at some connection blocks that go down to a slightly smaller gauge but it still wasn't ideal. Then i found some 'bus bars'. These are perfect and allow masive battery size wire to go right down to small bore stuff. I decided to buy 2 of these and have one connected directly to the battery to run all the permenentaly live circuits, such as fans, horn etc and then another one to run the switched circuits such as lights, dash, gauges etc They have lots of take offs which mean that there is room for expansion at a later date should i need to add more gauges etc. Plus it tidy's everything up as well.

You can see from the pictures that the main battery lead connects and then each smaller wire comes off the bus bar and goes through the fuse box and then to the relay box or elsewhere.

Started doing the wiring and have so far done the horn circuit (nice easy one to start with) wired up both fans independantly, most way through the brake light circuit and have started wiring up the speedo unit.

Then wednesday i had to go to get a few things sorted on my eunos but while i was over there i popped round the corner to the local scrappy and picked up some golf calipers for the rear. I already have some brand new rally design calipers for the rear but they are not really suitable as the fixing point for the brake lines foul on the driveshafts. Not a problem on a golf as they are front wheel drive but on the buggy its not going to work. I spent ages looking around the scrap yard and looked at the mk4 and mk2 gold calipers. I have been told the mk4 calipers should be ok but looking at the position for the takeoff it still looks like it will foul on the driveshaft gaiter so i just decided to go for the mk2 golf setup. Slightly different but the brake lines fit in a completely different position that will be so much more suitable and i won't have any issues with them fouling. They do have some wierd rubber bits on them that i may cut off as they looka bit strange. They need a good clean up but they are mechanically sound so once i have worked my magic they should be fine. Did you get the MK4 ones in the end Max?

The last picture shows the brake lines fit to the side of the calipers so won't foul on the driveshafts. yay.

and finally i bought a few more little parts, some 32-28mm reducer bends for the coolant pipes, hopefully one of my next jobs after the wiring when i get some time and a bung for the fuel regulator so i can start it up without the fuel pissing on the floor, not sure if its the correct thread but will see soon.

Im off work at the moment working on my house but in a week or so i go back and then i can carry on with sorting through the list of jobs. I do have the nosecone back in my garage with the aim of doing some more fibreglass work in the next week but i have so much to do on the house i doubt i will get time but its there now so when i get some free time i can just get it done.

The work continues....................

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Its that time again, another update......

Well the last few months have been manic! Work has been hectic and it just hasn't eased up at all, just feel destroyed. Then spent some time getting the Roadster cleaned and sorted for JAE which was awesome. Then unfortunately i had to sell the car to put some extra money into the house. Really didn't want to sell it but it was either that or sell the Buggy!!! So the mazda went, will miss it loads but had to be done really. Now have £2k change to put into the house.

Will miss it though, was an awesome car......

Picked up my new beast on monday evening, S reg Nissan Micra 1.0. It really doesn't compare to the 5 but is still fun to drive, its nice not giving a dam about the car and just drive it like i stole it. Just folded the rear seats down and im using it like a van and throwing all my building materials in the back. As its reduced my car running costs as well i now have more money to put into the house and the kitcar. and as its a bag of poop i don't need to keep cleaning it or looking after it i should have more free time as well.

Anyway thats slightly off topic, now for some pictures.......

Started looking at coolant lines. Decided to just go to the local scrap yard and pick up some 28mm hoses. After going through 3 honda civics i ended up with these....

Honda civic bottom hose's, they have some really good bends and are in not bad condition either, got all 3 for £5 which was a bargain i thought. Cut them up slightly and they look like they will work well to join the pipes at the front to the middle of the buggy.

placed roughly to check they will work, will need to drill some large holes through the frame and add some protective edge trim....

Then have been continuing with sorting through the wiring. Not been doing too much with this as ever time i get some free time i spend ages trying to work out where i had left it. Anyway i have done a little more, brake lights almost there, speedo 1/4 wired up and started cleaning it up more.

wiring.....

Bought some new mini gauges, only 37mm across the front, should look nice when i have them all bought and fitted. So far have voltage and water temp and will be adding oil temp, oil pressure and boost of course.

voltage gauge....

water temp gauge and seperate hose adaptor.....

and where they will be getting mounted......

and then i have been continuing with a little bit of fibreglassing. All the resin i had ended up going off so had to be binned but have bought some new good stuff and some gelcoat also. Got one of the old windows from the house and slapped a few coats of fibreglass over them. When its set it will basically peel off and give me a completely flat sheet that will be used to join onto the bottom of the front nosecone. I may add a sepearte splitter piece later but not sure yet.

Also have had some slightly bad news, i have to move the kitcar out of the work workshop. Space is getting really tight at the moment and i can't expect them to let me keep the car there. I have decided to do this before i am told to move it but to be honest it would only be a matter of time anyway. This means i have to try and find somewhere to store the car now and work is going to probably slow up on it, unless i can get it into my parents garage as then i can do more on it probably. To be honest im not happy at work at the moment so a change in jobs may be on the cards before long?!?!?

Driving around in the Micra is making me want to get it built even more now so maybe i will work more on it to get it done..........


Jason

 

[jason_l]

Well i haven't posted in a while but that doesn't mean i haven't been working away at it. Work has been pretty hectic as always but i have found time in between work and building my house to do some more on the Demon.

Been spending most of my time sorting through the wiring. Now im not really that good at automotive electrics so its been a bit of a learning curve. Especially creating something from scratch but i have been sorting through it bit by bit and throwing myself in at the deep end has meant i have learnt loads.

So far i have......

Horn circuit done
Both fans wired in
Reverse lights done
brake lights done
indicators done
Engine wiring almost done.
Speedo part way wired in (fuel gauge sorted, speedo sorted, sorting revs and it also illuminates as well)
currently working through main lights

Started it up on friday after finally getting the battery charged and fuel in the tank. Just hearing it start up makes it seem all that more closer, even though in reality im still a long way off.

After wiring up the indicators i had a little test and it seems that something wasn't quite right. No matter what way i indicate all lights seem to flash. I spent a little while trying to get to the bottom of it and finally found that the mini hazard switch was the culprit. I got the wiring diagram from CBS and it looks like their switch's work differently. Was planning on using the standard mini style switch's but rather than redoing all the wiring i have decided to buy some new toggle style switch's that will now replace all the mini ones. Hopefully should be here monday/tuesday this coming week and i can continue sorting through the wiring.

I have added 2 mini gauges in already and looking at the other gauges available i think im going to go for boost, oil pressure and oil temp. This will mean i will need to add a sandwich plate on the oil filter housing so i can have the gauge sensors mounted to it. I have a larger oil filter also that currently doesn't fit as it fouls on the frame so im thinking i will buy a oil filter relocation kit so i can move the oil filter to better location. Im planning on adding a oil cooler at a later date so this will help with that as well.

Have also found a little time to contine with cleaning up the nosecone piece. Started by taking it into work and getting the flat piece i made trimmed to the size of the bottom and generally sanded it down, good ol Micra means i can now just fold the seats down and use it like a Van.

Then it was taken back to my garage for the messy stuff to take place. Got the bottom piece bonded to the nosecone, was a little tricky with the shape of it but got it sorted in the end. Then started adding the Gelcoat, the main of it is now all covered, I still need to add some to the bottom of it but i have ran out so need to order some more. I need some for the rear cycle wings anyway so won't go to waste.

adding the Gelcoat.........

completely coated......

and once it was all dry, thrown back in the Micra ready to go back into work for sanding down.......

Looks a bit rough but after lots of sanding, filling, sanding etc will look nice and smooth

I have a few things to sort on the Micra this week, mainly lots of welding to try and get it through its MOT but i will be back on with it soon

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Well its been a manic week with work and getting ready for half term when work goes mental, what with all the kids visiting and smashing up the exhibits meaning more work for me! Probably won't get much done this coming week but will try my hardest to get somewhere with it.

Not really much of an update but always good to try and keep this regular and keep myself motivated to crack on. Been busy this week trying to get the micra ready for its MOT, one word RUST!!! and lots of it, but majority has now been welded/replaced and undersealed so fingers crossed it passes and i can get back to getting on with the Buggy.

Got a few more parts ordered this week, seem to order a few parts now on a regular basis. Posty says that it won't be long and he will have delivered ever part of it. After the issues with the indicators i ordered some new switch's for hazard, rear fog and lights. Decided to go for toggle switch's as they look different and go with the buggy well. Ordered them from CBS and have got a special one for hazards and lights. Also ordered some loom tape as well.

also ordered a dash sticker sheet so i can label all the switch's up properly so i know whats what, this was nice and cheap but has loads of stickers on it, alot i won't be using of course. bit hard to see in the photo....

Then laser cut a rough panel for the switch's and got them fitted loosely in place, the centre consol will be completly covered at a later date but this is just to see location of switch's more than anything...

and in place.....

I got a red cover for the hazards to make it stand out from the others and then got the stickers added to them....

Next job is to continue with the wiring of the switch's, lights, rear fog etc.

Also Paul from work continued with cleaning up the mk2 golf calipers, one done one to go....

i removed the VW logo and sanded the front part down smooth as well for a better look.

Then started getting a bit of paint onto it, has come along loads.....

Ordered a load more wire, relays and some loom wrap that should be here in the next few days. Also have a small sheet of abs on order to see what its like as a material for making the centre consol and panels from.

And thats pretty much been it for the moment, not much but at least its something i guess. Hopefully get the micra in for MOT this week and if all goes to plan i will be back on the buggy soon.

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Well, not really much of an update but it keeps me motivated and keeps everyone in the loop as to whats what.

Been continuing with the wiring and its going well, engine side of things are pretty much there, needs a clean up and wrapping but its starting to come together now. As im off this week i may go to the local scrappy and pick up a few parts like clips, grommits etc that i need for a few jobs.

Bought a component box to house the ecu and wiring block to help keep them away from the elements. Just need some large sized grommits to get the ecu clips through. Has a waterproof seal round the lid as well that should help.

Also bought a set of laser cut steel tabs from ebay, using these to weld to the frame for things like engine cover, wheelie bar etc

Also while we where sorting out a load of scrap stainless that got sold off at work i managed to salvage a small stainless box, even has lock and waterproof seal around the lid. It has a few holes in it but these will be sealed and the plan is to use it as a lockabke storage box that will be fitted somewhere in the buggy. Probably go at the back next to the fuel cell i think.

Apart from that i have just been doing the odd bit here and there, nothing much but a lot of planning and working parts out. Have the nosecone back in the garage to look at adding more fibreglass to the inside to strengthen it up, hopefully get it done sometime this week with any luck.

And just for reference here are a few more up to date pictures, looking at the rear of the buggy i think i will add another structual bar to the rear quarter so i can add a side panel and covr the sides of the engine a little. Going to just tack weld alot of the brackets and parts on now and then look at welding them in for good when it gets stripped down later on.

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Right then, update time i guess.

Now where do i start with this one! Have done a little more but has been hard frustrating work and have been so close to just packing it in and walking away at one point.

So i was off work all last week, i have built up so much lieu time over the year that i have lots of time off now. So i take a week off work and spend it working on the house, got a bit done but would have liked to do more. Then Thursday last week i get a phone call saying that all the other technicians are on holiday on the Friday and there is nobody in the workshop. They wanted me to go in to cover, after a quick chat i decided to go in but spend the day working on the kitcar and only be there if the brown stuff hits the fan. Was a big mistake to be honest, everyone was told only to bother me if URGENT and i had people in and out all day with stupid requests. Needless to say i got hardly anything done. The only real thing i did get done was fit one rear caliper and get the brake lines measured up.

Started by trying to fit the brake pads to the caliper, needed a rewind tool as the piston was too far out, bought that then attempted to fit the caliper and it doesn't fit! The hand brake mechanism actually fouls on one of the rear tie arms, was not a happy bunny. So i tried fitting the caliper on the other side of the car and it won't work either. At this point i was getting more frustrated! Then compared the handbrake mech from the mk4 calipers and the difference is clear......

MK4 is the bottom one and mk2 is the top one.

So i fitted the mk4 mech to the mk2 caliper and everything is spot on and looks like it will work well. Still would prefer to use the mk4 caliper and i think eventually i will be going back to the mk4's. I have taken parts off them now and they are not worth much if i sell them so going to keep them and sort them out later. Think i will get take off point for the brake lines moved and remachined in a better location so they are useable, plus they are a third of the weight of the mk2 versions.

So that was my day Friday, went home really frustrated and Sarah could tell i was pissed off. Then late morning Saturday Sarah got called into work so i thought now is my chance to make me feel better. Went in to work and just got on with it without any distractions. Got the rear number plate lights, rear lights, dipped beam, sidelights and main beam all wired in. Went home that day feeling so much better than the day before Wiring is getting more of a mess but will be fine when wrapped and cleaned up later.....

Monday i got on the phone to Russ at Furore Products. He was so helpfull and i can't rate him highly enough. Got the rear brake lines and 2 of the front inside chassis lines ordered up from him in lime green of course. Im still unsure if i should do all the brake lines in braided or switch to copper?!?!? Then a day later these arrived at work......

and at lunch i got the front chassis lines and the rear fitted to the buggy, length is spot on and i just need some chassis clips to hold them in place. I haven't fitted the other side yet as i still have the other caliper to clean up and paint first.

Also got the headlight wiring cleaned up, they look a mess so made sense to get them wrapped and cleaned up. This is what will happen to the rest of the wiring loom when its finished.....

Im now in and out of work all over Chrsitmas so i may get a few more little bits sorted here and there if im lucky. I need to go by a scrap yard at some point for a few parts and if im lucky i may get a few bits for Christmas.

So do i do the rest of the brake lines in stainless braided hose or do i switch to copper? I reckon im looking at about £100 for the braided lines. Whats the benefit if i do all braided?

Sorry for the HUGE essay this time.......

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Hi All,

Time for some pictures i guess.

Well been all over the place over Christmas and working on a few projects here and there but got a few hours put in on the buggy. Thought its about time i get it to a moving state so have started looking at the brake lines and coolant routing.

First thing was to get a brake bias valve so i can install this when i sort the brake lines. This will be mounted in the centre tunnel behind the passengers seat, out of the way. I specifically bought it as it stated it was 3/8 fittment so would keep everything the same but it turns out its m10, not a huge problem but bit of a bugger.

Also got the other caliper cleaned up and have begun painting it up.

Just waiting till i can get over to my mates house now so i can borrow his brake pipe tools so i can get the brake lines bent up. Going to go for copper for the remaining lines i think, might upgrade to braided after iva but probably won't bother....

Then it was on with routing some coolant lines. I want to make sure that there are no joins inside the main cabin area in case a hose splits or leaks as its going to get messy. Been looking at using 28mm copper pipe and simply soldering the joins so everything is solid within the cabin area. Now i originally thought i was going to have to remove the engine to get the pipes in the cabin but if i jack the rear up i can just about get them in. Started running the hoses from the engine and down into the rear section and im happy with the results. I have started running the copper pipes down the middle and im just waiting on a new blow torch so i can solder the joins.

started routing from engine.....

pipes down to centre section, the copper pipes will be covered with high temp sleeving so you won't see the copper at all.

side view....

and down the middle......

Got some hylomar on the thermohousing after a good clean and its now bolted up to the engine with a new thermostat in place.

Also while working on the engine area i went off on a slight tangent and decided to knock up a heat shield for the manifold area. Plan is to make another one to defelct some heat from the coolant pipes as well. This was made from a side panel from a 2008 Honda F1 car. Bought a pair of these a while ago and have been thinking what i can use them for and it worked out pretty well. I have a few carbon F1 parts lying about that im going to use here and there.

Firstly got it trimmed down to shape.....

added some expensive heat shield material to the underside....

and then fitted in place....looks rather good if i do say so.

Now im just waiting on a few more connections and the blow torch and i can hopefully find the time to finish off the coolant pipes and be a tiny bit closer.

I have also been working on the nosecone and have re-enforced the inside and started sanding it down but its going to take ages before its done.

Work continues!

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Well not really a big update but an update none the less!

Last weekend me and Sarah went up to Autosport International and had a fantastic time, so much stuff on show and some amazing cars. Always good to look around these sort of shows as it always gives me idea's for parts and ways of doing things.

Also while i was there i picked up some parts. Got all the brake unions i need (all in brass not the cheaper alloy ones) and a new roll of copper brake line as the stuff i have has seen better days. Also got a few fuel washers and other random bits.

I also managed to pick up a few more random carbon fibre Formula 1 parts. There was a guy selling all sorts of Formula 1 stuff and he had some good stuff. I had to really stop myself from buying one of the wheels. I don't need it for anything but i just want one! Anyway i got a few more little parts. These are good to cut up and use as small mounting brackets and as they are carbon they are mega light.

Been looking at continuing with the brake lines and coolant pipes and i have started to solder the coolant pipes together.

Had a little test to see if the brake line clips fix ok to ABS plastic sheet and they seem to fix ok and are pretty secure.

Think im going to run the brake lines along the top of the drivers side frame bar. I wanted to run them down the middle but its going to get tight with the coolant lines down the middle and is easier to look for another route. They will then be covered with a plastic tube along each side that will hide the wiring, brake lines etc. I had a go with taking a template for the front brake line but it didn't go to plan. Bit of a nightmare, i may have to remove the wiring loom and front panel so i can get better access as its a bit restrictive. Will have another go at some point, when i find time.

I also added a small piece of fibreglass along the top of the nosecone piece. Looks ok and it means the wiring is now a little more protected, just need to spend AGES sanding the nosecone now and getting it all smooth and then look at fixing it to the car.

Been dying to do more this week but its just been manic at work and i haven't wanted to stay late either. Im not really sure what to do with the buggy now. The workshop is getting very tight for space and im getting little done on my lunch breaks. I spend more time faffing about moving stuff and working out where to start than actually working on it so im considering moving the thing back to my parents house. Problem with that is i need to clean out the garage as its messy as anything and also im not sure how happy my brother is going to be with me as his jetski is in the garage as well and i know he won't be keen to share the space. My thoughts are that i will get more done with it at home as i can crack on in the evenings and if i need to take parts to work i can take individual parts in when i need to. Although it may be better leaving it at work, i just don't know?!?!?

This snow is stopping me do anything on it now but not really much i can do about that, but i will crack on as usual when i can.

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Another manic week at work, however i have stayed late a few nights so there is an update.

Decided this week to crack on with the brake lines. After getting the new brake line and fittings at Autosport International and finding the time to get to my mates house to collect the brake falring tool and bender i had a few tests and got to it. This is the first time i have done brake lines with copper so was a bit slow at first but soon got the hang of it and now have some very nice brake lines sorted.

Decided to start with the front lines first as these where quite straight forward, First thing to do was get the wiring front panel, suspension, radiator and fan removed. Everything seems to be in the way now so always takes longer than it should.

I decided to use the old copper pipe i had from way back as a template and bent them up by hand to a rough shape and use the new stuff to make the proper lines. This seemed the most logical way to do it and actually apart from a few little tweeks here and there has resulted in some very good brake lines.

roughly bent the front lines to shape.....

Then following this as a guide i transfered it to the new copper lines, added the fittings and flared the end....

and the new line next to the template version....

and fitted to the buggy......

Then was time to start the rear lines. Decided to mount the brake bias valve behind the drivers seat. Its still accessible from the seat but is out of the way enough that it can't accidentally be changed. Will eventually box it in i think to make it look alot neater.

was just clamped in place for the moment but i will weld the bracket on later when i strip the frame back down for powdercoating.

Decided to run the rear brake lines along the drivers side chassis rail rather than down the middle of the buggy. The coolant lines take up most of the room down the middle so was best running them another way. Looks like its in the way but all will be explained later.

So firstly made a rough template again, this time alot longer than the fronts....

Then made the proper line....

all held in place with automec brake pipe clips....

and then from the bias valve to the T piece....

and then each side on the rear. Bit fiddly doing the lines from the T piece to the rear calipers but got there in the end.

The lines are set slightly in from the edge of the rear compartment as im adding some large air ducts to the side so the brake lines will be sectioned off from this later. Very happy with the brake lines though and now all i have to do is finish off painting the rear caliper on the left and put that on and once bled i have brakes

 

[jason_l]

Then started looking at covering the brake lines and wiring along the chassis rail. I know some people have had problems with radius edges along the top of the chassis as well so made sense to house it all in. So went to screwfix and got a 3m length of abs waste pipe. Cut a small section out to allow it to fit over the chassis rail and did a little test to see how it will work. Looks good i think....

So then went for the full length. I used a Japanese pull saw and it was actually very easy and the results are spot on. After a quick scrape along the cut edge its actually finished really well.
So started by masking up the section i want to cut out.....

Then literally just carefully followed the line and removed the small section with the saw....

and the other one.....

I have shaped the ends so they run the full length of the chassis rails and the fit is very good. Still need to make some small end caps but its getting there. Its amazing how a small part can clean up the look of the buggy so much.

Will keep all the wiring protected and will actually hide the fixings along the frame when i add the sides. Im thinking im going to make the sides from ABS plastic as its alot cheaper than carbon fibre and its going to be plastered with vinyl anyway so doesn't really matter.

I only have a small piece of ABS but you get the idea of how it will go....

I then also removed a small section at the front to allow the nosecone to slot into it. Thinking i can hide the fixings for the nosecone under the tube as well.

Paul (Legend) from work has also helped a bit this week to sand the nosecone down some more and we couldn't resist seeing what the green looks like that the body parts will be sprayed in.

Still a long way to go on the nosecone but its a start.

Well as you can see its been a busy week, hopefully going to try and continue at this pace as its houldn't be long and after cleaning up the wiring a little, adding the driveshafts and sorting the coolant lines i won' t be far off of a few video'sof it driving around the carpark at work

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Well its time for another update.

Really been cracking on with it now as its really starting to come together and the thought of driving it around the carpark at work is getting very close. Not going to give it death on its first drive but just check brakes, oil etc and just make sure everything works as it should.

As the weather has been sort of hit or miss this week I have had limited jobs I could do on the house so I have had a few days of work on the buggy. My main job this week was to try and get the coolant lines as complete as possible…..

Started by removing the front radiator and drilling 2 large holes in the front chassis roughly where the coolant lines will be going. Used a 43mm hole saw to start with…..

Then filled out to match and added some trim. Later had to go back and open it up some more as the hoses are at a funny angle but it will work.

Im going to add some extra bracing here later as the frame will have weakened from the large cutout and having the hubs near it I don’t want it twisting.

Then using the 2 civic top radiator hoses I have I roughly marked the location for the holes on the bottom of the main cabin and again with the 43mm hole cutter made some holes….

Which meant the hoses fitted like this….

Front…..

In between chassis….

And inside the cabin….

Also while I was drilling the holes it meant I could see roughly what it will look like when I pull away at the lights and the thing launches into the air. Haha

You can see how the coolant lines will go and means they are mainly housed in and not left open to the elements or running under the buggy as I don’t want them getting damaged by speeding bumps etc.

Then refitted the radiator and continued with the front joins. Fitted a takeoff adaptor near the radiator, its perfectly located to run a short cable straight to the dash for the water temp gauge…

Refitted radiator..

Added the front hoses…

You can see that space is tight here but this has since been open up slightly and is a better fit and shape.

 

[jason_l]

Then continued with running the coolant lines down the inside of the buggy. Have finished soldering the copper pipes. Im still in 2 minds if I should use them or get them remade in alloy. Im sure copper will be fine but a part of me won’t be happy until they are remade in alloy. I guess I could send off the copper lines and get someone to remake them in alloy using the existing ones as templates, or am I going to be fine with the copper lines? What do people think?

Anyway, got some 28mm pipe clips to hold the pipes in place and after a little test it was clear I was going to need a spacer to lift them up slightly. Laser cut some 10mm white acrylic spacers and then cut out some rubber spacers as well, these will help with vibration and also spaces it up the correct amount.

So got the buggy jacked up, holes drilled and the clips all fitted in place…

Then after smashing my knuckles up a lot I got the copper pipes in…

And added the silicone hose to join the 2 parts together…

Its very close to the battery and also the clutch pedal but as long as the cover I make is very low down I don’t think it will effect the clutch and my foot..

I also had some heat protective covering arrive from Merlin Motorsport. I ordered the 50mm stuff as I thought it would be like heatshrink and be measured in its flat form but its not so its huge, however its still useable. Plan is to wrap the coolant lines to prevent heat transfer.
Slightly too big….

But can be wrapped up nicely…

Did consider sticking both coolant lines in one covering but I want to ideally keep the two lines separate as one will be, or should, be cooler than the other.

I’m close to finishing off the coolant lines, I’m just waiting on a load of clips, connectors etc to finish it all off and then add the coolant.


As you can see I have put a few hours in this week and plan is to do as much as I can over the next few weeks. Its coming up to half term so its going to be mental at work and we are down 1 man for the next few weeks but will try and get a few more updates soon. Its very close now to a test drive, just need to fit driveshafts and connect everything up and then add fluids and its on!

Already working on the next update as we speak, postman ain’t going to be happy with me with all these parts on the way.

As always comments very welcome.

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Right well I guess its time for another update then.

Really been putting in the hours this week, its half term next week and work will go crazy but I have managed to do a few late nights and some extended lunch breaks to get more done. Plan is to try and have it driving around the carpark on Thursday morning, its my 30th birthday so its sort of like a present to myself. Not sure if it will happen as I have a mountain of jobs to do before it can drive.

So first things first I got the exhaust removed so I could gain access to the clutch slave cylinder. The bleed nipple is very close to the exhaust so had to remove it and I managed to get another slightly shorter one bought. I still need to remove the exhaust to bleed the system but its not like it’s a huge system and only takes like 10 minutes to get the exhaust off.

Got the clutch line all bled up with my new easy bleed kit and I have to say its so easy to use and can be done with one person. Now I have a full working clutch.

Then I got the coolant system all put together, im still waiting on another 10 stainless jubilee clips but the coolant system is all now done and when the clips arrive I can get them installed and add the coolant.

Parts delivered….

The front left side brake line is very close to the coolant pipe but its not a problem and I reckon I can twist the brake clip slightly to give a little more room.

Then checked the fuel lines going into the fuel regulator, there is a small leak coming from one of the joins, not sure which one but added new seals to them all and some ptfe tape to be sure. Still don’t know if I have resolved the leak but fingers crossed.

Then looked at one of the larger jobs on the list, driveshafts! Had these made up a while ago now and have been meaning to at least get them test fitted to make sure they are the right length but never got round to it. Finally got them in and can say they are perfect. Was a complete workup to get them in and then I forgot a clip on one of them so had to redo it but they are now in. Just have to rebuild one of the hubs when I get in tomorrow.

All the parts awaiting fitment….

One put together…..

And the left side in…..

Right side put together….

Then the right side in, just need to put it all back together again…….

Plan is to hopefully stay late a few nights this week to get it ready to drive on Thursday but I really don’t know if I will get time. The list is quite big, rebuild hub, bleed brakes, refit exhaust, fit actuator, re-do some wiring, fit seats and harness, add coolant clips and coolant, fit handbrake cable are just some of the things I have on the list still to do.

With any luck I will be updating the thread with good news on Friday and maybe even a video or two. Fingers crossed!

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Sorry i didn't update this sooner but i got side tracked yesterday with the help of a bottle of Rum! But now the rum is all gone so its time to update this, although just typing this is giving me a headache (huge hangover!!!!)

This week has been hectic, ended up staying late monday, tuesday and wednesday in the vain attempt to get the buggy ready to drive on Thursday morning and it was looking like a no go!

Everything was going great until i started filling it with coolant at 8:30pm Tuesday evening and it was gushing out the back of the engine. At first i thought it was a hose that wasn't connected properly but after removing the inlet manifold it was clear that i had a NA inlet gasket fitted and one of the water channels that should be blocked on the race tech manifold was not sealed.
Water way can be seen here.....

There was no way i was going to get a new gasket before thursday so at the moment the inlet is sealed with hylomar but a new gasket is on order and is on its way from Japan as we speak.
After a few more problems, including the fact i can't get the rear brakes to bleed i left work very late Tuesday evening with the thought that it just wouldn't get done for Thursday!!!!!

Then after a early start wednesday and a late finish all had changed, or so i thought! We rolled the buggy out of the workshop and tried to start it up. Not good news, sounded like this......



Was revving up without me touching the throttle, we tried franticly to fix it but ran out of light, so it was rolled back into the workshop.

Then came Thursday and after my alarm clock went off i thought about going in early to try and fix the problem or just admitting defeat. Decided to go in early and try in a vain attempt to get it fixed. To be honest i thought it was pointless as it just wasn't going to happen. However after fiddling about with the throttle cable a little and the TPS i tried one last time to start it and it and i couldn't believe it! IT WAS ALIVE!!!!!

Happy can not even describe how i felt, really wanted to get it working for my 30th birthday and i had finally done it, so again it was wheeled out and started it up, sounds a little better now....


Took a few pictures of it outside, always looks so much better when its outside the workshop and on the road....

And then a little drive, nothing too fast as it was the first time its ever moved around and just wanted to check everything works. Plus i only have front brakes so can't really go too crazy.


Looks so mean with the staggered fittment of the wheels and im actually really happy the back got widened now
There is a knock coming from somewhere, its not engine related as if its out of gear and i rev it then its fine! Might be clunky cv or something but im not too fussed as i will get to the bottom of it. Its also leaking slightly on the clutch master cylinder, has a small coolant leak on the back of the water pump and there is alot of oil leaking out the side of the cambelt cover but again these will be resolved when the engine comes out and the frame goes to the powder coaters.
and a little inside footage, sounds like the devil's tractor....



This just made my birthday! Finally i feel like im getting somewhere, i know its only a little closer but it just feels more real now. After nearly 6 years of building it finally its been driven

Girlfriend is taking me away for the weekend now just for a break but i will be back on with it next week.

Any comments welcome

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Well it’s been a few weeks without an update so I think its about that time. As usual work has been mental, it never seems to ease up to be honest but its just getting more and more crazy.

Anyway since running the buggy a few weeks back a few problems where clear. Have a oil leak which I believe is the oil pump, not a huge problem as when I take the engine out later I will sort it out then. Can be seen here….

One of the copper coolant lines also needs re soldering as there is a small leak on one of the joins and I still have to get to the bottom of why the rear brakes won’t bleed. I just need to find time to get on with a few bits.

Despite the lack of time I have been working on a few parts on and off now and then.

Firstly I have made some weld on tabs that will be added along the frame to fix the ABS side panels on. Rather than drilling into the frame I have decided to keep the frame free from holes and add brackets on that will secure the bodywork in place. Got down to homebase and bought some steel brackets that where then modified, way cheaper than going the laser cutter route.

Started off like this…

Sanded down, drilled out holes…..

Then cut up into individual brackets, nice and light as well……

Still need to order up some ABS sheet but I want to hold off until the brackets are on the buggy and I have some card templates made up also.

 

[jason_l]

The other job I have been looking at is the induction pipework. I have the air filter already mounted on its own bracket but have held off on making the pipework for it as I was still unsure about what turbo I will be running. Recently decided I should just keep with the little original CT9 turbo. Its only small but am I really going to need more power? Spools up well and replacements are nice and cheap so why change it.
With this finally decided I could make the induction pipework up. The turbo inlet size is only a measly 41mm and the K&N filter I have has a 89mm size hole in it. So its clear I was going to need some reducers to get this to work. Firstly I looked at the filter side of things, got a alloy single piece reducer from ebay which was a 65-45mm reducer. Then made up a nylon ring to fix it to the filter….

And all put together and trimmed down….

Then I needed to look at the turbo side of things. The air filter is lined up perfectly with the turbo so its just a straight line to join the two together, that is of course if the oil filter wasn’t placed in the way! Now I could get a relocation kit for the oil filter and I still might do this but it doesn’t give any more room as the oil filter bracket is still in the way. So I needed to create pipework that goes up and over the filter. I could have done this with silicone joins but this gets expensive and looks a bit bodge job. So I planned on doing it with stainless mandrel bends.
Firstly got a lime green reducer 90 degree bend, this fixes directly to the turbo and bends up away from the oil filter and steps the size up to the 45mm size that is on the filter.

These pictures show the oil filter smack bang in the way and what route the pipework needs to take…

So then done a deal for 3x 45mm stainless steel tubes with nice tight radius bends….

And then a lot of cutting, sanding and fettling I was left with this…

Cut a small section of the silicone bend down to use as a joiner on the filter side and got it test fitted…..

Then the pipework was sent off to a complete legend, our very own Steve. Wasn’t expecting a quick turn around and to be honest I wasn’t in a rush but he got it welded up and back to me very quickly indeed. When it arrived it looked like this….

Very happy with it and Steve insisted that I should polish it up. Wasn’t really too fussed as its mostly out of the way but thought I would give it a go anyway.
Got to work with a wire wheel and some scotch bright and a little after it looked like this….

More than happy with how it came out but thought I should give it a go with the bench polisher we have in the machine shop and the results speak for themselves….

And fitted in place…..

Steve’s welding is great and its nice to have some of his work on the buggy.

That’s pretty much it for now, although im already starting on the next update. Have got some stainless flat bar that im going to use to add some strength to the arch’s as they rub against the tyres when they bounce up and down when driving along and hopefully get the welder at work fixed so I can start welding the brackets and a few more bars onto the frame so I can build the bodywork.

Another update soon people.

Jason

 

[jason_l]

Flippin heck i haven't updated this in nearly 2 years!!!!

I have had to put this on hold for a while as building my own house takes up all my spare time, in between working full time and all my other projects i am working through on the side. I also had a bit of a accident while working on the house and fell 9ft onto my head and shoulder which resulted in my fracturing my spine and being signed off work for 4 weeks. Lucky i didn't kill or paralyse myself but im almost back to health, apart from a bit of pain in my left arm and neck. Just need to take it easy for a few months.

Anyway..... After having to move the buggy home as i lost the space available at work it sat at home under a tarp on my trailer for ages. Was literally just rusting away as the weather was taking its toll on it. Did give it a bit of rust treatment here and there to help slow the rust down but it was getting bad. Then one weekend i stopped in to see a mate in Basingstoke (who has been helping me build it) and he was horrified to hear that it was being kept outside. He kindly offered to store it in his workshop until i found the time to continue working on it. The Brian James trailer i had was not really being used and spent most of its time just getting in the way so the decision was taken to sell it. Sold in less than 18 hours for pretty much the full asking price.

Recently work has started up a little on the buggy. I'm only spending the odd day here and there working on it but its moving forward. After having a long talk about what should be the next area to concentrate on we decided to move on with it. There are issues with brakes, wiring, driveshafts, engine, coolant pipes etc. However these are all small issues and rather than spend the time working to resolve these issues only to have to dissmantle the thing ready for powdercoat we decided to work on these when the thing is in its final build stage. So with that in mind i have decided to concentrate on the chassis. The idea is to now finish ever little bit of welding to the frame and clean it up ready for powdercoat. There are brackets that need adding for alot of things, nosecone, engine cover, panels, oil cooler. However once all of these are done the chassis should be pretty much done and shouldn't need anything else added. If i do need to add anything i can fabricate brackets that will come off of existing mounting points.

So I moved the buggy to a corner of the workshop and started to remove parts and box them up. After 2 days hard graft and a lot of head scracthing the buggy went from this....



To this.......



Managed to get everything but the brake callipers, driveshafts and engine out. Plan is to fabricate up a load of brackets and spend a day or so welding everything onto the chassis and cleaning it all up. Then finish taking everything else off the frame and its off to powdercoat. When its back the final build can begin. I still have to work out how im doing certain things but this can all be done when i start putting it back together. The frame is going to go black, so its easy enough to touch up should i chip it. Im still unsure of the colour for the bodywork etc. Was originally thinking a bright green but some people reckon i should do everything black and keep it looking stealth. Part of my agree's with this but it ain't exactly subtle anyway so maybe bright green would be better. I also don't really think the nosecone works so i will be changing it for a more boxy version to match the frame but i can do that later when its all road legal. Good job for a winter when im not using it..........as much

Hopefully look at getting the welding done within the next few month's so there should be another update soon

As always, if anyone has any input then let me know as it all helps

Jason

 

[jason_l]

So Monday and tuesday i spent the day stripping down the rest of the frame and getting the engine removed. Didn't take too long as most of the work was already done. I got the brackets welded for the frame for the oil cooler also, plan is to leave this off for the moment and add it at a later date with a side duct that brings in air to it. Its sort of behind the driver at the rear (right near the oil filter) but will be boxed in when finally added.



Continued to strip everything off the chassis and now i am just left with the frame itself. I still have some welding and cleaning up to do before it goes to powdercoat but its getting to be a bit of a mission removing the old powdercaot to sort the welding. Been thinking about getting the whole thing shotblasted and then looking at the welding but it seems quite expensive to get it all blasted. Anyway this is how it currently looks..........





As you can see it is now just down to the chassis with nothing else left on it. Really hope it goes back together easy. The plan is to do the chassis a satin black colour then all the wishbones/hubs etc will be lime green. Still in 2 minds if i should do the wheels grren or leave them silver in colour???


Im off on holiday for a few weeks but when i get back the plan is to crack on with this in between all the other jobs i have.


Jason