The track 'life' build has started.......

[dabsy]

Ok,

It started last December 05 with me buying just a bog standard 1 litre life off my cousin. Was in his family since new, and nothing was modded apart from the stereo. The pic below is a recent one after I fitted the GSI rims

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1038.jpg

I only bought it to drive to and from work...... but 4 months later the offer of a 'ring trip' was laid on the table, i'd not been before, and the Integrale was never gonna make it by May 06. So my mate at work who was preping 4 or so cars with his mates in time for the ring trip made the offer.........

A mates Corsa XE 2 litre was being modded to a newly built XE with SBD TB's. So I purchased the complete engine including everything to make it run, this included Group N chip, filter, also an F20, BTB 4-1 large bore manifold, 2 1/2" s/s single box system. He'd had it rolling roaded at 172bhp and I got it at a very good price. He also found me the GSI rims and a set of Koni sports. All I had to do was sort out the, engine mounts driveshafts, brakes and a few other ancillary items and take the car to him to let them pull it apart and rebuild it. Superb

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1040.jpg
As you can see, apart from the gsi rims, it looks fairly boggo, I even had then chop off the 5" slash cut tip that came with the exhaust and wled on a nice plain 2 1/2" peco tip to reduce the volume and make it look a little less boy racersish.

The journey down

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/IMG_0208.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/IMG_0207.jpg
I really want to thank you for all the hard work you put in on the motor Robbo...now bend over and get some of my fluidlol
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/IMG_0204.jpg

That's mine in the middlelol after another track slaying, it was absolutely superb to drive considering it was completed on the morning of the journey down to dover. The first time I drove it was 5:30am before travelling down there. Cheers Robbo and lads for all the hard work.
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN0647.jpg
The problem I had when at the ring was I had a front wheel bearing start to go about 300 mles from Nurnberg, and the convoy was at a snails pace by the time we got there. Fortunately Mr Rowntree was with us and sorted the bearing at his local friendly garage where he kept his Nova:thumb:which allowed us to do a bit of this......... Carl, Tony, and me....
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/Karlandco.jpg

More to come on the stripping down now that it's off the road, and a list and some pics of what I have already got to fit.

Dave.

[Martin]

Nice one dude.. looks good

[corsakid]

looks ace love the wheels a proper wolf in sheeps clothing

[dabsy]

Update.
Lurvley interior started out like this
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1043.jpg
paused for a quick pic...to this
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1079.jpg
finally the easy strip is almost complete
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1136.jpg
time to assess the rust status...not too good
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1138.jpg
not nice, but an easy repair
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1137.jpg
Don't advise taking off the floor sound deadening material without a heat gun. Takes forever, mine was at me mums 50 miles away...doh!
Good news on the boot floor though :>)
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1086.jpg
found this visable from inside where the outer quarter meets the inner arch. Argh!! That'll need sorting...if I can be ****d with the exterior look
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1089.jpg
Took the weight loss campaign a little too serious on this one! Chased the heater control wiring into the engine bay and stripped it all out, must have saved at least 1/4 of an ounce!!!
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1133.jpg
Struggling for time on her at the mo. but managed a bit of death with the grinder. Rear inner arches have had the treatment, onto the front floor pan in readiness to recieve the cav. inner shifter mod (thanks DAR), seat mounts and cage
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1149.jpg

[bola]

thats a real sleeper mate!

[Mike]

fook me! super stealth that

[draper]

love it, good on you for keeping the stickers :thumb:

[dabsy]

Cheers for the comments.

It's retaining the stickers, why not I say. Don't want anybody taking me too seriously until they see me fook right off before their eyes.

Dave.

[dabsy]

Quick update....
more metal removal
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1150.jpg
and a bit more
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1155.jpg
results in a nice clean looking floor pan below, one thats ready for some strenthening work
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1154.jpg
beautiful day on Sunday, just right for trial fitting the cage... it's a 16 point bolt in cage made by Gartrac, came out of a friends rally car, he was making way for SD weld in. Still have the FIA homologation papers for mine too!!
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1164.jpg
it's a tight fit, but suppose it is supposed to be. Front, middle and back pics....
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1166.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1167.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSCN1165.jpg
I basically marked around the mount points, took the cage out, and then spent a couple of hours nitro-morsing and metal flap wheeling the contact points back to bare metal ready for plating. I'll show some pics next time around.

Any suggestions on the interior seams that need welding for most effective shell strenthening, I don't want to go mad and do everything in sight, I want it back on the track this year! Obviously the rear turrets as you can see i've preped them already, and the seams in the passenger footwell as they need plating anyhow, but where else is week?

Next up for the 'metal attack crew' is to loose the wheel well, interiors of the doors, and some lightening of the seams on the interior of the shell where it's currently spot welded, i'm going to cut them back to the spot weld joint and then stitch them, i'll show you what I mean when i've started. Also the hatch is going to get the cutting treatment, I only need it to seal out the water from getting in.

Cheers for now, Dave.

[draper]

this is gonna be proper hardcore :thumb:

[kevster]

keep it up mate

[Ernie]

looking good fella.

[NovaNeil]

Come on Dave! Its been Ages... Get some Updates on the go :)

[dabsy]

Neil,

You'd kick my ass if you saw how much progress I haven't made! nothing you don't already know with me though.

Seen the youtube 'padge dance' PMSL, with that 'G' it looked like a little chafin was going on, looks like he'll need to 'roll the lips' a little. hahaha.

Now the weathers' better, garage is now work bench ready, and Grale is almost ready to come out to play (less the back box - still waiting on Benji grrrrrrrrrrr....) it's almost time to do some serious welding.

Watch this space, but don't hold your breath.

Nice pics of Coombe by the way, how did Ben get on in the service van?

Later, Dave.

[dabsy]

Ok quick update. It's taken some time to get back into the swing of things so here's a quick update, not loads of progress, but at least I've started gain. Enjoy some metal workery......more pics to follow....
Plugged a little hole behind the drivers seat and continued with the seem welding
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00099.jpg
then around the rear drivers turret
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00102.jpg
turret to floor
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00100.jpg
a couple of hours welding (including fixing the damn thing as the PCB blew half way through! it is 20 years old tho)
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00101.jpg
I have also prepped the 2 b-pillar cage floor mount plates ready for welding in, so they will go in after i've finished the other turret welding.

More updates soon.....I promise.

[vaughanmc]

Does the welding around the rear turrets become beneficial ?

[dabsy]

Well i'm running coilovers, so there is a much greater load on the turret as you now have spring loads going through them as well damping. They are only spot welded in this section, so as soon as the load disipates from the top mount this is the first area to take the stress (the spot welds!).

My cage also has a built in cross beam so that will help to spread the load and keep the back end rigid under cornering and allows the suspension to make all the movement rather than the shell.

Dave.

[vaughanmc]

Aye good idea mate :)

I think I'm for a rear strut brace for mines

[draper]

good work matey,

im partly through seam welding a corsa and got a nova to do lol

[Adam]

Nice project :)

[dabsy]

Just typed in a nice log reponse ..... and server F*&ks up!!!

Here goes again!!!

2 weeks to get the welding completed and cage mounted, then onto the bars to front struts and a x diag. as my cage doesn't have one.

I only live 10 mins from donny and all the racing I can hear from my doorstep has given me the urge to get it sorted (and the gas bottle needs to go back soon!!) so back onto it.

I'm doing it as cheap as so all spare metal is going, would love the GRP panels but just not in my budget range at the mo. Lets see if the bugs gets going after my first outing. I probably won't be putting on the raod due to having to un 3 cars if I did, so i'm going proper track light.

Polycarb sheet should be arriving soon from my bro in law as he repairs bus shelters with..... 3 and 4 mm polyc. Excellent. I'll be doing front rear and sides in the stuff for maximum weight saving. I've even considered making the hatch out of the stuff..we'll see.
Dave.

[dabsy]

Latest update
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00124.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00123.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00122.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00121.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00120.jpg
rear arch before
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00125.jpg
and after, to be finished.........
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00129.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00128.jpg
just needs trimming once arch lip panel has been fabricated!

Dave.

[peester]

cage is awesome; thorough preping goin the on here,

[jimbob-mcgrew]

nice project man, whats the best way of gettin to those spot welds that hold those bits of metal in.. ive got a bunch i want to take out myself.

edit: i got the answer allready cheers.

[NovaNeil]

Nice one Dave! Glad to see your working on it again.

[LEWI007]

Looking good man keep it up

[nova 2L 16V]

Love it i have a 1.0 nova life in a beij colour you dont see many of them.

[dabsy]

Ok then, more chopping and welding this week, getting well stuck in at last!!

Did this
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00136.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00134.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00135.jpg
getting rid of this
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00133.jpg
then turned it into this
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00138.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00140.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00139.jpg
and ending in this
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00141.jpg
little bit of panelling to do on the rear valence either side as I have rid the rot completely, remember this
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00102-1.jpg
I used 0.7mm panel with ribs for added lateral stiffness. I will be mounting the ali tank on it afterall and have maximum weight saving without sacrificing lateral strength too much. Once cage is in the rear cross bar will take all of the load anyway.

This weekend hope to finish off the rear valence and fit the cage mount brackets. Don't think i'll have enough time to fir the cage as i've decided to get it fully stripped back, primed and then painted white, nice... more soon.

Dave.

[dabsy]

Had a good old weld session the weekend, hopefully final fitting the cage tomorrow, but some more pics to wet the whistle.....both front leg plate done....
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00144.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00145.jpg
and the rears.... all in 3mm plate tagged to the chassis rails (don't like floor mount cages which mine is, so load now spread onto floor, chassis rails, and rear seat panel....
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00146.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x316/Dabsy_RR/DSC00148.jpg
Only problem is it was a biatch to get the floor plate profile perfect so the cage sits a little high. nothing a 2lb lump hammer can't sort though!
Cage is now fully installed for the 2nd fit, clearance is a little problematic, and I need to mark out where i'm going to tag to the shell interior. Haven't decided on whether to use the bolt style/threaded 6mm plate tags that come standard with the cage or if to use 3mm plates welded between cage and shell, maybe a bit of both. More pics and updates after the weekend.

Dave.

[Connor]

like the cage m8 should be a gd track weapon at the end of it

[NovaNeil]

More pics needed!

[scott.parker]

Hey Dave, is this car still about??

Them wheels and koni were mine lol i remember hitting fook out of the inner wing for the alternator to clear,hope this car's still alive!

Scott

[Adam]

Hes broke it Scott i think.
CountVaux has the cage, ive got his Avo coilovers.....

[scott.parker]

Gay, well i want my wheels back then! lol