More pics are needed Colin, i love the work you do on this car, as imo your the only one who's bothering to see how far it can be taken to make a competitive nova, most people would of ruled them out long ago...
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More pics are needed Colin, i love the work you do on this car, as imo your the only one who's bothering to see how far it can be taken to make a competitive nova, most people would of ruled them out long ago...
After doing some work on my Westfield yesterday, I noticed that the 6 point race harness in it seemed to be considerably lighter than the one in my Nova (both Willans Silverstone with the alloy adjusters). The Westfield uses the 'single seater' style harness with the short rear straps.
Putting them on the scales, the single seater harness is well over 1kg lighter than the 'saloon' version.
The main reasons for this are that the single seater harnesses bolt into place, rather than having the quick release clips that saloon harnesses have which attach to the eye bolts, and the design of the crutch strap differs.
So now I'm considering whether to weld in an extra bar on the roll cage to attach a single seater type harness. The extra bar will obviously add a bit of weight, but not as much as I'd be saving (the tube would be T45 steel).
See photos to explain things more clearly;
The current 'saloon' type harness I use;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/004-47.jpg
And the single seater type;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/003-57.jpg
To use the single seater harness I'd need to add an extra bar to the roll cage, something like this;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/002-55.jpg
If I wanted to save even more weight, and had an awful lot of money, I could later upgrade to the ultimate in F1 single seater harnesses, and save another half a kilo;
http://www.willans.com/lightweight-s...-single-seater
A few more ongoing things;
A slightly smaller alloy radiator, and a Davies Craig electric water pump which I acquired from a Mini;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/001-22.jpg
I'm still debating whether or not to fit the radiator into the back of the car. But I do want to fit the electric water pump so it can be left circulating coolant even when the engine's switched off.
I'm re-making the rear bonnet pin mountings, just to save a few more grammes;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/005-39.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/006-40.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/007-36.jpg
The current mountings for the harness eye bolts are very heavy duty;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/008-33.jpg
I have plans to cut these strengthening plates out, and revise the mountings, saving weight but without compromising strength.
The clutch actuation lever looks a prime candidate for being made out of something lighter, either alloy or titanium;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/017-32.jpg
And if I can find someone to do it at a sensible price (any suggestions welcome), I'd like to get the exhaust downpipe and system fabricated in titanium;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/009-31.jpg
Also acquired these rather natty Kevlar inner arch liners from a Corsa B kit car, which I'm hoping can be made to fit the Nova;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/021-18.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/022-15.jpg
Surely adding the harness bar will negate the weight saved on the harness?
Good to see you still pushing the boundaries with this colin :)
colin, i reckon you might want to leave the gear lever alone.. the force put thru it will be quite big, even on a std clutch.
I don't think a short length of T45 tubing will weigh anywhere close to the 1kg to 1.5kg saving on the harness.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Simps
I think it would need to be done in titanium for that reason, but it's a heavy item, so cannot avoid my attentions. Also don't forget that on my car it's hydraulically activated, so it probably has less stress on it?Quote:
Originally Posted by mowgli
Force Racing (who are making my split rim wheels) have done a similar clutch lever in titanium for the Minis and had no issues with it.
Colin i really admire your determination to to find new ways to make this car lighter for increasing it's competitiveness, i don't mean to sound rude or disrespectful, but i know if i was 9st instead of my currant chunky 14! (put on while off work with my back) i would get quicker times on 1/4 mile runs, and have a slightly better handing car on track, have you been trying hard to cut your body weight too? as I'm sure some of them guys in the mini's are probably lighter then me, no?
There probably impossible to get hold off, BUT at work we/I make carbon fibre engine fans & the cowling for Porsche Le Man cars. The entire fan, its blades & housing/cowling are carbon fibre & perfectly balanced to +/- 0.3gram. Without the motor they weight about 100g.
is there any mileage in looking at the hydraulic setup used on the later f15 type boxes? as it is build in round the input shaft with the thrust bearing on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by novarally
I've every intention of pursuing that route too, and it would certainly be cheaper.....I'm 2 stone heavier than when I lived in Bournemouth and had a gym local to me (and the motivation of youth too).Quote:
Originally Posted by scott.parker
Good thought Mike, but I don't even have a fan on the car, so that wouldn't help!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike
It had crossed my mind, I think that's much the same set-up as was used on the Vectra F23 'boxes as well? Although whether the bits are interchangeable onto the small block gearboxes I don't know.Quote:
Originally Posted by mowgli
i think you'd need the f15 casing complete. but all the f10/13 stuff fits in. its probably heavier though..
Just had a quote to blast all the paint off the inside, outside and underneath, and put it into primer for £400. Doesn't sound too bad to me, they're less than 10 miles from me and do a lot of stuff with classic car restoration.
that sounds like a fair price to me, aslong as the blast gets into the the places the acid dip would to strip, i.e rails etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by novarally
Great Idea with the Harness Colin, At least you have found a way to say weight without having to fork out for the Titanium Eye Bolts! And Normal Titanium Bolts to bolt in in should be cheaper then the Eye bolts too!
Blast media won't get inside the rails will it? Thought it was just outside only?Quote:
Originally Posted by merris
I will have a nose round a factory im working in on saturday they do tons of titanium fabrication and always have bolts etc knocking round.
Thanks Ben, any help would be much appreciated!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben
The more I look into it, the less keen I am on the blasting options. The risk of damage to the metal seems to be high, and the last thing I want is to have to be using high-build primer or filler to rectify warped panelwork.Quote:
Originally Posted by Iain
However, I've just got off the phone from a very interesting chat with 'Paint Strip' in Preston, and now I am 99% certain I will use their services. They were the people who did Chris Astley's shell some years ago.
Their thermal paint removal process is going to cost me less than £450 (could be a fair bit less than that due to the lack of rust and absence of any external panels on my car), and they can primer the whole car, and powder coat the inside in a colour of my choice for roughly £200 more.
Picked up my new split rim wheels today, if I get time I will do an update tomorrow.
Liking the progress so far Colin
Was down at Martin Bowyers (Bowyer Developments) today when your Corsa VXR head turned up - no Idea what he has planned for it yet - hope he starts to assemble our engine before he even starts to look at that !!! :)
Oooooooooo rly :) They fit a 1.2 bottom end by any chance? lolQuote:
Originally Posted by fearless
Hi Dave.Quote:
Originally Posted by fearless
I'd be curious to know what Martin has planned for that.
Colin
He joked about putting it on an 1800cc block - I could see the cogs in his head turning as he looked at it :)
Not sure what he's got planned for it - I don't even think he remembered buying it !!!
Ahhh I see, not as interesting as sticking it on the 1l turbo then lolQuote:
Originally Posted by fearless
I've used Ribble Tech a few times! They are spot on. They have never had any shells for me to nosey at when I've been though so looking forward to seeing your results! Is powder heavier or lighter than paint? Do you think powder would be suitable for the underside and inside the wheel arches?
I'm speaking further with the owner (John Sutton) tomorrow, and funnily enough the questions you've raised about powdercoating are already on my list!Quote:
Originally Posted by SimonTW
Was reading up a bit on powder coating the other day, and it's basically dry 2k paint according to one source I found.
I have found powder to be alot more durable than 2k on wheels. I'd imagine it's the same on a cars panels if there's no underseal or stone chip undercoat being used which again should save weight.
I'm not sure how reliable this source is tbh, but that's what it said :p saying that my white speedlines are in 2k and I've not noticed any chips etc in them.
A few quick photos of the new split rims from Force Racing.........
7.5" x 15" fronts;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/001-23.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/002-56.jpg
and 7" x 13" rears;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/003-58.jpg
Colin you're as bad as the european spammers, and you actually have access to 18+, no excuses there!
Awesome! There looks to be hardly anything to them! What do they weigh in at? Also, why are they smaller diameter on the rear?
Small on the rear to reduce drag.
Colin, those 13" turbo rims - where they 4" PCD? I was watching a set for Dad's Ginetta on eBay (Damn hard to find 4" PCD). New wheels look immensely light!
Really it's big on the front to improve the gearing. I'd run 13" on the front as well if I thought the gearing could be got right everywhere, but as it is it's perfect with 15" on the front. Plus I have nearly new 15" slicks, so I can't afford to waste those.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash
Yes, the Compomotive Turbos were 4" PCD (because I have Mini hubs on the back of my Nova).
They're a tough wheel to find now in any PCD, let alone 4". The ones I had got sold to a guy who has a spaceframe Hillman Imp with a 600bhp turbo motorcycle engine mounted in the middle!!
The new wheels are 4.3kg for the fronts, and 3.6kg for the rears.
Thats funny, his Ginetta is a G15 - hillman imp engine/base. 120bhp hartwell 998cc. Trying to convince him to put a bike engine in tho. He reckons he wants 15's for it, which in 4" PCD i dont believe exist unless you go to Image and have them made.
I'm a big fan of the G15.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash
I regularly race against the bright orange G15 998cc (Imp engine) of Andrew Russell. That's a very quick car.
Depends what your Dad uses it for, but I can't see why he'd want 15" wheels on it.
There has been a very nice G15 rolling chassis on EBAY recently which was set-up for a bike engine. I have to confess I was tempted by it, but with the bike engine in there you'd be struggling to find anywhere to race it.
Did you manage to speak to him. I'm interested in the answers.Quote:
Originally Posted by novarally