Realy good progress! Fab work looks awesome ;)
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Realy good progress! Fab work looks awesome ;)
Great fab work, like the custom mount for the dials on the column. It's great fabbing it all up yourself and getting the driving position spot on and straight isn't it
Sweet Jesus, a dry sump!
Having seen the car in person, it's a bit awesome.
Quote:
Originally Posted by M Sutton
Thanks guys, Yeah its quite satisfactory making it all myself, really enjoy it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Iain
Certainly is. Picked it up off a friend who's stripping an unfinished project, so its never had a drop of oil go through it. Plan is to get a block and a box fitted up as soon as possible so i can finish the linkage and get the chassis leg nothed for the oil pump pulley.Quote:
Originally Posted by BRoadGhost
Cheers Ben, pop up again when its back together and come out for a drive if you want.Quote:
Originally Posted by Benn
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Turns out choosing out of the 3 steering wheels was pretty simple.
Went to screwfix earlier for some M5 stainless bolts and nylocks, then cracked on. Fitted up the flat sparco first and it was spot on.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps88a25e1c.jpg
Plenty of room between the bottom of the rim and my knees.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps501835c6.jpg
And suits the car i think
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps6f2e17a4.jpg
Pretty much made my mind up straight away, but fitted the OMP one anyway.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psff55bea5.jpg
Didnt like it one little bit. Too small, and with the offset centre just felt like it was broken.
Didnt really suit the car either.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...pscbd03011.jpg
So i didnt even bother fitting the dished Sparco, and instead fitted the rest of the bolts to the flat one and left it like that.
Very happy with it now.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps16b1c35f.jpg
Sorry for the poor quality pics, It was about 7pm when the sun shines right into the front of the unit.
Excellent workmanship there, can't wait to see this when you've finished, it will definitely be an awesome piece of kit.
Thanks, Im hoping so yes. Lots more to come yet though.
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Had a couple of hours free at the end of today so did a bit more on the pedal box mounts.Luckily i was able to cut the old mount up and re-use the front bar. Just had to weld up the old holes and trim it a bit to get it fitted an inch lower and an inch further forward.
The rest was pretty simple, but annoyingly i couldnt have another parralell bar at the front, as the holes in the base of the box are staggered. Got around that just fine though, and welded in a captive bolt for the front right mounting, as it would be a nightmare to get a spanner on.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd1cc003c.jpg
Not bolted in yet as its a bit fiddly and will only have to come out again. But refitted the rest of the interior and took a seat.
Its spot on. Has made a world of difference to the driving position so i couldnt be happier. It was always going to be drivable, but this way im just that little bit more comfortable.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps02aad676.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb3b6d7a3.jpg
Looking great, wheel choice is deffo right.
I think I rather like this :) Would looove a dry sump kit for mine as the shorter engine just opens up a world of possibilities, but it's a bit out of any kind of realistic budget at this stage! (Although welding a pound coin into the shell somewhere is out of budget currently so who knows) lol
Top work as usual!! You got a link to that shifter you have? Looks tasty!
Looking good mate. Do you want to sell either of your spare steering wheels? I'm looking for one for the one I'm rebuilding.
Cheers Benn. I like it too, think i just got lucky with it as theres so much to choose from when looking for a wheel. You have size, dish, style, material, grip and strangely enough grip size makes a massive difference too. This one is an oval grip 34mm x 29mm i think.Quote:
Originally Posted by Benn
Glad its making an interesting read, i do try and update it when i can. The Sump kit was a bargain, i probably wouldnt have gone for it if it was full price, but i do intend to rev it so it will hopefully be a big benefit.Quote:
Originally Posted by MK999
Ta, Never seen another one. It came out of an old works Mk2 Astra Rally car. Theres a similar shifter fitted to the "Mighty Mouse" CRX Time Attack car, but not available to buy new so you would have to find a used one. Quaife do a kit which works the same (throws the rod backwards for first instead of forwards). Available as a kit on HHMS.Quote:
Originally Posted by corsapowerr
Cheers Dan. Yes the OMP and the dished Sparco are for sale. Both mint (and im fussy so thats not Ebay "mint")Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniManDan118
How much do you want for the omp one? And have you got a boss for it that will fit a standard nova column? Pm me ;-)
Very true, if you have big hands, a thin wheel will feel tiny and not nice to hold. So a thicker one is better. Same with overall width.Quote:
Originally Posted by 8valve-craig
I agree
Nice setting up on the turret, but does it not need dropping down in to the chassis leg....
I'd really like to turret mine.
Cheers Ben.
The above idea has been scrapped now as it appears i did it wrong. Got carried away marking the body and profiling the tube and completely forgot that below is the chassis rail which needs to be modified.
Started again with sheet steel, and got one side constructed yesterday.
Just went right in and cut the body, which is what im glad i didnt do the first time around to be honest.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps51d208bc.jpg
Profiled the 3 sides and got them tacked in
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb44a3d63.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7296a9c8.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf7768bae.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps73aa052b.jpg
Cheated a little bit, as i rang the steel place on my way and got them to cut all the correct sizes for me before i got there, so only had to profile inside the arches, which was easy enough.
Now i just have to pull the car away from the wall, re-level it and start again on the other side.
Can I stop you there & ask just far down do you intend going and with what wheel size?
Looking good, shame you couldnt use the round tube.
Around about the same ride height as its always been, Never been noticably low and doubt it ever will be any lower than the attatched picture.Quote:
Originally Posted by BRoadGhost
Using various et49 15" x 6" wheels with 195/50's.
All comments welcome though as this is quite a big learning curve for me.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/IMG_0437.jpg
Having turrets only that high will limit ride height & stroke. If these are purely for a coilover conversion, why not maximise the benefit by moving the turrets further back towards the boot.
When you then make the brackets for the struts, it's possible to put them at the back of the rear beam once boxed. This will give you a far better stroke translation.
It has always had Avo coilovers and even with the standard height turrets it drove fine, only doing this as the springs were so close to the inner arch and tyre wall that adjustment was limited.
This is in part what i'm saying; if you're moving the mount points on the beam & the body, then why not put them in the best possible position?
Because i have already cut the body and dont fancy repairing it for what will most likely make no difference on what is essentially just a track car.
Been out and bought some more engine bits today. Got the chance to buy this lot cheap. Only actually wanted the rods, but made an offer on the lot, Because as always it brings the price down.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse0275409.jpg
Very pleased with them. The crank is nice too, an early one which is unground, so may well use that too and sell on the lightened one i have.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf415ad84.jpg
A good day, and im struggling to think of anything else i actually need now to build the engine, other than a gasket.
So my plan all week was to take today off and do some work on the shell. To be honest i had started to fall out of love with it (again), and constantly found myself looking at M3's, but once i got back into it i quite enjoyed myself.
First job was to Jack the car up a little higher, which took longer than you might think as it needs to be levelled to ensure any new additions are straight and symmetrical.
Also then swept up the 3" of dust underneath which made a nice difference.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9f569409.jpg
Finished cutting the O/S rear turret out, but straight away found some Brown Stuff inside the chassis rail.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps97a193f2.jpg
I had thought this was a relatively rust free shell. I know of a few crusty bits, but nothing serious. Needless to say this bit needed addressing, so drilled off the spring seat.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf6c9a387.jpg
Could have cut out the bare minimum and repaired the drill holes, but decided to chop it right back and replaced with some 2mm which i persuaded into shape with a claw hammer.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psadb65d96.jpg
Same method for the O/S turret, although slightly more difficult as it had to match the N/S, and of course as with everything on a Nova, side to side the inner arces are different shapes.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps67bee699.jpg
Roughly marking the shape of the arch with a marker.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps6a7d8abc.jpg
Plenty of pissing around, then it was in.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps6cd10bc5.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps24968717.jpg
I had planned to persuade a certain welder friend of mine to buzz them in for me, what with them being suspension and all that, but was feeling brave so did it myself.
There were one or two hiccups, nothing serious, just with the welder on Max power burned through the original paper thin body once or twice which interupted the flow.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse0865e05.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps10a2129d.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7b16c6e2.jpg
Once finished i made a mock rear brace out of an odd cardboard tube i had. Not necessary, but gave me an idea what it might look like.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfef5c4f5.jpg
Really really pleased with how they came out. They are spot on to the naked eye, with just minor discrepencies that you would only find with a ruler, so in my book they are perfect. Also dead pleased with the welding. I wasnt brave enough to run a bead, so used hot tacks, but they were very hot tacks so im in no doubt that they are adequate.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5688a88b.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps35934189.jpg
And a front view. Not that it will ever be seen like this with seats fitted, just showing they are straight.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa80a11b6.jpg
Overall am very pleased with them. Got back my enthusiasm so either tomorrow or next weekend il buzz around them underneath, then the car can go back on its wheels.
Good news you have got your enthusiasm back Craig.this has to be my favourite build/nova at the min some very nice work and parts going in to it. Looking forward to having a look around it when it makes a return to combe ( makes me wish I never sold my old track car)
Excellent work there, attention to detail and workmanship is second to none :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris gsi
Thanks for the kind words, Im hoping it will be pretty special when finished.Quote:
Originally Posted by tahir868
Had another few hours down there today. Worked really fast with no distractions and got the turrets fully welded and primed.
First up was to buzz around the inside of the n/s. I was advised that it wasnt necassery, but did it anyway as it was easy enough.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps489df29f.jpg
Before welding it into the chassis rail underneath i decided to drill off this spring seat, just as i was curious as to what might be lurking underneath, like what was on the other side. But also of course as it didnt match and looked odd.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd67de47d.jpg
Really glad i did as there was a small crusty bit that needed attention.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psbc63825b.jpg
So quickly fasioned a repair plate for it and buzzed it in, then repaired the drill holes and fully welded the new turret into the chassis rail.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb779029f.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfd9c5f58.jpg
Went round to the other side and fully welded that one too.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5835bcc8.jpg
And having cut the body where i did found a slither of overlap which wasnt fully spot welded, so knocked it back and stitch welded it on both sides of the car.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf4bf4951.jpg
And that was that. A quick squirt with Zinc Primer and left it there for the day.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3b39401b.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps4d56a39a.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps49b21a80.jpg
Again am pleased with my efforts, And despite it being a bit messy im sure it will be up to the job.
Next up is to drill the tops, then box the Nova beam, which hopefully il do mid-week.
Did something much more therapeutic today. Its been ages since i had a tinker in my garden shed, something which i quite enjoy, so with an idea in my head i popped out to see what i could do. The basic idea was a custom rocker cover.
I did pick this one up just recently which has (at great expense to somebody) been modified to run the Dry Sump then freshly powder coated.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse2d58e97.jpg
A nice cover im sure you will agree, but i dont run a belt cover, and with it being such a shame to cut it up decided to start a fresh one.
So.... Starting with 2 covers, one of which used to be on my carb'd engine so is already trimmed on the timing belt side which is what i wanted for this new engine.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps51483ca9.jpg
Cut out the oil filler on the one i want to keep. (which took a serious ammount of thinking and measuring)
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps53ab342f.jpg
And cut out a piece of the doner to start patching it up with. Note that the fixing bolt holes need to be in the right place, so cutting very carefully.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps58e739aa.jpg
Would have loved to have been able to cut out a whole square and do it in one hit, but the bolt holes are all very randomly spaced, so had to do it in smaller pieces.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf6efae41.jpg
Second piece cut out of the donor, which again for the lower part of the square i couldn't do in one hit, as it needed a 101mm run with a bolt hole in a certain place, which just wasnt happening.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps095409cd.jpg
And second chunk in.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9ec5b13b.jpg
Even looking pretty factory on the underside at the moment
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5a345039.jpg
And the third piece, by which point i was getting pretty good. This bit went in first time without a single alteration.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps1e05f748.jpg
Oil cap deleted. Pretty sure i know who im going to ask to weld it up for me too, so if you are reading then get ready for your phone to ring.
Next up was to chop the spark plug trim. Just becase i always loved the look of the Swindon BTTC engines.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfa7977f8.jpg
And with a fillet in each of the openings, and that bottom piece welded into the cover should look something like this.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc8db5623.jpg
Think i have enough material left on the donor to smooth out the rear breather step too, so will crack on with that next weekend, but not sure if im going to tackle the front one or not as it looks quite complicated.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc509d17d.jpg
Obviously the inside will need welding up good around the bolt guides to eliminate oil making its way out, but im dead pleased with it so far. Should only need a very small ammount of filler, if any atall.
Got home from work and made a small fillet to smooth out the rear breather's this evening. Only took about 15mins, but makes a big difference.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd6a14237.jpg
Top work mate
Yeah this is brilliant & exactly the attention to detail people wanna see; will you be welding it up yourself?
I did similar to mine about 7 years ago, just without the blanking for dry sump.
You might wanna raise those turret tops a bit in time too.
Thanks. Maybe in time i will if i need to, but lets not forget that this is only a track car and was perfectly fine before when they were at standard height.
^ Any pictures of your rocker cover ^
Did a bit more on mine today and deleted the front breather.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb4df9a6f.jpg
All getting welded up tomorrow. I wont be doing it myself, a friend is doing it while i wait.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2f5d952f.jpg
Kinda looked like this for a while without the cover
http://sadpanda.us/images/1709698-WG3XTR6.jpg
Beforehand it was milled, but imo looks pretty bland all one colour
http://sadpanda.us/images/1709706-V8HJKI1.jpg
Oh that does look good. I really like that with no plug cover on.
Got mine all welded up today, so just need to spend a few hours finishing it off now. definitely going to need a skim of filler though.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa4da80b8.jpg
that will look cool when painted
I was going to ask if you were going to open up the gaps prior to welding; in a V shape (if you're looking at it from a cross section) to ensure strength once ground flush again.
Could look alright not being colour coded; have you thought about doing something like a bright orange with a grey middle & orange lettering? The extent of effort shown here warrants paying for a professional spraying imo; then it'll last.
Looking good. Nice welding by adam.
Just read the update on MIG; I didn't expect you to be using filler. When I did mine I used some chemical metal & even that cracked; get it back down to metal, go high build, sand down & repeat as required imo.
When you make the effort on such things THE GODS OF DETAIL WILL BE UPON YOU lol