Scuttle

Today it was far too cold and windy to be in the garage (and I've git no electricity in there) so decided to tackle the scuttle.

I first cleared the few mm of burnt plastic from the edges of the panels I needed. Then clamped them into my "works bench" (aka table tennis table) and began to drill and Cleco it together. It was all really straight forwards and went together well, the only thing I'd do differently is I would do the front and rear panels at the same time to aid with holding the top piece in place. It was rather flimsy until it was riveted but now a sturdy item.

All I need to do now is some black glue around the joints and then remove the tabs and parts of the rivets. 

Handbrake and cable in place

Spent a few hours in the garage today and started by torquing up the bolts on the diff and the prop shaft.

After that I fitted the handbrake and handbrake cable. It was fairly straight forwards however the micro switch doesn't work on the handbrake so will need to adjust it.

Fuel pump fitted

For the first time in weeks I've found time to get out to the garage. I spent about 3 hours today fitting the fuel pump plate, finishing the footwell panels and made a start on the back panel. 

There is a weather warning out tomorrow so might not spend it in the garage but will get the panels riveted on if I get a chance. 

This is the fuel pump plate held in place with 4 rivnuts.

And the pump and filter all in place.

And here is the rear panel and footwell panels held in place with clecos ready for tomorrow.

Footwell panels

After sorting the roof I set about getting the footwell panels ready for fitting. So I measured up the centre line of the chassis and drew a straight line down the panel where this would centre my rivets. Then I put evenly spaced marks down the line and drilled them out. I deburred each hole with a 7mm drill bit and then positioned it on the chassis.

I drilled through the first hole and held it in place with a Cleco before continuing with the rest and adding more clecos as I went. 

I then started on the passenger side but the drill died halfway through and it was freezing so stopped for the day. 

Once I've got the passenger panel ready and the back panel I will add the sealant and get them in place.

Took about 3 hours today.

Fixing the garage

It was the first time that I went into the garage today after it raining the night before. Turns out that the roof still isn't completely waterproof so set about sorting it. I put a clear tarpaulin up and zip tied it to the roof cross members - it should now be sorted. 

Being an asbestos roof I couldn't play with it! 

Differential fitted

Today was a job that needed doing early in the build and ideally with someone to help but I didn't have anyone so struggled on alone. I used a ratchet strap to help hold it while I got the first bolt in. After that it was plain sailing. With the planning and prep work included it took about an hour in total. 

Trial fitted some panels

After fitting my pedals I had a play with my body panels and trial fitted a few just to see how it would look. I think things will come on quickly once I fit them for real. 

Pedals fitted

After fitting countless bushes to the wishbones I decided to fit them to the pedals and then get the pedals on the car. It was fairly simple, bushes fitted the same and there were two that needed fitting into the chassis itself. Given how awkward they are in the wishbones I didn't relish the task but they slipped in much easier so think the holes are ever so slightly bigger. 

After the bushes were fitted it was a simple case of fitting the metal tube through the middle and bolting together. The pedals moved together until the bolt was tightened up and now it all works perfectly. Maybe a bit stiff but I'm sure it will loosen up over time with use.

May need to cut the bolt down slightly but awaiting confirmation from GBS.

Suspension bushes in

Due to the lack of fitting kits (that I forgot to order) I've decided to make a start on fitting the suspension bushes. Basically you need to clean out any powder coating from the wishbones, give it a good coating of copper slip and the same with the nylon top hats. Then using a vice slowly and squarely squash them in. Once both sides are in, insert the metal tube (which is what the bolts pivot on) and again force it home with the vice. Quite simple but very time consuming. So far has taken about 4 hours and only just finished the front!

Steering Bung

Not really much to say on this but it was the first part I assembled and put on the car so thought it worth a mention.

Simply assemble the three parts and slide them into the hole on the chassis - easy.

First jobs...

So after unpacking and putting my parts in a mixture of the garage and the spare room (very understanding wife) I set about starting with my first few jobs, turns out though that I hadn't ordered any sealant, rivets or nuts and bolts to fit various parts. But of a shame but will order on Monday. 

Collected the kit

This weekend my wife and I hired a van and took the long journey up to GBS to collect my long awaited toy. We were greated with a cup of tea and then set about accounting for all the parts. Wasn't a huge initial order but enough to keep me going for a while at least. 😀

 

Differential acquired

So after much searching on eBay I finally found a differential that was not only on budget but also reconditioned! Looking to collect it at the end of the week and at only £125 it was a good buy (subject to checking it over). It's a 3.92:1 ratio so should be ok for what I am going to use the car for.