WOW !!

Wow, is it really that long since I posted an entry to this Blog?? March this year - 7 months give or take 10 days! It's time I pulled my finger out and gave you all an update (all 3 of you that is... leave me a comment if you read this just to let me know I'm not talking to myself!). As you know the original plan was to build the car ready for the Le Mans Classic in July 2008. That was obviously not going to happen so the next target (although I realised it was unlikely) was the Round Britain Reliability Run at the start of this month. Again, it was quickly obvious that I wasn't going to get it ready as I didn't have the time (or indeed the finances) to put what was required into getting the car built. Anyway, the Le Mans Classic came and went as did the RBRR - we did both events in my Dad's 1975 Spitfire 1500. Thats now several Le Mans trips, Nurburgring trips, two RBRR's, and a 10 Countries Run successfully completed in that car which is gaining the reputation of being bullet proof! We did burn two gallons of oil on the RBRR and the oil pressure is now slightly lower that desirable but still it is a fantastic car, fun to drive, and above all else, reliable. That car as you know is the inspiration for my project and I can't wait to get my Zetec Spit going and competing in more Triumph trips with my Dad. For those who have never seen my Dad's car, here is a picture taken on the RBRR:

Anyway... Down to business... Knowing that I wasn't going to make either Le Mans or the RBRR in my car, work kind of halted. I've had an incredibly busy summer and autumn so far and I never really had the time I wanted to do any work. Yes I could of found a day or three here and there and many evenings could have been in the garage rather than on the sofa but hey, I didn't so there we are - sue me!

I have however done some work since my last posts and even taken pictures but I just never got around to updating this Blog. So that's what I'm doing now - I want to bring you right up to date on the state of things and where I'm going next as well as showing you the pictures I've taken since the last Blog entry.

The last photo's I posted were of the engine on the engine stand with the throttle bodies loosley attached. The engine has now been built up as follows:

• Throttle bodies properly attached
• Water rail fitted which brings the thermostat round the side
• New shorter sump and modified oil pickup fitted
• New oil pump gasket
• New cam belt, pulleys, and tensioners
• New water pump (opposite rotation to allow for modified belt path)
• Cam cover fitted
• Gearbox attached although it will need to come apart again so that I can fit the flywheel, clutch, and hydraulic release bearing.

I've also stripped the wiring harness from the Suzuki GSXR motorbike (donor for the throttle bodies) and started wiring the relevant sensors to the Megasquirt ECU. I test fitted the engine and decided it needed to be sitting lower so with the help of a friend we modifed the main cross member:

Engine Test fitted sitting on the chassis

Cutting the cross member

Darth Vader? or me learning how to weld!

Welding the plates on and reinforcing

You can see the box steel reinforing welded into place

Just added this pic cos it looks cool!

Right, I'm going to publish this post now but I have more to add later...

Update...

Because I'm converting to a rotoflex rear end I needed to weld some brackets to the chassis to acommodate the lower wishbones. This was done on Wednesday last week and has been painted with undercoat today. I'm still waiting for the rear spring - apparently there is a hold-up at the manufacturers but I have got the alloy uprights, wishbones, and all the nuts, bolts, and poly bushes waiting ready for assembly. I've also got the bearings, hubs, brake parts, and CV driveshafts so I'm looking forward to getting that on the car. I finally got the stainless steel disc brake shields so I have started re-assembling the front uprights and hubs. A few minor problems along the way with wrong sized bolts and stripping threads but I should have that finished shortly. I've also fitted the anti-roll bar at the front.

Engine Excitement!

As promised, here are a few pictures of the engine. I've painted the sides of the block and loosely attached the shortened sump and throttle bodies - take a look at the custom intake manifold - how cool is that! I'm also going to paint the cam cover black so the engine will be black/alloy/black/alloy from top to bottom. With the stainless steel intake manifold on one side and a stainless steel exhaust coming out of the other side I think it will look brill!!

Blimey it's March already!

Progress has been so slow due to a number of factors such as weather (way too cold some evenings), illness, laziness, complacency, the list goes on but all I know is that I had better get a move on if I want to get this car finished by July!!

Here are the things that have happened since I last posted - sorry no photo's at the moment because I am at work but I'll post some soon.

• Front suspension has been built, dismanteled, built, dismantled, and am just waiting for some new stainless steel disc shields to arrive before I build it for the final time.
• Steering rack is in.
• Anti-roll bar has ben painted and is awaiting fitting - all new poly bushes and the end bits are sitting in a box.
• Differential is in - all new poly bushes.
• Rotoflex uprights and brake back plates have been shot blasted and painted and are ready for assembly.
• Someone is due to come and weld the extra brackets to the chassis next week for the rotoflex conversion.
• Still waiting on the arrival of some alloy rear rotoflex wishbones and a new spring but apart from that the rear end is ready for assembly.
• The zetec engine has been stripped and cleaned and is ready for a lick of paint.
• I've received delivery of my modified sump and modified oil pickup which has been re-baffled and shortened for the new way round its fitting in the car.
• Finally received my custom build intake manifold to connect my motorbike throttle bodies to the engine - this is the coolest bit!

So as you can see although the overall progress is slow I have been doing a few bits an pieces and I'm expecting to accelerate through the next stage of actually mounting the engine and fitting the body.

Watch this space...