9 May 2023
The pipe for the petrol tank vent has arrived so I fitted that and made a bracket to support it in line with IVA recommendations. I then started on fixing the rear sill to the body. I cut a length of aluminium flat bar and then marked it up and drilled pilot holes in it down the centre. I placed it in position on the inside of the boot and clamped it all in place so it couldn't move and drilled the holes through the body and the sill, using some long pop rivets to ensure the holes kept alignment while I completed drilling all the pilot holes. I took the aluminium strip and drilled it out and fitted M5 countersunk rivnuts to it. Next up was to enlarge the holes in the body to fit the M5 bolts. I have a thin strip of rubber to go between the body and sill to keep rattles to a minimum which I hole punched for the bolt holes. Finally I fitted the rubber strip between the sill and body and bolted up through the sill, body and into the aluminium strip to secure it all together. 13 May 2023 Did some measuring of the body sides to the floorpan to see how even things were and how much bending would be needed. Back to schoolboy Pythagoras to calculate angles. The offside was a bit different to the nearside mostly at the rear and the bodyshell needs pulling in towards the chassis to even things up but I'm happy that the bodyshell is pretty central on the chassis. Now to bending the sills up to meet the body. I placed a piece of angle iron on the scissor lift and removed the rubber blocks, then I gradually raised the lift until the angle iron was just touching the sill. I then adjusted the position so it was outside the chassis and parallel to the chassis. I then raised the lift and allowed the angle iron to bend the sill, I had to stop when it touched the bodyshell and pull the bodyshell out and around the sill so I could bend it up a but more so when released it laid gently on the inside of the bodyshell. Then I repeated on the other side. That seems to have worked well, just need to pull the front offside wheel arch in towards the chassis to even things up side to side. I plan to bolt the bodyshell to the sill in a similar way to the method I used for the rear of the car, but I will have something on the outside to spread the force on the fibreglass, I also need to figure out the order of operation so I get all the holes to line up.
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4 April 2023
Did a test fit of the hinges with the bonded in threads and that seems to work much better, no issues tightening them up. Took them off again so I could paint them. Rubbed them down and wiped them clean then etch prime and a coat of body colour. 29 April 2023 Fitted the handbrake cables again and added a pulley wheel to lift the cable up slightly so the equaliser didn't drag on the tunnel. Fitted the return spring and adjusted the handbrake. 4 May 2023 Cleaned up and repainted around the gearbox tunnel where I had ground down the welds. Added the brackets to support the handbrake cable under the car. Fitted the doors again with the painted hinges and adjusted the door fit. Seems pretty good, not perfect but pretty good. Did a bit more trimming on the gearbox tunnel so I could fit the harness to the sides of the cockpit, I needed to enlarge the hole as I didn't want it pinched by the hanrness fixing. Spent a bit of time measuring up to ensure the body is sitting evenly on the chassis, I did this by dropping a plumb line from the wheel arch down to the centre of the wheel and measuring from the hub out to the string. Then I marked the position on the rear body and chssis plate. I think I'm almost ready to start fitting the body. I will do a few more checks before I start and I walso want to review my plan for bolting rear and side sills to the body. |
AuthorThis is my first kit car although I've messed about with cars all my life. Archives
November 2023
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