23 October 2023 The countersunk bolts arrived but they don't fit the handle (or hinges) on closer inspection it seems like the hex head countersinks are taller than the Phillips head type so they sit proud of the countersink. So I've ordered some Phillips head ones. Instead of finalising the lock fitting I decided I would clean up the fitment of the hinges by making up some plates to bolt onto inside the body. I have some slotted angle iron in my stores which is perfect for this sort of thing. I cut some lengths and then cut the angle off to make 2 plates and cleaned up the edges. The plates for the studs needed an extra hole drilling to fit the stud spacing. I made enough to do the other set of hinges I have for the bonnet. I degreased the plates, hung them up and put some hammerite on them. I also did a bit more flattening of the inside of the bonnet to help things sit flat. 29 October 2023 I tried my piece of wood again but due to the way the latch mechanism is offset the mounting on one side would foul with the handle mounting bolts. I made another piece of wood but could not figure how it would work. So it was back to the drawing board. I figured out that if I made it out of metal there would be enough clearance to avoid the bolts fouling. I came up with a design of a bracket each side that used the handle mounting bolts to hold them in place and then the latch bolted on the other side. After bending, drilling and shaping the metal I had 2 brackets that worked. I was able to use the wood as a former to bend the metal around. I reassembled the boot hinges and the lock and test fitted it. The latch was catching slightly on the boot apertures so I filed a recess so the lock cleared it. I had to add a couple of washers between the latch and the hinges so the lock could engage cleanly. With that all done I cleaned up the underside of the boot aperture so the boot seal would slide on a bit easier. I ran the boot seal all the way round and checked that the boot still shut (it did). I haven't figured what I've going to do with the boot seal where the latch is because it will interfere with the latch. I think I will need to glue something in place rather then have it secured on the edge. 11 November 2023 I got the car out of the garage for a short walkaround video. Then back in the garage so I could work on it. First job was to swap the other headlight retaining ring for the black one I bought to match the nearside. I noticed that the front indicator wasn't working, so removed the inidicator to find the bulb had popped out of the holder. Reseated and tested it and reassembled the indicator on the car. Next up was the aerial loop for the immobiliser which has been hanging loose in the car since it was fitted. I made a decision on where I wanted the aerial to be located. I wanted to hide it as much as possible and decided to make a small trim panel to enclose the aerial so I could secure it in the car. Cut some thin plywood to fit in the space I had decide on. I added to extra strips of plywood down the sides so it would not be flush against the panel. I wanted the wire to pass through the panel and come out the back and this gave me enough space for the wire. Next I drilled a hole for the wire to pass through the plywood and wrapped the connecting wire in tape to protect it. I secured the aerial loop to the plywood by drilling some holes in it and using cable ties to hold it in place. I glued some scrim foam over the top and then covered the whole panel in vinyl. Just need to secure the panel to the car and I can tick that off the list. Spent too long searching for the driving light covers I made way back when. I knew I had put them somewhere safe but as always happens I had forgotten where that safe place was! However I finally found them and rechecked the fit, the edge of perpex was a bit lumpy so I spent some time smoothing the edge out with a sanding block. I'm still undecided how I want to secure the covers to the car, so I spent a bit of time holding them up to the car but haven't really made up my mind. It will be some sort of screw and nut arrangement, the tricky part is how to secure the nut. 18 November 2023 Pulled off the nearside rear wheel to see what adjustment I could make to the rear body mounting. I want to raise it about 2mm to give a bit more clearance round the upper harness mounting. I will probably slip a washer under the mount to raise it but I'll need to bend the side mount slightly to allow that. I also need to glue the mounts to the underside of the body. Started to work on the fixings of the driving light covers. I spent some time shaping them more with the disc sander so they fitted better in the recess. I thought about the different options for fixing the covers, my preferred method was screws through the covers into the body but clearance at the back was not good in a couple of places. I decided to make up some alloy brackets. They will sit outside the edge of the recess and hold the covers in place. Cut some stips of aluminium and then shaped them on the bench sander, drilled a mounting hole and made a slight bend in them so they would push against the covers. I am going to paint the edge of the covers black or body colour and add some sort of gasket between the cover and the body. The brackets will have a something on the underside so they don't scratch the covers.
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AuthorThis is my first kit car although I've messed about with cars all my life. Archives
November 2023
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