27 December 2021 Back into the garage and cut the nearside panel for the cockpit, got it cut to size and all the holes drilled. 28 December 2021 Got the nearside panel glued and riveted in place, the air powered riveter is a great tool. Mounted the ECU on the board I previously glued to the bulkhead. There is a small relay and fuse block that is part of the ECU loom that needs to be mounted near the ECU so I made up a small bracket that I have primed and painted. Once it's fully dry, I will screw it to the same pice of wood as the ECU. Had a look at options for the fuse box mounting. I had previously mounted it behind the dash but I wasn't happy that it was secure or would be readily accessible when the car is finished. I tried several different locations but wasn't happy with them for one or other of these reasons. I am currently seeing if I can make some mounts out of wood so that I can secure it to the passenger side of the dash and then create an opening in the dash for it. If that doesn't work I will see if I can build a centre console to sit between the gearbox tunnel and the dash bulkhead and mount it there, hidden behind a panel. 29 December 2021 Mounted the ECU relay and fuse block next to the ECU using the bracket I made yesterday. Spent some time routing the ECU loom cables round the battery box and adding some p-clips to secure it. There are a number of ECU wires that run to the dash and fuse box which required wrapping, I routed these over the top of the battery as well. Next I wanted to complete the battery installation, the position and fixing for the cage was already done but I needed to add a securing strap and route the main battery cable. I cut a slot in the bottom of the battery cage and then cut a strip of aluminium to run down in front of the battery into the slot. I then added a bend to the strip and secured it to the metal cross bar at the top with a self tapping screw, I filed down the end of the screw to ensure it didn't damage the battery. I then cut the battery leads to the approximate length, and secured them to the bulkhead with p-clips and a self tapping screw. I made some cutouts in the cage so the cables can reach the terminals without rubbing on it. I put gaffer tape around all the edges to cover all the metal edges and to help reduce rattles. 30 December 2021 Back in the garage and ditched my plan to mount the fusebox behind the dash. Decided to make a panel to run from the dash bulkhead down to the gearbox cover. Made a cardboard template and then cut it out of aluminium sheet. A few bends and it was pretty much done. I feel I'm getting better at the fabrication work now I've done a few more panels. I had to think a bit about the order to make the bends to make sure I could do them all but as it's aluminium it is quite easy to bend; a hammer, strong straight edge and some clamps seemed to work very well. Did a bit of fettling at the corners but pretty happy with the outcome. I will mount the fusebox on the front, facing into the cockpit. I have a cover for it so it will look neat, where it is on the gearbox tunnel it will be set back from the line of the dash and won't be immediately visible but it will still be accessible. I'll cut a hole in the panel so the wires can run straight back and out of sight, to the dash and the rest of the car. It will be mounted with brackets on the wings, screwed to the dash bulkhead at the front and screwed down to the gearbox tunnel. 31 December 2021 Last few hours of 2021 in the garage were spent securing the fusebox panel to the gearbox tunnel and dash bulkhead using M4 bolts and riv-nuts. I positioned the fusebox on the secured panel and marked the mounting holes. Then I removed the panel from the car and drilled and riv-nutted it with m6 riv-nuts. Put it back on the car for a test fit. I'm waiting for some grommets to arrive before I drill the hole in the panel for the wires to run through. I've also got some edge trim on order ready to tidy up some of the edges on the gearbox tunnel and the fusebox panel. So that's it really for 2021, I started this project in September 2020 by stripping the MX5 down. The kit arrived in January 2021 and I've been building it almost constantly since then, some weeks more than others but I've tried to do something every week. Even if it's just crimping a few wires or drilling a few holes it helps to keep the project moving. I put together this little video of how far things have come in just a year to hopefully keep me motivated. Happy New Year to anyone reading this, I hope you have a better 2022.
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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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