Happy birthday!

One year old.... how quick has that year gone?

Quick  reflection back over the last twelve months, firstly a couple of photos which I hope shows progress...

So am I where I wanted to be 12 months down the line?

Its fair to say I had hoped to have the chassis off the trestles and on wheels after the first year however that has not proved to be the case. In reality you realise as these builds progress they can become all engrossing to the detriment of other aspects of life - house, garden, DIY, holidays, visiting family & friends etc. A sense of perspective has to be put on such projects and at times the build has had to (quite reasonably) take a back seat.

Also, a cold wintry night in a garage does not carry the appeal of a warm cosy living room!

On reflection I am pleased with how far the build has progressed, its testament to GBS that so far the build has been fault and stress free, a sign that the kit has been well engineered and problems ironed out over the years. i am learning a huge amount in this project and in a lot of cases venturing into new territory as I build the car. The main thing is I AM ENJOYING IT and it has ticked all the boxes i wanted to tick in terms of satisfaction, quality of build, support available (be it the web, fellow builders, GBS)

no regrets so far - here's to trouble free further progress in the next twelve months...

Tunnel top panels wrapped

Got distracted!

Well, actually got drawn into a "Black Friday" deal on the web for some vinyl wrap and ended up buying some carbon fibre effect wrap from www.carwrapdirect.com.(see links tab for link)

My intention is to wrap the car and although exterior colour is still open for discussion I am erring towards an overall white colour scheme with carbon fibre effect detailing. Having never done vinyl wrapping before I thought this was an opportunity to practice on some simple panels to see if there is knack to it and see what the overall effect is like and something I can live with.

So applying to the tunnel tops seems as good a starting point as any!

Process is actually straight forward:

• clean the panel with soap and water
• dry thoroughly with a lint free cloth to remove any grease, residue etc
• cut the vinyl to size (over size to allow for folding, cutting etc)
• peal away backing film and apply pushing out any air bubbles as you go.
• Work round the corners cutting "nicks" out where necessary

I understand using a hairdryer provides for folding round more tighter rounded edges although not had need to try that technique yet.

as you can see from the photos, it looks quite effective and provides a professional finish.

Speedo Sensor Bracket

This is a piece which can quite easily be forgotten about until the time comes to fit the speedo sensor and you realise the sensor has nothing to hang from by which time the transmission tunnel has been nicely finished off, carpeted etc.

The bracket comes as a pre-cut piece of steel, GBS fold the bracket into essentially a box shape and drill holes for rivnuts to be fixed through.

Now maybe I am missing something here but using rivnuts seems overkill when once the bracket is fitted the side panels are carpeted and the seats in position, you will be unable to unscrew the bracket to remove, so why provide for rivnuts..? also using rivnuts will make for an uneven surface in which to stick the carpet to the transmission tunnel sides, so in all honesty that feature is lost on me.

Therefore I elected to rivet the bracket into position....

The bracket itself needs to be positioned over the propshaft bolts. In terms of height its not too important as the speedo sensor has a threaded shaft which you can screw in / out to get the correct height (2mm above the propshaft bolt) in order for the speedo to register.

Some of the bracket will need trimming away so as to prevent it fouling with the fuel lines and brake pipes which run down the driver side of the transmission tunnel.

I used some cardboard to act as a temporary spacer to position the bracket above the propshaft bolts (this equated to approx 1cm above), marked the driver side transmission panel and drilled through, riveting into position.

Same will be done to the passenger side transmission tunnel panel when fitted and all being well that will ensure the bracket is in position to receive the speedo sensor at a later date.

Fiddly Carpet - part 2!

So, back to some carpet laying / fitting... 

Now the sides are in position and again focusing on access to the awkward areas of the chassis, I decided to fix some more carpet onto the inner side panel passenger / driver footwells.

4 triangular pieces form this aspect of the interior carpet, all cut to size so a simple case of gluing and fitting. A liberal coating of the carpet adhesive to both the panel surface and the carpet side and apply to the panel, rollering the carpet to ensure even adhesion.

One thing with this task, you will need a ready supply of cheap brushes if you are doing this job piecemeal rather than in one hit since the glue sticks solidly to the bristles and basically the brush cannot be re-used once you have finished applying the glue.

Side Panels

Well, I took the plunge of getting the side panels fitted to the vehicle.

These along with the scuttle and rear panel are what I would class as landmark fitments in the build process, it starts to evolve into looking like a car, becomes more substantial less skeletal even.

Again I spent alot of deliberation as to when these were to be fitted - the factory fit them early in the build so it seemed sensible to take guidance from them, they do after all build these cars to a very high standard and in theory have fined tuned the build sequence over the years.

but you weigh that up with the fact that fitting the panels reduces access around the vehicle and installing items such as the engine / gearbox that bit more tricky. 

Consensus from other builders is firmly down the middle, with I would say an even split of those whom fit early to those whom leave until the last possible minute. so no guide to fall back on there! A decision had to be made so I elected to go with an early fitment simply because fitting whilst it is on trestles is easier, storage of the panels was a problem as I did not want them damaged and items such as the front suspension need removing before fitment so doing that later in the build when the vehicle is off trestles would I envisage prove more difficult...we shall see further down the line if this decision is the right one!

fitment of the panels is superb, alot better than I expected, the panels basically fit like a glove round the chassis frame, no trimming needed, a slight bend is needed mid way down the side but that virtually bends itself into position when the whole panel is mated to the chassis.

Out with the polyurethane sealant of which you will need a lot! position the panel and clamp into position.

I elected to do as few rivets as possible (The factory apparently don't even rivet) so I riveted along the front edge near the front suspension, underneath where the panel folds under the chassis and along the rear where the wheel arch will fit.

Leave to cure for a couple of days and hey presto side panels on, no turning back now and I have to say its started to look like a "proper" chassis.

Propshaft

Type 9 or MT75? - a dilemma I have been musing on for a fair while (amazing what thought processes are triggered building cars). This issue required resolving as I need to get the prop shaft into position whilst I still have reasonably good access through the passenger side transmission tunnel.

A phone call to GBS resolved the issue... Type 9 apparently offers alot more flexibility with fitment to the type 9 gearbox providing more tuning/upgrade options via differing gear ratios. Although the MT75 prop-shaft is a more than adequate solution when mated to the MT75 gearbox but has limited tuning capability in terms of swapping out gear ratios.

All those considerations are a long way down the line, need to get the car built and running in anger before I turn attention to changing gear ratios but it all needs to be considered I guess!

Decision made, Type 9 it was and duly ordered.

I had intended to collect the prop-shaft on my way through to another Steelers hockey game at Sheffield Arena however on arrival the factory was closed on one of their rare weekends when they did not open - teach me not to check before turning up. However full praise to GBS whom posted it out the following week via parcelforce at a very competitive postage rate (Certainly alot cheaper than I feared).

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, back to the build - this is a nice ten minute fit - it does need some persuasion to fit through the transmission tunnel towards the differential and angling the mounting plate will ensure it squeezes through.

four bolts locate it onto the differential - all suitably torqued up, job done, a few photos of it in situ however black on black does not come out very well the pictures unfortunately

Front suspension initial fit

So, earlier posts highlighted the build and fitment of the front wishbones followed by hub cleanup and prep. Now the hubs have had a good coating of black hammerite paint they have come up quite well - I'm pleased with the finish which will be more than adequate considering how exposed they will be to the elements on the road.

I've still got the front hub nuts to replace but felt it better to do that job whilst the hubs are in situ to give me some support and leverage in releasing them. Realising how tight they were on the rear hubs, the solution I have works (using the ball joint splitter) but it does need alot of brute force and WD40.

So time to see how it all comes together.

The front hub is held in place by top and bottom ball joints. the top however has the cycle wing stays attached which will need some of the powder coating removed to fit into the top of the hub. that in turn is gripped by an M10 x 70mm bolt and nyloc nut.

fitting the upper ball joint through the cycle wing is a fiddle, you need a short socket extension bar plus a lot of patience to locate the nut onto the thread - or I am not doing it right and there is a more obvious way which has not registered with me!

So initial fit all good, just waiting on front shocks to be ordered.

I fitted some IVA cover over the top ball joint thread nut whilst further IVA trim / nut covers need to be applied to the exposed nuts and steering rack extensions.

A quiet month (building kitcars!)

Its been a while since I posted on the blog..apologies to all but mid September through to the end of October has been a very hectic period although progress on the Zero was next to minimal.

My last post in September was just before our' annual holiday which this year took us across to Hong Kong and then onto Bali for a fortnight (I know, its tough but someone has to undertake these arduous and relaxing journeys)

That brought us back to the UK early October and for me straight into a new job as Financial Controller for specialist materials business in Manchester which has focused energies for a several weeks getting up to speed with a new business, culture, product etc. 

To further compound the lack of progress every weekend throughout October had a commitment ranging from celebrating my mums' 80th birthday (happy birthday!, I know you read the blog) to spending a weekend in a Yurt on the edge of the Peak District for our wedding anniversary and finally ending up in Anglessey for our annual get together with close friends walking and rib riding down the Menai straight.

What quiet moments I have had has allowed me to review the build so far (cant believe I am approaching a year in the project) and plan the next few stages, I have updated the build process as I decided to change tack slightly in terms of what I did next on the project.

Fingers crossed I will update November progress so keep your eyes open!

Front hubs

Now the front wishbones are hanging in position, the front hubs need some attention before fitment.

These were sourced early in the build from Ebay and were in need of a good clean before being re-painted with some black hammerite,

Out with the wire brush attachments on the electric drill and away we go cleaning up the hubs and removing general grim, dirt, surface rust which had accumulated over the years.

The wheel studs will need replacing with longer versions so I intend to apply the same methodology of removal that I did with the rear drive shafts and use a ball joint splitter and liberal doses of WD40 to break the seal between wheel stud and hub.

Fiddly carpet fitment

One thing I have learnt in this project is not to jump to far ahead of the game and then regret it further down the line when you come to do another task which is subsequently hindered.

I am constantly thinking of the implications of doing one task over another, working from home in a garage with limited specialist tools, space, time does influence how you approach the build and what order you do things.

this leads nicely onto carpet... why you say is he thinking of carpet so early in the build? well whilst the side panels are off and no scuttle or firewall has been fitted, access into the lower reaches of the footwell has never been better. Once those parts get fitted trying to fit carpet into a confined area will become all the more difficult.

So a trip to GBS was tagged onto a pre-arranged visit to Parents in Chesterfield and first Ice Hockey game of the season at Sheffield Steelers to collect the laser cut carpet set GBS produce for the zero.

First thing which catches the eye is - there are alot of pieces of carpet to fit and in turn a nice jigsaw trying to work out which piece fits where. However I Identified the pieces I specifically needed for this stage and set about getting them glued into position.

GBS do provide the glue for the carpet and a word of warning - ensure you have plenty of ventilation it is extremely whiffy and has a strong vapour. It is also very sticky stuff to apply - an old brush is ideal.

Apply liberally to both surfaces, leave for a few minutes then stick together. You have little chance for maneuvere once both surfaces are stuck together so be confident before sticking as it is messy to peel off.

So the footwell drivers and passenger panels plus the equivalent floor panels in were duly glued in. 

I also want to get the centre transmission tunnel piece glued in before the side panels go on as they are large pieces which I anticipate will be quite difficult to glue in position with obstruction in place.

Brake and Clutch Pedals - Part 3

It seems an ago when I first picked up these two parts and assembled bushes into the chassis and respective pedals.

Now I have got some of the more fiddly, hard to reach carpet fitted it seems as good a time as any to think about fitting the brake and clutch pedals into position.

The two pedals pivot from a central shaft which runs through the bushes of each pedal, with spacers between the bushes. 

The last larger spacer on the left (as you look at the assembly from the front back) needed some trimming in order to fit into the remaining gap but that aside these all went together well.

The brake master cylinder pin still requires shortening to length but until I have got the brakes fully setup I cannot finalise this length with any degree of confidence; but fitting these two pedals into position gives the chassis a more purposeful look and you can begin to visualise the driving position more clearly

The accelerator pedal fits later in the build hence why you cannot see it in the pictures below

Front suspension

Front suspension follows a similar process to the rear suspension, plenty of bushes to insert!

To recap, for those whom have not read the rear suspension post... 

1. Clean powder coat out of the holes where the plastic bushes locate
2. chamfer the lead edges to assist easing the bush into the suspension arm
3. apply some copper grease and squeeze in the bush
4. Follow up with the tubing inserted through the bush trimmed to size 

There are some photos of this process on the rear suspension post which hopefully illustrate this better than words describe!

The lower ball joint is next to fix into position. Reading other builds suggests locating the lower ball joint underneath the lower suspension arm and for the bolts to pass through top to bottom which I duly followed. Clearly something to do with suspension geometry as my logical head would have suggested fitting on top of the lower wishbone....

The upper suspension arm has the upper ball joint screwed into the threaded end. Ensure any powder coat has been cleaned out of the internal thread on the suspension arm, apply a small amount of WD40 to assist the screwing in - initially screw in to locate, fine tuning of the suspension geometry will come much later down the line after a few uninstalls and re-installs I anticipate.

Some IVA trim will need to be applied to the upper wishbone whilst the upper ball joint requires a final setup to achieve a 43mm distance between the middle of the upper ball joint and the outside edge of the lock nut.

Repeat above for both sides and then we can go about doing a test fit onto the chassis. This went well once powder cat has been cleaned from the chassis locating holes, the gaps between chassis mounting and the wishbone will require packing out with spacers and like the rear wishbone no hard and fast rule - just ensure enough spacers are packed in to pad out any gaps and remove any slackness in the fit.

So, all successfully installed, front shocks, hubs and cycle wing carriers await

 

Inner crescent panels

Two inner crescent panels are next to be fitted to the chassis and I have to say I am surprised these are not part of the starter kit which I anticipated would have had all the panels necessary to enable a full construction of the chassis.

Not sure of the logic in not including these with the starter kit apart from it providing the option to the builder of not fitting these for weight saving, personal aesthetic reasons...anyway panels sourced from GBS and ready to fit into the chassis.

Process follows previous description for panel fitting so I wont go into great line by line detail here, selective riveting on the square tubed panel and cleco'd into position as holes drilled to take rivets when finally sealed and fixed into position.

Rear driveshaft re-furbish part 1

The time is approaching where I need to give consideration to getting the rear driveshafts fitted onto the chassis, however before fitting, the shafts need some serious TLC having come from a sierra donor. Time to reacquaint myself with one of the first purchases made when I embarked on this fascinating kit car build.

First task was to take a wire brush drill attachment to the shafts and remove as much of the surface rust and grim as possible, this task proved quite rewarding and is worth taking the time and effort to get as good a finish as possible - I was pleasantly surprised at how well the shafts were coming up.

I also want to replace the universal joint rubber gaiters with new ones whilst the shafts are removed from the car so I took a sharp knife to the existing gaiters and stripped those off the driveshaft - promptly releasing grease/oil onto the garage floor as a had forgot the gaiters contain a surprisingly large quantity of lubricant!

next step remove the hubs which fit onto the spline - this was a challenge and required a three legged puller to remove the hub from the spline - remember the nut which holds the hub on has a reverse thread so don't make the rookie error of inadvertently tightening it.

Finally, the present wheel studs are too short for the alloys which I ultimately intend to fit so I took the opportunity to remove those which in turn will be replaced with 47mm studs at a later date. These are extremely difficult to remove and I ultimately found the best tool to do this job was a £9.99 ball joint splitter from machine mart which together with some brute force releases the old stud from the hub.

So the driveshaft was now in a position to be fully degreased and be prep'd ready for some Hammerite paint.


Next stage, fit new rubber gaitors....