1065 replies to this topic

[Burnard]

Give your friendly miles away burny a shout if the welds break, I can jump up and down on mine in 30x30x3 box section.

Looks good, but what was the point of that modification? you write so much i forget bits.

[GreaseMonkey]

Space for the rad with the standard roundnose front end.

Edited by GreaseMonkey, 31 January 2011 - 11:01 PM.

[Burnard]

Ahh ok make sence now, so the rad basically sits on that little ledge, or near enough.

Maybe someone should speak to allspeed and get the frames changed?

[Kam]

but what was the point of that modification? you write so much i forget bits

I do that on purpose Chris so you get bored and go read someone else's build diary

As the monks above said its for more space for a rad, I've got a few ideas for an off-the-shelf-rad but until the wing is sitting on there I won't know how much extra room this gives?

Its no good to Allspeed mate, as you read a while ago I've been using KAD steering rack limiters (by mistake!) since day one but seems they come in handy now, with a normal rack full lock you can't go on the 'outside' like I have, you need to go on the 'inside' like Gingermonkey has

[Burnard]

Ahh ok, i guess as you said, most people go with clubby fronts anyway.

And if you want to keep me out your gonna need to post ALLOT more pictures now that ive upgraded to BT infinity

[1984mini25]

And if you want to keep me out your gonna need to post ALLOT more pictures now that ive upgraded to BT infinity

You’ll go blind with that amount of porn.

[Kam]

And if you want to keep me out your gonna need to post ALLOT more pictures now that ive upgraded to BT infinity

Just incase anyone was wondering why the build diary is OTT from the start, it is to (hopefully) help someone else out, before I started an engine swap all the build diaries were (and still are) the same, its great seeing peoples progress but its always the same thing we see, I wanted to do a different type of diary where I'm showing hopefully pretty much all the basic things you need to know if anyone is heading down this route, not everyone will bother doing a diary like this and thats the problem - people assume to much?

I knew diddly-squat before I started (am still learning loads everyday) and even if I used the SEARCH button I would still be asking questions on the silly little things, hopefully the silly little things are explained on here

Also, if I need a pick-me-up during the build (which happens alot) I read through it and see how far I've come despite the lack of knowledge/ability/equipment/space I had, I'm not blessed with car mechanics know all like some people on a car forum think everyone should have before they start on something like this, I've got no time for people like that, everyone has to start somewhere and wants to get somewhere

My mates are still utterly gobsmacked I have even got this far, and thats the whole point why I'm doing the build in detail in the first place to show it can be done providing you got the time/space and money - I'm not one for wasting either

The build diary will remain this way until the project is completed, my build my rules my way

[Kam]

Right, the bar is all on, ended up welding a smaller triangluar support bar at the very bottom just for peace of mind, then I lowered the car down and it all seemed fine, no squeaks or creeks so grabbed the angle grinder to smooth down the welds and bang!

No, not the frame but the grinder decided to blow itself up!



I'm guessing when smoke starts coming out its not a good sign ok its only a cheap one but its done me ok up until now so I'll just get another one

You can see the difference compared with the old bar



Then a little test, vid



Thats a 10-4 then, so far

Its given another 35mm depth at the bottom, 60mm in the middle and 90mm up top, its the 35mm thats the important one though

Next job - get the front end on, then and only then will I get an idea if I have bitten off more than I can chew going standard roundnose!

But I'm back at work now so not sure when that will get done, its bloody typical!!!!! as soon as I start to get into a rhythm and start enjoying working on the car again work comes up!

How selfish of them!

[Shifty]

Looks good, I'd be careful about removing parts of the frame without bracing it first, its easy to twist stuff like that(especially with the engine in)

The magnetic clamps can be a pain to get things like that aligned, they're better suited to sheet metal work, some G-Clamps may make your life easier.

Some of the welds look pretty good as well!!

[Kam]

Still learning so just picked up what bits I thought I needed at the time

Thanks for the heads up though Sean

[Kam]

I was starting to get a bit eager to 'try' the new roundnose panels on complete, I wanted to know if I had bitten off more than I could chew with what space I got left in the bay with the new front, I was dreading it but it has to be done, so I mocked up the whole front end with some grips



You can see the gap between the panels where the bottom of the front panel was catching on the frame so preventing it from sitting flush at the sides



Bit of crude work with the angle grinder (don't worry it will be cleaned and smoothed up!) and got it sitting back a bit further







I can honestly say seeing the standard roundnose front end sitting on there is a big thing for me this car needs its nose back!

I then took off the front end and put the driveshafts on and exhaust manifold to set the engine position, got it 'roughly' to where I had it before, but took a bit more fiddling this time round

I then wanted to try out my skunk2 inlet manifold to see if my seriously small bulkhead box would take it, but first cut and smoothed off the small bracket section piece on the side thats not needed and chopped a bit off the pipe at the back down (inlet to servo connector) as it was hitting the top section of the bulkhead box so I couldn't get it on - yes my box on the B16 was that tight!





Bit more grinding and 'adjustment' on the bulkhead box and it slipped in nicely........



......and left around 0.5 to 1mm of clearance!!!

Engine is pretty much where it needs to be so the angle grinder has to come out to play again on the bulkhead box - I feel like I'm building the whole bloody car again! Happy times

Incase your wondering why the shorter inlet with the taller B18 block is more tight now its because the bulkhead box I made was made for the B16 for a clubman front, roundnose wasn't really on the books, now that it is it means the engine needs to sit further back a bit more, so the minimal clearance I had before is gone

But I don't care, I want that roundnose on there!

Now the engine position was set with the manifold on it was time to put the front end on again, held with grips to see what space I have now got.......













.........so 'effin tight would be the word to explain the space there! Looking at the pictures makes me laugh, there really is NO room wherever you look, that exhaust manifold is the tightest you can get it!

I also got my secondhand grille come through (black plastic grille) same as my original roundnose I did have before



Expect this one is different on the reverse? I'm 99.99999% sure my old grille had solid sections on the back but this one has slats



Which may now come in handy.........hmmmmmm

For a laugh I thought I would try and see what space I got in the 'radiator' area, the only thing I had here to try was my kneeling pad!



Its about 300mm total height and 500mm width with 40mm depth, so if I can find a radiator down my breakers with a little bit more height (which will only just fit) I should hopefully be able to use a standard rad which was the whole point of the cut on the frame, I don't want too much custom stuff on here, I want as much off the shelf as poss incase something gets damaged and needs to be replaced

Of course finding a radiator that apart from the measurements also has the top/bottom hose on the correct side for mine will be be difficult, but I've got a back-up plan for that

Next job - have some kfc then get a MPI bonnet and weld up the removable front end panel

[mike174]

Looking good Kam

[Kam]

Looking good Kam

Cheers mate, hopefully it will look alot better when you see it in 6(ish) months time

[1984mini25]

I also got my secondhand grille come through (black plastic grille) same as my original roundnose I did have before



Expect this one is different on the reverse? I'm 99.99999% sure my old grille had solid sections on the back but this one has slats



Which may now come in handy.........hmmmmmm

They aren’t plastic, there pressed steel, hence why I have to keep repainting mine on a yearly basis.

Although they normally have a large plated section the back, sort of like a built in weather shield, but then that also reduces the cooling but quite a bit.

[Burnard]

not much space left at all!

Now you took the wheels off, put them back on the right way round next time

by the way, is it running yet?