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| The orange colour was Matthew's choice - we think it look s good |
December 24th 2011 - New Seat Belts
The kit came with the standard inertia reel seatbelts which we'd already half fitted, but we quickly realised the upgraded seats with the cutout below the headrest would look far better with some four-point harnesses. These duly arrived for Mark's birthday and are ORANGE TRS items from Great British Sportscars at little more than half the price of Westfield-supplied belts. No real work on the car then, just five minutes away from a family Christmas-eve lunch to fit the driver's side top mounting bolts:
December 3rd 2011 - Indicator
This time last year there was deep now on the ground, but we didn't manage to take full advantage of the fine weather as we only go about an hour's work in amongst the distractions associated with the car being in the garage of elderly parents!
We did manage to get one of the nosecone-mounted indicators on though. It was, for once, a straightforward task involving marking and drilling three holes in the same way as we did for the fog and reversing lights: a big one in the middle for the grommet, smaller 5.5mm ones either side for the mounting bolts. Once done, it was simply a mattter of bolting the housing on and riveting the light unit to it using small 3.3mm rivets. Easy!
We did manage to get one of the nosecone-mounted indicators on though. It was, for once, a straightforward task involving marking and drilling three holes in the same way as we did for the fog and reversing lights: a big one in the middle for the grommet, smaller 5.5mm ones either side for the mounting bolts. Once done, it was simply a mattter of bolting the housing on and riveting the light unit to it using small 3.3mm rivets. Easy!
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| Riveting the light unit to the bracket |
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| Finished! |
November 19th 2011 - Reversing and Fog lights
Having added the remaining connectors at home, we returned to fit them. We'd worked out that the grommets supplied with the kit would be too big to fit between some of the mounting lugs, so bought some 25mm versions from B&Q, which turned out to be ideal.
Having seen the "A Racing Car is Born" DVD, where the guy doesn't fit his SVA/IVA stuff until after the build and regrets it, we dug out the brackets to make the reversing at fog lights sit vertical (a legal requirement). We had to enlarge the central hole in these as they were not designed for the connector to pass through (and were starting to wonder whether we'd made the right decision on pre-fitting the connectors).
That done, we masked up the area where the lights were to go and measured up (several times) to make sure the lights would be level with the main rear light units and symmetrical with each other. We then chain drilled and filed the 25mm grommet holes and the smaller ones for the mounting lugs.
Having seen the "A Racing Car is Born" DVD, where the guy doesn't fit his SVA/IVA stuff until after the build and regrets it, we dug out the brackets to make the reversing at fog lights sit vertical (a legal requirement). We had to enlarge the central hole in these as they were not designed for the connector to pass through (and were starting to wonder whether we'd made the right decision on pre-fitting the connectors).
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| Rear of reversing light showing IVA bracket, grommet and new connector |
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| Masked (hurriedly), marked, drilled and filed ready to accept the reversing light |
Then followed 4 or 5 trial fittings to cut the right size slot in the to of the IVA bracket to prevent it fouling the grommet. It seems like a lot of effort to avoid the pain of fitting the connectors in situ, but should make it a lot easier should they need to be replaced.
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| Reversing light viewed from above. Cut out to provide clearance for grommet clearly visible |
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| The finished job is pleasing, but belies the amount of effort put in! |
October 2011 - Lighting connectors
To make some "easy" progress, we connected up the headlights. This involved fixing a connector block to the metal spade-like connectors on the end of each wire - easy enough. Spurred on by this, we decided to do the same for the rear lights, but this was more difficult because it involved removing an existing connector, adding the spade-like connectors (which need crimping) then pulling them into a connector block. This was not easily carried out within the wheelarch and with an old set of pliers, so a different approach was needed.
This approach was to take the light units (including the fog light, reversing light and front indicators) home and fit the connectors there. This has the advantage of being sure of a good connection (things are usually easier sitting on a sofa than when hunched under a car), but has the disadvantage of needing larger hols in the bodywork to fit the connector through. We did manage to get one light unit wired up OK though:
This approach was to take the light units (including the fog light, reversing light and front indicators) home and fit the connectors there. This has the advantage of being sure of a good connection (things are usually easier sitting on a sofa than when hunched under a car), but has the disadvantage of needing larger hols in the bodywork to fit the connector through. We did manage to get one light unit wired up OK though:
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| Rear near side wheelarch showing cable coming from rear lights |
September 2011 - Gearbox filler
I'm sure we did slightly more in September, but it must have been fairly unproductive, as the only photo I have is of the hole we made in the passenger footwell to allow easier access to the gearbox filler plug/hole. We'll make a hinged cover for it later. Unfortunately I didn't have an allen key big enough, so had to buy a "proper" set. However, the plug still wouldn't undo - reading up on this afterward I found that they are typically VERY tight - I'll have to use a longer bar to turn it.
August 2011 - Routing the ECU cables
Limited amount of time to work on the car, or even update this blog, so we'll do four months' worth at once.
In August we tackled a job we'd been putting off for ages - routing the ECU engine wiring through to the engine bay. It was of those "if only we'd plannned ahead and put more clips inside the tunnnel" moments and without them, the options were:
1. Take the wiring through the bulkhead (untidy)
2. Undo the cable ties in the tunnel for the main loom (hard to get at without risking damagine the loom)
3. Try to get some more clips in down the other side of the tunnel (hard to get the drill/riveter in)
We went for option 3, and it turned out slightly easier than it looked, and the end result was tidy:
After this, connecting the engine wiring was relatively "plug & play", although there's still one "spare" connector and the hole for the exhaust gas sensor to make. Not sure if I'll do as others have done and get a replacement connector so it doesn't need a massive hole in the side of the body.
In August we tackled a job we'd been putting off for ages - routing the ECU engine wiring through to the engine bay. It was of those "if only we'd plannned ahead and put more clips inside the tunnnel" moments and without them, the options were:
1. Take the wiring through the bulkhead (untidy)
2. Undo the cable ties in the tunnel for the main loom (hard to get at without risking damagine the loom)
3. Try to get some more clips in down the other side of the tunnel (hard to get the drill/riveter in)
We went for option 3, and it turned out slightly easier than it looked, and the end result was tidy:
23 July 2011 - Bonnet fitting
It doesn't seem as long ago as April that we last updated the blog, probably because we've been busy setting up Matthew with his own go-kart and all the paraphernalia that goes with it. We also had a weekend at the British Grand Prix.
That's not to say we haven't been working on the Westfield, but progress has been very slow.
We've probably had about three visits since April and they've mostly been taken up with fitting the bonnet: The pins and grommets at the front edge and bonnet locks at the bulkhead end. The former were quite straight forward in themselves, but required adjustment of the nosecone which we'd previously spent a while getting just right! Too "right" as it turned out, as there wasn't enough of a panel gap to allow for the thickness of the grommet! Several hours later everything was looking straight again.
Next up were the (optional (Christmas present)) bonnet locks, and with them the biggest mistake so far. The position the latest manual gave for the locks seemed too far forward such that they would need a big chunk of the return edge of the bonnet removing to fit them.... so we went our own way and fitted them nearer to the bulkhead. BIG MISTAKE! The fitting was fairly straightforward, if (again) time consuming due to constantly having to take the bonnet off and on. It amounted to an octagonal hole in the bonnet and aligning a U-shaped channel on the edge of the body.
All looked fine until it came time to put the bulkhead back on and it fouled the u-shaped piece on the nearside. The only option (other than getting a new bonnet) was to cut back the bulkhead to allow it to clear the catch. Not ideal, but it could have been worse. The moral of the story is to think twice before assuming you know better than the manual!
That done, we did the final bit of body fitting, the fastening of the rear bodywork. This was easier than the manual suggested it might be: A couple of g-clamps to lift it up about 20mm, then 6 large-head rivets into the two chassis tubes obviously (most things are obvious after the event) put there for that purpose:
With the body now fully secure, the target of having the car in a state to bring home has been reached, and that will happen.... after we've sorted out somewhere to store the go-kart and its trailer. Doh
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| Its a BRM Cadet kart with a WTP 2-stroke engine and lots of grazed knuckles! |
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| Matthew claims it was down to him that Alonso won! |
We've probably had about three visits since April and they've mostly been taken up with fitting the bonnet: The pins and grommets at the front edge and bonnet locks at the bulkhead end. The former were quite straight forward in themselves, but required adjustment of the nosecone which we'd previously spent a while getting just right! Too "right" as it turned out, as there wasn't enough of a panel gap to allow for the thickness of the grommet! Several hours later everything was looking straight again.
Next up were the (optional (Christmas present)) bonnet locks, and with them the biggest mistake so far. The position the latest manual gave for the locks seemed too far forward such that they would need a big chunk of the return edge of the bonnet removing to fit them.... so we went our own way and fitted them nearer to the bulkhead. BIG MISTAKE! The fitting was fairly straightforward, if (again) time consuming due to constantly having to take the bonnet off and on. It amounted to an octagonal hole in the bonnet and aligning a U-shaped channel on the edge of the body.
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| Bonnet catch from the inside (apologies for photo quality) |
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| Looks neater from the outside (or will do if we ever get rid of all the fibreglass dust!) |
That done, we did the final bit of body fitting, the fastening of the rear bodywork. This was easier than the manual suggested it might be: A couple of g-clamps to lift it up about 20mm, then 6 large-head rivets into the two chassis tubes obviously (most things are obvious after the event) put there for that purpose:
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| Rivets to hold the rear bodywork to the chassis |
With the body now fully secure, the target of having the car in a state to bring home has been reached, and that will happen.... after we've sorted out somewhere to store the go-kart and its trailer. Doh
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| Looks the same, but it has progressed, honest! |
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