Right, December seems to be the last time I posted, must be time to post some kind of update. Nothing major to report other than me changing my mind about a number of things, mainly to speed it up. My priority is now to get it going, so 'simplify filter' is being applied to every part of the build.
I wanna drive this thing!!! I would love to take it to the Minishow in July, probably in an unpainted but driveable state so that's kind my target now.
Driveable by July!!! There I said it out loud...
First example of my 'simplify' philosophy was with the intercooler - If I keep the Toyota top-mount, use all the factory hardware and there's one job pretty much finished, just need to cut a hole in the bonnet.
Anyway, rather than rabbit on I'll just post a bunch of pics.
3mm steel folded to reinforce side of frame. Other side will be similar, but has engine mount and alt thru it so not the full length.
Wood mockup of Alt Mount. Gone back to Charade alt for space considerations. Can't cut inner guard any higher due to box section and can't go lower due to frame. Alt mounts with only two points so I'm trying to make the mounts super rigid, hence top one is going to be a block of alloy.
BMC put a plate in so I didn't have to crawl under the dash to cut this hole. I drilled it out on the bench nice and civilised like...
Here you can see the reasons for the tunnel mods.
Not connected properly at this point and the top angle will be slightly less severe at the top joint. OK, steering column is (from bottom to top) Standard rack, half a Rover SD1 steering uni (same spline as mini) matched with half a starlet lower uni, this joins to a half Mitsubishi Nimbus lower column which joins to the end of the Nimbus upper column which I have machined to be a press fit in the end of the starlet column (will get a cross pin put in to stop twisting) . No welding required so hopefully this will pass engineering OK. If it doesn't I got back to the standard column for now.
Mk 3 gearshift cable stop. Fiddly bastard of a thing to get nice and rigid.
Too easy, starlet hardware all the way. Just had to weld the end of the EP82 pedal to mine.
As it looks now.
No pics but I think I have got on to some wheel arch flares that will fit so saving a bunch of metal work. And time. I am just about ready to pull it all out again for all the bracing to the subframe, then get it checked by the engineer and then send it to get finally welded.
Cheers
Madmorrie
