Build Day 13

Build time today 6.0 hours - Total build time 42.5 hours.

Man time today 6.0 hours - Total man time 54.5 hours.

First of all I finished off the brake pipes completing the rear pipe routing. Time consuming a fiddle but less frustrating as I have worked our a reasonable method.

Right hand rear brake pipe routed

Left hand rear brake pipe routed

I then continued with the searing rack fitting the covers required for the IVA test, I then found I was a couple of lock nuts down (I had two larger nuts spare but not the correct ones.) so left the searing rack alone again. I then had a go at fitting the front uprights and brake units. Again the guide does not totally make it clear what is required. the ball joints come with a plastic protective covering, it does not mention these in the guide and it took a while to work at they were surplus to requirements. Also it does not mention that the top joint is tightened using a spanner and 5mm Allen key with the Allen key inserted up through the middle of the spanner. How I am going to torque these up I am yet to work out as I can't get a torque wrench on some of the nuts/bolts.

I then attached the front flexible brake hoses, this required that I remove them from the mounting points on the car first. they need to be attached to the brakes before the car.

Now on to the rear uprights, checking through the parts again I realized I was missing a couple of 4" bolts. I think I was missing a couple of longer bolts for the front anti roll bar and used the ones for the rear by mistake. I decided to progress through and use a temporary bolt to attach the top of the upright. Now that the holes are the correct size for the bar it went quite smoothly, I use a trestle to support the upright while inserting the lower bar as it is quite heavy.

Once the uprights were in place and the temporary bolt (too short) was securing the top mounts I then moved on the rear anti roll bar. This again took some thought the guide says that the brackets need to be attached to the arms 121mm from the centre line from the cross bar, not 121mm down the bar but 121mm taking a parallel line. to do this I used the used the temporary table I am using which is a conti board sheet on a couple of trestles. I drew a pencil line a couple of inches from the bottom then measured 121mm from this line and drew a line parallel to it. This would be the centre line for the cross bars. The cross bar is 22mm so I then drew another two lines 11mm above and below the centre line to allow me to line the bar up easily. This worked quite well allowing me to get the brackets secured in what I hope is the correct place.

Left rear upright in place

Right rear upright in place and rear anti roll bar fitted

Once these were complete I did a little tidying up, sweeping up a few odd leaves blown in by the wind and the rivet remnants etc. I still use the other half of the garage for my car and I don't want a puncture. Oli then came back from his driving lesson and came it to have a look at progress with his instructor, Lynden. He complained that I had fitted the rear uprights as he had been working on them. I said he should have got up to help then.

Oli trying the passenger foot brace for position

It's looking more like a car now