360S S3 "Yellowjacket" Build in Upstate SC

[ralph]

Congrats!!

[panamericano]

Better get used to all that grinning.  Builds facial muscles and prevents wrinkles.  Great job on the build.

[Yoram]

Small fixes after first drive

 

Speedometer not working

My first suspect was the gap between the sensor and tone ring being too big.

I removed the sensor from the bracket (which also serves as the sta-bar link attachment).

The range adjustment of the sensor was already at minimum, so the only option was to bend the bracket.

I decided to do this in situ with a long woodworking clamp running underneath the wheel hub and reacting on the rear side of the deDion tube (over a piece of wood).

I had the rear of the car on jack stands so once I got some bend in the bracket and reassembled the sensor I started the car, put it in 3rd and let the clutch out.  The speedo sprang to life.

 

 

 

Coil cover touching bonnet

The coil cover is held by 2 screws on the RH side and tends to lift up on the LH side.

Due to the shape of the cover and small witness marks on it the risk of bonnet contact seems worse at the rear.

I drilled a small hole on the LH vertical side of the cover about 1" up and forward from the corner, and snuck a zip tie through it and through one of two small holes in the valve cover.  The zip tie and hole are visible in the following pic right above the fuel connector.  If this fix does not eliminate the rattle we were hearing I will simply remove the coil cover and add lightness instead.

 

 

 

 

Next items to address are TPS and idle calibration, and dipstick "calibration" which will most likely involve cutting a TBD length off the bottom of the dipstick guiding hose.

I also started preparations for titling and registering the car in SC.  I will devote a beautiful post just to that, once we get there...

 

 

Cheers!

 

[Yoram]

This post is out of sequence -- part of the posting backlog of tasks completed before start-up.

 

Headlights and front turn signals

 

Unfortunately, in the heat of the battle, I did not take pics of some key assembly steps and I apologize for that.  I know text alone is not the best way to communicate this kind of stuff.

 

The headlight and the turn signal "pod" share a hollow vertical stem that passes through the headlight stay and routes the wires through it.

To install the turn signal you first remove the lens, attach the base to the "pod" (a black plastic shell) and then reassemble the lens.  The pod mounts on the headlight stay under the headlight.

To install the headlight you first need to disassemble the reflector/glass unit from the housing, including disconnecting the clip holding the headlight bulb housing and pulling out the running light bulb housing.  I then installed the headlamp loosely on its stay on top of the turn signal pod, and threaded the ground wire from the turn signal pod through the hollow stem of the headlight into its housing and added it under the headlight ground screw.

 

Next pic:  Disassembled headlight and pod loosely on stay, with the turn signal ground threaded up into the headlight housing.  Next steps are tighten the turn signal ground ring to the headlight housing, install the bulb housings back into the reflector/glass unit and attach it to the housing.

 

 

 

 

Next I reconnected the bulb housings with their bulbs to the reflector/glass unit, threaded the bundle of 4 wires down the stem and reassembled the reflector/glass unit to the housing.  Then I threaded the bundle of 4 wires from the headlamp and the positive wire from the turn signal pod through the hole in the headlight stay and into the chassis.   Finally I tightened the single large mounting nut under the pod.  This nut gets loosened for aim adjustment.

Alignment of the headlights and pods on the stem is "infinite" -- it is up to the builder to align the pods straight, and to use headlight aiming equipment to fix the headlight horizontal and vertical angles.  The counter torque to the above mounting nut is your hand holding the headlight, and maybe your knees holding the pod from turning... 

 

 

 

 

The electrical connection of the front lights to the chassis loom is made with a 6 spade "Econoseal" connector per side which you need to put together.

Each Econoseal connector combines 4 leads from the headlight (low, high, running and ground) and 1 each from the pod and wing repeater (turn signal positive wires).  Easier to assemble than I expected.  The 2 spades in the sub-loom on the left are the turn signal wires.  The insulating sleeves are not in their final position. 

 

 

 

 

Secured the repeater wires with zip ties under the front tubes of the upper wishbones leaving sufficient loose length outboard to accommodate steering.

 

 

 

 

Next I added 1/2"" braided sleeve to the last ~6-8"" of the bundles near the connector (the edges look fraying but they are melted).

Finally I routed the lighting loom inside the chassis and connected and secured the assembled Econoseal connectors to the top chassis tubes.

 

 

 

 

Proper loom routing and securing is a key ingredient of the front lighting installation.  It is critical to first properly route and secure the repeater wire along the wishbone to keep it out of the way of things, yet allow enough slack for steering.  Only then you can finalize the routing and securing of the rest of the wires.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

[Yoram]

Another posting backlog item predating the first drive:

 

Bonnet

 

The only tedious part about this one is peeling off the blue protective film from the top surface.

Applied Amazon-sourced 1/2" x 1/8" high density black self adhesive foam strips (instead of the crap supplied in the kit) to the nose cone and the bonnet's long edges.

 

 

 

 

I found the best way to lay the bonnet down onto the car is to hold it on both sides in its target orientation (one arm stretched over it) and then lower the rear edge onto the scuttle.  Then, with the rear edge resting on the scuttle, move forward, grab the front side ends and pull them apart a bit to clear the nose cone as I lower them into position.  Obviously the nose cone needs to be secured in place before putting on the bonnet.  

Clamping the bonnet down with the 4 latches is straightforward.  I am thinking of adding clear film on the skin behind the front ones to prevent scuffs.

 

 

 

 

 

8 October edit:

 

Had some leftover silicone hose I used for cushioning the front wings on their stays, and decided to try to use short pieces as body skin protectors over the springs of the bonnet front latches.  I may actually leave them on like this, or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Yoram

[Yoram]

... and one more backlog post...

 

License Plate Bracket (and light)

 

The kit comes with a nifty little combination license plate+reverse LED light fixture which installs with 2 screw on a bracket pre-welded to the chassis below the skin.

However it does not come with a license plate bracket.  But you do not want to drill the rear body skin and besides it is not vertical.

I did quite a bit of searching and found nothing I thought I could adapt to the Se7en, so decided to fabricate one.  I wanted it to be stiff, light, corrosion resistant and to bolt under the above light fixture sharing its bracket and screws.

I proceeded to fabricate it from a 8" x 12" x 3mm aluminum plate, with a large window cutout in the center to "add lightness".

Used a drill press, small electric jigsaw and Dremel rotary and contour sander tools.

My biggest problem was bending the plate to allow the license plate to sit vertical.  Using clamps and a water pipe clamp as lever I ended up with a curve rather than a tight bend which raised the license plate above the light by 1".  I decided to let it be.

 

 

 

Due to the narrow gap between the bracket and the body at the bottom I installed the license plate mounting screws (M5-16 stainless steel, left over from front wing mounting) from the back side and jam-tightened to the bracket with nyloc nuts under the license plate.  The license plate will be secured with nylon nuts (left over from rear wing mounting) with stainless steel washers on both sides.

Installed the bracket and light on the car along with an expired plate to verify fit and alignment.  Seem to work OK.
Tucked the short loom and connector up above the lower chassis rail.

 

 

 

I am hoping to have the car titled and registered next week!

 

 

Cheers!

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by Yoram

[Yoram]

Mirrors trial 1 (Fail)

 

Now that I'm preparing to have the car registered and start driving on public roads it's time to install the side mirrors (or wing mirrors as the Brits call them although they don't mount on the wings).

The kit comes with a set of 2 aftermarket (door or wing) mid-sixties' style mirrors, and 2 Caterham-designed stays and mounting screws. You are supposed to unscrew the AM mirrors from their stems and screw them onto the Caterham stays.  The Caterham stays attach to the middle thread up the side of the windscreen frame by an adapter screw and a setscrew.

 

The little devil in the details is that once you unscrew the AM mirror from its stem all the backing hardware inside the mirror comes loose and goes to rest at various corners of the housing.  The nonchalant tip in the IKEA guide is to "unclick the glass" (and then install the mirror housing on the Caterham stay and snap the glass back).

The little problem with that is that the glass is glued to the housing, and it does not "unclick".  It chips and breaks when trying to pry it off.

 

No biggie, but this is the shoddiest piece of kit in this kit. 

I have a pair of single mount Lifeline MSA Formula mirrors on order from the UK.  Will need to come up with some kind of adapters to attach them to the intended middle thread in the windshield frame.  I will of course post progress.

 

 

Middle screw on the frame is replaced by an adapter screw to carry the Caterham stay:

 

 

 

Caterham stays and adapter screws:

 

 

 

AM mirrors after "disassembly":

 

 

 

... and after "unclicking the glass"...

 

 

 

In summary - garbage (literally).

 

Mirrors on order:  https://www.demon-tweeks.com/us/lifeline-msa-formula-mirror-244324/    black, convex.

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Yoram

[IamScotticus]

Bro, your 7s looking good.

[ralph]

Same thing happened with my mirrors. "Unclicking" might have worked with some prior version of the mirrors, but it's not a viable option with what they ship now; it just breaks them.

 

The silver lining is those mirrors suck anyway. Convex mirrors will show more while blocking less (particularly with an Eccles mount). I'm using the mirrors designed for the aero scoop and they work fine.

 

Agree this is among the more unforgivably shoddy bits of the kit.

 

Just go fast enough that what's behind you doesn't matter....

 

-r

[Yoram]

Rear lights wiring - minor clean up

 

Small stuff but thought I'd throw it in for completeness.

 

1.  Secured the rear light looms (which run along the lower chassis rails) on the outside of the rails to eliminate risk of pinching -- above by deDion tube at rebound, inside by coil-over mount at rebound, below by jack.

 

 

 

2.  Per @mrmustang's good prod, added grommets to the holes in the rear wings for the tail light looms.  Couldn't find the correct size so cut larger grommets to fit.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

[Yoram]

On 9/28/2023 at 5:56 AM, mrmustang said:

Given your fantastic attention to detail, I'm surprised there is no rubber "finish" grommet in the drilled hole for the wiring harness on the taillight install as shown in your last picture attached .

 

 

 

Bill S.

 

 

 

Done.  Thanks!

 

[Yoram]

Rear Wheel Spacers

 

I know this is a controversial topic and am anticipating good comments.

 

So...  I decided to add spacers for the rear wheels for purely visual reasons.  The stock wings and 14" wheels (185 cross section tires) on the 360 make the rear of the car look very wimpy (to my eyes of course).  However, I do not want more tire because I like the vintage feel of building noticeable slip angles even under relatively moderate cornering.

So, the main considerations for a spacer are the right thickness for wheel fit within the wing and avoiding or minimizing modifications to the existing studs.

After some figuring and searching I found 25mm thick hub-centric aluminum spacers which mount on the existing studs and come with their own studs and nuts (clocked at 45 deg).  The key dimensions are 108mm stud/hole circle dia, 63.4mm centering dia, 4 x M12-1.5 studs, 25mm thickness.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QBSZJK6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

25mm seems optimal here in using the available wing width without the wheel sticking out.  It also provides good thickness under the added retaining nuts and for their height.  (I've looked at a 20mm version which of course has less meat under the nuts, and the nuts themselves shorter.)

A critical point was to verify that the existing studs would not crash into the inner surface of the wheel.

The length of the existing studs is 27mm, which means they stick out of the spacer by 2mm as can be seen below.

 

 

 

 

I measured the 4 recesses in 2 wheels multiple times as best I could with calipers and came up with a consistent ~2.5mm, which is promising but close...

 

 

 

 

So I decided to confirm clearance with modeling clay similar to checking valve to piston clearance in engine builds.

I installed and torqued the spacer on the hub, placed some clay in the 4 recesses of the wheel and mounted and gradually torqued the wheel.

 

 

 

Upon removal and inspection I found the 4 clay globs showing healthy remaining thickness.  I'm comfortable that the original studs do not contact the wheel.

 

 

 

 

I cleaned off the clay and mounted and torqued the wheels.

 

Since I widened the rear track by 50mm and therefore reduced a bit lateral weight transfer, I stiffened the adjustable rear stabilizer bar by one hole from my "benign" starting point (went from 2nd lightest to 3rd lightest).  Actual/final setting is of course subject to driving which I have yet to do.

 

However, the visual result to my eyes is very satisfying:

 

 

 

 

 

BTW, I've had a very similar setup at the rear of my '87 911 for the last 14 years with no issues.

 

 

Cheers!

 

[MV8]

Looks good. I've used similar (needed bed fender well clearance for modern ram wheels on a 70-80s D100)  with no actual problems after years of use. The only issue I found is the spacer/adapter studs and nuts were not what they claim to be as for as size and pitch. The studs are non-standard so there is no oem stud I could replace them with (different shank od) and the nuts are also proprietary but the fastener material and quality was adequate. Just a consideration. 

[Yoram]

2 hours ago, MV8 said:

Looks good. I've used similar (needed bed fender well clearance for modern ram wheels on a 70-80s D100)  with no actual problems after years of use. The only issue I found is the spacer/adapter studs and nuts were not what they claim to be as for as size and pitch. The studs are non-standard so there is no oem stud I could replace them with (different shank od) and the nuts are also proprietary but the fastener material and quality was adequate. Just a consideration. 

 

Thank you! In my case the studs on the spacers are identical thread to the ones on the hub.  I confirmed this before purchase. I am using the lug nuts that came on the spacer studs to tighten the spacers to the original studs, and the original lug nuts to tighten the wheels on the spacer studs.  In fact, it would have been impossible to use the original lug nuts to tighten the spacers to the hubs as they are way too tall to fit under the wheels.

[IamScotticus]

On 10/9/2023 at 1:01 AM, ralph said:

Just go fast enough that what's behind you doesn't matter....

So true

plodding along at everyone's speed is dangerous.  the only places  a 7 is seen is out front or over five car lengths behind.  everywhere else is your blind spot zone.

[Yoram]

10 minutes ago, IamScotticus said:

So true

plodding along at everyone's speed is dangerous.  the only places  a 7 is seen is out front or over five car lengths behind.  everywhere else is your blind spot zone.

My nagging fear is getting stuck first in line at a long red light or railroad crossing, and a big RAM 1500 with 20" lift kit pulling up behind me and by the time the lights change he forgets I'm there (once stopped behind me he cannot see me at all).

Thinking of attaching a long thin flexible post on a spring base (like old antennas) at the open top seat belt mounting hole, with a strong strobe light on top like in school buses...

Less than half-kidding!

Seriously, anyone has any experience or ideas where to source something like this?  I don't want a flag as it raises a racket flapping at speed.

[CBuff]

Seems excessive but:

 

https://www.motomentum.com/moose-beacon-light-extension-pole-763525?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw-KipBhBtEiwAWjgwrK4B78bU7N2f6TIwqI0zPbsiAy8nkxYRgSNK4GhcCrmO6TyFz3NgPxoCQhUQAvD_BwE

[panamericano]

I got a bicycle flag and fiberglass mast.  Flag disintegrated in a day.  I've tried cloth flags.  A heavy good quality one made a racket, but a light duty one is quiet and has been OK for a few years.

[IamScotticus]

You can be annoying and lag several car lengths behind.  If Bubba pulls up  you have room to start rolling before he does. 

being that far back is so annoying, he won't forget you're there.

Edited October 14, 2023 by IamScotticus

[Yoram]

5 hours ago, CBuff said:

Seems excessive but:

 

https://www.motomentum.com/moose-beacon-light-extension-pole-763525?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw-KipBhBtEiwAWjgwrK4B78bU7N2f6TIwqI0zPbsiAy8nkxYRgSNK4GhcCrmO6TyFz3NgPxoCQhUQAvD_BwE

 

Not too excessive... an option.