xcarguy Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 (edited) The Caterham guys often use Nylon bolts to hold the rear wings on instead of steel so that if you do hit something the nylon bolt breaks and does not tear out the rivenuts in the body. We also only use about 5 of the holes instead of all of them to make it easier to sacrifice the wing and not the bodywork. Just a thought. Tom Dan, Ditto on my Stalker. In addition to the nylon bolts, I use rubber-insulated rivet nuts (well nuts): http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=11630 http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=24373 http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=11632 The parts are available from http://www.mcmaster.com/# . . . . . :cheers: Edited June 2, 2014 by xcarguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 3, 2014 Author Share Posted June 3, 2014 (edited) There are 4 danglies hanging in the driver's footwell. The OBD connector, the fuel pump relay, the flasher unit, and the inside fuse block. I noticed some people ty-rap them to the steering column, but I thought a swing-down sheet metal shelf is neater. The first photo is from above in the stowed position without the scuttle, and the second photo is hanging down for access. Edited June 3, 2014 by NVP66S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 3, 2014 Author Share Posted June 3, 2014 I really wanted to cut & fit the scuttle and did not want to pull all the wires back and hang them in the cabin. So I cut notches for the wires at the grommet pass-through holes. THIS DOES EVIL NASTY THINGS TO THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY of the scuttle, so I added a few plies of glass bid, which helps a little. The big thing I'm doing to restore the structure is to add two bolts in the middle near the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancylad Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 More, more...am I enjoying this thread or what. Beautiful work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 More, more...am I enjoying this thread or what. Beautiful work. Flattery will get you everywhere. I made a little detour in the build to make a panel to house 2 gauges, 4 switches, and a power socket. First a wet layup with 1 ply carbon BID, then 6 plies E-glass BID, and another carbon ply on the other surface. I waxed an aluminum panel for a mold. Then after sticking on a full scale drawing, I cut it out with a hacksaw. The bandsaw would be faster, but the blade would dull in about 1 minute cutting glass. The small holes were drilled with a Unibit, and the bigger holes with a hole saw. The final product turned out really nice. The missing gauge is the mechanical oil pressure gauge (on back order from JEGS). The Miata claims to have a gauge, but it's lying. What appears to be a gauge is a switch hooked up to a well-damped needle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Beautiful work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihckb2 Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 This is getting better all the time. Great workmanship. This is going to be one fantastic build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 I've been working on the instrument panel. There's extra material in some places but mostly it's trimmed to fit as it arrives from WF. The first photo is how it fit the first time. You can see the gap looking forward through the gauge cutout. The second photo shows about 3/4 inch sticking up above the scuttle. The third photo shows lots of masking tape with a line drawn to create a "don't cut here!" area. I took it apart and put it back together and got 2 lines. Hmmm. I marked them both. The 4th photo shows some trimming needed around the steering column stuff (the turn signal canceller here). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 The first photo in this block shows cutting with the hand hacksaw. I was concerned that a power tool would catch and break this part as it's rather flimsy without the mating parts. The second photo shows the masking tape with an 8 mm offset to create the first cut line. Then, cutting with the sabre saw. The first inch went quickly, then it really slowed down as the glass rapidly dulled the blade. The 4th photo is getting a little better fit. I'm the kind of person who doesn't trust himself, so I end up spending more time making multiple iterations. Photo 5 shows a bit of this. I need to trim a bit more around the switches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 The software is limiting me to 5 photos per post. Here's the final (probably) location of the Miata gauge cluster. It shows how close the odometer reset is to the wiper stalk. Looks like I bent it in one of my many fit checks. Oops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 I can't get in as many hours per week now that summer has arrived here in the desert. My shop has a bit of insulation and a small swamp cooler, but I can't get good work done much above 88F. It's getting over 100 most every day now. But enough excuses. The first photo is what happened to my saber saw blade after just the 12 inch cut for the Mazda clockset. Dang! I hate to think what the glass is doing to my drills and hole saws. WF didn't send the grille so I decided to make my own from non-flattened expanded aluminum sheet. The radiator is 1/2 the size of the Mazda Miata and I'm thinking the designers live where it doesn't ever get hot outside. So I chose what looked like the least flow resistance. The second photo is the cardboard template. Last is the grille test fit. Grrr. I got it sideways and I really don't like vertical grilles. OK, gotta go buy another 2X2 foot sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee break Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 The radiator is 1/2 the size of the Mazda Miata and I'm thinking the designers live where it doesn't ever get hot outside. It comes from the place where London Fog brand is made. :jester: I don't expect you get too much fog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lg2k Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I got it sideways and I really don't like vertical grilles. OK, gotta go buy another 2X2 foot sheet. I have the Westfield one if you really want one. I splurged and ordered one from Caterham with the 7 logo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 Guess what came in the mail today... Yes, the WF grille. Now I'm glad it came late because I held my hand up to the swamp cooler exit and compared flow of my custom fab and the factory grille. Amazing difference! The factory WF grille is far more restrictive. Also heavier as it's steel with a frame and mine is aluminum with no frame. But I'll probably take the logo off and put it somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 There was about .05 inch clearance between the nose and the A-arm on both sides. So I added a notch. I considered trimming the nose parallel to the notch depth, and making a big arc with the notch in the middle. But with a small cutout, I can always do either of those later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Last is the grille test fit. Grrr. I got it sideways and I really don't like vertical grilles. OK, gotta go buy another 2X2 foot sheet. I like the vertical. :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Automoda Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 You know, I'm not a fan of expanded metal grills, nor am I a fan of hexagon stamped metal grills. Seems too home-made to me. My Birkin came with one that looks more like a camping grill, so I got one of those Caterham style laser cut 7 grills and I like it. I have to admit though, it doesnt keep crap from messing up the fins on my fancy little radiator. Radiator mesh from the hot-rod sources like Summit is a hideous orange! What were they thinking? I don't have a great solution for this. I'd like to put some kind of somewhat fine mesh behind the laser cut grill but I havent found the material I want yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 The expanded metal grill double as a burger burner; cars, coffee . . . and camping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 For you car cooking enthusiasts, here's a link to satisfy the blacktop epitome in you. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=manifold%20cooking&sprefix=manifold+coo%2Cstripbooks&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Amanifold%20cooking It includes such favorites as "Manifold Destiny", "Diesel Dining", and that perennial favorite "The Original Roadkill Cookbook" This reminds me of a spoof radio ad back when I was a DJ: Come on down to Earl and Mable's ErMabe Cafe!! We use only the freshest roadkill that Earl gathers daily!! :jester: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 I like the vertical. :cheers: Here ya go..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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