gm Posted August 3, 2020 Author Share Posted August 3, 2020 inside the battery pack is just a bunch of AA type cells wired in series - should be easy enough to replace with something like this there is a (I presume) temperature sensor in the middle of the pack to prevent overheating which should be easy enough to swap over, I’ll take pics when I get round to ordering the bits Shirley Knott, dome and paulplom 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 5, 2020 Author Share Posted August 5, 2020 Been busy at work for a couple of days but today it was time to get this bloody thing started job one : break out @paulplom's blowtorch and despatch the knackered bush off this hit it hard with the wire wheel and a couple of coats of magic paint - noice then get busy with the black and decker 90 x 5mm holes were drilled and rivits were inserted thus and then took out again 'cos I'd forgotten I need to run a bead of sticky black gunk first rivits were reinserted and today's tip top top tip tool was employed in a rivit-tastic manner and the floor is done I'd been a tad generous with the tigerseal so a healthy amount of thinners was needed to clean up but look at that - I've actually made a start - should be on the road next week mebbes the week after, then Craig the Princess, LightBulbFun, djim and 19 others 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 6, 2020 Author Share Posted August 6, 2020 my replacement pollybush arrived this afternoon (which I haven't paid for yet, the guy said he would email me an invoice but must have forgotten) tools were assembled (the giant washers I used last time are now back in use as a vital part of the front subframe, i improvised with hub nuts and jam jar lids) which enabled me to rebuild the rear subframe again attached the ppf (power plant frame) and reunited the front and rear sections as soon as my brake and fuel lines arrive, I can join the two halves anonymous user, Craig the Princess, dome and 18 others 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 That looks well planned out and relatively easy to build! Good work:) gm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulplom Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 Any progress or are you busy with work? I'm hoping to finish mine this afternoon. If I get time are you available for me to collect the exhaust? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 58 minutes ago, paulplom said: I'm hoping to finish mine this afternoon I didn't even know you were building one! I thought GM's progress was swift! Really impressed with this. paulplom and gm 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1duck Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 I love this thread, you make it looks so effortless, then i remember exactly how wrong this would go if i were to attempt it and go back to my internet voyeurism. gm and paulplom 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 10, 2020 Author Share Posted August 10, 2020 2 hours ago, paulplom said: Any progress or are you busy with work? I'm hoping to finish mine this afternoon. If I get time are you available for me to collect the exhaust? no progress yet, waiting for parts to arrive and stuck at work anyway next day off is wednesday, hopefully parts will be here and I can crack on fitting the fuel and brake lines then plan to flip the thing over paulplom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 10, 2020 Author Share Posted August 10, 2020 45 minutes ago, 1duck said: I love this thread, you make it looks so effortless, then i remember exactly how wrong this would go if i were to attempt it and go back to my internet voyeurism. i have to say that, so far, it's gone remarkably well - there have been a few cock ups along the way but nothing major. My big concern is the engine - I only drove the donor car up and down the street a couple of times so it is a bit of an unknown. mx5 engines are solid things but I'll be happier once I've got it all built and a good few miles under its belt. paulplom, Tickman, Jim Bell and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 10, 2020 Author Share Posted August 10, 2020 The only progress over the weekend was to strip the suspension - these are the kyb shocks and eibach lowering springs I was using on the mx5, going to need a lot of work to make presentable worth it though, the car did drive very well with this combo Then non AS mate, Michael, turned up looking for a bit of help with a sticking calliper on his modern* mx5 turned out the slider pin was dry as a bone and crusted with rust. A quick dab of grease improved things but a new pin is on order. paulplom, Shirley Knott, CGSB and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 15, 2020 Author Share Posted August 15, 2020 Not much progress to report as I'm still awaiting parts being delivered but i dug out the dashboard from storage and gave it a clean and trial fit in the fibreglass housing you will note that I have "done a Quentin" which was suprisingly easy to do i wasn't keen on the the 'red on white' dials and had thought about finding a set of 'white on black' originals but they don't look bad when fitted in the pod, they can stay for now, it's not like they are going to be in use any time soon Jim Bell, paulplom, Shirley Knott and 5 others 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 15, 2020 Author Share Posted August 15, 2020 When I was looking for the dashboard cluster, I happened across the pedals so thought they might like a trial fit too yes, the car is still upside down that clutch cylinder is rather letting the side down might as well do the brake bias valve while I'm at it I've a few days off work next week so, providing parts arrive in time, progress should be seen soon Craig the Princess, CreepingJesus, dome and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorpunk Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 I got bollocked on PistonHeads for mentioning the fact that Quentin Willson was convicted at Coalville magistrates court for clocking a Vauxhall Cavalier. Mates in the trade in Leicester say he was a right rogue back then. dome, Jim Bell, Craig the Princess and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 my brake lines finally arrived yesterday rather than fannying about with copper lines and flairs, I've gone for braided flexis all the way from master cylinder to callipers (master cylinders scrubbed up well) i'll fix these once the chassis is assembled (and I find some callipers) and with a bit of spare time on my hands, I had a go at making the hole for the accelerator cable - how hard can it be to drill a hole and file it square ? that little sod took over an hour perfect* fit my little file has seen better days, maybe I should invest in a dremmel type thing so all I'm waiting for now is the twin P clips to fit the fuel lines and I can get this thing the right way up and bolted together. and I've taken a week off work to make sure I can do just that Mr Laurence, dome, paulplom and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tickman Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 How long is the wait for the IVA test and have you booked it yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 good question - I should probably find out. I did hear that there is a back log and priority is (rightly) being given to emergency service vehicles so I may be in for a bit of a wait. if it's finished and not iva'd, I'll just have to take it on a trackday instead big_al_granvia and Jim Bell 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big_al_granvia Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 40 bucks, had a similar one for years, great for cutting, filing and fannying around https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4796585 agree, shakedown on a trackday or 3 to be sure, like the braided lines gm and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 I decided that I will use the shocks and springs that came off the mx5 on the exo, at least until it's built, then I may treat it to some shiny new coilovers. but the mx5 shocks are minging so it's time to get busy with the wire wheel again three down, one to go set up a painting table and fling on a couple of coats of lidls finest primer at which point it started raining and I had to carry that lot back into the garage without covering myself in orange gunk Shirley Knott, CGSB, dome and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 last week, I ordered up a whole load of P clips to fit the fuel lines, there needs to be a send and return line for the mk1 engine which proved a bit awkward with the brake line already taking up vital space along the transmission tunnel doesn't leave much room for this arrangement back to the drawing board then but then I stumbled across these twin clips stuck in an order on Sunday and they arrived this afternoon hmm, I wonder........ nah, mebbes not but this seems to work minor mishap when I snapped the 'ball' end off my Allen key but a tickle with the grinder sorted that out so at close of play, we have both brake and fuel lines fitted what's that kinky bit in the middle all about ? bloody seatbelt mounting point - bah ! so the point of flipping this thing over is upon us I just need to get that suspension finished and top can meet bottom ! LightBulbFun, Shirley Knott, CGSB and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 last job for the day was to rig up a shonky arrangement to fill the gearbox oil - didn't spill a drop ! Jim Bell, Tickman, paulplom and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulplom Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 I'll call over today for the exhaust and front lip. I'll give you a lift with it, if it's ready. Tickman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 19, 2020 Author Share Posted August 19, 2020 Can I put you off to tomorrow instead ? I said I’d take my mam for a day out today paulplom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 19, 2020 Author Share Posted August 19, 2020 After a successful family day out in Durham, I managed to squeeze in a quick coat of paint on those scabby shocks manky, scabby shocks are now shiney, scabby shocks loserone, djim, CreepingJesus and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 @paulplom came round for a visit and we flipped the chassis over Steering column will be lower than this CreepingJesus, loserone, Jim Bell and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Remember these manky old bastards ? well, a whizz over with the wire wheel was never going to cut it but it turns out that my neighbour along the street (who also owns an mx5 (mk2 drifto spec)) works as a powder coater and sneaked these in with a bigger job at work ( mega thanks, Liam ) so shiney, very boing ! Which means today I can rebuild the struts and we are one step closer to a rolling chassis LightBulbFun, Tenmil Socket, Jim Bell and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Lucky I wasn't planning to use the shocks off the donor car wasnt even Scottish ! paulplom, Jim Bell and Tickman 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulplom Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Mine always seems to be smiling. dome, Jim Bell, LightBulbFun and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Another visitor this evening Connor in his mk1 collecting bucket seats (too low to make it up the kerb onto the drive) he left his old mk1 seats behind as part of the deal which will go in my mk1 and the mk2 seats I don’t like can go to a new owner paulplom, loserone, LightBulbFun and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 2 hours ago, paulplom said: Mine always seems to be smiling. because you keep buying it prezzies ? paulplom and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted August 21, 2020 Author Share Posted August 21, 2020 update due later today but for now I'd like to say a massive THANKYOU to @paulplom for all of his help today - significant progress has been made "hmm, needs work" ! Tickman, Mr Laurence, CreepingJesus and 7 others 8 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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