gm's unhealthy obsession with mx5s - squeezing in a few last drives before Exo goes into hibernation

[gm]

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 

[gm]

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 

[gm]

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  

 

[320touring]

That looks well planned out and relatively easy to build!

Good work:)

[paulplom]

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?

[loserone]

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.  

[1duck]

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]

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  

 

[gm]

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. 

 

[gm]

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.

[gm]

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 

 

 

[gm]

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

[motorpunk]

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.

 

[gm]

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     

[Tickman]

How long is the wait for the IVA test and have you booked it yet?

[gm]

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]

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]

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   

[gm]

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 ! 

 

[gm]

last job for the day was to rig up a shonky arrangement to fill the gearbox oil - didn't spill a drop !

 

[paulplom]

I'll call over today for the exhaust and front lip. 

I'll give you a lift with it, if it's ready.

[gm]

Can I put you off to tomorrow instead ? I said I’d take my mam for a day out today 

[gm]

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 

 

 

[gm]

@paulplom came round for a visit and we flipped the chassis over  

Steering column will be lower than this

 

 

[gm]

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  

[gm]

Lucky I wasn't planning to use the shocks off the donor car  

wasnt even Scottish ! 

[paulplom]

Mine always seems to be smiling.

 

[gm]

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 

[gm]

2 hours ago, paulplom said:

Mine always seems to be smiling.

 

because you keep buying it prezzies ?

[gm]

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" !