BUILD ~ AUGUST 2003

Update

I have spent the past few weeks doing a lot of sailing including the Rolex Fastnet Race.  Had a great time, but now it is back to the Dax.

Whilst I was away the carpet set turned up, and on Monday I chased Dax on the exhaust system, its ready.  As I already had Wednesday booked off work (my Birthday) I arranged to collect it this day.  To be sure of an easy fit, I asked to borrow Dad's estate car, M&D decided to come as well.  So off we all went to Harlow.  When there had a short wait whilst Darren helped a bloke collect his chassis, which gave plenty of time to have a close look over the V8 Demonstrator and take some pics that might be useful in the coming weeks.  With the exhausts paid for and a query on my carpets solved (leaving one piece behind to be re-made), it was off to Spalding.  V8 Developments had kindly agreed to port the exhausts to match my stage 3 heads.  This took them about 1½ hours, and only a crate of beer in exchange, now that's great customer service.  The porting will help me get the most from the 4.6L engine.

So whilst on the subject of engines, I have compiled a brief list of jobs that need to be done before it can be started for the first time.

Fit exhausts (temporary without side panels). 

Fuel pipe from regulator to carburettor (pipe on order).

Fuel filler cap.

Fuel.

Coolant top hose (pipe on order).

Fit expansion tank.

Fill cooling system (need to buy antifreeze).

Fit rocker covers (away being re-painted).

Minimal electrics and instruments.

Choke Cable.

Going to aim to start, sometime in September.

 

22/08/2003Air horns, compressor is silver round shape in bottom right. Fitted via a small bracket made from angle. The horns are on a steel bracket bent from 1mm sheet, and the hole assembly comes off via two bolts.

Friday and made an effort to get away from work quickly so I could make some progress on the Dax.  This evening was a return to the wiring.  I carried on with the front loom and connected up the fan and EWP.  I then moved onto the air horns including fitting the system onto the brackets I made last month.  I could not resist testing them, even though I had to do this with a wire direct from the battery as I have not made the scuttle loom yet.  Loud!!!

 

 

23 & 24/08/2003

Saturday saw more work on the loom, in fact I finally finished the front loom apart from a few connections where I need to buy some larger terminals to cope with the size of the main charging wire etc.

 

Sunday, I began the scuttle loom in a small way by starting the other side of the front, engine and rear loom connectors.  Will need to work out where it all runs before I do more.  I then spent half an hour putting all the wires and terminals away, the car has looked like a bomb site for the last few weeks.

Also rectified the tunnel, were the rivnut had failed meaning it was not sealing against the chassis rails.  This was done with a couple of self tapping screws, whilst I hate self tappers this was the easiest method and if the tunnel ever comes out, I can then insert new rivnuts at that time.  A generous bead of sealant was then applied, which will hopefully keep the water out.

Now for the choke cable, I have elected to position this on the top of the tunnel, but largely out of sight behind the dashboard.  This is not the most convenient place, but keeps it out of the way as regards projections and will improve the look of the dashboard.  So first job was to make a bracket from a piece of "L" shaped ali.  The edges of this were then rounded off in case the SVA inspector is particularly inquisitive.

 

25 to 29/08/2003

Bank Holiday Monday, a bonus day in the garage.  Most of today was spent trial fitting the side panels, which is a very slow and iterative process.  Offer it up, decide what needs filing away, take it off and sit slowly/carefully filing away.  Then call Dad back over to help offer them up again.  By late afternoon when I knocked off, the offside panel is a good fit apart from a slight rocking fore and aft, the nearside panel whilst on, will not quite sit down low enough so some more thought is required.  Also need to work out how to ensure they stay down, tightening the bolts at the bottom will tend to push the panel up, unless a suitable spacer is used.

 

This evening we mainly worked on the side panels, I think I have now achieved the best fit I can.  The nearside one is about 1mm too high, but I just cannot make it drop down any further.  We therefore moved on to the fixings, starting with the scuttle bolts.  With a pilot hole in the scuttle ready for the side rail fixings the scuttle was positioned on the car (bolts on rear of battery shelf), the side panels and scuttle where then held so as they line up rather than sit with a step, they were then marked through the pilot hole onto masking tape.  Scuttle removed, side panels removed, side panels drilled.  Then refit side panels and scuttle, repeat the marking process, this time through onto masking tape on the chassis side rails.  Remove scuttle, remove side panels, drill and fit rivnuts.  Then drill the correct clearance hole in the fibreglass panels for the M6 bolt.  All this took a while but hopefully will have a good fit.

As it was too late to start thinking about the other fixings, we moved onto the choke cable.  The bracket was fitted, with self tappers for now, when the tunnel comes off, I will through bolt it.  We then trial fitted and decided the points to cut the inner and outer cables.  Removed the cable cut them and refitted connecting to the carb with a simple double bend in the wire, which should mean it is easy to remove when necessary.  A quick test proved that full movement is available.  Down to nine jobs before engine start.

Bracket     Bracket fitted, this will be behind the dash board so should be no problems with SVA.     Connection at carb is two simple bends in the wire. When choke put fully on the cable also provides a stop.

 

During today Dad painted the inside of the side panels with Black Smooth Hammerite, as this helps the gelcoat finish.  After dinner I continued on the side panels theme, to be sure of the hole positions for the bonnet strips (that bolt down onto the side panels) it means trial positioning the nose cone and bonnet.  These were retrieved from the loft and un-wrapped.  To put the bonnet in place a hole needs to be cut for the carb.  The central point was found by placing a short screwdriver where the air filter bolt would normally be, onto the screwdriver we add a blob of white paint.  Then laid the bonnet in place, using the mark the minimum amount of fibreglass was removed in a circle around the carb.  I will do the exact fit for the air cleaner at a later date.  Could not resist a quick picture, although its not all fixed in place, it is the most complete it has looked so far.  This is as far as we got as needed to tidy up before visitors arrive tomorrow, so the carpet set and exhaust had to be shifted from the dining room to the garage.  Away sailing again at the weekend, so that's it for this week.

Inside of side panels painted, to improve the depth of colour.     Panels rested on, produces a vaguely car like shape.

 

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Last Updated 27/08/2003