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Very cool... Not a bad lookin' fuel tank ya got there... Not bad at all...


**EDIT** Do it leak???

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

Nice work on the tank. I did pretty much the same thing including gauge and shape and it seems to work pretty well. Having the smaller area at the bottom does a nice job of keeping fuel around the pump pick up.

Some states require the filler cap to be outside of the body; will you be okay when it comes time to register the car?



There seems to be a bunch of variants from a bunch of companies but I used this one because Summit has quick shipping and I wanted to get it done that weekend: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900056-3

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-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

The tank coating that I used was RedKote. viewtopic.php?f=35&t=4145&start=420 Both RedKote and Northern (the Summit product) Are made by the same company. Only difference, according to them, is the color dye used. So far I'm stiull happy.....

BTW, your tank looks great (and sort of familiar)

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

You know, i haven't a clue! I haven't looked into things like registration yet. Here in Northern VA there is Emissions testing and state inspections that i would need to figure out what applies & what doesn't. We also have property down in GA where there are no such things so i may do everything down there......... I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out for those few minutes @ inspection time



Thanks! - I just ordered some from Ebay - $25 for 1qt shipped to my door



Probably!



Due to the layout of the factory setup with the level float i couldn't really baffle the tank as much as i would of liked to. The original tray at the bottom will certainly help. I was only able to put in 1 & it runs from left to right just behind the pump unit mount in the upper section.

Thanks for the compliments on the tank guys - if only you could actually see it in person & view the warpage - you may change your opinion

There is one big drawback to my design - the tank can not be removed from the top. You will see in the pictures that i cut out the 2 rear panel tube supports. These will be moving to the outside edges of the tank in order to either:

a) Provide a mounting point for a screw on panel back there
b) provide a solid area to make a cut & repair afterwards in the event of a leak

I plan to pressure test & do a few miles on the road in the car before i put on the rear panel. I'm hoping that with the double welding & cushioned mount it will not be a issue though.

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My Build Log : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14019&start=15

Cost so far : - $1371.12

“I hate being Bi-polar - It's Awesome!”

The weather here has been horrible this last week so i decided this would be a good time to take over the living room & take look at the wiring harness






So, there it is - right then, that's that looked at. Moving on, what's next to do.............!!

In all seriousness i was actually looking forward to getting stuck into this as daunting as it was. My issue was that i felt i did not have comprehensive enough schematics to take the job on - Then i remembered that when i bought the original donor car the seller gave me a factory Service manual It is for a 1994, but i can't see how there would be that many differences.

After about 8 hours crawling around on the floor i had had enough and decided to do the rest while it is spread out over the frame with as many things plugged in as possible.........Which leads me to a "Top Gear Top Tip":

IF you need a good bench height table, say, like a build table, that would be perfect for spreading out and labeling everything - don't give one away the day before you start this job!

Also got my front nosecone & suspension arms ordered from Jack, a aluminium radiator, steering wheel, Redkote for the tank, seam sealer for the panels & most importantly - GAZ coilovers all round. This officially crosses a line i was hoping to delay for as long as possible & I am now financially in the red. If this project is going to start costing me money - I need to start taking it seriously!

I tried to wait around to see if anything came up from part outs or Ebay, but in the end just sucked it up to keep things going forward. My coilovers i had shipped from the motherland - still cost me a touch over $500 after shipping, but that was still cheaper than anywhere else i had seen. As a bonus - A copy of "The Sun" wrapping everything up - Winner

I went with 275lb up front, and 200lbs rear. They're Purrrrty



Another bonus - I bought a 2001 Miata. My wife loved driving the donor car around so much that i told her if i could find another for a decent price I would buy it for her. It came with an extra set of wheels & new tires

They are Enkie 17X7J with 205/45-17 shoes. Offset is 42mm & I am not happy with how they sit - about 12mm away from the frame @ ride height, and will surely rub @ max compression.





2 ways to go - sell them to offset the cost of new ones, or buy spacers Spacers are expensive, and most sets of wheels / tires around here for sale are high offset for the honda/toyota crowd. May just have to step up and buy new here.

Got a few other jobs to do around the place, but hope to get back onto it this week sometime. Maybe seal the tank & try to figure out the wiring - I'm itching to fire this thing up

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My Build Log : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14019&start=15

Cost so far : - $1371.12

“I hate being Bi-polar - It's Awesome!”

So, what that included in the "going into the red" statement? (grins) some of us just try not to look at the finances...

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.

That would be a really nice place to be. Unfortunately, Step 2 of my master-plan - right behind "#1-Get bigger workspace" was "Quit job to have the time"

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My Build Log : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14019&start=15

Cost so far : - $1371.12

“I hate being Bi-polar - It's Awesome!”

You seem to be as frugal as I am. You also seem to use the parts of a miata I plan to use so I need a bit of financial planning help. I plan to use ALL that I can except I plan to put in a 5 way belt harness and seat for safety. I am looking to buy a M miata for the closed loop diff. I found one at 2,450 BUT how much could I expect to get back selling mirrors, soft top, hood ect? personal stories would be great too! Thanks in advance!

Also where did you get the GAZ shocks?

LSSeven,

Greetings!! I'm another Va. builder.

Unless you're building a kit car that has a Manufactures Statement of Origin, the best option for registration in Virginia is as a "replica vehicle". My build will be titled as a 1958 Lotus 7 replica, and as such only requires what ever setup was on that year 7. Check out http://locostusa.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=37 For the details. The exceptions include wipers and a defroster, which are required if you will be running a windshield. The gas cap question could depend on the inspector you use for the per-registration inspection and how many pictures you can find of the original 7s setup.

I hope to develop a relationship (spend money for oil changes or inspections or something)
with a shop that's friendly to hot rods that also does inspections. I know a least one out here in Warrenton.

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"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." - Mark Twain
In my defense the moon was full and I was left unsupervised

It all depends on condition. Where i live there is a huge Miata market, and parts in good condition bring in good money - if they are shabby it get's a lot harder to shift them. The 93 i broke brought in around $1k i think from memory - plus the $800 i got for trading the original M car (big mistake)

I bought the shocks from the UK.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like it may not be that bad then - I don't care if they title it " Contraption built from a scrap Miata" so long as they give me a pair of tags

Warrenton is not that far from where i am - may come for a look at what you're doing one weekend when it warms up...

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My Build Log : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14019&start=15

Cost so far : - $1371.12

“I hate being Bi-polar - It's Awesome!”

For reasons that I don't have I seem to have stalled with the build. It's been a bit cold in the workshop & I've just not bothered with it. Enough was enough and it was time to get something done. Got my fuel tank painted, mounted & plumbed in. I ran 5/16 hard line from the rear panel up to the passenger footwell wall. I'm still waiting for hardware to get everything mounted properly, but it will work for a trial run.



Also wanted to make headway with the pedal setup. Decided to try to work with the Miata's stuff. After some cutting and messing around i got them to work & got the supports welded into the scuttle base. One downside is the steering coulmn - due to the master cylinder's it has to sit ever so slightly on an angle to the left - although not that noticeable from the drivers seat. Positives : Free; designed to work with the other components i'm using. Negatives: FUGLY!











I'll need to figure out some sort of cover for that mess, but for now i have other things to focus on - figuring the wiring harness out & firing it up

A spanner has just been thrown into the works - my package from kinetic with my nosecone & Suspension parts just got delivered.......mmmmmmmmm Get it fired up or have it rolling????? I'm thinking rolling - this harness is doing my head in

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My Build Log : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14019&start=15

Cost so far : - $1371.12

“I hate being Bi-polar - It's Awesome!”

i made the whole of the back of the car removable just to get the tank out if i needed to.

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this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

Here at Team Slotus, we wedged one side and the rear of the fuel cell up against the roll cage, then welded mounting br*ckets to the frame on the front and the other side of the cell and THEN realized the fuel cell had just become an integral part of the frame and was NEVER coming out again. Oh well, at least it won't fall off...

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

That would have required some forward planning on my part - something that is increasingly evident that I'm lacking as this build goes on

That is a very unique build out at the back - first ever 7 pickup....???

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My Build Log : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14019&start=15

Cost so far : - $1371.12

“I hate being Bi-polar - It's Awesome!”

SO i decided to stick with the wiring project in case i never came back to it at all. I don't know about others that have put the OEM harness on a diet, but it has been a pain in the arse from the start for me, and i enjoy getting into wiring! Trying to work out what extra was going to be trimmed out & seeing all of the multiple piggybacks in there from 20 years of "technicians" brought me to a bold conclusion. In the event that there are youngsters reading I won't repeat what that conclusion word was.

I can tell you it rhymed with BUCKET!

What better way to learn the system & have it fit exactly the way i want it to than to build it myself. T some that may sound daunting - but i got the sense it would be a LOT easier than messing with the sticky rats nest.

First step - Identify all of the components & plugs that would be needed, and then cut them off

Second - Pull up the factory harness drawings & print the ones i would need to iden ify the wires. I have the manual on PDF, but i find it easier to use a paper drawing in front of me. Then, just label away.







Basically just did that for every plug / sensor / component that i would use & then took it out to the garage.

I left enough on each plug to stretch to where it would need to connect for the trial run - With not having a bulkhead in place yet i couldn't cut the wires to size. Using zip ties I secured everything to the frame close to each other, and then joined everything together using terminal boards & crimps following the factory layout schematic minus the crap.







A keen eye will notice that there are no light circuits in there yet. As this was more about getting the motor running i decided to do those at a later date.

I'm also currently using the oem fuse & relay boxes - but there are so many circuits in them no longer being used that i have decided to ditch them & build my own relay & fuse board.

The moment of truth - would it work or go up in flames.....If i'm honest, i was expecting a little bit of smoke I turned the key, heard a relay & then she turned over, and over, and over, and over...........mmmmmmmmmmmm? Fuel line has pressurized, Ignition's live......Crap - did i mess up the belt job?? Started to wonder what i had done wrong this time....and then it became obvious.........OMG - What a moron! I looked over at the workbench to see the ECU waving at me! Let's plug that in shall we.

The open header roar the second i turned the key put a monstrous smile on my face. The gauges were working, it was running smooth & i was a happy man.

In all i put about 8- 10 hours into the job. I figure cutting it down & trunking everything neatly will put another 5 - 8 hrs on top of that. I don't think that's bad at all taking into account the time i put in originally just trying to trim it down & keep it working. I would definitely recommend this method to any builder out there. Minimal harness, fairly easy to do & you will know the circuits perfectly for future reference.

I will be editing the schematics when i get free time & making them to represent how the harness is layed out. Once they are done I have no problems whatsoever sending them out to anyone who is interested in going this route.

I've had 5 gal of petrol in the tank now for over a week. No signs of a leak yet. The Type-B fuel hoses i put on will have to go though in favor of some rubber Type-A - the inner sleeve is too firm & I'm not happy with how secure they are on the lines. I think next i'm going to start making the scuttle so that i get the main wiring tidied up & in place while it's still fresh in my mind.

_________________
My Build Log : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14019&start=15

Cost so far : - $1371.12

“I hate being Bi-polar - It's Awesome!”