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Well I took a few days of work to work on the car. I thought I might make significant progress - wrong!!!

Looking at the following pictures it looks like I am actually further back. I completely stripped the car back to the frame, and then started the assembly again. This time the wiring, brakes and fuel lines are all installed properly (I hope). I also bolted the suspension up, tightened everything and did a rough alignment.

So although it looks like I am further back I am quite happy with the progress:




the front suspension (yes, with the same weak fender stays - they will do for now.) Close examination will show one reason not to buy the super cheap Chinese suspension parts. Some of teh rubber boots have split already with a grand total of 0 kms on them.



the transmission tunnel with the brake lines, harness and fuel lines mounted



the handbrake cable - everything clears the driveshaft (just). I added a pulley to keep everything down low and avoid having to change the cable length. The floor pulls up a bit when the brake is pulled on, we will see how long the whole set-up lasts. I was going to add a piece of aluminum over the linkage, but I don't think it is necessary.



the fuel tank and battery - fully restrained.



the scuttle - trimmed and ready for bondo . This part took a whole day, but the cutting disc did the job.

Just reviewed my last post - I hope I can build cars better than I take photographs

Having got everything strapped down I wanted to start with the body panels - .050 Aluminum

easy one first:


followed by the most difficult






needless to say that back panel is coming off and will be recycled into the firewall/bulkhead.

How has everyone else done the rear panel? I am going to get a bigger piece of aluminum which actually fits and use a template, but how do I get it to curve around the top tube? Do I need to cut it????

What alloy of aluminum are you using?

I would make sure anywhere that is being formed is annealed with a torch. It will make it form much easier.

You also appear to have excess material hanging past the tube. Try to trim the edges in the corners closer so there will be less material to form.

_________________
-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

That picture brings back bad memories. It looks the exact same as my first try. In the end, I just shortened most of the 'tabs' and attempted to shape them with a hammer. It never looked quite right -until I painted the car. I just slapped some bondo on the area before painting, and it looks great now.

_________________
"The decision to build a car is not one reached through a rational mindset. It is a decision that is made because we have to do it! It makes no sense, but neither does love, children and taxes" -Sam Buchanan

My Build Log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3054

sort of a bump

but I have just got back from the garage.

Last weekend I made a metal brake to help form some of the panels.

Tonight I broke several clamps trying to use the brake.

Tomoorrow I will go to princess auto and buy some more clamps, then I will take some photos to show my rather minimal progress.

But minimal progress is still progress

Adam

Suggestions on making the rear panel. Make a templet out of paper first, with about a 1/2" to 3/4" of extra stock on each edge. After you get the basic "U" then you can trim it back. For the top tube, make a forming block that has a radii the same size as your tube and sheet stock diameter. I even covered the forming block with leather so there was less indention in the aluminum stock. Just go slow and as Andrew suggested anneal the aluminum.
Dave W

Thanks for the advice guys.
Andrew, I just went through your build log - very nice job. Can I ask what your job is? Use of Solidworks, Ansys and awesome fabrication skills is not a common combination in my experience. Good Subaru content in you build log too! I have a 2004 RS and a 2001 Legacy. My 99 RS got too tired

Back to my build - I want to leave the aluminum unpainted, will annealing discolour the metal?

No, annealing wont change the color of the aluminum. I recommend taking a sharpie, and coloring the area that you want to anneal. Then, take a propane torch, and evenly heat the colored area until the sharpie color is almost gone. After this, let it cool slowly. Once cool, the aluminum will be partly annealed!

This is what I did for my rear panel and my windshield frame. It makes a big difference! This is a picture of how I heated the windshield frame. (I didn't own a propane torch at the time, so I used a heater. It worked out fine.




The end result:

_________________
"The decision to build a car is not one reached through a rational mindset. It is a decision that is made because we have to do it! It makes no sense, but neither does love, children and taxes" -Sam Buchanan

My Build Log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3054

Thanks Adam. I'm currently working a mechanical engineering position in aviation. The SW, ANSYS, and fabbing all came from the couple of years of FSAE experience.

_________________
-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

As promised some updated photos:

The bulkhead made from the recycled rear panel:



The metal brake I made with a few bits of metal and a hinge.





This lasted long enough to form some reasonable folds to make the transmission tunnel, and some really bad folds on the side panels







I ended up cutting the side panels lower fold off - not as clean as I had hoped but okay. It just means you can see the lower row of rivets





And some eyes - another clearance problem here. Not really enough room for the lights, the nose and the front wheel arches.





Now I am looking for a Miata 4 way/hazard light switch - anyone got one knocking around????

The weekends update

I visited my local muffler shop "Zoro Muffler" in Mississauga. excellent shop who wanted to do everything for me. I ended up buying a length of 1 3/4" tube and had them put a couple of bends into it. When I got home I made a stab an exhaust


I think this will work

Next up was to add some colour to the car.




Even with drop sheets and tape I still got paint on the aluminum

I drilled the holes for the seat belts, still working on the bushings for the mounts. Does it matter that the outboard mount is in a different position to the inboard mount. I followed the book here, but I am thinking I should move the inboard mount backwards. Any opinions?


I added indicators -$3 each from Princess Auto - not sure if they will pass the certification. They are not side markers/driving lights. Not sure if I need them...


And I added the lower radiator panel


SO I am working on the seat belts, the rear panel, the radiator plumbing and the air intake.

Next Series of photographs.

I have completed the cooling, the induction system, clutch and brakes (at least I thought I had) I have added the dashboard, exhaust, seats and back panel.

The back panel still looks like s*** but will have to do for now. Annealing worked, I am just not made out for metal work





I actually bent the rear frame trying to fold the aluminum over it.



a cheap cherry bomb got the car quiet enough to play with,



old Miata seats with a couple of cheap seat covers look okay



and the Miata dash fits nicely in the centre of the dash. It looks like all the gauges work too.

so as it looks now



I have now driven it down the road - the clutch is getting air in somewhere and no amount of bleeding seems to work. The engine will not idle smoothly and keeps missing, popping and banging with a loss of power. (Is this something to do with me removing the recirc emmissions stuff?)

The parking brake doesn't work either. Closer inspection of this showed that both the rear calipers are seized (one of them solidly) so I think I need new rear calipers.

To do = windshiled, roll bar and hood

I replaced the rear calipers - now I have brakes and a hand brake/emergency brake

The clutch is still a bit suspicious. With my engine troubleshooting I have noticed the clutch hose is damp, so that may need to be replaced

I have a post in the engines section and the electrical trying to sort out a couple of issues.

I resolved the poor idle by blanking the air inlet under the throttle mechanism. (In Keith Tanners book he has a breather here)

I think the bad running is done to a bad MAF/AFM so I need to find another one

I have a hazard switch now, but the indicator switch still turns all the turn lamps on.

I also realized that in my haste to get rid of the airbag circuit I must have removed the horn circuit. And with all this electrical troubleshooting I also realized that 90% of the Miata wiring harness is cruise control!!!!!

Lookin good, I think this is the hardest part of the build, just finishing everything up and doing all the little stuff to make it legal, you can work for hours and not see much happen, especially with the electrical work.

Well I have spent the last 3-4 weeks troubleshooting all the niggling little things.

This weekend I found the missing ground wire on the MAF and the engine now runs beautifully

I found the bits I needed to get the horn to work.

I found the problem with the indicators. They all flash togetehr because the rear lights I bought have a common bulb for the indicators and tail lamps. I need to fix this still.

I sorted out the hazard light switch, i realised that the big group of wires for the switch included the headlamp retractor motors. Got rig of those wires and the hazard switch was easy. While I was doing all that I rewired the dashboard light rheostat. So that all works.

With all the switches sorted oout I was able to put the dashboard and tunnel cover on/

It is all coming together now - pictures to follow.