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any updates?

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Building a MNR Vortx w/ '99 Miata donor: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9631

Not yet, my moving into my house has taken my time. I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel tho', and I'll have some soon.

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

Sven,

Well I am on the way. Ordered my engine. Should he here sometime this week. I just sent my request for a quote to MK, planning to order my kit towards the end of next week.

Quick question.

Any gotchas I need to look out for, or any option you did not add that you wished you did?

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Ali ---

-- Push the pedal on the right, the one in the middle is for wussies ---
- Link to build blog- http://BluLi7ard.blogspot.com/

I can't think of any options I'd have ordered, I really did order all I thought I'd need. Time will tell though.

I'm about ready to get going on it again, my garage is about done. Have a couple more quick projects to complete and then I'm on it.

Progress will be slowish, though, as I'm also training for the Ironman triathlon in Arizona next year. Here's what that looks like:



-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

Had a tinker today. I pulled the motor and attached a transmission (without clutch) and bunged it all back in.

There's good clearance around the bell housing:




The shifter falls perfectly:



The motor is at a little up bubble with the stock transmission mount:



I'll check my Miata and see how the motor is mounted there, probably should be tilted back about 2-3 degrees, which I'll take care of when I modify the transmission mount. You can see how the transmission mount falls between the mount plate and a frame member. I can also fix this easily when I remake the mount:



I'll probably look for a UHMW puck or something as the motor mounts also need replacing.

Some stuff needs work/help. The IAC valve wants to be in the same space as a frame member:



because of this outlet:



Fix here is to cut off the outlets and drill/thread for 1/8" NPT straight barb fittings, which I'm ordering today.

The thermostat housing also wants to be in place of a frame member:



Fix here is to remove the thermostat housing by unbolting it from the head and making a new one to line up with the radiator and I'll use an inline thermostat with a temperature sender built in. Getting this bugger off means I'll have to pull the cam belt and cam gears so I'll take that opportunity to replace the belt.

Getting the motor in and out is a real fiddle because the motor mounts are just drilled:



I'll slot the frame mounts next time I take it out, which should make life a lot easier.

Heater hoses are not needed for this so I'll block off the heater outlet but keep the temperature sender:



Interesting how one of the IAC valve outlets feeds via the oil filter sandwich plate. I guess I'll just keep this of I can.

Trying to do the minimum I have to so I can fire up the motor.

Making progress finally ... and finding stuff I have to do. Next big jobs are to plumb the fuel and cooling systems.

Stuff to order to complete all this stuff:

Several 1/8" NPT aluminum barb fittings and bungs for the IAC and fuel tank.
Transmission mount puck/whatever.
Replacement motor mounts.
Clutch slave cylinder.

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

I read about Miata engine coolant rerouting which might help me out with the thermostat clearance. I'll tinker with that today.

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

I made the mods needed to reroute my coolant and it's simple. Pretty common practice, apparently. Just followed along here:

http://www.miatamx5.com/coolantreroute/index.html
http://www.solomiata.com/CoolantReroute.html
http://users.telenet.be/miata/english/coolant/my_coolant_reroute.htm

Now on my list is some hoses, but first I want to mount the radiator and fan and make shrouds for them to force the air through the radiator. This led to looking at mounting the nose cone so the radiator would be in a good place. One thing leads to another, as we all know, and looking at the nose cone had me down the path of mounting all the body panels so the nose cone is in the right spot.

I started with unwrapping all the panels and gently clamping them on until I found that the side panels need to be mounted first. This requires some trimming of the panels around the roll bar and front suspension. It was getting too late to get out the power tools and I wanted to research cutting fiberglass anyway so I quit.

I read on some boating sites that a hole saw with a high tooth count is best, particularly if the panel to be cut can be backed with a wood block or some plywood. I think I can do that for almost all my holes and cuts. Another tip was to start the hole saw slowly and in reverse to cut through the gel coat without cracking it.

Tomorrow I'll get on with the body panels and take some photos while I'm doing it.

Progress at last ...

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

Onwards! I bought a 2" hole saw, which is about the same as my roll cage tubing and fitted the rear of the side panel around it. Not a great cut, but it needs a sanding and some of that edge trim stuff around it to neaten it up:



Next thing keeping the side body panel off the frame was the headlight mount so I marked it up and cut a slot with my dremel and a cut off wheel:




Then I had to cut the slot wider for the main headlight support:



Next bit was the scuttle support and front roll bar:




Then the front upper control arm brackets:



Tada!




Still need to cut holes for the lower control arms and the steering arms, but that can wait. Also, the junction between the side and rear panels is going to need some fiddling:



All in all not the frustrating fiberglass cracking drama I was expecting. I'll repeat with the other side tomorrow then onto the nose cone, bonnet and scuttle.

Then back to the radiator ... hehehe

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

Repeated the holes and cuts on the other side panel then clamped and taped all the panels onto the frame to see how they fitted. It's not bad at all:




There will be some trimming necessary in various places, like the bonnet will need some to get it to shut:




I think I need more clamps to get it all to fit before I drill any holes.

A couple questions:

- What do you think is a good way to mount the body so it's removable? I'm thinking of going with rivnuts for the side panels and the rear panel. Rivet the scuttle and battery panel together and hold it down with rivnuts. I'm thinking Zeus/quarter turn fasteners for the nose and bonnet.

- What about this? It's where the side panel meets the nose cone at the bottom. Maybe I'll just leave it and move on:



Going to stare at it some more, make sure I have clearance around the motor, particularly the plenum and throttle linkage them make a decision how to mount the body and get to it and mounting the floor too. Seems like putting the cart before the horse a little but everything has to go inside the body pretty much.

Got most of the parts for the fuel system, just need a fuel filter and some host clamps. When my (new to me) TIG welder arrives I'll be able to do the mods (build a sump and replace the outlets) to the fuel tank, mount it and complete the fuel plumbing.

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

This is probably in my future:

http://www.etbinstruments.com/DD2_lite.htm

Seems like pretty good value for money (at about $550). Comes with sensors; speed, coolant and oil temp, oil pressure and even has a fuel level sender which didn't come with the fuel tank.

Apparently, one can make a small electronic circuit to provide a RPM signal from the Miata coil packs for the Digidash and the Megasquirt I'll use eventually.

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

Looking good Steve. You should have that on the road by summer.

Tom

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Sometimes, I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.

My short term memory is absolutely horrible and so is my short term memory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG16m2e4O6I

Thanks Tom. The car is coming together well. I did a short to-do list with my son on the way back from IHOP and I reckon a month or so (with my busy schedule) will see us driving a nekkid car up and down our street.

It's been pretty painless so far, really. As an example, I just mounted the sliding seat rails to the seats. The holes in the rails don't match the threaded inserts in the seats so I had to measure and drill holes in the rails and also make some spacers for one of the four bolts on each seat so the seat was properly supported. That's the kind of stuff I figger I'll have a lot of.

I have a much more complicated project next; my father in law gave me a 1969 VW bay window double cab pickup, which needs a pretty good restoration and motor/transmission rebuild. Similar to this, but not in this condition:

http://www.duffys.com/inventory/view/1060/1969-volkswagen-double%20cab%20pickup/

I'll be collecting it from California in June so I need this project completed.

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

Sweet. I always liked those pickups with the fold down bed sides. Talk about a universal carry-all. I have some VW aircooled stuff from my air-cooled buggy days, if you want it.

Tom

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Sometimes, I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.

My short term memory is absolutely horrible and so is my short term memory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG16m2e4O6I

Dunno what I'll need yet, but it's bound to be a lot, the VW hasn't started in years. The father in law bought the VW a year or two old in Puerto Rico and he's shipped it around with him when he moved to San Diego and then to Mendocino.

Anyway, I thought you were coming to visit and drool on my garage floor? You need an invitation or something? Wear some old clothes ...

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000

No pics this time. Took a shot at mounting the seats. None of the holes on the slider match up to the threaded inserts in the seats or the seat supports on the frame. I had to drill new holes on the top of the sliders to match the threaded inserts and I'll have to drill some more in the bottom to line up with the frame supports. On the plus side, these mods will give me more seat adjustment. I'll take some pics when I have it solved.

I managed to get the drivers seat in enough that I could sit in it and make the obligatory vroom-vroom noises and have the embarrassing photo taken by the missus. I better not put on one ounce or I won't be able to make it into the seat, it's pretty narrow. Also, the footwell is very narrow so I'll have to use some narrow shoes to drive it. I take a size 10, so I've no idea how people with bigger feet make do.

-Steve

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Mk Indy 7: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9000