| 2nd November 2002 | |
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Finally got a chance to clean the car today (before the heavens opened again). It's a great
improvement to see the car without all that rain induced muck on it, but I only get as far
as cleaning the outside - still got the inside to wipe down. As I clean it the footwells start to refill with water again, so I need to investigate where this is coming in from. I think it was going down the top vent on the bonnet, and then coming in through either the front edge of the scuttle, the cut out around the steering column, or possibly around the footwell cover panel above the pedals. I suspect I'll end up deploying some silicone sealant around the scuttle or something... |
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| 3rd November 2002 | |||
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With my trip to the VRO pending on Tuesday, I figured I ought to get on with drilling some
holes in the seats and floor of the car, in case it rains en route. Firstly, the seats, so I put some water into the base of the drivers seat to check how and where it lies. Then I put some masking tape down, and mark where I need to drill the holes. I've decided that three across the base of the seat, and one either side (alot of the water was coming over the side onto my thigh), should do the trick. Once drilled, I countersink the holes to help the drainage, by running a large drill gently backwards in the holes. |
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| Next up I deployed the same drill and countersink method to some holes in the footwell floors. They are positioned fairly arbitrarily, and I'll do some more at the rear under the seat next time the seats are out of the car (when I fit the negative G straps). Once done I put a bit of paint on the holes to make them a little less conspicuous! | ||
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| Before putting the drivers footwell pedal cover panel back on, I decided to try putting some foam tape along the top edge. When I washed the car I think I sussed that some of the flood of water in the footwells was running down the front of the scuttle and in through the top edge of the pedal cover panel. So for now, some foam tape might help, but I suspect it won't stop it all. |
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| 4th November 2002 |
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Final bit of prep before heading for the VRO tomorrow, I unscrewed half of the drivers side
tunnel panel, and checked the oil level in the reverse gearbox. Thanks to Andy, I have now
got a large syringe for doing this job, and it makes the job alot easier. So before long
the job is done - I squirted an extra 20ml or so in there, and some it came back out so
I'll see how it goes tomorrow. I will really have to sort out a catch tank breather arrangement soon. |
| 5th November 2002 | |
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VRO Day! My appointment at the VRO in Peterborough is at 10am, so I allow a little over an hour for the journey. I pack up some basic tools just in case anything goes wonky, and get myself all togged up in many layers of clothes, and stick my helmet and waterproofs in the car just in case. The weather is a bit grey and damp, but it's not actually raining so I head off. The route I chose to take is rather dull, just a straight drive to and up the A1. After a brief moment of taking a wrong turn in Peterborough, I arrive at the VRO just after 10am, and drive through into the car park. After a few minutes, the VRO officer appears, and I remove the bonnet so that he can check the chassis and engine numbers. Erm, that's it! A bit of a trek just for that, but it's done now. He tells me that the tax disc (and some returnable documents) will arrive in the post in the next couple of days, and he will give me a call early afternoon to tell me what my registration number is. So I set off on the return journey. Stopping for petrol, I decide that I might as well take a more scenic route on the way home, since the terminal velocity of 50mph (4000rpm in top) is a bit of a chore. So I soon invent a slightly more interesting route and head off. The route home is far more entertaining, taking in some fenland B roads. With no traffic around I take the opportunity to do some proper brake testing and bedding - this helps both me get a better feel for the brakes, and the brakes to get better feel. On the way home I conclude that the car is really quite silly - I mean why else would I be laughing out loud to myself whilst driving across the deserted fens? |
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Of course there was a downside the driving down the back roads - they are covered in muck,
and when I get home I realise the extent to which the car is now also... So I soon get all that cleaned off whilst waiting for the call from the VRO. Soon enough I have my registration number, and I can set to work on sorting out some number plates. I have decided to use self adhesive plates, and need to get some special ones made up as I want the rear one to fit in the bottom of the spare wheel indent. I am undecided what to do with regard to a front plate, but will get a self adhesive one made up fairly small so it doesn't look too silly on the nose of the car. I certainly won't use a perspex one on the front of the nose as this will block vital airflow to the radiators, so a stick on one (or none at all) seems the option. I found a company on the internet who made up plates to order, so after speaking to them I have some plates on order, which should arrive in the next day or so. Whilst I was on, I also contact Racetech to discuss mirrors. I missed having the centre mirror today - you really do need to be able to see what is directly behind you, no matter how good the wing mirrors are (and the convex ones are good). So I end up ordering a full set of new mirrors to replace the SVA-butchered ones. While I am on I also order the quick release steering wheel parts, as this is a job I want to get sorted out soon - the standard wheel is just a bit too big. |
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| 6th November 2002 | |
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Quite amazingly, all the bits I ordered yesterday afternoon have arrived! Also my tax disc
and documents (V5 will take a couple of weeks from Swansea). So I now have a set of new
mirrors, a new steering wheel and removeable boss, and a set of number plates. The rear number plate is only slightly smaller than a standard one in terms of the character sizing and spacing, so I don't think it should be problem. The front number plate is pretty tiny admittedly, but a full size one would look quite silly plastered all across the nosecone, so I chose a fairly arbitrary size which wouldn't fill it. The rear plate is soon attached to the car, though it is a little fiddly to get it square and central, whilst trying to get it not to stick to the car before in the the correct position. Unfortunately, I end up with a few small air bubbles in it, but nothing that I can't cast a blind eye to. |
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The new mirrors are from Racetech as the SVA ones, but I have gone for a slightly different
model which should give me a little extra visibility. I have gone for the "single seater"
wing mirrors, which are similar to the "F1" model of the ones used for SVA, but have a side
stem which puts the mirror that little further out. This means I can see alot more in the
nearside mirror which was partially obscured by the aeroscreen. Again I have convex glass
in the wing mirrors. I also have a new centre mirror. In a helpful discussion with Racetech, I realised that the best method of doing this is use a normal "F1" style mirror with flat glass. I will then make a new bracket for the centre support of the aeroscreen, which will be just straight. The stem of the F1 will then reach back to this and place the mirror in a perfect position... hopefully! Also from Racetech is the replacement steering wheel and removeable boss. This is quite lovely, well engineered, and nice and light. The wheel is a little smaller than the standard (SVA friendly) one at 260mm vs 300mm, and feels just right in my hands at the moment. The splined 'slug' part of the boss will have to be welded onto the top of my upper column, and the other part of the boss is bolted onto the wheel. I'll hopefully be getting this done soon. |
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I decided that I might as well be fitting the new wing mirrors now - mainly because I am loaning the SVA-friendly ones to Rich, who I am visiting at the weekend, and tonight is actually my only chance to fiddle with the car. So once the SVA ones are removed, I can set about fitting the new ones. I decide to cut the threads on the end of the stem down a bit, as they are only passing through some thin GRP and are far too long, just making fitting more fiddly as I can't get a ring spanner over them. This is quickly done, and before long the mirrors are on the car (taking lots of care not to scratch either the mirror mounting or the bodywork by covering the spanner in masking tape). I setup the position, and am happy that I have made the right choice of mirror - ok I would have loved carbon ones, but they are twice the price and cannot have convex mirrors for some strange technical reason apparently. I will sort out the centre mirror when I have the dash off next (for the steering column removal). |
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| 7th November 2002 |
| Took the car out to meet the cam7ers at the P&F. I'm starting to get used to the car a little more but still had a few stalls. Couldn't resist a quick blast around town on the way back to bounce a bit of noise off the tall buildings in the narrow streets : ) Unfortunately I was wearing my helmet (and many layers) as it was quite cold, and I don't have any other eye protection suitable for night driving yet, so didn't get the full aural effect, but it was quite nice all the same... and yes it is a bit of a sad thing to do. |
| 11th November 2002 |
| Really nice weather today, after the rain over the weekend (I was away anyway so couldn't use the car). I so very nearly took the car into work, but the forecast said it was going to rain later on - it didn't of course. So took it out for drive after work, and called in on a few people on my travels. It's up to 300 miles now, so hopefully it won't be too long before I get to 500 and can start to increase my revs a bit (6000rpm is the next step). Fingers crossed for dry weather on the coming weekend... |
| 17th November 2002 | ||
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It was dry when I set out for a drive this morning... but it didn't stay that way! Fortunately
I was taking refuge with a cuppa at Kris's house while it rained, so I didn't suffer in it.
Looks like the drain holes are working though, as most of the water had drained out of the
car when I got back to it. Unfortunately, the rain meant that it wasn't really worth taking
Kris out for a spin. After lunch it was time to start taking the car apart again ;-) The steering column is going off to Westfield tomorrow to have the new spline welded on for the quick release steering wheel. So I remove the bonnet and nosecone (cos Steve is coming round for a look at the car - are you keeping up with all these names?) for the first time in ages, and am happy not to spot anything awry at all. To get the upper column out, I also need to remove the drivers footwell cover panel, and dash panel. With this done it is a simple task to undo column and wriggle it out from under the scuttle. |
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| 24th November 2002 |
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Didn't get the welded column back from Westfield until Friday, and didn't have chance to get
out into the garage until later on today (Sunday). So shortly the steering column is back in
the car, but while the dashboard is of I need to make a new aluminium bracket for the centre
mirror / aeroscreen support. I think I can make something which will do the job, by modifying the original Westfield supplied one. However, I discover once I've completed it, that the angle is not quite right and I am unable to adjust the centre mirror high enough to see anything behind the car. |
| 25th November 2002 |
| Had another go at the centre mirror bracket, by measuring and designing the required lengths and angles. I make a mock-up in paper to check that it will work, and it looks ok, but I find that I only have 3mm thick sheet ali which is a bit too thick really and makes it a bit of squeeze behind the dash. So time for an appeal on cam7 to scrounge some from someone. |
| 28th November 2002 |
| Got an offcut of 2mm sheet ali from ChrisG, so spend a couple of hours in the garage trying to make up the new bracket. Unfortunately I find that it still isn't quite right once I have made it - the angle allows the mirror to be adjusted enough, but it is fouling the aeroscreen, and once it is all tightened up I don't think it will work properly. So I give up again, after another wasted attempt, quite frustrating. |
| ©2002-2009 David Hackett |
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