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[TrevS]

Feeling much more chilled out tonight, took a couple of steps back and took my time with the rear suspension and managed to get the first side on the car and looking really good.

I think sometimes you just need to walk away from it and take for a day or two and then come back a bit more refreshed, seems to have worked.

Next job is to get the passenger side rear suspension on the car and then start looking at how the steering is assembled.

Trev

 

[Jack]

Looking good Trev, keep at it and walk away should you get frustrated. A couple
of stiff shots of Scotch always helps get over the frustration (after you walk away).

 

[Jason Winter]

Hi Trev
The build is looking great. That black paneling looks amazing:thumbsup:

One question for you. How big is the build table you've made? Ive got a Tornado kit on the way (hopefully ready to pick up in the not too distant future) and I want to fabricate something like yours to put it on when it gets here. Not sure how critical the size of the stand is.

Thanks
Jason

 

[David]

Lastly I dropped one of the rear bearings and I've dented the top of it. Timing couldn't be worse, the bearings were due to be sent to be pressed into the housings so I need to get a new one as soon as I can. This picture isn't great but you can see the distortion at the top of the bearing. :furious:

Believe it or not but you might not need a replacement, from the picture all you've done is distort the cage and all the cage really does is stop the rollers falling out until its fitted. As long as the inner isn't damaged I'd personally just prise the cage so its round'ish and make sure it spins ok on the outer. Obviously if you've actually damaged the rollers or inner then its game over and you need a new one!

 

[TrevS]

Believe it or not but you might not need a replacement, from the picture all you've done is distort the cage and all the cage really does is stop the rollers falling out until its fitted. As long as the inner isn't damaged I'd personally just prise the cage so its round'ish and make sure it spins ok on the outer. Obviously if you've actually damaged the rollers or inner then its game over and you need a new one!

hmm, might take it down to my local mechanic who is going to press the bearings and see what he thinks. If he thinks it needs replacing I'll get one ordered

Trev

 

[Gus Richmond]

Trev,
Good call, He will check to see if the inner race was also damaged (which is likely). A small blemish will grow in time. Make sure you give it a real good clean. Dirt is the bearings (brg's) number 1 enemy. If money was no object I would say throw it out and replace it. I had a twin row brg which had a partially collapsed cage, RF kindly replaced it which I thought was very nice of them. The cage is an important part of the brg, it ensures all the rolling elements are evenly spaced around circumference of the brg preventing all sorts of unwanted side effects.
Kind regards, Gus.

 

[TrevS]

Bent bracket on rear upright

Managed to do some more work on the car last night. Fitted most of the passenger side rear suspension which again is looking good. However I can't get the rear upright to fit as one of the brackets/housings is bent (not my doing this time, just how it was).

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to straighten this without causing any damage to the upright?

Thanks

Trev

 

[Scott]

Trevor,
Looks like the upright was probably dropped at some point and bent the mount a little. I would use a large adjustable crescent wrench and bend it back. I doubt it will hurt anything. There is no need to heat it up. Best, Scott

 

[Ian Bissett]

Trev,
Mine was a little bent also, about the same as yours. I clamped the bent section in a vice and pulled on the upright. It was pretty easy to straighten it out.
Ian

 

[Jack]

The big cresent wrench will work fine. I'd put some tape on the part just to prevent scratching/galling.

 

[TrevS]

Rear suspension and steering rack fitted

Hi all

Managed to straighten the rear upright bracket yesterday and finished fitting all the rear suspension. Really happy with the way it looks. I also managed to mount the steering rack so thats another job off the list. Feels like the car has come on a lot in the past week or so and feels good to be bolting on components.

 

[TrevS]

steering test fitted

More progress on the car as I test fitted the steering tonight to see how everything pieces together and to work out which parts I'll need to send away to have the steering wheel made and fitted. I am not fitting the standard Tornado item as I want a more original style wheel early black boss.

 

Hi Trev.
What covers the water pipes in the cockpit ?
And is it standard to fit copper pipes on the Tornado ?

 

[Jon Briggs]

Trev,
Thats looking really good, you should be very pleased with it.

Keith,
The copper pipes are supplied from Tornado. So I suppose you could call them standard. As for covering them, part of the pipes pass through the hand brake area and this is pannelled in aluminium, the rest forward of this area are covered with a GRP cover.

 

[TrevS]

Trev,
Thats looking really good, you should be very pleased with it.

Keith,
The copper pipes are supplied from Tornado. So I suppose you could call them standard. As for covering them, part of the pipes pass through the hand brake area and this is pannelled in aluminium, the rest forward of this area are covered with a GRP cover.

Thanks Jon. Keith, Jon is correct copper pipes are standard from Tornado. I plan to remove them once the radiator is test fitted and have them painted silver then once in place the centre section of the pipes that passes through the cabins central tunnel will be wrapped with insulation tape that will help stop the heat escaping into the cabin

Trev

 

[TrevS]

Interior light find

Hi all

Not too much to report on the building front. I am waiting for my front upright and some bits from Tornado and the steering column and boss has been sent off to Gelscoe for them to look at fitting me a steering wheel.

I decided to take a trip up to the NEC today to the classic car motorshow. It was a great day, some lovely cars and a couple of very nice GT40 replicas. The best bit though was while looking around the auto jumble I spotted something I've been after for a while. I found an original GT40 interior courtesy light. I've heard stories of these swapping hands for some serious money so when the guy offered it to me for £10 I nearly took his arm off. Easily my best GT40 part find yet.

 

[TrevS]

Parts lost in post

Ahhhhh, not good news.

I've been waiting for my front upright and some additional parts to arrive back from Tornado for a couple of weeks. I finally got hold of someone at the delivery firm today and they told me the package was delivered and someone with a differnent surname signed for it.

The woman said they will try and get the parcel back for me but otherwise its gone and they will have to replace the contents. If it comes to that I'll be saying the package contained a front upright and a complete wilwood brake set

Another spanner in the works...

 

[Jon Briggs]

No Trev, it had a full set of AP racing callipers in it, remember?

 

[David]

Full set of AP callipers, discs and a Bosch M4 in there wasn't it?

 

[TrevS]

Still no sight of the missing package so not much to report. I finished making templates for the additonal rear panels around the suspension with openings for the suspension to pass through. I might order some aluminium this week and start fabricating the panels while I am waiting for the other various parts to turn up.