Hi Ido. How it has been explained to me by the cert guy.
Any steering wheel airbag removal requires a new seatbelt to be fitted regardless of condition. Apparently the regs. The pre tensioner will still be under the seat but disconnected from the system and not attached the the new seatbelt clasp/latch.
As I am leaving the passenger airbag in it looks likely that side escapes the rules for a replacement seatbelt and will work as normal for the srs system.
Ballast resistor required for airbag removed.
Hope this helps fella, cheers.

Enforced downtime patience required!
 

Hi guys, not good news on my front so remain patient for updates.
Apart from a car tinkerer I am also a goalkeeper coach for kids football. Unfortunately blew my left knee MC ligament yesterday at coaching and laid up in pain with the legs horizontal.
No options on the car other than the wait it out! :sick: :sick: So this weekend ain’t going to plan!

Looks like the Lynford Christie start on the project has turned more into a tommy the tortoise crawl. Oh well:eusa_doh:

Ouch! :eek:

Perhaps you can spend your recovering time researching finishing touches on line?

I know buying new stuff often cheered me up during my own build. :icon_wink:

Heal well, Paul. :)

Hey thanks Paul. Starting touches may be more appropriate than finishing, but I certainly know what you mean. I will spend sometime hopefully wisely that will benefit later on!
I am not a passive relaxer, so with the wait for the kit and now this it is testing my ying and yang! Cheers fella, appreciate the thoughts. :yo:

Any improvements in the knee, or the roll cage, or both?

Hi Barber, thanks for the catchup! Still chugging along with the knee, seeing the specialist on Monday, but am certainly moving around better than I was a few weeks ago.

Roll cage now fits the car, still tight going in but that is due to a slight “crab” in the roll tubes that evidently occurred when fabricating. I have the certifier coming round tomorrow for more photos of it installed and fitment locations so that they can be sent for final structure approval. If all ok I will be cleared to paint/final install and carry on! I could have soldiered on in other areas, but with the disappointment of not being able to get started as I wanted, plus the knee issue it dropped my enthusiasm for a bit. Now getting around more I am happier, just need the ok with the cage etc and I can progress onwards a bit better!
Liking the progress with the roof/glass on yours, should be a fine finish on that one!. Cheers.

Contrary to potential beliefs I am still alive!
 

Hey guys,

Been watching your progress on your threads avidly in the background with very little to say so have stayed silent! Honestly my build has been a frustration coupled with personal and family illnesses so I have stayed well away from working on the car when not in the best frame of mind. Very mindful not to do something twice so better not at all.
The good news is there is sun breaking through the horizon. I have finally got the go ahead and the green light from the certification side over here to proceed. So just having a catch up/set the plan with the certifier on Monday and then I am all go. Unsure what my schedule will allow me to put in time wise, but will make sure it is as plenty as I can make it!
The only progress has been the parcel shelf/new speakers set up in the car and partial wiring extensions started as well as the front alloy bumper resized. Minimal work due the delay but I had weeks where I couldn’t move freely so just left it.
Hoping the roof support/cage will be prepped and sprayed next week for fitment soon after. Once in I can get stuck in all over the build but am going to concentrate on front clam and inside shelf area prior to re-fitting the seats etc.
Hoping for some photos soon to give me some enthusiasm of progress and to get my A into G! :focus:

Cheers :thumb:

Update
 

Hey fellas/ladies.
Been some progress but some challenges as well.

Wiring: Have virtually finished extending the lighting back to the rear engine bay scuttle ready for wiring through the front clam. Pretty standard stuff, soldered wires, heat shrink and waterproof quick disconnects for the transition to bay/clam so if I need to remove it in future much easier proposition. Going to work on a couple of brackets for the disconnects to tie to as well as tidy the looms etc. All the left side tested out ok so fingers crossed for the rest of it!

SRS: this will be the challenge. Due to having to meet 700mm zonal head impact regs, as the cage is close and well within standard 900mm, then webgrabber seatbelts needed both sides. They are being discussed next week with supplier. Thought I had it nailed with resistances reqd to bypass pretensioner and seat belt buckle, but something wrong. Used 3.3ohm for squib and 100ohm for “buckled” bypass but SRS fault light stays on. Unfortunately OBD2 that I am using tells me no fault codes so I can’t reset anything! Another days problems I think!.....It may be picking up the passenger seat pad fail as it is not plugged in so I may end up with the original guts of the seat plugged in and tied under the seat assy somehow to get round it and just bypass resistor the airbags both sides. We’ll see.

Cage: Painted and ready to go in. Anti crush tubes were required by LVV to be fitted at front location bolts, tube wall is probably fine but didn’t take me long to fabricate/paint some fill in tubes. Hopefully put in tomorrow so I can start working on high level brake light fitment to roll tube.

Parcel shelf area about 90% there, some carpet needs trimming etc but letting it settle into the curves before I do that. Bloody new speakers don’t work after wiring in, unfortunately didn’t check the originals worked before I took them out so it may be an input issue from the head unit plugs etc. Nothing visible but another challenge to work through before the seats go back in.

So hopefully getting closer to some pictures tomorrow and pulling the front clam out of the crate for a play! Cheers.

Well done matey, looking forward to the pics.

I'm presuming yours is a facelift car. There is an issue with not being able to read fault codes from the round plug under the bonnet.
I can read from the plug under the steering wheel but nothing from the plug under the bonnet.
This link should help you solve it.........hopefully. I haven't tried anything yet because my electrical knowledge stops at putting a fuse in a plug.

http://techiesexpedition.blogspot.co...-2-liters.html

Thanks for the link Jag, I’ll have a read but it might be past me as well! I am plugged into the under the steering wheel location, scanner says it is connected, shows revs etc when engine running and says connected to ecu, but draws a blank when asked for codes, just says none stored in ecu. Once I plug everything back in it will be interesting to see if it self resets. I thought I might get some snags like this once I start looking at bypassing pretensioners, seat belt buckling as well as passenger seat occupancy pad. Possible backstop will be remove seat belts from car and reattach the clever bits under the seat with the belt tangs coupled which should stop the gizmos being unhappy. 3.3ohm resistors should then take care of the steering wheel and passenger airbag circuits.
I’ll play a bit more tomorrow if I get a chance....

Good morning on my facelift car it was the opposite more codes could be seen and reset by using the under body unit rather than the under dash one , thanks geoff .

Hey thanks for the imputs guys. It seems upon further research and the info supplied by casamolino/Geoff it looks likely I need the 20 pin scan tool for the SRS/airbag system.

I’ll get one and see if I can reset the codes. I may have nailed the resistances after all. Let’s see........

It is I believe the under bonnet plug that links to the ABS and air bags.

Agree Jag - Sourcing the 20 pin diag tool and see how we go.

Update
 

Hi guys,

not as much progress today as I would have liked, wiring is taking a bit longer than I thought and when you drop one of the Deutsch pins down underneath the ECU when doing the R/H side and cant find it that has an effect!

L/H side extension wiring/bracket and disconnects:
(made out of thin gauge ally and riveted on - rubberised cork soft surface on top for fretting and fuse box lid still can be removed with harness slack.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/...03ba0360_z.jpgBracket

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/...eb7553c9_z.jpgQuick disconnect LH

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4899/...734c587f_z.jpgLoom extensions LH

Roll cage forward anti crush tubes:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1958/...b8717f98_z.jpgCage anti crush tubes

Parcel shelf and speakers in-work:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4887/...6bfe4ef6_z.jpgParcel shelf inwork

Nice to be underway and with a bit of energy into the project. I'll start on the front clam soon and still need to talk to Chris/Dan about some req'd bits.

Electrical Extensions completed front end
 

Well managed to squeeze a few hrs in after work and managed to get the R/H electrical looms in and bracketed. Same as the L/H side used ally fabricated into a bracket and fixed to two screw locations on the bulkhead as well as using one of the captive screws on the "E Box" on the R/H side by the brake master cylinder. Nice and tidy and hopefully out of the way of the clam when I get to put that on. Just a bit of final clipping and permanent labelling left to do.

Roll cage is finally installed and ain't coming out again! Need to tidy around the tubes, fix with custom sized bolts at the rear end and @ chassis tubes to tidy up the locking/finish.

R/H Disconnects and bracket:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1970/...1d39f8d4_z.jpgRH Disconnect bracket

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1978/...1c33c88f_z.jpgRH Electrical

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4917/...62559292_z.jpgRH Quick disconnect

Rollcage Installed:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1926/...9a8f0887_z.jpgRoll cage installed 1

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/...3a2f63a8_z.jpgRoll cage installed

Great, well done, you just have to keep going now.

Cheers Barber, will do my best!

For any kiwi based followers, have worked thru the LVV side of things as far as the seatbelts. New belts required but as the BMW belts are spec’d at approx 75 degrees and 105 degrees then webgrabbers can’t be fitted as they don’t make them to that spec. So normal new inertial reel belts and stalks are being fitted as per allowed.

This is due to the airbag coming out and the head impact zonal requirements with the coupe roof cage..

The LVV side is working out ok, a few little bits to consider or do differently from what is allowed/able to do in the UK, but nothing too scary. Just takes a bit more time and efforts that’s all.

Front end initial fit
 

Hey guys, a bit of progress today, but i keep getting caught out in the timescale of doing things! Mind you I spend too much time admiring and planning than doing actual stuff at times, I'll learn!

The front end is on and generally all good. I am going to have to play a bit as I have a height difference between left and right hand sides/wheel arches etc but once I get the bonnet catches sorted we'll see what I have. Hoping not a major to align all that up. You may see below a bit more gap on the L/H side at present. Approx 30mm.

I have already got the bonnet stuck about three times so far and at present definitely a two person job to release and raise. Bonnet lines out of the mould are pretty good. Some small work needed on the left side as there is a small "wave" in the line coming down the bonnet/over the wheel arch, nothing too major just final fettling stuff before paint etc.

Side Indicators will need to be stripped and rebuilt with longer retention bolts - Too short to go through the clam fibreglass suitably.

Bumper trimming needs to be done a bit but plenty of work to do before then. - They look real good though with the front end shape.

Sorted the SRS system, just need to make a Passenger occupancy sensor bypass tomorrow (2x100 Ohm resistors and a 1N4001 or subsitute diode) once is put in and reset I should be clear of the pre-tensioners and buckles/occupancy. Just need to ballast the airbags at a later date.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...b021b590_z.jpgFront end clam

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4882/...a701d0ec_z.jpgClam up

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4815/...c1c42af9_z.jpgLH wheel gap

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/...3164e58b_z.jpgRH Wheel gap

That does look good

Looks good! The front end moulding in one piece looks better than the split front like on Kidge's car. The frenched in side lights in the moulding also a big plus to get the right look. Are those the GRP quarter bumpers you have fitted ?

Cheers guys, yup the grp quarters are what Chris/Dan did for me with the kit. Nicely done with their own integral bracket. I will do a bit of reprofiling in a few areas, paint the underside etc and get them chrome vinyl wrapped. They should look pretty sharp then and able to be re-covered if they get chips/damage. Also really happy with the indicators/look just got to get them installed with better retention. Cheers.

SRS System sorted - Info for future
 

Hi guys,

The following is the normal safety caveat - I am only disabling my SRS system as I am allowed to by LVV and the fact that new seatbelts are being fitted. I am not condoning tampering or working on the SRS system for any purposes other than documenting what has been done on my car so my memory can be accessed down the track.

Made up the passenger occupancy bypass sensor to allow the SRS system to believe that someone is sat in the seat - This then stops the sensor sending a fault message for being unplugged. So I have successfully bypassed:

Drivers side seat belt loom - 100 Ohm resistor which simulates seatbelt buckled. (across outside pins)

Drivers side pretensioner squib - 3.3 Ohm resistor which simulates the squib. (Across two pins)

Passenger side pretensioner squib - Again 3.3 Ohm resistor (Across two pins)

Passenger side occupancy sensor - 2x100 Ohm resistors and 1x 1N4004 diode in series (Silver diode band to blue seat control box unit lead) - Simulates someone sat in the seat which activates the Passenger airbag and stops a fault code for SBE01.

Just for your info your passenger side buckled sensor is not plugged in. I imagine that this is a throw back from L/H drive or R/H drive cars and the loom is swapped sides in the car depending on country of required usage. (Drivers seat active from buckled sensor, passenger side from occupancy sensor)

This above info can help if you have a fault message and you are trying to identify if it is the loom or a component faulty. You will need a fault reset tool though as they stay "latched/hard locked in"

So I am now clear to be able to tidy the looms, refit the seats and carry on with the internals......

Also mocked up the R/H indicator tonight - see below.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...e1ef3f87_z.jpgRH side indicator mock up

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...b1cb60ed_z.jpgRH Side indicator mockup 1

WelshKiwi – Looks like you are making good progress. :cool:

I’m also sure that even seeing something as small as the side indicator in place helps with motivation.

Good luck, Paul. :)

Cheers Paul, appreciate it. Feeling well motivated at the moment but a slow week this week, my boys cricket and my daughters dance show have derailed the flow, but that is life! Hoping for a bit more over the next week or two.....:tea:

Bodily beginnings
 

Good to see 'MY' bumpers being used, did Chris say that royalties would follow . . .

The side repeaters look fine, I sealed them with some soft butyl and had enough bolt length to fit well. They are certainly an item of beauty.

Is the panel base for the front indicators facing straight forward ?

We fitted some uprated bonnet struts, but it is tricky with a lack of space. Really need even more force to hold the bonnet up.

Lovely to witness your progress.

Hi Kidge, yeh sorry in respect to your bumpers/moulds taken from them. I was just made aware that you knew moulds were taken for future use and that they would be supplied with the kit I ordered. As far as royalities, tricky one.....you may have to squeeze a bit for those! :icon_confused:

The fwd indicator pods do have a slight sidewards face to them, not directly fwd facing. same as yours? Did you straighten yours?

Will be looking further into the bonnet struts to see if a local company can sort an up rated strut for me. Also need to upgrade the springs on the catches when all the lights are in so the bonnet “pops” and allows me a one man operation.

Thanks for the good wishes tho, mild progress at best but progress all the same.

Hey Welshkiwi, I'm in Auckland too. I hope you are taking advantage of the glorious weather to make progress on your project. Did you ever find boot hinges? They look suspiciously like a pair I have in my garage from a FIAT Dino Sider (also built by Pininfarina). I want mine for my own project but you could easily use them as a pattern to cast and then chrome some for your boot. Superformance used to stock the FIAT items at 75GBP but I see they are out of stock at the moment.
Best of luck
Ross (in Blockhouse Bay)

boot hinges
 

Do these look like the boot hinges for a 275 GTB?
Attachment 5792

Attachment 5793

Attachment 5794

Here are some for sale https://www.ital-spares.com/brand/fe...haniere-aussen

They do look like the ones you have but at 399 euros they are not cheap.

https://www.ital-spares.com/brand/fe...haniere-aussen


You could always go for internal hinges which some of the original cars had.

Have you looked at Morris Oxford boot hinges. Very similar design and readily available new for around £20 a pair.

Here are the type I'm thinking about...

boot hinges
 

Those Morris Oxford / Hindustan ones are quite similar (didn't pinin have a hand in it too?) apart from the hump around the exposed axle. I saw genuine used ones on Ebay.com for USA$2000.....
The fiat Dino ones are identical apart maybe from being a bit shorter - easy and affordable to cast them a bit longer in sand then polish then chrome - all depends on how much authenticity you're after.
cheers
RossAttachment 5796

Hey Ross, apologies for the delayed reply, have been away on summer hols etc enjoying our sunshine! Really appreciate the info etc and the offer on the hinge possibilities, will certainly bear that in mind. I am in Howick for your info.

I currently have Morris Oxford hinges on the back, not sure whether they will be the finals as they needed a bit of fettling/tidying. The backend is still in the crate and hasn’t seen the light of day yet due to other things taking over so pretty poor progress so far. I have had health issues which means I am heading for surgery in the next few months, my boy has had health issues which has sucked a lot of other time but one day the priorities will change!

I have a lot of potential energy just waiting to turn kinetic. Steering wheel and boss ready to fit once tidied the electrical ballast. Seat belts arrived so ready to fit. Have got some 15” style 5 crosslace BMW alloys which I have trial fitted to the car. Could be an option with some 195/65/15 balloon rubber wrapped round them, need the panels fitted before I make final decision on that look.

Lots of wiring to run in front clam and rear section still and then going to start bonding for top of screen/front of roof.

Look forward to catching up sometime and thanks for the photos of your hinges, they look very similar and very nice! Cheers Mark.

Progress and success - Steering Wheel
 

Stimulated by Hugh and his steering boss questions I have made some progress - Cheers fella!

Initial fitment of the Nardi Steering wheel, PCD spacer and OMP boss kit tonight.
Temporary fit of wheel due to need to change the clock spring fitment to three locations (need to modify the plastic support) and probably need to grind down the OEM original hub spacer washer as it is now too thick and with the face of the column being angled it will be needed to be fitted.
Jacked the front up and steering lock and indicator cancelling all works. Even temporary rigged a rocker switch and the horn works ok so I know now the clock spring is good.

Had the car running as you can see below with no lights - ABS light comes on with ignition, self checks and goes out so happy days! Double stage wheel airbag needed two 3.3 Ohm resistors for that. (As well as the previous SRS work I listed before)

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7807/...44be79cb_z.jpgNardi Wheel 1

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/...0410bff8_z.jpgBoss Adaptor and OMP Boss

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7924/...de94268c_z.jpgWheel Wiring Initial double ballast

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7868/...81929a14_z.jpgRunning - No Lights

Clock spring modification - Steering wheel fit
 

Managed to complete the fit of the steering wheel today as well as route the rear brake light high level harness, fit the seatbelts (new for LVV cert) as well as 95% complete the rear parcel shelf (some carpet covers to make up for the vertical roll cage supports/belt areas). Also prepped the top of the front screen ready for bonding on the support for the front of the roof.

The steering wheel clock spring had to be modified as the holes in the OMP boss were not quite the right PCD and only one hole would align at anyone time. So to fit the three screws I slotted the plastic supports, managed to fit all three screws snug and tight and threadlocked for security. The steering column washer/spacer had to be re-sized, it mic'd up at 10.3mm but to match where the original M series OEM wheel was positioned it needed to be 8.3mm approx. Got the file out and the wet/dry etc and it worked a treat. Just need to fit the horn button now, waiting for my order on E-bay to arrive, gone for a Pininfarina logo button.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7903/...1b05f597_z.jpgClock spring - unmodified

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7806/...d90ca24f_z.jpgClock spring - modified

Trial fit - Body
 

Hi guys,

Managed to trial fit the roof/bodyline tonight. So happy to get to this point! There will be some challenges ahead as I have a few things that I think that may cause a bit of scratchy beard time, but hey what else do we have to do!

Main challenges will be:

- Security of the rear shell to the kit and forward roofline to car bonding - especially for LVV cert pass
- Gapping and spacering, body is sitting away from some of its support structures.
- Style 5 wheels at the rear may be too far out - May need to consider z4 hubs to bring the wheels under the arches if I go that route
- Fuel filler tubing clearance is not good with the rollcage and boot structure - I may be forced to change shape of the filler tube going through that area or even just fit the filler as a "dummy" and keep the fill original on the side with a fill flap. Hopeful I can sort the former....Here's some pics.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7922/...58008b65_z.jpgfront quarter

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/...c5234ac0_z.jpgRear quarter

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7921/...935f889f_z.jpgRear view

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4811/...080b9895_z.jpgRoof trial fit

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7838/...beb838bf_z.jpgSide window

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7838/...716e0752_z.jpgSide

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7886/...caeb374c_z.jpgTrial body 2

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7908/...0497e1a3_z.jpgTrial body1

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/...292b4b4e_z.jpgtrial style 5 wheel

But all that said, it is a project after all so where would the challenge be?

Looking good so far. What are your plans for the area behind the side windows ? Fill it so it follows the shape of the window ?

Hi Lucky, thanks for the comments. No plans as of yet on the window, I spec’d that shape with Chris/Dan as I wanted to see what the relief of the original window shape looked like, especially when all in one final colour.

I think at the moment I like it enough to keep, but as I will be running the car round in bare fibreglass for a wee while, I will get enough time to think before making a final call. Cheers.