Another Cordite Is Born ...

[Paul L]

Molleur, Roadster, Charman.tech & Oxford - Thanks for all the positive comments gentlemen, it means a lot.

Roadster - The current plan is:
- MOT
- A series of confidence building "shake down" runs, increasing the distance travelled each time
- Drive to Norfolk as soon as it can be arranged
- Work out when to start the final body work preparation for paint
- Then paint, although that is likely to be when the warm weather returns in 2017

Charman.tech - Build on the drive by an accountant!

Oxford - I'll re-take that 'drone' shot before the sun hits the driveway next time.

Hopefully, that way, shade all over will allow the bonnet tear drop to stand out a bit more.

Although, this was my personal favourite from the last batch of photos.



I think even something as simple as seeing the front number plate in place makes it look more complete.

But a couple of things really struck me as I looked on from a distance:
- The first was that there appeared to be a 1950s race car parked in my street.
- But the second, and most amazing thing, was that I actually built it!

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Next Steps:
I have some follow up "real work" today following yesterday's meeting & today's weather forecast is wet.

Tomorrow, I get to show my uncle the progress I've made since the last time he was over here.

So maybe on Sunday I can start work on the following jobs:
- Wire up & fit new fuse box
- Try to stop the gearbox oil leaks
- Fit the gearbox cover
- Make / modify the "bridge" from gearbox cover to hand brake panel
- Fix the seats into position
- Fit the seat belts

Hmmm, that little lot may take me a while.

But if not Sunday, then at some point next week.

Until then, take care, Paul.

[Mister Towed]

I did some short University courses at Bristol and Exeter a few years back and one of them was called 'Management Accounting for Non-Accountants'.

I was a bit worried that I'd struggle because maths isn't my best subject. Luckily for me the course director soon made it clear that accountancy has nothing to do with maths - in business there's never a mathematical relationship between the income of a company and the income of its directors, or the income of the directors and the amount of tax they don't pay, for example (just ask Phil Green and the BHS workforce).

No, it was a bit of a revelation for me when I realised that management accounting isn't a branch of maths, it's actually a form of creative writing.

Similarly, and luckily for you Paul, engineering ability is only a small part of building a Sammio. Getting your car from where you started to where you are now has taken far more creativity and artistic vision than mechanical skill.

Now put down your 'Going Forward in Tax Avoidance' reference book until a few days before the tax return deadline (you can always scribble a few random but vaguely plausible figures on the back of a fag packet at the last minute after all) and go and finish your car.

[lancelot link]

I agree Paul , the ''in the street'' picture looks great ....she sits very nicely amongst the 'normals' ... well done , genuinely well done ....

[Paul L]

Mr T - Don't get me started on "tax avoidance", it is one of my pet hates & certainly not how I make a living.

So quickly returning to the car build…

Without doubt, one of my biggest build challenges was simply figuring out the best way to put this whole big jigsaw puzzle together.

As every time I found a solution to one issue, there would be a knock impact on a different part of the build to consider.

Which is why I've always appreciated all the help/advice/comments/suggestions/encouragement I've got from the forum.

Even if the last few jobs take me a while, at least I know the car will finally be on the road soon(ish).

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Lancelot Link - Thanks Gary.

With all the changes I was making, I really thought my car was going to end up looking like the "in-bred, hillbilly cousin" of the Sammio family.

But it really has turned out much better than I could ever have expected.

The body work is still a bit rough in places, but all of that will be taken care of when I start prepping for paint.

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Saturday:
We had a great family BBQ yesterday, even if everyone stayed inside to eat:
- The high point was a break in the weather long enough for me to take off the covers & start the engine for everyone to have a look.
- The low point was a short burst of hail stones arriving just as I was turning everything on the grill over, leaving me looking like a drowned rat.

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I'll be back later today if I get the chance to make some more progress.

Cheers, Paul.

[Paul L]

Short Sunday Session - Part 1:
Managed to squeeze a bit of car time in today…

Initially, the weather wasn't looking too good, so I only unwrapped a section of the car.



Used a torch to help me see what I was doing, as I tackled the old fuse box.



Pulled out all the old connections.



Then fitted new connections, using a mixture of 'normal' & 'piggy back' connections.



Everything was looking good until I tried to connect these to the fuse box…

The normal connectors went in fine.



But the piggy back ones couldn't be pushed fully over the fuse box blades.



Plus, there were too many multiple wire connections going into the fuse box.



So I had no choice but to cut off all the multiple wire connections connectors and start again.

This time, re-wiring them into a single connector like so.



I then spent ages trying to work out the best location for fitting the fusebox to the bulkhead.

In the end, one of the battery box walls was going to work well, so I removed the rest of the car covers and removed the battery.



Put the bolt heads in from the battery box side.



So the bolt threads would be in the cockpit side. (Excuse the poor photo.)



The fuse box could then be fixed into place.



End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

Short Sunday Session - Part 2:
The battery could then be re-fitted.



I worked out a rough route for the wires.



Before taping them together.



Note: While I was sorting out the fuse box, I also set up the return "live" wire for the fan switch.

This was taped to the live "radio" feed I'd previously prepared.



By the time I'd finished wrapping everything, it was all looking pretty tidy.





The back of the fan switch was then connected:
- The bottom wire goes to the fan itself.
- The top wire goes to the live radio feed, via the fuse box.



Then it was the moment of truth, would the engine fire up…

Thankfully, it did and I was a very happy bunny.

I then turned the car around.



I tested the fan switch, which now comes on position "I" and it is definitely blowing out air.

As the engine was not fully up to temperature I didn't get a chance to see it hot air would be blown out.

So that is something I need to test another day, along with the front side lights, which I completely forgot to check.

Right, I am supposed to be doing something else, so I'd better go…

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[Paul L]

Monday: - 'Real' work & domestic chores.

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Tuesday - Part 1: - Despite the mini heat wave outside, I spend most of the day stuck indoors with more real work to get through.

Still, at least I managed some car time in the late afternoon…

First job was to start the engine and check the side lights.



Really pleased to see that the problem was definitely the fuse box and everything is working OK now.

Then I left the engine running for a bit so I could test the heater.

Unfortunately, it was so hot on the driveway, the heater acted like a fan cooling my hand down.

It was only by turning the heating control switch from fully open to fully closed and back again, that you could notice the heat.

But at least it looks like that is another thing working the way it should.

Rather than follow a strict time line, here are the other jobs I tackled grouped together…

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Battery Box Drain Hole:
This could actually make the Top 10 of most over-engineering solutions on the build.

Still, I fixed the hose in position.



Then zip tied it as close to the bulkhead as it would go.



Yet another blurred photo, but there is a "finger" sized gap between the tyre and hose on full steering lock.



Thankfully, you can barely notice the hose when the wheel is fully turned.



At this point, the hose was extending below the chassis.



So I can it a quick trim to tidy it up some more.



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Gearbox Cover:
I wanted to test fit this, so I could check the best way of joining this to the hand brake panel.

Unfortunately, I quickly realised that the heater controls are in the way.



This is the gearbox cover from Michiel's Spyder #47, which inspired some modifications to my own cover.



End of Part 1…

[deggsy]

Looking really goo Paul glad to see you've sorted out that fuse box I have the same problem on mine which I will have to sort out eventually??

[Paul L]

Deggsy - Cheers.

I really should have decided to swap the fuse box out right from the start.

But I am still happy that it was the root cause of my electrical problems.

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Thursday:

Daytime
Spend most of the day doing real work.

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Early Evening
Went out for a family "celebration" meal, as…

[Proud Dad]

My eldest daughter passed all 10 of her GCSEs.

[/Proud Dad]

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Late Evening:
The sun was setting in the West by the time we got home.



But I was given permission to sneak outside anyway to get a little bit more done.

Yesterday, I spent far too long crawling around in the footwells when fitting the gearbox cover.

So, even if it seemed like a step backwards, I removed the centre section of the dash.



Mind you, even when I could see what I was doing, it was a fiddly job to get the two heat control panel bolts back in.



Eventually, the panel was secure.



And the centre dash section could be refitted.



Then I went around the underside of the joins around the gearbox cover to smooth out the sealing compound.

Now this was a messy job when I could see what I was doing, let alone crawling under the car in the dark.

Still, I managed to smooth out all the edges I could reach with my fingers.

I also collected any excess sealant that had been squeezed out when the cover was fitted.



I really hope that was the last job requiring me to be under the car before the MOT.

So I jacked the car up, removed the wooden blocks and the car is now back sitting on its wheels.



I've got some more real work to do tomorrow, but I hope to get the seats bolted in at some point.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[froggyman]

Just returned from a family 'Celebration meal' with our son passing all his GCSE exams as well so know how proud you feel.
Only an Mot for you to get a pass with then Paul! (no pressure)

[Paul L]

Froggyman - Well done to your lad too.

With a bit of luck, my car's big "exam" should be happening in the next few weeks.

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The Long Slow Friday - Part 1:
Started "working from home" just after 7am, so I would have some car time available in the afternoon…

First job was fitting the rubber gaiter for the gear lever opening.





At some point I will make a gaiter for the gear stick, but that is on the list of "Post MOT" jobs.

So for now, the front end of the cockpit is now complete.



Next the seat belts were fitted…

I started by laying one out, so I could make sure it went in the right way.



There is a small split pin that helps keep everything attached.





Passenger side went in first.



Quickly followed by the driver's side.



End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

The Long Slow Friday - Part 2:
Then it was finally time to bolt the seats into position…

So I set up the spacers, thinner at the front…



And thicker at the rear.



With the same set up on both sides.



Although for some reason, one of the spacers needed to be filed out a bit so it would clear the bolt.



I spent ages struggling to fit the seats by myself and it was just not possible single handed.

So I roped in my wife to help me when she got back from work and it was still a struggle.

In the end, I removed the fibreglass spacer from the rear, in case this was causing the problem.

I also enlarged the holes in the floor slightly to give me a bit of wiggle room.

I didn't want to waste my wife's time, so I agreed to call it a day at 7.30pm, win, lose or draw.

By now I had abandoned the passenger seat to see if I would have more luck with the driver's one.

I'd got three bolts in eventually, but the last one juts wouldn't catch cleanly.

Typically, my final attempt before giving up for the night worked.

So I my wife could go back inside, while I tightened all four bolts up.



I used a normal allen key and my super sized one.



So 4 hours and 30 minutes after I started putting the spacers on the floor, I had finally managed to fit one seat.





Hopefully I will have the energy to do this all again tomorrow, when I attempt to fit the other one.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[Paul L]

Epic Saturday - Part 1:
To be honest, I just couldn't face tackling the passenger seat, as yesterday's efforts really tested all of my resolve.

So I decided to start with some cleaning instead…

Found the old fuse box cover.



Once that was cleaner it was fitted over the redundant box attached to the bulkhead.



The front suspension and the engine bay were next.

Before:



After:





I also zip tied the oil pressure gauge wires out of the way.



Yesterday, I had jacked up the car to get better access for fitting the seats.

So I cleaned up the chassis and rear exhaust pipes.



The wheels & tyres were next.



As they had picked up a few marks along the way.



Unfortunately, I discovered some of the dirt was actually overspray of blue paint from the original donor car!

So I will come back to that another day.

Then the wheel centres could be fitted.



And I was surprised at the difference these make .



At this point, there were no more little cleaning jobs to do, so I had to face fitting the passenger seat…

End of Part 1…

[Paul L]

Epic Saturday - Part 2:
As before, the bolts were taped into position from underneath.
( With the spacers and washers taped to each other to stop them moving around too. )



Then my wife helped me with the tricky job of trying to get the bolts to line up with the holes in the seat.

Thankfully, this time the job could be measured in minutes, rather than hours, as all 4 bolts went in.



Meaning the passenger seat was now secure.



Unfortunately, in true 'Ying & Yang' fashion, Mr Lucky was quickly replaced by Mr Clumbsy.

I decided to top up the petrol and managed to spill a load over the boot lid.

Which I then made worse by trying to rub it and therefore smudging/lifting the etch primer.



The next job on the list was to fit the steering wheel and I ran into two problems.

The first was that I finally worked out why this centre section never stays in.



There appears to be 3 small lugs that would provide a friction fit, but they are all broken.

So I need to order a replacement at some point, but I don't actually need this for the MOT.

The second problem was I didn't have a socket/spanner big enough for the nut itself.

I could get it tight enough with an adjustable spanner, so the steering wheel wouldn't come off by accident, but not fully fitted.

At this point, I suddenly realised that my MOT "To Do" list was actually complete.

Now the promised rain hadn't arrived, the MOT station was open, so what is a boy to do...

End of Part 2…

[froggyman]

Well done, nearly there!!!

[molleur]

Congratulations Paul, almost there!
Great job of "sticking to it".

[MikeD]

Paul great news really well done. Surely emmisions are just visual? I fear the end of my daily read is fast approaching, what will I do for inspiration when you finish??? I look forward to that 1st drive - must feel like when you pass your driving test and go out alone.

[Roadster]

Originally Posted by MikeD

Paul great news really well done. Surely emmisions are just visual? I fear the end of my daily read is fast approaching, what will I do for inspiration when you finish??? I look forward to that 1st drive - must feel like when you pass your driving test and go out alone.

Congratulations Paul
It looks great and the fails are small obstacles.

You've reached that point where its no longer a heap of parts you go and fight with and instead it becomes the thing that will put a smile on your face no matter how bad a day you've had.

Mike's right though.
Many of us have been with you from the beginning ( you even mentioned me being inspiration at the start of the build-so I am overjoyed that you have not only achieved your goal but you exceeded your expectations) So what will we do when this build thread is no longer updated?

Maybe a sequel or a series of "Swordfish tales" - including the trip to Norfolk.

[Mister Towed]

Well done Paul, shame it failed but it's mostly only minor things (apart from the emissions...) and mine did the same. If you recall - I had a leaky rear wheel cylinder and a split steering gaiter.

Mike D, the visual smoke emissions test only applies to pre August 1975 (petrol) cars and Paul's is a '79, so it needs to pass the particulate test. Bummer. https://www.gov.uk/emissions-testing

Love the picture of your car parked outside the test station - it always makes me smile when the highest point on these cars sits below the door handles of a modern.

See you on the road real soon

[DaveP]

Paul,

Well done ! Yes it did not get through first attempt but when you consider the journey you have gone through so far two items is absolutely stunning.

Loving the look of the swordfish too. Design aspects you have stuck with make it unique and bl@@dy attractive.

I cannot wait for the prepping for paint next installments

Dave