New Cordite Build, with a twist....

[Viatron]

Next on the list was fitting the front floors, basically pre drilled them both, scuffed the backs up well in preparation for the bed liner application next week and help key them for the PU adhesive i am using as well as rivets. Quick session with the air riveter and they were in.






Dave still has to learn that trying to push a drill bit through steel sometimes ends in humorous results!

[Viatron]

Next we ran the brake line from the front 4 way to the rear t piece.

[Viatron]

Trial fitted the tank, unfortunately all the holes were 1/2 hole out so the easiest option was to notch the top tank flange,, Te he he i said flange..........


Once we had done this it fitted fine.


My tank sealing kit still hasn't appeared from Frost even though i paid for 48 hour delivery and placed the order wed morning.grrrrrr

[Viatron]

Found a nice spot for the fuel pump so we got that fitted including the earth.

[Viatron]

When i finally got back home the part i ordered to hopefully convert the fuel tank outlet from a threaded boss to an 8mm push on fitting had arrived, ill try it monday and fingers crossed that will allow me to re run the fuel line although i haven't decided exactly how to route it yet.



Back at it Monday so more updates Monday night

TTFN

Mac

[EL PRIMER]

Some good progress there . looking good.
It will be good to see a few well finished Cordites .

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Viatron

... Just spent the last 30 minutes posting a progress update only to have it all dissapear in a brawser crash....arse! ...

Hi Mac,

My top tip for big updates is write them all up in a Word / Text Editor type programme first.
That way you can save all the words / photo links before you try to post them on here.
Then it is a simply Copy & Paste from one to another after hitting the Reply key.
You can then use the Preview button to check it all looks OK before posting the update.

Cheers, Paul.

PS
You are really making good progress now.

[Viatron]

A bit more time in the workshop today after some work.
Pedal box now fully painted and reassembled


Skateboard grip tape added to the pedals and trimmed


Was a bit worried about the rear frame extension moving so made a couple of small l brackets out of some steel angle and riveted them using some nice big 5mm rivets to the bottom of the frame extension and the chassis, seems to have stopped any flexing now


Dropped of my template tonight on the way home to have the curved pieces plasma cut so i can finish the floor supports on the inside next to the chassis.

Back at it tomorrow and am hoping to have fuel line in and maybe another tial fit of the body so i can work out where the seats and steering column need to go.

TTFN

Mac

[Viatron]

When i got home my fuel tank sealant kit had finally arrived from Frost






So thats something else i will be trying to get done tomorrow so i can get the tank fitted.

Mac

[Paul L]

Mac - I might steal that skateboard grip idea for my Spitfire accelerator pedal.

Is it self adhesive, or do you need to glue it in place?

Good luck with the petrol tank, Paul.

[Viatron]

Paul, its self adhesive, PM me an address and ill send you some, got about 5m of the stuff!

Just started the fuel tank, mixed the Marine clean 1:1 with boiling water and its definitely working! The plane is to get the marine clean and the Prep and Ready done today so it can dry out overnight then apply the actual tank sealer in the morning.

Bit of a change of plan with the fuel hose as I'm not sure where I want to run it until I have the body back on so am just about to start trimming the spitfire tunnel I got off the spitfire graveyard.

Mac

[Viatron]

Tunnel is now trimmed,
Started with this:


Trimmed the edges to end up with this:


Had to trim a bit more to get it to fit at the back ok:

[Viatron]

Got the first 2 stages of the tank lining done, cleaned internally using Marine Clean then used the prep and ready for prepping the surface in anticipation of applying the lining in the morning. If the lining goes as well as today i will be very happy, the inside of the tank now looks almost new!






Just. Had time to give the exterior a coat of Hammerite primer i found in the paint cupboard



At it again tomorrow
TTFN

Mac

[Viatron]

Well the tank sealer is in....looks like a silver metallic paint to me buts its in now and the excess has been drained off and its done. One way or the other!!!

Whilst waiting for it to dry I have been plating up the bits of tunnel I had to cut to get it to fit properly, they are behind the rear bulkhead and as such are open to the elements so they need to be sealed. Started with this:



And after about an hour had this:






The more observant of you will have noticed that the top of the handbrake relay lever bracket was missing earlier. The company I bought it from were a little happy with the cutting and cut through it about 90% so I removed it totally then bolted the relay lever in to make sure it was all aligned and welded it back up.

Just got to figure out how to remove the remains of the underseal now and do a final trim on the edges and it will be ready for final cleaning in preparation for a coat of bed liber when I do the floors as I think the stippled black effect might look ok and period enough.

Onwards and upwards peeps.

TTFN

Mac

[Viatron]

The tank has finally stopped dripping so have now hung it back up for the coating to cure, fingers crossed it should be touch dry in the morning, couple of pics of the completed job, to be honest it just looks like I have swilled a couple of litres of silver smoothrite around the inside but it does seem to "cling" to vertical surfaces better than straight paint would.





The dark steaks are runs where drips have slowly made their way down the walls of the tank, I have turned it every 20 minutes for the last hour and a bit to make sure it doesn't pool but it seems to be staying put now.

Also finally got the rear trailing arm brackets installed.



Had a bit of a moment when I tried to check the range of movement on both sides as I thought one was binding badly. Quick check though revealed that one shock was set to full soft and the other full hard so have set them both to a mid range setting and the range of movement and resistance now seems the same.

Hopefully by the morning the paint stripper should have done its work on the tunnel and I can steam clean it off and get a coat of primer on it.

As long as the tank looks ok I will also get a coat or two of chassis black on it and get it installed so I can then start to run the fuel lines.

The list of things to do before fitting the body is now reducing quickly and fingers crossed I'm on target to get the body at least semi fitted at the weekend.

TTFN

Mac

[Paul L]

Mac - Looks like it is all coming together nicely for you.

I didn't realise you where going to use a Spitfire hand brake tunnel, as I have a spare.

Although, it does look like the one you were sent is in better condition than mine.

Cheers, Paul.

[Viatron]

Paul,
It wasn't bad and apart from closing in the cuts I made just needed re-stitching together in places where the guys I got it from were a little enthusiastic with the angry grinder.
I was always keen to use the Spit tunnel as it does away with the need to make a central tunnel frame to take the handbrake and will also add to the production look of the interior hopefully
Mac

[Viatron]

Picked up the plasma cut pieces of plates last night and welded them up this morning. A little distortion has crept in as its 3mm plate and got good and hot when welding so my initial idea of just riveting it to the side of the chassis looks iffy, its not pulled much, about 2mm in places but enough to make pulling it down with rivets impractical. I've decided to mount it using 2 long m8 bolts straight through the chassis then rivet the rest so will have to wait until tomorrow as I will need to pick up some long M8 bolts on the way home tonight.
Shot of one side:




and the other side propped into place:





Got the first coat on the tank exterior:



Got to actually do some work this afternoon so next update tomorrow some time.

TTFN
Mac

[Viatron]

Got the passenger side inner floor support in this morning, had to cut and re weld it a bit as the heat had pulled it out of shape a bit more than i was happy with, looking at how beefy it is if i were to make them again i would use 2mm not 3mm steel.




I ended up using 3 M8 coach bolts to fix it in place in the end, filing the holes in the 3mm plate square was not as bad as i feared and took about 2 minutes per hole using a tapered square section file.

Also got the tank mounted in place




Called a holt to proceeding at about 13:30 as i got the call from Des Shelley Shafts in Wolverhampton to say that my prop shaft was finished, new UJ, strip clean rebuild paint and balance for £90!

On the way back i popped into Bitec in Telford to pick up the Raptor Bed Liner kit, good value at £74 including the gun, the kit is big enough to give a good size pickup bed at least 3 coats so should be more than enough, have decided to do the tunnel in it as well to pull the interior look together rather than have different finishes on different parts.

Prop in tomorrow hopefully as long as i can pick up the right size bolts in a good grade. Then crack on and get the rear floors in hopefully.

TTFN
Mac

[Paul L]

Mac - I'll be interested to see how that bed liner stuff looks / works.

Good luck, Paul.