G46 No.3 Build record

[Paul L]

Andrew - Nice work.

I'm just thinking about plywood panels myself and it is nice to see what others are doing.

Do you know how you are going to treat them yet?

Also...

Originally Posted by andrewhush

... At last I have got to point where it is worth letting others know what I am up to...

I know the G46 is a rare breed, but I still think there would be interest in what you have done before reaching this stage. (condition of your donor, how you got the chassis in such great shape, any issues with the switch of engine, etc.).

Just a thought, Paul.

[Charman.tech]

Andrew great to see your progress your route is very much on the lines of our build.

We know what you mean about humps in the floor and your solution would have suited us better to put flat ply floors in as it is we still have to cut out the hump because we moved our bulk head back 8" there is not enough room below the back of your lower legs to operate the pedals.

We are also going to drop our seat into the rear foot well recess, unfortunately its quite small and oddly shaped but feel we need to as you would be sitting to high on the flat floor above the chassis rails.

Talking of Humps! I see no humps!!!!!!!!!! no head fairing?

We are taking exactly the same approach as you once we have the shell bonded to our new bulk heads we will hoist the body up and then attend to the underside of the wheel arches etc etc, have just installed a Universal beam down the centre of the garage 3.50m above the garage slab and 4.50m long with a 1 tonne chain hoist on a push trolley. Such a good mod I took out and replaced a V8 engine and box in our chassis single handed and with one hand, just to fabricate gear box mountings.

Love the coil over shocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they will be a little harsh! We are just getting around to ordering coil overs for ours talking to a man from Damper Tech we are going to set the car about 50mm lower on the springs approx 25mm lower ground clearance but using 15" wire wheels and having adjustable platforms to do the final setting. It's just the spring rating we are toying with at the moment which can only be a estimated judgement I think we are going to use 250llb rated springs and then change them to softer or heavier latter as they are only £22 per corner, have you thought that far ahead yet.

We have just fitted up the engine bay with rads water and oil plus ancillaries batter boxes, servo alternator etc to get them located before the front wings are fixed forever, I will get Charlie to post some pictures soon.

Good luck with the bulkheads.

[andrewhush]

Originally Posted by Charman.tech

Andrew great to see your progress your route is very much on the lines of our build.

We know what you mean about humps in the floor and your solution would have suited us better to put flat ply floors in as it is we still have to cut out the hump because we moved our bulk head back 8" there is not enough room below the back of your lower legs to operate the pedals.

We are also going to drop our seat into the rear foot well recess, unfortunately its quite small and oddly shaped but feel we need to as you would be sitting to high on the flat floor above the chassis rails.

Talking of Humps! I see no humps!!!!!!!!!! no head fairing?

We are taking exactly the same approach as you once we have the shell bonded to our new bulk heads we will hoist the body up and then attend to the underside of the wheel arches etc etc, have just installed a Universal beam down the centre of the garage 3.50m above the garage slab and 4.50m long with a 1 tonne chain hoist on a push trolley. Such a good mod I took out and replaced a V8 engine and box in our chassis single handed and with one hand, just to fabricate gear box mountings.

Love the coil over shocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they will be a little harsh! We are just getting around to ordering coil overs for ours talking to a man from Damper Tech we are going to set the car about 50mm lower on the springs approx 25mm lower ground clearance but using 15" wire wheels and having adjustable platforms to do the final setting. It's just the spring rating we are toying with at the moment which can only be a estimated judgement I think we are going to use 250llb rated springs and then change them to softer or heavier latter as they are only £22 per corner, have you thought that far ahead yet.

We have just fitted up the engine bay with rads water and oil plus ancillaries batter boxes, servo alternator etc to get them located before the front wings are fixed forever, I will get Charlie to post some pictures soon.

Good luck with the bulkheads.

Yes the space between the centre outrigger and the rear tubular one is too narrow to fit the scimitar seat bases down into. I have sat on the standard scimitar front seat on my 1/2" ply floor and the body in front of me seems quite high. It is 24" above the floor at the front of the cockpit, 23" at the rear.

Yes, we have no humps! This is because I hope to make an MG midget screen, side windows, hood frame and hood somehow fit the g46!

The solid suspension means that the car stays at the intended ride height as the build progresses. It has made it easy to keep the chassis level so that I could check the body for level even when I was climbing in and out.

As regards spring rates, see this link (which I think has appeared before on this forum)
http://www.racingaspirations.com/?p=292

[andrewhush]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Andrew - Nice work.

I'm just thinking about plywood panels myself and it is nice to see what others are doing.

Do you know how you are going to treat them yet?

Also...



I know the G46 is a rare breed, but I still think there would be interest in what you have done before reaching this stage. (condition of your donor, how you got the chassis in such great shape, any issues with the switch of engine, etc.).

Just a thought, Paul.

I plan to weatherproof all of the ply surfaces with one layer of chopped strand mat and polyester resin. I will use a couple of extra layers for strength along where the ply meets the grp body.

Chassis was very good when I got it (in 1996!). I only had to weld on new front outriggers and side rails and a couple of small patches near the back before getting it hot dip galvanised. The engine swap came about because I wanted better fuel economy, similar performance and lighter weight than the original ford setup. The sr20 nissan engine has an alloy block and head and the type 9 gearbox is lighter than the overdrive box it is replacing. I had assumed that a serena or sx200 reardrive gearbox would fit my primera engine but the blocks are different, hence the homemade adapter plate and ford t9 box. The bellhousing is the frontwheel drive one unbolted from the frontwheel drive gearbox with the bit that housed the diff carefully removed (with an anglegrinder). Centering the bellhousing up with gearbox was easy using the outer race of one of the gearbox ball bearings as a spigot.

The engine is longer than the ford v6 and it has the distributor at the back of the head where it would interfere with the scimitar bulkhead. However the engine /gearbox combination puts the gearstick approx 5" further back moving the driver/steering wheel/ pedals /bulkhead further back as well. Exactly where I am going to put the front bulkhead is yet to be decided.