Front end repairs

[stylussprinter]

Rob.
For a towing eye, I have used webbing which is tied to the chassis and comes through a hole in the body. A bit of velcro holds it in site for use. The webbing is a contrast colour to the body. Deamon Tweek sell it (I think) but my wife made mine. I noticed a few Furys use it for the front & rear when I was at Silverstone last. Only problem is any sideway force is on the body apature - unless a straining ring (?) is mounted just behind.

That sounds a neat solution especially with the flip front Biggest problem is the damn radiator getting in the way of anything strong enough to be a restraining ring --- just where you need to weld/bolt to the chassis
Still like the webbing solution though -- if it was centrally/re-grill mounted

[stylussprinter]

Just some thoughts re: hinged bonnet and also making it removable.

On my R1ot I made the bonnet so that I could lift the bonnet or lift an slide off the bonnet - not so hard on the R1ot, I just used two garden shed steel hinges; the short hinge welded to the chassis and the long tongue slides into a scabbard attached to the bonnet - you just slide the bonnet onto the two hinges (like putting a knife in a scabbard) and then I used a bolt and captive nut to make sure it would not slide off.

You could do the same with the Stylus, but in reverse......

Put a hinge on the bonnet that has a rod/bar that then slides into a scabbard type receiver on the chassis (the "a" frame) - it would be simple to make and allow you to take the bonnet off fully in seconds.

I will try and draw what I mean, but I hope you get the concept - let me know if you need a drawing/sketch,
Q.

Yes , I originally intended to do exactly that but changed my mind due to often being on my own when needing it off / see my earlier post --- quite awkward if you don't want to scratch it getting it off then putting it down somewhere --- often on rough gravel or mud at worst , re - scrutineering . It's a two man job because there's now't to hold --- cant reach both wheel arches NOR one hand in the grill plus the other in the bonnet void cos it's bonded in --- tricky

[stylussprinter]

Bought some glass matt/resin to make sheet for the ' D ' sections but ended up using some carbon fibre (curticy of Mr Bailey via --- who knows ) I had a selection of kevlar and carbon fibre sheet of varying thicknesses so re-inforced a 1.5 mm piece with 3 sheets of f/glass matt/resin for the drivers side. The exhaust/manifold side , I used a piece of 3mm carbon fibre sheet on it's own seeing as it would end up just 25mm from some very hot pipes
Originally , both ' D ' pieces were f/glassed in but today I fitted them in with black Sikaflex ---- I love that stuff but had not heard of it when I built the car.

[stylussprinter]

I've had two radiators ordered from Dial o rad mobile supplies since October , one for me and the other for Dean , a friend of mine rebuilding a Fury also with a Zetec 2lt . After several calls I got pissed off waiting so found a suitable rad' from an online company called AARON RADIATOR CO LTD . The entry/exit on the left plus a bung for the thermo sensor/left -- 535mm wide , 330mm deep -- plastic tanks/alloy construction and will fit easily between the Stylus A frame .

Their website shows every combination of widths , lengths and pipe positions so it's easy to find a fit and capacity. My car ran a little cool on it's 600mm wide rad so the 535mm should be just right , once it gets the usual bottle of water wetter in .

In case it's useful to anybody else with a Zetec / both pipes left , the part number for this particular rad is --- 2VW129 or O.E. 171121253CJ VW PASSAT M2 1983 to 1988 1.8LT

Should be here tomorrow apparently & just £46 including delivery

[Schrodinger]

In my Tiger I had a Polo rad from GSF car parts for similar money, it seems that the VW rads are as you say plastic tanks and alloy cores and best of all relatively cheap

[stylussprinter]

Radiator arrived as promised at 9-00 am and it looks about right , at just 65mm shorter than the existing one , with all the holes in the right places
With changing from fixed body to flip front , the air intake flexy pipe will just squeeze past the radiator on the driver's side without going into the wheel arch as before. Opening the ' flip ' means the pipe can't be fixed as before , so a straight-ish stretch as it opens is what's needed
My ' A ' frame design , being almost 90mm higher than the SSC one , means making a 90 degree drop down to the hinge point which will be around 70mm from the mouth of the grill . The old rodends will do that job , so have welded a lock nut onto the end of a poly metal insert --- saved them being thrown away Once I've got the 20mm x 1.4mm gauge square tube , I'll butt weld them on the very end of the frame --- that'll give me a little adjustment height wise to get the shut line right on the ' flip '

[stylussprinter]

Just got home from a funeral only to find a parcel on my doorstep and it's the upright I've been waiting for --------- so that perked me up I'll get that put together tomorrow

[stylussprinter]

Crap drawing & not to scale BUT you'll get the idea how I intend to allow it to flip open ----- with my chassis being 90mm off the deck

[Bikenuts]

Rob
I don't suppose you could weigh one of your alloy up rights? I'm considering converting but as it's quite a lot of work - not to say money I want to know how much benefit there is. I take it your using Cortina geometry uprights rather than Escort ones - has that caused any problems? -bump steer or anything like that?

Cheers

Matt aka Bikenuts

[stylussprinter]

Rob
I don't suppose you could weigh one of your alloy up rights? I'm considering converting but as it's quite a lot of work - not to say money I want to know how much benefit there is. I take it your using Cortina geometry uprights rather than Escort ones - has that caused any problems? -bump steer or anything like that?

Cheers

Matt aka Bikenuts

Total weight of upright , caliper bracket , steering arm plus stub axle = 1.5 kgs on the kitchen scales. Then there's the alloy hub of course plus bearing , can't weigh those sorry.
Bump steer --yes if you don't alter the angle of the arms OR higher the steering rack ---- I chose to redesign the arms . Don't forget , this isn't about power to weight ratio(weight saving) -- it's about greater ability to adjust as you develope and need to change the set up plus lighter up front / especially rotational weight which has a disproportional result in handling compared to the small weight amounts
involved.
For road with occasional track work ---- it's probably not worth it BUT if you like pushing the envelope and always want the edge to be further away ----------- A resounding YES

As said previously --- Cortina geometry gives you a cheap lowering being 20mm higher stub on the upright but obviously the rear has to be sorted too.
Once you follow my route -- it's never ending cos just can't tell you everything

[Bikenuts]

1.5Kgs is about a kilo less than a standard 1100/1300 upright - so a good reduction, and there should be a saving by swapping to rose joints too. My main problem is I have the old style of rockers with chevete ball joints so I need to decide how to modify them to take a rose joint without putting back all the weight saved by the alloy upright. I'm not too worried about weight on the rest of the car - I need to lose a few stone before I think about reducing that.

Matt

[stylussprinter]

1.5Kgs is about a kilo less than a standard 1100/1300 upright - so a good reduction, and there should be a saving by swapping to rose joints too. My main problem is I have the old style of rockers with chevete ball joints so I need to decide how to modify them to take a rose joint without putting back all the weight saved by the alloy upright. I'm not too worried about weight on the rest of the car - I need to lose a few stone before I think about reducing that.

Matt

Well basically I still have SSC rockers , albeit tubular . The SSC Metro end was cut off then a 50mm (approx'ly) flat circular piece of steel had a 5/8 ths hole drilled in the centre . Behind this was welded a threaded insert to take a rodend(rose!) -- Looking rather like a steel top-hat . That top-hat was then welded to the cut off ' rocker ' . I'm competing and the rodends have never failed , only the ones hitting a tree Having said that , as the rodend isn't designed to take a load across the shank and I could have bought 1/2 inch rodends but with 5/8 ths shank (but chose 1/2 x 1/2 ) -- It might be wise to use the 1/2 inch rodend with 5/8 ths shank . Whatever you do , don't buy cheap rodends . Buy National rodends with 16000 lbs breaking point or more . They will be about 25 to 30 quid a piece though I think the only rodends that ought to be 5/8 ths shank , are the two supporting the upright . All others take load in a linear direction ie. on the wishbone and steering rod ends

Pic' shows the circular steel plus insert in situ' with it's 1/2 inch rodend . The cranked steering arms are shown earlier in this TOPIC -- cut/shut (from Rally Design standard arms @ £45 a pair)

[Pete&Matt]

Rob

Whilst you have your inner arches off, would it be possible to do some drawings for them? Myself and probally many others are in need for them and the likely hood of Tim supplying them from his moulds is quite remotei should think.

Cheers

[Bikenuts]

Rob,
Because of what I'm starting with I'm considering making a housing for a spherical bearing rather than using a rodend - OK I'd have no adjustment on the top arm - but that’s not necessarily a bad thing - more things to adjust can sometimes just be more things adjusted incorrectly. Thanks for your input.

Cheers

Matt

[stylussprinter]

Rob

Whilst you have your inner arches off, would it be possible to do some drawings for them? Myself and probally many others are in need for them and the likely hood of Tim supplying them from his moulds is quite remotei should think.

Cheers

Well , I could do but one of them is all screwed up plus my ' D ' sections in each lower wing (now in carbon !) were built right to the edge which was a mistake on my part . They get rubbed by the tyres on lock . Pete didn't supply arch inner protectors nor a drawing to make them either . Each side is slightly different . I made mine quite roughly ie. they didn't reach the body at the top , just close to it . What I could do is draw something up when I've made a new pair ? Bare in mind that my ' D ' sections in the lower wings are now approximately 50mm back . This time round I intend making the liners in two parts rather than all in one piece . Then you can join the two pieces in situ' with Sikaflex (along the 90 degree join) OR make them removable seperately.

You never know , I might just get a pair of those carbon looking jobs from Tim when the body arrives I have told him that there is a market for a few