Been a long time between updates but I'm back into it now.
A lot of the work I've been doing has been pretty boring. Fiberglass repairs from where I cut holes in the wrong spot or changed mounting points etc.
I've been concentrating on getting the boot area sorted and then I'll be working my way forward in preparation for finishing the bodywork and paint. This means sorting out all those body mounting points brackets and roll bars etc.
Changing the way the roll bars mount to the chassis has meant some changes to the body mountings. The rear roll bar stays provide one of those mountings.
Most of the floor in the cabin and the boot is a sandwich construction for light weight and strength. Great stuff but the foam core means that you can crush it when bolting though it. To combat this I've been making aluminum bosses that act as a crush tube for all the hold down points. The the boss limits the amount the sandwich section can be crushed and transmits loads directly to the chassis. I've done this for seat mountings and harness attachment points etc.
Cutting neat accurate holes for the bosses has meant making some different drill guide tools that use the bolt holes to index the drill. This one let me cut the floor for the roll bar mounts. It only lets the hole saw through far enough to cut the fiberglass and not touch the chassis powder coat underneath.
The aluminum boss is then machined to be an exact for for the hole which doesn't allow the floor to move in any direction and limits the crush. It also means you can tighten any bolts down firmly to the chassis.
I had to change my roll bar rear stay mount design a little. It didn't allow enough up and down movement to easily get the rear stay installed into the socket in the hoop. It's not as pretty as the original setup but it's strong and will do the job. It should look better when polished at least.
Note some of the many patched up holes.
Sorting the roll bar mounts means I can fit the roll bar bezels. This was satisfying to finally see.
The other enjoyable job has been making the mounts for the quick jacks. When originally registered the car had no bumpers, just had plates to anchor the floor. The new mounts are made from 5mm stainless plate and should be plenty strong. The standoffs for the quick jacks are 3/4" aluminum rod that's drilled and threaded at both ends.
The lower rod mounts to the chassis under the floor. I reckon the whole thing would be strong enough to use the quick jacks for their intended purpose.
Here's one of the quick jacks mounted. These are home made. Chris L had some 6mm aluminum plate water jet cut for the profiles and I just welded them together. This one has been bead blasted. It was a finish I've been experimenting with. What do you think? This one is a bit dusty but the finish is a normally satin with a dull shine.
More fiberglass repairs where I originally made a mess of the lower quick jack mount hole. I made a nifty drilling guide for the quick jack holes to drill them accurately after the repairs. It should prove very handy for the front of the car where the holes go through an angled section of the body.
Cheers
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