costin Costin Walker F3/F4/FJ Imp Rebuild

[DIY-Si]

It's looking really good now the engines sat in place. I hadn't realised the assembly process was quite so convoluted 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

3 hours ago, DIY-Si said:

It's looking really good now the engines sat in place. I hadn't realised the assembly process was quite so convoluted 

I guess it’s the downside of this being the prototype and the only one made. I’d normally expect these sorts of things to be ironed out by the time it gets to production.

 

when it was in bare metal it was easy to see where tubes had been cut out to run coolant hoses and things changed to make it fit.

 

This is the arrangement of the clutch slave assembled either side of the chassis rail. You can also see how the rail had to be scalloped out on the top side to clear the bell housing.

 

[DIY-Si]

I guess that's the joy (?) of a vehicle like yours, so much of it must be made up as the original builder goes.

 

That is a very unusual set up For the clutch! Were you tempted with a concentric slave, or is that too much of a step away from the original?

[Mark (smokey mow)]

33 minutes ago, DIY-Si said:

I guess that's the joy (?) of a vehicle like yours, so much of it must be made up as the original builder goes.

 

That is a very unusual set up For the clutch! Were you tempted with a concentric slave, or is that too much of a step away from the original?

Yes I quite like it for all its quirks. When I was having the brazing done on the chassis I was very specific in my instructions for them not to grind flush any of the past alterations or straighten out the dents as to me they’re all part of it’s history.

 

I considered a concentric slave but the mounting would have been complicated as there’s no flat surfaces and the original method was also slightly cheaper. 

the original method is also tried and tested with the AP clutch and roller release bearing as it’s the same as was used in the Bill McGovern /George Bevan Imp. Helpfully his grandson Jonathan Bevan who I bought the engine off from that car last year helped me source the parts needed.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

On to todays jobs and all the rest of the engine ancillaries have been fitted and the coolant hoses connected up, I still need to route and make the hoses that run to the front of the car and connect to the radiator.

 

The exhaust and inlet manifold have been temporarily mounted in place but due to a slight oversight on my part I’d forgotten to order a new manifold gasket so it’ll have to wait till another day before I bolt it on permanently.

 

Oil catch tank fitted, a job for next time will be to make up the breather hoses to the engine and gearbox.

 

 

The last job for the day was to swap the rocker cover over to something more befitting of the engine bay. The colour I haves it painted in is a hint at what’s eventually to come for the bodywork.

 

Finally a few photos of how the engine bay looks now.

 

 

 

[Nic Chase (NICO) - Shropshire & Mid-Wales AO]

Looking good Mark. I always admire your patience and attention to detail. This  has been a very long journey. This part must be very satisfying. 

[DIY-Si]

I really like that rocker cover!

[Mark (smokey mow)]

12 hours ago, Nic Chase (NICO) - Shropshire & Mid-Wales AO said:

Looking good Mark. I always admire your patience and attention to detail. This  has been a very long journey. This part must be very satisfying. 

Thanks Nic, it’s taken much longer than I’d planned to get to this stage but this is bigger than any restoration I’ve taken on before now.

 

I couldn’t have got to where I am now without the help of JMW motorsports who are just up the road from home and have been increasingly helpful both with the loan of their workshop space last year for the fabrication and their contacts in the motorsport community to do the jobs that I don’t have the skills for. 

 

They put me in contact with Richard who did the roll bar and chassis repairs and Andy for the engine work. Richard spends the majority of his time making repairs the BTCC and GT grids whilst Andy works for a current BTCC driver and ex LeMans GT Winner. I certainly couldn’t have found this level of talent alone.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

With the arrival of several more deliveries through the post I’ve been able to make more progress in the last week.

 

First delivery was the manifold gaskets that I’d forgotten to order before. I actually found a complete new old stock gasket set that worked out cheeper than buying individually.

 

Next onto the oil breather hoses for the rocker cover and gearbox. I’d opted to use Aeroquip pushfit socketless fittings but this turned into a much more difficult job to assemble them than I’d ever imagined. To push the hoses home fully you need hands with a vice like grip and the arm muscles of a weight lifter, by the time I was done several hours later my palms were red raw and my arms aching.

 

 

 

I had to rethink the gearbox fitting as I’d originally fitted a 1/2” BSP to -08 JIC adaptor to then take a 90 degree hose fitting but there wasn’t enough room for that and it clashed with the gear linkage so I had to switch to a 1/2” BSP banjo. I’ve had to keep the hose length long to avoid kinks which I’m not happy with as I’d rather the hose sits flat across the top of the gearbox. It’ll do for now but I may change it later on.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Sticking with the theme of hoses I then moved onto the coolant lines to connect the radiator at the front to the engine in the rear. The cold size was relatively easy as it’s a straight line along the side of the chassis up to the water pump inlet. The hot return takes a much more convoluted route weaving it’s way through the birds nest of chassis tubes to find its way back to the front. 5m of aluminium tube and 10 silicone hose joiners later it’s finally done.

 

 

 

[Alan Cutler (Adge) - Dorset AO]

Fascinating, skilful work Mark. Really good to see it coming together, must be pleasing after all the prep work you’ve done. Keep up the good work.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

1 hour ago, Alan Cutler (Adge) - Dorset AO said:

Fascinating, skilful work Mark. Really good to see it coming together, must be pleasing after all the prep work you’ve done. Keep up the good work.

Thanks Alan, yes after all these years of it being in boxes it’s good to see it looking more like a car again.

 

progress would be faster but it’s burning through money faster than I can earn it! 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Another job ticked off the list this evening and the new carb is fitted. I need to source a throttle linkage kit at some point but I can’t decide on whether to go top or bottom mounted.

 

 

 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Not much to report from the last few weeks or at least nothing that looks that interesting in photos. There’s only been a few little jobs done to the plumbing mainly as I first caught covid, village Jubilee celebrations and then had a holiday to LeMans.

 

One Costin related item I can show you now it’s Father’s Day was a model of the car I made recently for my dad.

 

As with anything I make it started first with a drawing! It’s quite easy when you’ve already got most of the car drawn in 3D as a couple of button clicks reduced it down to 1:43 scale to match the rest of his car collection and then there was a few tweaks adjustments and the addition of a driver figure.

 

 

Not having a 3D printer of my own I turned to makeitquick for the printing side of things. The main body of the car, wheels and exhaust were all printed in high detail resin whilst for the tyres I opted for abs.

 

To give the car some strength the suspension arms would be made from 1mm stainless steel rod.

 

This is the kit of parts ready for assembly.

 

 

 

I painted as much as possible prior to assembly which needed patience and a steady hand. Then onto the final assembly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Glen_I]

What a fantastic gift!

 

I got a book that my youngest daughter gave to me which I opened this morning and then my eldest daughter (turned 13 yesterday) came down and saw the book and thinking she is doing the right thing went and wrapped it up quietly not knowing I've already unwrapped it, thanks girls! 🙈