Aluminium Panels

[davew]

Picked up my SEiW Zetec Starter kit yesterday.  I thought I would start by identifying which aluminium panels go where but some seem different shapes to the ones in the build manual. i.e. the floor panels are one piece each side rather than two as shown.  

My main problem is that I have a large piece about 1 long and 30cm wide, sort of a triangular shape and i just can't work out where it is supposed to go.

I also the piece which goes over the transmission tunnel doesn't seem to have a cut out for the gear stick, is this normal??

I also have a piece which goes over the top of the passenger foot well with a hole in it, i presume the hole goes in the centre of the chassis to allow loom cables to pass through, does any one know?

I wonder if I have the correct panels??

Just had a look at the transmission tunnel side pannels and they seem about 1.5 inches too long.

I would be grateful of any help, advice and links to build sites which would help me get going, in the mean time I'm going to get going with what I know and hope for the best!!!

[Mark Stanton]

First thing to do is download a membership form and join the WSCC - tag along to a club meet and ask Q's of your fellow builders and nose around their cars      

I thought the build manual had an exploded diagram of where the panels fitted    its not a million miles away. Triangular shape ? Could fit in a number of places - how big ?

You'll have to cut your own hole for your gearstick.

The piece with hole in it for footwell ? end panel or top panel ? floor mounted pedals = master cylinder or cables. top panel for wiring loom - needs a rubber grommet.

Correct panels ? - best to place em and tape into location and see where it all goes before fitting

Its better to have too long panels than too short - you can always trim them down.

There's a few buildsites - go to the club links page and you'll see quite a few members pages / build diaries.

Good Luck

[Guest]

Hi Dave,

I collected my kit at the end of July & know what you mean about the panels. As Mark says, it's definitely a good idea to tape them in place.

I think you'll find the triangular piece fits perfectly on the 'tail' of the chassis, though whether it goes on the top or the bottom I have no idea - I still haven't fitted mine

The scuttle panel (top-of-passenger-footwell-one) has a hole for the wiring loom as you pointed out - look later in the manual (module 2) and it says you must cut the hole (although this seems to have been done already for you by Westfield )

The transmission side panels only appear too long because they must be folded around the front of the vertical parts of the chassis at the front of the tunnel. However, after folding them (using a wooden mallet after riveting the rest of the panel) I still had to (carefully! ) file a small amount off so that they were flush with the chassis. The fibreglass footrest panel & corresponding passenger panel will then fit nicely.

I also recommend fitting the scuttle panel last since I did it in the order suggested by the manual and it was a real pain fitting the two footrest panels...

All the best,

- Dan.

[davew]

Thanks, the triangular piece does seem to fit exactly under the back end of the chassis so this must be where it goes.  It does seem to omit to mention this piece in the build manual.

Would I be correct in thinking the fibreglass foot panel and the respective passenger side fit into the transmission tunnel side rather than the cockpit side?

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

Dave,

To add to the replies already, as with most of the build you don't have to exactly follow what the build manual says. change the order if it seems more logical to you. But all the time make sure that before you fix something permenantly in place check that it does not stop you putting something else on that goes behind it.

Best start is to put the floor pan on first as you want to do this with the chassis upside down. Other peice of advise is get an Air powered rivetter, unless you want bone chrusher hands.

Once you have got it turned over I put brake and fuels lines in first before looking at any panels. The other panels once I was sure where they went I drilled them early on. but did not fix until latter. Made it much easier to get at other parts to tighten bolts etc.

Mide, part of the fun   of the build is taking things of for the 3rd time to get something else in place.

Hope this helps.

Nick

[pembroke_pat]

Buy a good hand rivettor as cheap ones tend to slip on the rivet shank.  The downside of using a hand rivettor is that all of your friends start to think that you are a left handed websurfer!!

[tomo]

The triangular panel goes underneath the car.  Westfield told me its main purpose is as a heatshield for the fuel tank when using an underslung exhaust.  They don't bother to fit this panel when they build cars with side exhaust but it seemd to me that the fuel tank protection is worth having.  Another bit of advice is to fit the rivnuts for the fuel tank straps before you fit the triangular panel - I didn't.  More agro.  This panel also provides a few more places to clip wiring.  The downside of fitting this panel, I found, was that it makes routing the fuel pipe a bit harder.  You can't fit the fuel pump where Westfield do on the Zetec cars if you have this panel on.

If no one has said yes you are right about the two samll panels at the end of the footwell.  I'm surprised you have n't asked about the dirt shields which catch most people out - did me.  Unless you didn't get any in your kit - they were missing from mine.

Best thing if you can do it is go to the factory and take thousands of photos of the cars in build.  I would have really struggled without these.  As you've spotted the manual is not kept up to date.

Simon

[pembroke_pat]

what dirt shields?  And where do they go?