Smokey’s Narrow rebuild

[pete g]

good tip

[Mark (smokey mow)]

I think we're probably well overdue an update on this thread. For those with a good  memory one of the last jobs done at the start of the year was having dropped the engine in.  Visible progress slowed quite a bit after that as I made a start on making the engine loom.  This began life as a standard mx5 loom but I only wanted to keep just enough of loom to be able to run the engine.  In the end I cut most of that away too in an effort to keep everything tidy and started again with just the engine connector and the flying cable attached to it.

I didn't take any photos as i was doing this, so here's a couple showing the current progress.  The first task before i could make a fresh start was to empty off all the junk that had accumulated on and in the car it then deserved a wipe over and hoover to remove 9months worth of dust. The observant ones amongst you will notice the engines missing that came out a couple of months ago and is presently on loan to Westfield to help them with their SDV upgrades  

So back to the progress update; with the engine fitted and all the connectors plugged into the sensors the wires was all temporarily taped to the chassis rails to sort the best routing and so ultimately when the wires are terminated everything would be tidy and just the right length.

All the new connections and terminations would then be made to the two ECU plugs and fusebox.

As can be seen there's still a few wires left to terminate, but as it's been so long i need to try and remind myself where they go and what they're for

[Dommo]

Ahh... God bless the MX5 wiring loom. I'm considering ripping it out completely and going custom as well, but then I'd want an aftermarket ECU, then I start going silly.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Ahh... God bless the MX5 wiring loom. I'm considering ripping it out completely and going custom as well, but then I'd want an aftermarket ECU, then I start going silly.

I actually don't mind wiring too much, maybe it's because i spent so much time looking at the loom on the other car when I did the dash.

It's supprising how few wires you actually need for the engine though once you take out all the lights and instruments. There's nothing more to add other than what's already in the photos.

[KugaWestie]

I love my loom

Now

I didnt during the build

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Not much more to report tonight other than today I took a pleasent drive to Norfolk and I now have a scuttle for the car. It's a little more tatty than maybe i was hoping for but was cheap, and more importantly complete and with very few cut outs.

It never ceases to amaze me the people and places that I've discovered in my search for parts for this car. the chap I bought it off presently races a rather modified Ford Anglia in Special Saloons, with a 300bhp vauxhall engine under the bonnet. But of more interest to me is his new car in build for next season, a silhouette saloon, with a fibreglass Anglia body mounted off a rather substantially modified westfield chassis. The chassis had been strengthened and widened to accept the body and quite impressively he was also making his own body and pulling moulds for it off another spare Anglia shell in the workshops. Quite a talent and I'm interested to see how his car turns out

[alexander72]

looks good Smokey

[KugaWestie]

I take it you have been off work this week?

[deanoecosse]

Come on Mark, get your finger out. Windy is gonna have his Escort finished before you at this rate

[Mark (smokey mow)]

I take it you have been off work this week?

Aye, I have i needed some time to recover from Friday do some Crimo shopping and then get the building inspector round to sign off my cloakroom.

Come on Mark, get your finger out. Windy is gonna have his Escort finished before you at this rate

I'd hope so too he started several years before me. If however Cleggy shows any signs of finishing his spyder before me then you have my permission to royally take the P.

[KugaWestie]

I thought so - I hope that cloakroom got signed off, otherwise I will be ripping it

When do you hear the outcome from last friday?

[Mark (smokey mow)]

I thought so - I hope that cloakroom got signed off, otherwise I will be ripping it

Of course I just have to pick the certificate up on monday when he hands it to me from the other side of the desk

When do you hear the outcome from last friday?

I got the letter earlier in the week. I'm now oficially an MBEng

[KugaWestie]

Good news on both counts then - well done mate

Now - get on with the narrow will you please - we are lacking a few build threads this winter

[alexander72]

i might have a build thread in January... no promises

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Never has the adage "if a jobs worth doing, it's worth doing well been so true"

Ever since i originally panelled the floor i've never been entirely happy with the amount of flex in the panels. The original panels on the car were 1.2mm thick aluminium so i went for the same when I re-panelled it, however to help with cutting and bending I went for 1050a grade for It's good cold forming properties. The trouble with that is that the unsupported floors are just a bit too springy.

I guess you know where this is heading and yes, they had to go

With the chassis flipped up onto it's side the rivets were all drilled out and removed.

For the new panels I'm using 2.0mm thick NS4, which has a tensile strength twice that of 1050a but is an absolute sod to bend I used the old panels as templates to cut out the new floor, and align the punch for the rivet holes.

As can be seen i work in a spotlessly clean and tidy workshop just like Windy but after a long day, the new floors are complete, and i now feel much better