Long day, Neville came over for the whole time and we got some major tasks done. I was extremely glad of Nev's help - big lesson for first time builders with no mechanical knowledge. While there is no need to go as simple as the Caterham or Westfield route, unless you buy a kit of standard parts from a supportive company, and welding or cutting are needed a skilled helper, a workshop or decent garage are essential. Even the Locost builders featured in the book admit to getting such h
elp.
I was set to work making a battery box first, bending mild steel lengths then welding the two "U" shaped carriers to the cross pieces. If you enlarge the photo you can see that this is now under slung in the side pod where I cut the hole. Then I made an aluminium retaining bar to hold it in place. Even with Nev's guidance I made simple errors by trying to mix my slow and ponderous method with his skilled approach. Meanwhile Neville cut and shaped supports for the MAF unit then fitted them. This is the unit just to the right of the battery box, then using self amalgamating tape I secured the brown air hose to the MAF and the plenum chamber inlet. The air filter fits on the end of the MAF above where the battery will sit.
elp.I was set to work making a battery box first, bending mild steel lengths then welding the two "U" shaped carriers to the cross pieces. If you enlarge the photo you can see that this is now under slung in the side pod where I cut the hole. Then I made an aluminium retaining bar to hold it in place. Even with Nev's guidance I made simple errors by trying to mix my slow and ponderous method with his skilled approach. Meanwhile Neville cut and shaped supports for the MAF unit then fitted them. This is the unit just to the right of the battery box, then using self amalgamating tape I secured the brown air hose to the MAF and the plenum chamber inlet. The air filter fits on the end of the MAF above where the battery will sit.
We also wired in the windscreen wiper switch that had arrived this weekend reconnected the terminals on the wiper motor, positioned the wiper wheel boxes to the correct angle by cutting a piece of water hose the right diameter to act as a spacer and ran the radiator fan cable from the main relay box forward to save a run round the dashboard.
While I was finishing these, Nev cut and shaped the spacer to go between the chassis cross rail at the front and the body, which in my case sits high there. Then he cut and made a return on an aluminium plate to go across the rear of the engine bay, plus the top of the pedal box.
Finally we riveted and rivnuted all the plates in place. Given that everything today had to be fabricated, sealed in place and / or shaped, it was a longish day!
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