BUILD BLOG

[Stiggy]

2 hours spare this afternoon so I fitted the front brake pipe that goes from the master cylinder to the nearside front caliper. Note the diagram of the brake pipe connections, this needs to be correct.
You can also see an arrow on the pipe from the brake servo to the plenum chamber. This has a one way valve in the centre and needs to allow vacuum from the plenum to feed the servo.



Next I fitted the alloy centre tunnel.



Then I fitted the side alloy panels and knocked on some trim.

i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv25/stiggymills/DSCN3531_zps7b84da84.jpg

Dash board back on and final check before body is fitted.



Then we lowered the body back on and checked for clearance and fit of the interior panels. Neat but if I had drilled 5 mm lower for the side repeater it would have been easier. As it is the side repeater comes through the body at the same height as the shelf on the side alloy panel.

[Stiggy]

If you have the use a a car lift it is easy to fit the rear brake pipe and fuel lines. If not then please carry out this job before fitting the body. It is easy to P clip these pipes with the chassis upside down.
The 3/16th pipe is included in the kit, you can use rubber pipe suitable and marked PETROL or use the MX5 steel fuel lines, or as in this case we got some 8 mm copper pipe from a plumbers wholesale outlet.



Next I am going to experiment with some odd second hand exhaust parts to tune in the sound I am looking for.

[Stiggy]

Card templates were cut out to mark a piece of alloy. The front differ slightly from the rear. Once all four are cut they can be riveted or screwed into place.



From the underside the petrol filler cap looks like this.



But only after you cut a hole in the rear grp.



Then you can screw the cap on from the top.



Just bled the brakes and clutch, Julie is putting the seat in, then I will take short test ride.
Video coming tonight, hold tight.

[Stiggy]

There are various seats available on the market that suit the period, careful though as they need to pass IVA and some are too low at the rear. The MX5 ones can be fitted for the test. After market seats with integral headrests are recommended, these in the picture comply with the height requirement and look the part. They are available from intatrimtelford.co.uk.

[Stiggy]

Just the headlamp covers left to fit. They will need to be removed for headlamp adjustment so I suggest 4 small self tap screws for securing them.
To hide the rim and neaten the edge I used a rattle can of British racing green. Careful application and removal of masking tape can produce a neat finish. Fine line masking tape is better suited to this task.



Note the inside surface is sprayed leaving a gloss finish on the outside. 4 light coats are required to build up the paint layer so it is not transparent.

[Stiggy]

Minor detail work today. Firstly I decided that the alloy front fog light covers would look better in body colour. Halfords have RAL 6005 in stock which is almost bang on.



I feel the alloy rear bulkhead looks rather bold in plain alloy so I glues a piece of interior trim to it.



So just the seats etc to put back in and we are good to go to Newark kit car show, this weekend 15th 16th June, see you there I hope.

[Stiggy]

For those wishing to use the MX5 instrument binnacle below is a picture of what is needed. There are of course various ways of cutting the GRP but I find it easy to cut holes and join them up with a thin cutting disc then use a bobbin sander to get it spot on. Sand the edge and use a black marker pen to colour the edges. The cardboard template was a useful guide but does not need to be perfect as you trim to suit the final shape. A 3mm thick off cut of polycarbonate or acrylic sheet is then bonded to the back with PU adhesive. 2 button head bolts will hold the unit in place. Off white background decals are available on ebay to complete the period look.

[Stiggy]

Just realised that the dash is in Km and is not IVA compliant (from a Eunos) but you can get a backing disc from ebay for £4 and swap them over;


The hazard switch from the MX5 can be used. I just cut the head off the headlamp retractor button and bolted it in place;


Looks fine from the front. You will also notice the small fog switch, the Eunos is often devoid of a fog light or has it wired incorrectly for IVA compliance. The fog must only come on with dip or main beam. Obviously it needs to remain on when changing from dip to main too!
You will find that the multi pin plug that goes in the column switch has one large and several smaller wires. On mine it is white with a black trace. Check this one with a meter, you should find it is live with dip and main beam and can be spliced in to for your fog feed. You should also fit and inline fuse though as the headlamp bulb has a fuse which is too large for a 21W bulb, a 3 amp is fine. 21 watts divided by 12volts = 1.75amps.
The fog switch needs a symbol on it and a tell tail light. The switch was £1.98 from ebay.



Now then, where is that polish, I must tickle the dash up a bit.

[Stiggy]

Great bespoke seats now available for Replicar from;
www.interiorsseating.co.uk/worldclassseating/RX1191V.html
They are
1, comfortable,
2, IVA compliant,
3, made in a choice of colours,
4, choice of piping colours too,
5, wider than the standard product,
6, angled to suit the Replicar chassis,
7, captive nuts are fitted and positioned for MX5 runners
They are made to order inc head rests and VAT at £570 a pair.
Please note the headrests are required for IVA.
Just ask for Replicar spec for MEV when ordering.

[Stiggy]

For those using the standard MX5 exhaust system a simple solution for the rear silencer mount is to use a 50x50mm 3mm thick piece of angle at 200mm long. This simply bolts on to the same place as the subframe bolt and an 8mm bolt with 3 nuts (these can get warm) to hold the rubber mount.
You will see in the picture that I have used one of the rear stay tubes with slight bending so it misses the silencer.

[Stiggy]

Another way of approaching the dash task is to use the MX5 instruments but disguise them. All you need is the 5 round holes cutting out and a square for the warning lights. I used some Maplins green lens caps for the indicator tell tale. Lots to chose from.
I cut the holes out of an off cut of alloy but it would be just as effective to cut the holes in the GRP. I found the alloy rims second hand with no glass on ebay, there are similar rings available on the internet. I cut 5 discs from 2 mm polycarbonate to back them up and then used 2 pack glue to stick it all together. Not sure if the alloy or black panel would look better, perhaps alloy with a wire brush in your drill to create a swirl effect if your brave enough.

[Stiggy]

Well we all make mistakes, turns out it needed an extra 10mm hole drilling! When I connected it up I noticed the BLUE tell tale lamp for main beam was still behind the alloy, it now has a hole just below the centre dial!

[Stiggy]

Fitting the doors is fairly easy but there are a couple of potential issues. For instance the door hinges must pivot on the same line. You will see in the picture below that classic Mini hinges are positioned to compensate for the door shut line being at an angle. If the hinges follow the shut line then the angle would cause the door to pivot down wards when opening.



You need to drill and tap an additional hole in the lower hinge, note these hinges are marked left/right/top bottom. The angles of the mounting face of the hinges need to be correct so that the door hinges freely. Bear in mind that the surface that they are mounted to has a curve, the hinges follow this perfectly. However if you mount the top hinge too far up or down it will cause the hinge to bind when opening as the angle of the mounting surface will be incorrect.



To fit the MX5 latch you will need to simplify the mechanism and make a shorter pull rod from the left over parts.
Below you can see I have cut off the parts you don't need and hooked the black plastic piece with a slot in it over the black metal tongue.



Fitting the latch will require a template to make sure you are accurate. Note that the fold line allows for the thickness of the GRP as it is used on the outside of the door inner skin. It is best to cut the slot first and then check the exact positions required for the 3 holes once you can see inside the door.



The MX5 door opener can be used, I cut the excess metal off and mounted it with 2 5mm screws, you can get your hand inside via the storage pocket in the inner door skin in order to clip the link rod into place. The rod needs to be cut and bent to the right length.



The catch on the chassis needs to be solid so I used the tough steel bonnet prop from the MX5.



Below is a picture of inside the door showing the link rod which is approx 90mm long.

[Stiggy]

If you are having an opening boot then the choice of hinges is important. The pivots have to be inline with each other or the grp will try to flex when opening. I used a pair of Moggy Minor hinges but ground down the back until the angle was correct to follow the curve of the Replicar boot lid. For a lock/handle I found this item knocking around, must be a common lock, I will need to drill a hole fro I and make a plate to hook under the lip of the boot frame when it is shut. Careful here, if it flies open when you are on your travels the guy behind may get a piece of it.




With the addition of an alloy floor there will be a decent storage area under lock and key for your weekend leather bag.
Of course if you go the hole hog and fit the side exhaust there could be room for a kitchen sink.

[Stiggy]