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Post by Stiggy on Jun 24, 2011 14:22:18 GMT
Very well done Sir, I know it can be stressful but what a fantastic feeling you now have! Don't forget to book AMM in the next day or so. We need you there with body on. Regards Stuart
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Post by s t o n i c on Jul 12, 2011 18:19:55 GMT
Well I had my DVLA 5 minute check of VIN and engine number. Won't give tax disc or reg number - has to come out in post. Also said because I don't have V5 (was Cat C) it will get a Q plate. I will probably appeal since I know source registration and vin that matches to engine number so age is 100% known. If any of you have appealed then pls let me know what you did. Thx. Mind, still trying to figure what emissions test applies to a Q.. Lots of missinformation on web so read MOT manual and still not 100%. If Q = no cat or emissions then may be worth it for winter 2011 engine mods . Can't wait to get the plates and on the road. Getting bored waiting now...
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Post by mastarforth on Jul 12, 2011 18:31:50 GMT
Hello mate
Interesting to know about the cat c, may change my plans
Anyway there is a post on here I am sure you have read about dvla changing their mind on q plate decision so may be worth pushing
I fancy through flow exhaust and bike carb kit so q plate would not necessarily be a bad thing for me though
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Post by The Joker on Jul 12, 2011 21:09:24 GMT
Check some of the Rocket threads and IVA threads in the tech section...Mark (Green Rocket Black frame) had the same and appealed and from memory won! He's now sold the car I think but I'm sure I would still help with more info.
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Post by s t o n i c on Jul 15, 2011 17:08:47 GMT
Sonic 7 on the road at last!!!!!! Got the reg over the phone and plates made so today has been greatfun taking every one outmin the car whilst the sun still shines. Have to say very pleased with the way handles and sits happily on motorway..
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cml
Newbie
Posts: 19
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Post by cml on Jul 19, 2011 11:58:29 GMT
Good work Enjoy yourself!
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realtwin
Junior
Sonic 7 builder
Posts: 40
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Post by realtwin on Jul 27, 2011 14:08:49 GMT
Hi Stonic great to see it finished, looks different(good) in Gulf style colours. Would you mind posting some pictures of your fuel tank and associated area. I would like to take this route. If you would rather I will pm you my e-mail and you could send the pictures to me. Thanks. Regards Andrew
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Post by s t o n i c on Jul 28, 2011 14:37:24 GMT
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Post by amiga500 on Jul 31, 2011 10:51:31 GMT
Stonic, how do you find the cooling on that? I never realised a front mounted fuel tank would impose such a blockage straight behind the radiator....
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Post by s t o n i c on Jul 31, 2011 13:37:27 GMT
Cooling not been a problem. Used sheet alloy to direct airflow under the car and my rad is way forward and in the nose away from chassis. Also bought the biggest duel speed cooling fan that would fit. Highest water temperature I've seen is 98 and fan pulls it straight back to 92.. On a gentle run it stays in low 90's so may be over cooling as thermostat starts to open at 92 and fully open 99!
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realtwin
Junior
Sonic 7 builder
Posts: 40
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Post by realtwin on Aug 2, 2011 13:49:43 GMT
Hi thanks for the additional pictures, gives a good idea of what is involved. Andrew
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realtwin
Junior
Sonic 7 builder
Posts: 40
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Post by realtwin on Aug 2, 2011 13:56:29 GMT
Stonic, how do you find the cooling on that? I never realized a front mounted fuel tank would impose such a blockage straight behind the radiator.... Hi That is less of a blockage than most modern FWD cars, my partners mondeo diesel has virtually no room in that area. Andrew
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Post by s70mev on Dec 20, 2013 14:36:11 GMT
Hi stonic
I very much like the way you've done your build. I'm currently building an ST170 powered sonic and am wildly stabbing in the dark. Your build has shed some light on the subject. I have a few questions having seen a couple of your photos:
1) Is that the standard ST170 rad that you've used there? It looks like it but I just wanted to double check.
2) Did you have problems with body panel fitment over the rad? And also did you trial fit the panels before determining radiator bracket size? Any idea what the dimensions of your rad brackets ended up being?
3) I notice that you have used some very long gearbox linkage cables to get round the problem of the ST engine being rear mounted. Presumably you therefore used the standard ST gearstick/selector box (which I I understand from looking at mine that it's the same one as that out of a 2000 Mondeo)? I'm guessing therefore that with the longer cables, you mounted the gearstick the same way round as it is in the ST itself? If this is correct, I would very much like to go up the same route as you on the long cable front. Where did you manage to source your very long gearbox cables from? Presumably, with these in place, you were able to use the standard gearbox brackets rather than bolt on the ones supplied by mev?
4) With the fuel tank mounted there, as you said in your thread, you were going to hinge the bonnet. Presumably you found no problems with that in the end with IVA etc? And also, which end have you hinged it from? And have you fabricated some sort of bonnet prop? If so, what did you do?
5) (And final question for now I promise!) I notice that you've done a vast amount of work before body panel fitment. This is the way I want to do it as well. Many different sources have said that you rivet the body panels down using the same rivets that rivet the floor to the outer chassis rail. At the stage you were at in the photographs where you have no body panels on, had you riveted the floor to the outer chassis rails at that stage? If so, I presume you've made it so that you can detach body panels at a later stage should you wish to. What was your solution for that? Or have you since riveted down the body panels permanently? I currently have riveted the floor down across the central chassis rails, the outer front and back chassis rails, but not the outer left and right with anticipation that I would need to fit body panels over these areas. Is this what you've done too?
Thanks in advance Stonic.
James
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Post by daydreamer on Jan 13, 2014 23:48:58 GMT
Hi James, I’m not sure if Stonic looks here very often. But I’ll try and answer some of your questions. RE ST170 RAD: I don’t know what rad stonic used. Some prefer a VW double core rad. I’ve used a 2.0L MK4 Golf Rad. I fitted that forward of the chassis and steering rack RE RAD fitment. If you move the RAD forward of the Chassis, this is what I have done, fitment is very tight but possible. Do plenty of trial fitments. I adjusted the fibreglass side panels so that the RAD can be dropped out the bottom. RE Gearbox linkages. Stonic ran his cables forward and then around in the bodywork. Very long but reports from Stonic are that the length had no noticeable effect. This does mean that you can use the gear lever as is without modifications. There are several places to get long cables , one I am aware of but have not used is www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gear-Change-Cable-Kit-Car-Rally-Car-2750mm-/181266059754?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a344c91eaI believe they will make them up to the length you need. www.cable-tec.co.uk/products/push_pull_cables.aspI have not used either of these companies but it seems they can make cables as you specify. RE Fuel tank at the front. I have my fuel tank at the front and had no issues with IVA. I thought about having the bonnet hinged but that is quite fiddly to do, so I have a fuel filler at the side. RE Build sequence. I also built my sonic up to a running chassis before making the final fitment of the bodywork. I recommend that approach even though it means taking the panels on and off several times. To make all the panels detachable I have only used rivets on the floor panel and bulkheads. And on the floor panel I have only used rivets with a double spacing down the sides where the side panels are fixed. Everywhere else that a rivet would normally be used to fix the body panels have used M4 Rivnuts. I note recent discussions about threading directly into the chassis using a technique called swaging to create an extended surface to thread and that is an interesting possibility that I had not thought of. Personally, I prefer rivnuts. Just a suggestion, but consider starting a build thread. Regards Daydreamer
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Post by s70mev on Jan 14, 2014 23:47:11 GMT
Cheers Daydreamer! V. Useful! Since initially writing my comment above I have actually discovered your build thread - the photos etc have provided me with much inspiration and I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm doing generally now, and thanks for the cable info - I can get onto that part now. Just one question, I think I got from what you were saying about the floor riveting is that you've had a standard rivet every other rivet on the outer chassis rails where the side panels mount, and then rivnuts in between the standard ones (for example: rivet, rivnut, rivet, rivnut etc...) - is that what you mean? I'm guessing that the rivnuts provide adequate spacing to clear the standard rivets from pressing into the fibreglass panels when they're tightened into place? If the answer to all that is yes, then that all makes sense and my mind is now at rest . I've riveted the other sections of the floor long ago and purposefully left the outer rails until I knew for definite what I'm doing re mounting those side panels, and I think I do now... Starting a build thread is on my to do list. I've been taking stacks of photos, all of which will be uploaded to the thread when I start one. The thing that has taken even more of my time up than the build itself has been keeping the marquee I've been building the car in from blowing away/leaking/waterlogging in all of this awful weather we've been having - I've basically had to do a full overhaul on the damn thing by double skinning it with DPC and devizing various ratchet strap contraptions to stop the whole thing from turning into a very unusual looking kite! Touch wood I've succeeded in the fight against Mother Nature and I can now proceed with build threads and actual building! Haha! Cheers again Daydreamer, nice to finally make contact with a big influence I look forward to meeting you and seeing your car at a meet/kit car event in the future whichever it may be! James
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