CarlyD's Rocket Type R

[carlyd]

I don't have my selector cables yet but a friend of mine (Darren) is a gearbox guru www.sd-transmissions.co.uk he has suggested he can create custom cables for me. I know Venhill offer this service but I think I'd need to remortgage my house for them to do it.

Due to having wider seats (I want to be comfortable in my car) I have to narrow and lower my center tunnel (see pics below). Therefore I have decided to change my cooling layout, I am now going with sidepods and fitting mini radiators in them. The side pods were designed by Mabs and Deano and look amazing as well as allowing me to remove the cooling pipes which run down the center tunnel. This leaves me with room to run my throttle and gear selector cables, and all of the wiring where the old cooling pipes used to run.

The added bonus is that I can now remove my radiator from the front and place the fuel tank and battery at the front, this adds more weight up front which should help with balance (Although I have no scientific proof of this). It also means I can extend my fuel tank giving me more range. 

This also means I don't need a COR (cover of randomness) so will give the car a much cleaner look behind the seats.

As you can see there is literally a few millimeters between the seat and steelwork for the tunnel 




I am also going to make a H gate for the gear selector like a ferrari in brushed alluminium and then to finish the center console and tunnel I will cover it in suede effect micro-fibre which is the same material that my Sparco steering wheel in wrapped with, it should look very smart and race car ish.

[casesensitive]

Apr 14, 2015 22:18:55 GMT carlyd said:

The added bonus is that I can now remove my radiator from the front and place the fuel tank and battery at the front,

It'd be worth talking to Focus strippers, each of us pulled one of these out of the dash at some point, it's the interior heater rad; I reckon they'd fit nicely in side pods.
I'm holding out hope of using mine for a post-IVA behind-the-seats heating mod (AirScarf anyone?).  Though it's probably too big.  

[mawdo81]

Carl, I have 2 of these in Derby that you can have for a passenger ride when done?!

[carlyd]

The side pods are designed to fit the Austin Mini radiator and I can get two of them for £100 but many thanks for the offer.
You can have a passenger ride anytime when it's finished though 

[carlyd]

I've removed the radiator from the front giving me room for the fuel tank and battery as previously mentioned.





I will be moving the filler on the tank to either the passenger side or so that I can fill it from under the bonnet. I'm still deciding on this. As you can see there is plenty of room to extend the fuel tank.

[carlyd]

Just to clarify about the gear selector using the honda accord Type R engine and gearbox. The gear selector cables come out of the front of the selector and then do a 180 degree return back to the engine.
I have measured this and I need the cables lenthening by 2.2 metres.

You can see the cables in the photo below.

[casesensitive]

Apr 15, 2015 21:19:20 GMT carlyd said:

I've removed the radiator from the front giving me room for the fuel tank and battery as previously mentioned.

I will be moving the filler on the tank to either the passenger side or so that I can fill it from under the bonnet. I'm still deciding on this. As you can see there is plenty of room to extend the fuel tank.

Nice. I've seen some other kit cars and at least one Rocket (possibly post IVA mod?) that filled directly from the top of the tank where my fuel pump goes. As I read it, it's not in the passenger cell, and so long as it has a box around it that's fuel proof, it'll be cool where it is. As you're cutting up the tank, not a bad time to baffle and extend it to the sides. No sense in wasting all that lovely space :-) Would sir care for a swirl pot?

Edit: like this OBP one from Fleabay.

[carlyd]

I'm using the Honda accord Type R fuel pump which has a built in swirl pot :-)

[Paul (madeye)]

I can knock up the gate for the gears if you get me dimensions, a nice bit of engraving on there too possibly :-) :-)

[carlyd]

Apr 18, 2015 23:21:49 GMT Paul (madeye) said:

I can knock up the gate for the gears if you get me dimensions, a nice bit of engraving on there too possibly :-) :-)

Nice one Paul, that would be great. I'm going to make a template first so sizes will be bang on. Cheers mate :-)

[carlyd]

I started to mock up the center console and tunnel as my seats are larger than normal I needed to make the center tunnel a lot smaller than normal. I have also moved my gear selector so it's nearer the steering wheel so had to factor that in too.
This is what I came up with (below). I will have my welder weld the console together making just 2 pieces.




I made the ally parts in card first and then copied the templates.
I created a makeshift bender too (below)

[carlyd]

As you can see even with the modified tunnel it's still a tight fit with the seats.

[rocketfella]

As im planning on the same base set up as you im interested to know if you will be keeping the abs and tranction controll or r you gonna be going comando?

[mawdo81]

Go commando! Seriously though the set up will be so far from stock the poor little controllers won't know what to do...

[carlyd]

Binned abs and keeping traction control as i'm using it for track too. I'm just trying to understand the wiring as I want to do everything myself so that I completely understand the whole car.