WELDING
I have just arrived in New Zealand, caught with my Beach House yearly visit which was great. Now I am just counting the days until I am once again at McGregor Motorsport with Scott on the build progress. However progress is great with Mark doing the final welds on the chassis…then it’s back over and on its legs once again.
A wet Friday in Japan
Editing the blog is my connection to the build, after each phone call to Scott the mind starts to kick into gear and ideas flow quickly. I was just looking at my four days in Christchurch at McGregor Motorsport and thinking how fortunate one is to be able to have such a project.
I certainly miss the hands on, the sounds so familiar in a workshop, the banter between friends, problems that arise and solutions that resolve them. The sparkle of enthusiasm, the smiles, a sense of accomplishment, all combine to make this so worthwhile. The next few weeks will be very busy with so many small tasks suddenly transforming the build. Our goal is to have a “mock-up” ready for when I am back in New Zealand. This will be the time to start the engine for the first time, a great moment.
So, at my desk a quick edit of my last day in the workshop in December…roll on March 2017!
Cardboard Box to Gas Tank
It just takes a fresh set of eyes, open communication that often solves problems. The gas tank was problematic, caused by the entire new chassis with the incorporated roll cage. A quick sketch over morning coffee I showed Scott my thoughts which he was thinking exactly the same concept. So off to the local home centre, buy a cardboard box, and back to the workshop. I never imagined that the box would fit perfectly between the rear roll cage bars, love to say I did! So quick measurements, rapid cutting and tape applied we had a pretty cool mock-up. The tank was also 39 litres which was another bonus along with two very large spaces for assorted luggage space.
McGregor Workshop
It was great to be met by Scott at the airport then head off on our “to do list” of sub-contractors. I really wanted to use the same people as my first build, staying with them ensured the high quality and continued friendships. The upholstery of a Lotus 7 is always a challenge and given my 30,000km’s of driving I had several major changes that I needed to be made. Brendon Marshall of Canterbury Upholstery was fully on-board with the new changes and certainly enjoys such projects. The plan is to leave the car for a week; this will depend upon the door options. I looked at several cloth samples and settled upon a deep charcoal flat cloth that will add to the new look design.
Paint, Wayne is again the painter and now works at UPPER CLASSICS in Christchurch. We were extremely lucky that when we came to look at the paint sample Wayne gave us a tour of the numerous departments of classic car restorations – very jaw dropping seeing the quality of their work and vast array of vehicles in all stages of restoration. The color is exactly what I wanted; the depth is perfect and reacts to sunlight as designed.
Arrived in Auckland
It is always great to come back to New Zealand and even better that in the morning I am off to Christchurch to see the build progress. I just got these images from Scott showing the side panels fitted……wow!
Busy week
The week got off to a great start with Scott and Mark catching up on the build schedule. It is not unusual for all projects to plateau and that feeling that no progress is happening. However, it only takes a few key components to be fabricated then attached so an entire part of the build is completed.
From my office in Japan I am continually updated by Scott with photographs and chats on the phone…messenger is great and free! Mark is a valuable mentor, his knowledge is considerable and Scott is proven to be more than capable in assimilating the knowledge effectively.
It was only a week ago that I was looking at file photographs of the “headers mock-up”. This week they were actually being fabricated and great progress made by the team.
In less than a week I will finally be on site at McGregor Motorsport, a “to do list” longer than my arm but a smile wider than the garage.
Scott has been busy measuring and updating the CAD files and now we can see the first body panels being cut…excellent job!
Headers need a little thought from this 2014 “mock-up” by Mark
K20A Parts arrive; Scott is already mocking them up and it’s looking really good.
Some quick decisions needed to be made, the old question to “fabricate” or “bolt on”…this is a no-brainer as the quality of bolt-on parts just makes so much more sense. Gone are my days of crawling around junk yards and re-furbishing a twenty year old part. The Honda K2 Motor is certainly not new but the amount of bolt on new parts is incredible. New Zealand is really fortunate to have a total one stop online shop. Speed Science – Order Performance Car Parts Online, Stocked In NZ & Shipped To Your Door: Global Brands, World Class Service. Come Take A Look!
https://www.speedscience.co.nz
Shopping time….
Skunk2 Ultra Street Intake Manifold
S90 74MM THROTTLE BODY
BLACKWORKS RACING BILLET FUEL RAIL
GRAMS PERFORMANCE (AKA SKUNK2) 550CC INJECTORS
K-TUNED COOLANT HOUSING WITH -12 AND FILLER
K-TUNED HALL EFFECT TPS
SKUNK2 MAP SENSOR
Dash Board beginnings
Just saw the dashboard waiting for Scott to mark out the template and drill the holes for all the gauges. This is a great part of the build as this fabrication sets up the boundaries necessary for the engine cover design. Progress is always nice, even when we plateau that just means minds are ticking over considering all options.
Once Robert got the mock-up dash the wires came off his jig and were soon being connected to the gauges…wow!
