Yep I sometimes think i'am too... But loving building it.

 

What are you planning to do regarding the wiring loom?

 

I will start with the lighting circuits using the Astra loom striping out any unneeded wires this runs to the passenger footwell so from there I will extend the wiring(may have to get another loom to keep wiring colours) up to a switch panel that i'm going to make either in the center of the dash or in front of gear stick(depends what can be reached when seated)

Things like fuel pump ect I will make a new loom.

I've got a small fuse box from an MX5 that I will use and find a small relay box.

I will use Scooby clocks and engine wiring which I have no idea yet how that looks but will treat that a separate loom where I can.

I would like a race dash but don't think finances will go that far at the moment.

 

Cool, sounds like a plan, it's a massive underestimated part of any build imo but sounds like you have it sorted.

 

I agree wiring is a big part of a build and if not done well you really suffer later,

I have made a few looms over the years so have a bit of experience but will still draw up the plans I have in my head so I can check I haven't missed anything

 

Done a job I’ve been putting off for ages the joining of the bulkhead… and now I know why I’ve been putting it off, it was a right pain and really awkward… not sure I’m 100% happy with the outcome may have to have another look at it…







On a positive note made a purchase today

 

Nice pedal box.

 

cheers, hopefully here this week so I can fit in place then I can fit my seat rails.

 

Done a bit today made a centre gusset for the main hoop ‘x’ took a couple of attempts to get the bend ok and trimming them but got there in the end..
So I had to make 4 of these, they got better as I went on.



Welded them in


Then I used a flap wheel on the grinder to finish it… The front turned out ok the rear was a pain to weld as I can’t get in with the helmet on very well so had to weld from a bit of a distance leaving a few pits that could do with a few spots of weld





Finishes it off quite nice…

 

Fantastic work Ian! Bet you will be glad when the cage is finished.

James.

 

love this project,nice work m8

 

Yeh not had a lot of time over the past few weeks so progress a little slow hopefully will have seat rails in next week... Then I can do door bars ect

Cheers

 

Had a good day today….

Made up the driver’s side seat frame, using some 40 x 20 rectangle section and added strengthening plates to the ends, took ages to decide on the driving position.







Then onto the pedal box fitting, had to modify it slightly behind the accelerator pedal so it fitted against the inner wheel arch

First I made a plate with bolts welded from behind so the pedal box had something to fix to



Then welded that in position



Then made a fixing for the top of the pedal box



And with it fitted

 

Finally started on the steering column bracket and got rid of the string holding it in place….

Still have to finish the left hand return but pretty please with… maybe a little over engineered but didn’t fancy having it break on me and do a Senna

I used some rectangle section so if it need to be lower I can add in a spacer…

 

Awesome fella!

I love checking back on this thread the amount of work involved is crazy lol

Regards

Mick

 

Great stuff. Hope you get it finished, seen a few projects like this fall by the wayside.

 

Cheers.... It's keeping me busy, and most people think I'm crazy...


I'm defo in it long term... I was planning a build for sometime before starting it

As long as something out of my control doesn't happen it will get finished.

 

Just seen this, awesome.

This is the type of innovation that the MSA have destroyed in rallying ... me being one of the victims ... yet they are happy for 40 year old 350bhp "escorts" to keep going.

Nice work.

 

Cheers.... Yeh I jumped in at the deep end a bit not checking for reg changes... But still have options for competing, hill climb/sprints some track racing ect... will see what's available and affordable once some track days under my belt...

What have you got that's now unusable ???

 

Had a day off from the day job so spent the day down at the car… managed to get quite a lot done.

Finished the steering mount and decided the best way to test is to put 12 ½ stone on it and jump



Didn’t move so happy with that,

Then I started on my jacking/sill stand mounts… I used a hole saw which I cobbled together an extension by chopping up an 3/8 extension bar and welded an old socked to the hole saw harbour so I could go right through… worked ok but forgot to take a picture of that…





Made the strengthening plate to bend under the sill for more strength







So that’s the driver’s side done

Then fitted the door bars to the driver’s side







All in all a good day.

 

Thought I’d post this and get some opinions….

I’m thinking of routing my exhaust out the side similar to a BTCC car, my main reason for this is coming below the rear cradle like a Subaru setup hangs very low and my cradle sits lower in the car slightly more than a Subaru so the diff is a bit lower…

I would come out somewhere like this



Then on the inside I’d box in part of the passenger rear seat well, similar to this, it would be completely sealed in so no gases could get back into the car



I would have to use box like this so I can come back out and up through the floor



Just wondering if there are any legal requirements for side exit exhausts??

 

Well not had a huge amount of time over the past few weeks so this weekend was the first for a few weeks I have got chance to get back onto the Astra,

I have committed to a side exit exhaust thou with a tunnel through the body, after speaking to an MOT tester it is fine but if any part of the exhaust is on show (westfield ect) then it should now have an ‘Hot Exhaust’ sticker…

So I cut the side of the car although the hole/tunnel is quite big I will overlay a piece of aluminium sheet where just the hole the size of the exhaust will be cut out…



I will fit some mounting brackets in the tunnel so the exhaust will be held in place close the exit

Then the tunnel inside still some to finish (pics not brilliant last minute effort)





I’ve also found a place that will make up a custom back box so I can have the exit pipe coming out the side of the box then up through the tunnel, also planning on putting a flexi pipe in the tunnel.

 

nice

 

cheers...

 

alright mate its jay the electrician from work,
iv finally found your project been looking for a while.
i cant wait to see the finished master piece!

 

Cool...

 

Productive weekend….

Found myself an engine, g/box and matching diff… the engine will have the bottom end rebuilt before I get it and I need to get some heads, also got a wiring loom for the Subaru section I will need.

I’ve got the exhaust tunnel finished up



Sealed it and a coat of primer on the bare metal…



Then made up the heat shield to cover up the tunnel… didn’t really know the best way of forming it but started to rivet it in place and bend as I worked my way along it, used a little heat on the bottom right corner, I used a some rounded wood and a mallet around the arch which worked pretty well…

It will come back off when I paint the car and I will cut the hole once I know the exhaust size.





Had a play with the dash I fibre-glassed the heater vents a couple of weeks ago, then today I used some expandable foam to fill it out and strengthen up the part around the cage… then a skim of filler.



I got hold of a surround for the instrument panel from a Subaru and amazingly it fits into the Astra dash like it was made for it.



Then with a bit of help from my mate added some ‘B’ post gussets and a centre screen gusset.







Also done a few little jobs like patching up the holes on the bulkhead where the cage goes through and some holes I won’t need, forgot to take pics of that…

 

Great work, coming along nicely

 

If there's ever a tornado & earthquake going off together, we know where to take refuge!

 

Cheers... Battery box job soon so I may be nicking your design!!!

Lol... There is some tubes in there... Might be sad and measure it one of the days