The brake and clutch pedals are now shortened and fitted. I had to mount them on top of a piece of box section to ensure they had adequate travel, and also to locate the clutch return spring.

But as usual, in solving one problem I've found another. The donor brake master cylinder is way too big. I don't know if I can use it, but on first inspection it looks impossible. I'll have to fit the engine and see what sort of clearance I have.

Ok all is not lost with the pedal box. I spent an hour today stripping it down completely to it's component parts. I found then that if I fabricate up some brackets I should be able to use them after all - with some modification. Actually, only the brake and clutch pedal are suitable, I'm going to have to make an accelerator pedal from scratch. No Worries though, it's all good fun!

The other pedals are way too long so i cut about 2" out of them but that's still too long so I'll chop another 1 1/2" out of them to give a good fit and comfortable placement.

As usual I'll take some pics and post them up soon!

Just thought I would post up a pic of the steering column fitted.

Ok I've now mounted up the steering column, and it seems to be in a comfortable position. It's now also in the right position.

I've run into a problem with the steering rack I bought. The long trackrod ends are completely rusted on. I cut one off an accidentaly also cut off an as yet unknown length of the rack with it. I'm really miffed about this as I may have completely ruined my steering rack. I hope not.

I need to buy some sierra trackrod ends in order to make accurate measurements for the steering rack extensions, once I get the old ones off.

Today I trial fitted the steering rack (well, when I say trial fitted, I actually mean that I shoved it in the front of the chassis to see how it looked). With it in place, I could see that it was too short by a few inches. Also, the trackrod ends are too small to fit the sierra uprights.

I will therefore have to fabricate steering rack extensions like those used on the Haynes Roadster, these will both extend the rack to fit the width of the car, and allow me to fit sierra trackrod ends.

Yesterday I bought 8 meters of 3x25mm flat steel bar from a steel stockist - for a fiver!!! I can't believe how much the price of steel has gone down, the ERW box section I bought for the chassis cost me over 200 quid a year ago!

Anyhow, as soon as I got it home, i set to work making brackets, as the car is now a rolling chassis, it's time to start fixing things to it. I trial fitted the BMW steering column on some made up brackets, and it's not quite right, so this afternoon I'll grind the welds off and try again. I hope to use the donors steering column as all the electrics will simply plug back into the loom, and will save the expense of buying another column.

The other thing I'll be doing this afternoon is collecting my steering rack from the courier. I'll see then whether it is suitable.

And here's how mine looks!

A couple of ideas for interiors:

The new MEV sonic 7:

Today, Sept 6th 2009, for the very first time, it became a car. It's on it's wheels!

I've completed the mock suspension setup, fitted the rear wheels, dropped it off the stands and rolled it out of the garage.

I took a few photo's with our digicam, and along with the pictures from yesterday's complete kit car magazine track day at Llandow, I'll upload them soon (I've lost the cable for the camera).

Ok a little bit more progress today:

I discovered that if it tightened the front wheel nuts up using a socket on a breaker bar, then the studs would actually be forced through the nut caps (they are only very thin steel) and I could secure the front wheels properly. So the car has now been fitted with front wheels. These are 13" steel wheels from my old Ford capri. As far as the now broken front wheel nuts, they will do as mock-up parts for now, I will buy proper open nuts much later on in the build when I actually need them.

The steel capri wheels are quite rusty, so the plan is to take the tyres off 2 of them (I Have 5 altogether) and have them grit blasted to remove all the rust and old paint. I'll then paint them gloss black. At the rear I have a pair of 15" BMW crosspoke alloys which will be given the same treatment, I'm hoping that having all 4 wheels painted in a very dark colour will lessen the impact of them being different.

Also today i fitted the rear trailing arms to the axle carrier, the are now ready to have the mock suspension struts and brackets fitted, then I will fit the pair of 15" BMW wheels to the rear, and the car will be placed on all 4 wheels for the very first time! It's getting exiting now!

Tomorrow I will be attending Complete Kit Car magazine and Omex ECU's kit car only track day at Llandow race circuit, I'll take my camera along and hopefully post a few snaps up here. Depending on what time it finishes, I may or may not get some time in the garage, otherwise I'll have Sunday afternoon up there. Have a nice weekend everyone!

Well,

serves me right for saying it wasl flying along. Seems like weeks have gone by with very little progress. Just when I managed to pick up the pace, loads of things got in the way, my BMW broke down and it took me over a week to fix it, then the garage lights blew and it took me another few days to fix them. Well no more excuses now I'm getting back on with it.

I have now got the correct bolts for the front wishbones and they are now fully assembled. I've fitted some pieces of 25mm box section stell with 12.5mm holes drilled in either end, in place of suspension springs/dampers. This means that when I have the wheels fitted properly, I can put it on the floor on it's wheels.

Talking about the wheels, I've been unable to fit them properly as the nuts I got from a scrappie are capped and won't run far enough down the studs to clamp down on the wheels. So I need to get some ordinary, open-ended ford wheel nuts.

I've also got the correct bolts to hold the rear axle carrier in properly, and fitted it. So It's now doing it's job as a supporting member of the chassis. Today I cleaned up the rear semi-trailing arms And I'll get them fitted on soon. They will then get the same treatment as the front, with tubes in place of suspension for the time being.

I'm waiting on a steering rack to be delivered, I found a BMW 3 series (E36) one on ebay cheap the other day (£30 delivered) so when that arrives, I can start developing the steering.