For once I can say, all tasks accomplished!

On Saturday I re-installed the passenger side exhaust and ran the engine - all sealed up nicely!

On Sunday I completed installation of the speedo and the hazard lights. I also had enough time to spare to wire up the brake lights too.

the only downer is that it turns out that thje speedo unit doesn't actually have the fuel gauge function on it, bugger. It's not the end of the world though, as I can always upgrade it to a nicer one in the future anyway.

So I'm going to stick my neck out here and set myself another list of stuff to do by nex weekend.

1. Wire up Fog lamp
2. Wire up reversing lamp
3. Wire brake warning light (handbrake and fluid level warning)
4. Wire up the horn

If I can get all these done then that will complete the wiring loom, and I can move on to finishing the bodywork.

Alright, well i have removed the blowing exhaust manifold from the passenger side of the engine, and had it machined so that the faces of all the ports are flat and level to one another. I'll refit that today and it should hopefully cure the bad blowing I had there.

I've also completed the indicators, they all work now, also the hazard lights (although I have yet to fit a switch for them), that's on the list for today.

On Thursday i finally recieved the digital speedometer i had ordered, and found it also has a built in fuel gauge which may be compatible with my sender. Fantastic. I have begu installation by making a bracket and installing the speed sensor on the rear axle. I need to do some more wiring (groan!) to install the speedo unit completely.

So those are the next few jobs for this weekend:

1. reassemble exhaust and test
2. complete hazard warning circuit
3. Complete installation of speedo/fuel gauge.

just had 10 days off over Christmas/new year, but back to the grind today. Well at least in my time off I got a bunch of stuff done.
Got the engine running
made the wiring loom
headlights - working
sidelights - working
tail lights - working
indicators - working
hazards - WIP
cooling fan - working
instruments - working (with the small exception of the oil pressure gauge which I need to make an adaptor for as the sender doesn't fit.)

just gotta do the reverse light, fog lamp, brake lights, brake warning lights and the horn and the wiring is complete! I can then at last finish the bodywork, make the interior and it's done!!!

Problem is finding the time now I'm back in work, bugger.

SUCCESS!!!

I hooked up the partially charged battery and the full booster pack - to give it the best chance of starting, and within a few seconds of cranking - it fired straight up!

It idles really nicely too.

I checked the charging circuit - working perfectly!

I then wired up the rev counter, voltmeter and water temp guage and ran it for a good ten minutes to check their operation - all working great. The oil pressure gauge isn't yet working as the thread on the pressure sensor doesn't match the engine, I'll have to make up an adaptor for it.

The exhausts are also blowing on the joints between the manifolds and the front pipe, and the passenger side is blowing beween the manifold and the head. Hopefully this shouldn't be too difficult to sort, and was something I had been anticipating.

So not all good news, but I'm really chuffed to have it running properly. I may have left it till the last day, but it is running in 2010!!! It will be finished in the next few months, at last.

So to all, a very happy and prosperous 2011. Happy new Year!

Good morning people!

Well the booster pack is fully charged, and the car's battery is now on charge. Hopefully, today, I will finally get the engine started, again.

Well I have been enjoying my time off over the Christmas break and have been getting some good time in up the garage, at least 3 hours a day for the last few days.

So this week I've:

made and fitted the front side panels
fully welded the exhausts (including the lamda sensor boss)
sand blasted and painted them before finally fitting them
covered the dashboard in black vinyl
Begun the long slog of wiring everything up

The wiring is taking a long time, I was completely expecting this. My plan of attack is mounting all the components (lights, horn etc) and running the long lengths of wire back to the centre of the car, then connecting each circuit up in turn.

So far I've made the front end loom, including lights, horn, instrument sensors and charging circuit. I had previously made the rear loom, but today I made the connections to the new rear lights. I completed the starting/charging circuit today and had a go at starting the engine up, unfortunately I didn't have enough power in the battery to get it going, but maybe tomorrow!

My goodness - where did November go???

It's been bitterly cold, and I've been absolutely slamming the overtime in at work in preparation for Christmas so yet again, the locost project has suffered delay.

However in the few small sessions i have managed to sneak in up the garage, ive made and fitted the drivers side panel and exhaust system. I next plan to repeat this on the other side, then make the front side panels.

I've also bought and fitted the rear suspension, and replaced the rear lights - the last set fouled the wheels through the wheel arches. the new ones require a slight modification to be able to fit in the same holders but it shouldn't be too difficult.

I have a week or so off over Christmas and i plan to get as much finished as possible during that time.

CKC are agin running a trackday at Llandow in May and my aim is to be there! So really I need the car to be done by April so i can have a test session in it first.