BB July 2

As you've probably guessed, I've been working away again. This, as well as the
usual summer weekend activities have slowed progress. July is a good month in
one respect however, Finland effectively closes for the month as Finns take their
summer holidays. This means there is no reason for me to have to go there. So of
course on Monday, I have to shoot over to Milan at short notice, sometimes you
just can't win............

However we are beginning to get somewhere again. A few weekends ago Bob
brought down an old copper water cylinder he had lying around, which we
butchered to make the cowling. On saturday I spent most of the day in the
garage and was able to cut the domed cylinder top down until it fitted. Of
course, cutting this with a jigsaw was a sod as copper is flexible and stopping a
curve from moving whilst you're cutting it is difficult. In the end I resorted to
aviation shears. I left some tabs on the back edge which I folded under the
front hoop to secure it.

Next up was to complete the lower rear panels. These have to be joined with a
metal fillet. This was a job that needed four hands (one for each of the panels,
one to hold the fillet and another to mark the drilling points). I of course only
had two so the air was blue. One thing that you can see is the minimal room for
the fuel filler pipe.

Over the last few weeks I have been accumulating all sorts of bits and pieces, all
of the lighting and seat belts from Stafford Vehicle Components, and filler hoses
and caps from Europa. In addition I went to get the rest of the bits from Phil,
namely louvred bonnet, exhausts (of which I forgot the headers - d'oh), steering
wheel, mudguards and seats.

The seats were holding me up. I needed them to work out how I could fit the
seatbelts with sufficient length. I had tried various static belts, the reason being
that if I have rear seats, I didn't want the bulk of the intertia reels in the rear
footwell.

No updates for a few days, but I have been doing things. We were away for the weekend, but I managed
few hours in the garage on Friday evening . I was able to fit the fuel filler pipe to the tank although it was a
tight fit. I think lowering the tank by a few inches when I fitted it has helped, as has moving it as far to the
nearside as possible. I also fitted the front seatbelts and it worked a treat, the upper seatbelt mounts will
fit to the fromnt of the hoop you can see in the photo with the belt twisting through 90 degrees. The reels
are low enough that this doesn't cause any snagging.

Finally, I was able to fit the rear seatbelt buckles in readiness for the rear seat setup. The bent pipe you
can see in that photo is the fuel filler pipe.

While I was away I took the steering wheel and started fitting the sash cord to the steering wheel, but ran
out - it appears 12.5 metres isn't enough, I got some more but haven't finished it, that can wait for a night
when I can't go into the garage.

And so to the main event, the fitting of the bodywork. I have been dreading this, but couldn't put it off any
longer. I read the manual many times before starting on Sunday evening. First thing was to trial fit the
panel so that it met the uprights front and back, it was then a case of adjusting it vertically. Wide masking
tape was used to make the markings on the the chassis tube lines and floorpan flange. It was then a case of
using the depth gauge on my vernier calipers to work out exactly where the centre lines were and marking
them up - this is critical for the top chassis tube which is round. The front bulkhead flanges have to marked
in the inside of the panel by drawing around them. Having done that I removed the panel and marked up the
drill points for the rivets at 50mm centres.

Once this was done I again trial fitted the panel and made sure the measurements were right - I only get one
chance at this!

There is no pressure quite like drilling the panel on the bench as any mistake will be very visible, I just took
it slowly. By the end of Sunday evening the holes were all drilled and deburred, and I didn't sleep a wink.

Monday I was playing cricket with Round Table, so tonight was fitting night. First thing was to remove the
masking tape and then fit the filler panel on the floorpan by the chassis upright (see photo). Because there
are so many flanges, Phil suggests a thin skim of body filler to act as a mating agent, essentially in stops the
outer panel bending if the flange is uneven. The filler is mixed and applied to the flanges and thenyou are
working against time. The panel has to be fitted, the holes into the flanges and chassis tubes have to be
drilled and the rivets inserted and half pulled just as the filler is going off. You can see from the photos
that the rivets are all half pulled (and I have holes in my knees from fitting the scuttle). The scuttle is the
bit that goes over the top. The two side panels meet here so marking the centre line is important. a flange
needs to be made and this part of the fitting is the hardest as the way it fits creates a flare but it trial and
error.

Out with Round Table again on Wednesday night, so Thursday evening it was back in the garage. First job
was to check that the filler had gone off, and then to fully pull the rivets. If you look closely at the photos
above you can see that I hadn't rivetted the very front of the panel. This was for two reasosn; firstly the
panel twists here and as the panel hadn't "settled" where there was filler I was loathe to apply those
forces, and sceondly it mean't removing the wheel to get straight access. So tonight I could remove the
wheel and rivet this last section.

Whilst the rivet was off I took the opportunity to look at the bottom plug of the kingpin housing. This was
slightly fouling the inside of the wheel because the threads on the swivel were damaged. I removed the
plug, ground off the first two threads and then re-fitted it. Problem solved.

Next job is to think about the pedals. When test fitting the seat I noticed that the angle of the pedals
wasn't right for my big feet. When I need to do is add a more vertical plate, so I spent an hour looking at
how I could do it. Didn't really come to any conclusion, but I need to do this whilst I have good access with
that side panel off. Once the pedals are done, I can fit the other panel.

More progress. First things first, I've been away to Milan but took my steering
wheel with me as I had some room in my flight bag and whilst having a beer in
the hotel bar, sat and finished stringing it. Wow, did that get me some funny
looks - its a bit like knitting at the guillotine really.

Over the weekend I got some metal to do the pedals with. In the past I have
been pretty scathing about DIY emporiums (is that emporia?), however good
marks here to B&Q. In their larger stores they now stock various steel,
aluminium and brass sections in small quantities, up to 2m long and up to 40mm
box section. This is ideal for light fabrication. The metal I got for the pedals
was galvanised steel 40mm strip pre-drilled (see the photo).

So tonight I spent some time working out how to make up the extensions whilst
still retaining clearance from the steering column and enough strength to take
the pressure they would be under. The photo's best describe what I ended up
with, which I welded on. Essentially the metal strip has been cold formed, that's
bent in a vice to you and me, so that it can be attached top and bottom. The way
it is bent at the top provides the strength so that the pedal moves rather than the
extension deforming.

I could have drilled and bolted them on, but hey, life's an adventure and
welding is fun! I have to say that I am really pleased with the result, and having
the metal galvanised makes it fit with the predominantly aluminium colour scheme.

Having done all of the footwell work except for a cover around the steering
column hole in the bulkhead, next job is the other side panel.

Got out into the garage on Saturday morning and started fitting
the side panel. Same procedure as before, drilling the panel,
applying filler to the flanges and then fitting the panel with half
pulled rivets before the filler goes off. Problem was, this time I
buggered it up. When I was measuring thefinal two times I forgot
to clamp the panel onto the bottom flange, and so some of the
rivets where they meet the upper rail aren't dead central. I
couldn't change it at that point, but it can't be seen from the
ouutside and the panel is still solidly attached. Last thing was to
finish the scuttle so that there was a neat join in the centre. This
will be finished with a fillet panel.

This morning with the filler gone off I could finish pulling the
rivets. Next job was to retrieve the upper rear panel. This is
received as a large panel shaped like half of a tube which needs
trimming to size. Find the exact centre of the rear hoop and then
refit the rear tyre and mark the centre lione on that. Using the
rear hoop as a reference point, make a cardboard template that
goes around the edge of the tyre.

Mask off the areas that will be cut on the panel, and then mark
the centre line. Apply the template to each side of the panel, mark
and cut. Of course you do this several times to be sure. Do the
same at the front but the template comes from the plans. This
work is mentally hard as you know you can't make a mistake and
you have to be very careful with measurements. Once this is done
mark the sides and trim them to line up with the side rails.

Once this was done and I was happy with the fit, I finished off a
couple of other jobs that had to be done before rivetting it on
First was to sort out the fuel gauge - it turned out to be easy, I
had juts got the earth and sense wires reversed (pratt!) Next job
was the fuel filler pipe. Having got the rear panel on I could see
that the fuel filler cap would not go rear centre, so the rigid pipe
was no use. I drilled through the rear floor panel, put a metal
tube through it and attached the flexible pipe either side, which
also clamped it. The filler will go half way down on the drivers
side.

Final job for the day now that the fuel gauge worked was to cover
up the access hole in the rear floor.

Its funny that after a few "barren" months, progress is happening. I was abroad
Monday and Tuesday, but tonight I was able to get on with fitting the rear panel
that I had measured up at the weekend.

Nerve wracking again but straight forwards following the same rules as for the
other panels - only bugger was breaking two drill bits. That is now four I've gone
through since I started and as I only have a couple left I'd better get some more.
I've forked out for cobalt drills and they are definitely worth it - strong, stay
sharp and cut through metal like a knife through butter.

On Wednesday we had a card through the post saying that we had a letter "that
wouldn't go through the letter box". My wife went to the village post office to get
it and caused wild amusement to all of the retired folk queueing for their penisons.
It was the exhaust bits from Phil, have a look at the photo and you'll see why it
wouldn't go through the letter box! Apparently she found it a bit awkward and
called me at work to tell me "I owed her!". I just laughed.