Substitute

To cut out a chassis rail is one thing, to replace it is something else. The photo shows the replacement not too far away from the original location. All in all, the chassis will keep it's initial strength.

This pic is for memory only and to show the mechanical odometer drive. Once all the panels in place, it will be hidden. As speed will be measured electronically, the mechanical drive will not be connected (note shiny new paint after grinding and welding!).

Latest order placed at Burton (GB), the new Pace DSP5 competition oil pump for wet sump. With a 20% higher volume and integrated sandwich plate, it's a piece of clever engineering to replace the setup currently used. I'm even tempted to try it out without the oil cooler to save weight. The higher volume might suffice to keep the oil temperature low.
Cheers.

Chassis cleaning

With the pedalbox wandered to the floor, the brackets where the original pedals hung are not needed anymore. The cleaned chassis will allow an even surface underneath the steering column to fix a lot of things like the relay and fuse boxes, the ECU and others. This will add to the clean look I like to achieve when the new aluminium panels will be fitted. Removal ceremony with a lot of sparks...
Cheers.

Unbent

 

Have a look at some pics of the repaired chassis sections (from top: front trapeze, backside of impact zone, lower wishbone mount). Two solid stands support it in a comfortable height to further work on. Next I will do some modifications. Brackets for the new pedal box will be welded in and maybe some more mountings for peripheral engine parts.
Cheers.

Restart

Back from the bench (or surgery in more human terms)! Not yet what you'd call a car, but a fair basis for a restart. Been born as a Westfield homologation car for Spain, built and assembled in Luxembourg, the last owner made it a pretty car with aluminium side panels rather than the plastic fantastic original body. This explains why it will wear a Caterham nose-cone and bonnet. To accomodate those parts, some mods have been made to the chassis and I will show them later on. This is done with the one and only goal: making it a prettier car, and not fooling anybody.
The ferry is booked for tomorrow morning. The Caterham parts are ready and waiting to be picked in Dartford (GB).
Cheers.

Car bench

Chassis is fixed on the car bench and looks almost ok. Some minor things to finish and it should be ready tomorrow. All the rails could be reused, some weldseams have been renewed. On one pic, the water level is visible. All in all, the chassis might even be straighter than when it came off the line at Westfield...

Cheers.

Straight

The chassis is in good hands (hopefully). When loading it into the truck, it appeared how small and light it is. We fixed it with some lashing straps to shelves on wheels to easily manouevre it. At Carrosserie Palanca in Ehlerange (Luxembourg), they will check what exactly has to be done to straighten the frame. They call tomorrow for a quotation and delivery date.
Cheers.

Roll out

Few last things to put out of the chassis. But one very big one. The typical Saturday afternoon job together with Max and Pit.

Lightweight explained with a live example:

Chassis ready for delivery:

It is planned to carry the chassis to a specialized company next Monday. They will submit a quotation and evaluate the overall condition of the chassis and the possible repair. Then it will be straightened and the rebuild can be started. This is not the end of the first half, but maybe only 10% of the whole work. The rebuilt will take a lot more time and effort. Wish me luck and perseverance!

Cheers.

Ready for take-out

The KN Jupiter rims are mine! They have to get a polish before I use them, but for 27 year old aluminium rims, they look very much ok. Back to work after that because I'm still very far away from mounting wheels...
Have a look at this bracket:

I don't know if this is of legal requirement, but I know that without an angle grinder you cannot remove it, and then again you cannot remove the two lower bolts fixing the differential to the chassis. So next time I will take some more tools to the workshop to free the diff.

 

Chassis now free from

- brake lines

- pedal box

- inner panels

- handbrake

- gear lever

and engine detached ready to be taken out together with the gearbox.

Next move: buying the motor crane!

Cheers.

Three 's a crowd

A productive Saturday thanks to precious help from my sons.
Radiator and fan - out,
fuel-pump and filter - out,
rear panel - out,
rear suspension and half axles - out,
and finally (for today) loom - out... which is just a small wooden box full off cables, switches, relays and sensors. Not so easy to get it out, but most certainly a major headache to get everything in place again.

The rearside of the chassis almost empty now (except for the diff and brake lines).

The scuttle now bare of cables, panels and everything mounted like the coolant expansion tank.

Damage to the rails clearly visible, upper triangle and side rails.

Not that much left before the engine and gearbox can come out. Some inner panels, the brake and fuel lines, the oil cooler and maybe some smaller things I only will find out.
Cheers.

See-through

This morning the right side came off as well. First the front suspension, then the side panel. It's almost see-through with only some panels left. Two days off now to recover and plan further steps.
Cheers.

Striptease

Some more dismantling made today. Quite a progress, although it is obvious that reassembling will not be as easy. One has to get into the logics of the builder when stripping the car. The alloy panels are very thin and can easily be damaged. That's why I started with the left panel already bent beyond repair.
Rear view with the tank removed:

 Left side without panel, scuttle, windshield, exhaust and front suspension:

Without the panel, the damage to the frame is now visible:

View of bent front rail, not very visible in this pic, but in real it got quite some strain.

Next time I work on the car, I will start to strip the right front suspension and the rear axle. If possible, I try to leave us much parts assembled as possible when removing. Then the right alloy panel will be removed very carefully as it is almost not damaged. Just a slight bent where the flasher was mounted. The dashboard will follow and then the engine compartment.

Cheers.