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5/6th November |
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5/6th November has been spent on making a central console or cubbyhole just forward of the gear-stick flush with the front edge of the dash. I cannot believe how much trouble it has caused me, mostly because there are some strange angles involved all in areas that are difficult to get to. In order to maintain the shape and the fit, I had to build it in situ and then remove it as one solid unit for finishing. In a car where storage is at a premium, this will be quite useful and will hopefully keep dry in wet weather. |
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7th November |
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The next job is to put some padding on the lower edge of the dashboard.
7th November 2007 I wasn’t looking forward to doing the padding job (couldn’t ask Stuart to do it) but it had to be done and it did in fact go quite well. Starting with 20swg mild steel sheet, I cut a strip 50mm wide and long enough to do the job, and folded a right angle with sides 20mm x 30mm. Using the invaluable shrinker (in stretching mode) I was able to reproduce the curve of the lower edge of the dashboard. Holes were punched in for riveting later on and then the foam glued on with aerosol adhesive. I used foam pipe lagging with a sector removed and this allowed it to sit nicely over the right angle. Where the leather cloth has to go round a curve the trick is to cut it so that initially it is puckered up
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and then when it is pulled round the foam, the wrinkles disappear. I’m no upholsterer but I have gleaned some of Stuart’s tricks of the trade and the end result is as good as I can do. The padding goes all the way round the edge and produces the required result. I have also upholstered the top of the transmission cover so that the gear lever bezel is flush and hopefully its sharp edges will not be an issue and the casing around the handbrake. Using the foam pipe lagging I have padded the sides of the chassis in the elbow area so that has finished the cockpit quite nicely (in my opinion!) |
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One of the final jobs is to shape some 6mm MDF so that it fits over the speedo, rev counter and rocker switches making them flush. I’m not sure that this will satisfy Byron but it’s the best I can think of. |
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15th November |
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15th November 2007, two days before the Exeter Show and apart from cleaning and polishing most of the work is done. Before SVA, I need to check the mirrors and alter if necessary but apart from that, I think we are nearly there.
The padding has worked out well and the additional piece making the gauges and switches flush seems a reasonable solution. As I hope you can see from the picture, I’ve shelved (no pun intended) the idea of a parcel shelf and hinged glove pocket in the interests of simplicity. We shall need additional storage capacity and the parcel shelf may well still happen. I am also planning to use the nearside pod for storage. This will involve making a box with a hinged lid and inserting it into an aperture cut into the sidepod all after SVA.
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Southwest Kit Car Show |
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| 16th November 2007 has been spent cleaning the car in preparation for the Kit Car Show at Exeter. It started to rain as we were loading the car onto the trailer |
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so, deep joy! You will remember that I have taken the screen and the “Lift-the-Dots” off in preparation for SVA so of course I could not fit the tonneau cover. However, I had planned for this (unlike me) and have bought a waterproof cover from http://www.hamiltonclassic.co.uk/. This was just over £100, fleece lined and of excellent quality. The ends are elasticated and there are two straps that fit under the car so it cannot blow away. The drive to Exeter was slow but uneventful and James Picket of the JPSCC was there to meet and help with the off-loading and positioning the car on the Stand.
Over the two days of the Show, the car received some nice comments and the newly formed JPSC a good number of applications for membership so all in all a very good weekend. The only disappointment was that I discovered that, while driving the car from the exhibition hall to the trailer, the dip switch is wired the wrong way round so that the main beam warning light comes on with dipped beam. This means that the dashboard will have to come out yet again, oh no......
Well, all of a sudden the car is finished and apart from checking the mirror issue I’ve done as much as I can and now I’m just waiting for the 12th December. So this will be the last report until I give you the news of the SVA test.
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