It's been a while since I updated this so I thought I would give you a quick update:
So since the car has been road legal I've been out in it several times and had much fun. Truly one of the best and most rewarding driving experiences ever!
It hasn't been without its problems though...
First up the cycle wings have been causing me tons of grief. The final straw was when, on the last time out I was 8 for 8 - in that I'd been out eight times and every time I'd had at least one wing fail on me - I was 12miles from home and had to creep back in 1st gear with the wing essentially resting on the tyre scrubbing away!! Recall that you can't take them off the car completely without splitting the top wishbone ball joint - tools required to do that amount to more than a leatherman and a spanner at the side of the road.
I had tried various bodges (see the forum for details) but really I knew it was time for a re-design.
I went to the steel merchants and bought some lengths of round bar, some hollow tube (to suit M8) and some 3mm plate
And this is the design I've come up with:
Doesn't look that pretty at the moment, but it's infinitely stiffer. I've welded on an extra plate to the upright at the front and picked up on the brake calliper bolts - so now it effectively bolts on at four points that are spaced further apart. And I've combined the plate and the round bar to increase stiffness.
One side completed and took it for a 10mile test drive. Hey presto, much stiffer and didn't fall off!
Eventually (winter) I'll have them back off the car again, run the grinder over them, and tidy / paint (or powder coat) them up.
Time will tell if it's worked or not...
That's been the main thrust over the last 8 weeks or so, compounded by the fact I moved house right in the middle of that and had 3 weeks of non-stop DIY and unpacking work to do!
At the weekend I did a 70mile trip out and the car didn't miss a beat - cruises very well and seems to averages 35mpg. Although it's difficult to calculate preciesly because the isolator switch deactivates the dash each time I leave the car so I lose the instantaneous mileage and the fuel gauge isn't reading right, so I need to start taking a pencil and notepad on my trips to accurately calculate that figure.
And to top it all, last night I got a puncture. Bit of a pain when you don't carry a spare!! Luckily as I was only 2miles from home I limped home on it at 10mph (getting used to that now) and as the tires are only £35 each not the end of the world if it's trashed the sidewall.
Next time - few more local trips to continue to iron out the problems and tweak the issues, gain more confidence, and then use it in anger on a track day!!
Thanks for reading
