roll bar looks good. as for the kph speedo the readout is not mot testable but as the t3 has the figures on a seperate sheet of clear plastic that sits on a blank grey back ground of the speedo dial. needle off and 2 screws you could possibly clean it up and fit mph figures to suit or just put dots on to show the mph positions.

Quote from: snoopy on March 29, 2013, 06:26:45 PM
roll bar looks good. as for the kph speedo the readout is not mot testable but as the t3 has the figures on a seperate sheet of clear plastic that sits on a blank grey back ground of the speedo dial. needle off and 2 screws you could possibly clean it up and fit mph figures to suit or just put dots on to show the mph positions.

Cheers Snoopy. I bumped into a MOT tester on Weds and hes said KPH is no problem for MOT... Just have to take care through cameras!

Looking good! Keep this up and you'll definitely be on the road before me 

Been out in the garage again 

All four brakety things are done. Just need to tack them in place tomorrow, didn't want to rush it this afternoon.

No pix coz phone had flat battery. Will update tomorrow 

Slow progress... Got the brackety thingies tacked in place. All going back to Pipecraft tomorrow for final welding and polishing 

Looking good  You might not remember me, you stripped the car down at marks if I`m right. We started about the same time but you have got further than me.

Quote from: Trebor on April 07, 2013, 06:25:17 PM
Looking good  You might not remember me, you stripped the car down at marks if I`m right. We started about the same time but you have got further than me.

I certainly do remember. Bob right? How are you getting on with it?

Boy, this is really moving along and looking brilliant, can't wait to actually
see all this in the flesh so to speak 

Quote from: BugDream on April 09, 2013, 05:46:19 PM

Quote from: Trebor on April 07, 2013, 06:25:17 PM
Looking good  You might not remember me, you stripped the car down at marks if I`m right. We started about the same time but you have got further than me.

I certainly do remember. Bob right? How are you getting on with it?

Ive been having a few health problems of late, hopefully when the weather improves I will start again on it !!

Hullo! Long time no see everybody... I'm still here.

Buggy progress stalled for a while again but I'm back at it. Here's what I've been up to...

Now that I have the shiny roll bar with the additional mounting tabs on it I've been finishing off the rear frame.


Shiny 


Not so shiny  There was a shower this morning while I was working so some things have turned a shade of orange. This plate sandwiches the tub. You can also see a tab to the shock mount which I might yet beef up, and a fixing point to the torsion bar housing.


This is a better overall view of what I'm on about...


I've lost count of the amount of times I've had this thing apart and back together again over the past two weeks or so. Little bro is probably fed up with it too 


Work in progress. Note the diagonals that pick up the frame horns  Tubes extending rearwards are staying until I decide what to do with them...


Frame horn mount from above...


Side profile. 50mm box section with one side removed (or channel section I suppose) slots over frame horns. Fits like a glove with space for nuts welded on underside 

All a bit utilitarian at the moment but nothing that cant be prettied at a later date for final assembly.


All back together again. Engine out so rear is a bit high.

Hopefully more to come soon! 

I was starting to wonder where you had got to! Good to see you back on here 

All the hard work is coming together going to be a stunner 

Been playing in the garage this morning... The next step is side rails. My intention has always been to run rails in stainless down the side of the tub connecting front and rear cage sections for improved rigidity. Having not really done any proper stainless welding this was a bit of an adventure! The reason for stainless isn't because this will be on show, but because I will be encasing the rails with fibreglass and making them part of the tub, I don't want them rusting etc.

First job was to build the connection points, simply weld a pair of nuts behind holes in the material...


This went well, bolting the nuts in place and reaching inside the 50mm box section to make the welds. You can see I spent a little time practicing welds in the foreground...

Looks like this...


This is the underside of my practice welds, I'll have to tidy this up. Quite weird growth looking things...


The rails tuck under the side of the tub like this (looking back towards rear wheel).


And the rear end of the rails will join here on the roll bar...


I needed to create a bend so used a technique that has worked for me before in mild steel. Cut two fillets in the box...


And weld it up once you are happy with the angle...

These first welds aren't particularly pretty. Had to fill lots of holes 

But the other side is much better!!! (remember I'm using arc)


Just enough clearance at the front wheel I think...


Sooo... Worth the effort? I'm not convinced. I need to sit back and think about this before I press on. Was hoping to link this with the front beam and a support bar under the dash but it's all a bit cramped up front...

as you say little room under the front and you need to watch steering trackrod deflection on both locks and full suspension travel up and down aswell as tyre clearance.

You could use rivnuts through the box section to bolt it up then you can fit bolts where you have no access for welding normal nuts in.

as for the clearance have you checked it with you and the mrs is the buggy as things will move then