Another 5 months.... the longest running build on this forum keeps on going.
It's not that we haven't been working on it, it's just that the last 10% seem to be the hardest and taking up way too much time. Not surprisingly, with skills getting scarcer every year and parts getting more expensive, I'm getting closer to the bottom of the money-well, so some expenses have to be spread out.
We finally got the oil lines connected to the front oil-cooler. Unfortunately we couldn't use the AN fittings from EB-motorsport; Once we finally had them working, they were just too easy to disconnect, which seemed unsafe. I really don't want to risk an RSR engine so we went with a tried and tested (Australian) way that should be easy to replace and maintain. We completed the aluminium tubing for the fire-extinguisher, we connected the instruments (incl. the custom bits like the 'idiot' light, the custom 917 tacho and twin CDI switches), fitted the right light-switch, fitted headlamps and indicators [fixed the front ones from US to euro version as I bought the wrong ones], then had a certified electrician make the modifications to the wiring loom (cut-off switch included, battery reroute to the smuggler box, include the 2 CDI switches so they really activate the 2 CDI units, connect the 2 fuel pumps, and then test all of the features. Happy to report we only got one defect, although fuel and oil level, temp, etc can't yet be tested. Unfortunately, the highest wiper speed kills the fuse, so we may have to replace the wiper-motor which is a pain, and disappointing as I did test this before we put it back on (just not with a fuse which i clearly should have done).
We connected part of the front heater system, put the final coat of lacquer on the hood and ducktail, and worked out the lightweight door-covers (incl. leather strap). I wasn't sure if the RSRs - who were all delivered in white - had the outside of the door-insides painted black as all other cars in the day had, but we did anyway as it just looks better. Another disappointment was that the bright-work of the side windows was too damaged (weather caused clouding that just didn't polish out) to re-use, so that had to be brought for re-anodising. That seems simple enough, but requires de-anodising first, then polishing and the pieces are now with Melbourne Anodising in Springvale who are apparently one of the very few places left that do bright-dip anodising.
Another piece Jason is figuring out is how to get the fuel out of the custom FT3 fuel-cell. He already spent a lot of time on the fillers a couple of years ago, but we have two pipes in the foam scavenging the fuel from the bottom, we (read: Jason) now need to fabricate a way to connect the pipes takes looks pretty close to what the original racers had.
So we're really getting closer with the mechanicals, next step is completing the engine.
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It's not that we haven't been working on it, it's just that the last 10% seem to be the hardest and taking up way too much time. Not surprisingly, with skills getting scarcer every year and parts getting more expensive, I'm getting closer to the bottom of the money-well, so some expenses have to be spread out.
We finally got the oil lines connected to the front oil-cooler. Unfortunately we couldn't use the AN fittings from EB-motorsport; Once we finally had them working, they were just too easy to disconnect, which seemed unsafe. I really don't want to risk an RSR engine so we went with a tried and tested (Australian) way that should be easy to replace and maintain. We completed the aluminium tubing for the fire-extinguisher, we connected the instruments (incl. the custom bits like the 'idiot' light, the custom 917 tacho and twin CDI switches), fitted the right light-switch, fitted headlamps and indicators [fixed the front ones from US to euro version as I bought the wrong ones], then had a certified electrician make the modifications to the wiring loom (cut-off switch included, battery reroute to the smuggler box, include the 2 CDI switches so they really activate the 2 CDI units, connect the 2 fuel pumps, and then test all of the features. Happy to report we only got one defect, although fuel and oil level, temp, etc can't yet be tested. Unfortunately, the highest wiper speed kills the fuse, so we may have to replace the wiper-motor which is a pain, and disappointing as I did test this before we put it back on (just not with a fuse which i clearly should have done).
We connected part of the front heater system, put the final coat of lacquer on the hood and ducktail, and worked out the lightweight door-covers (incl. leather strap). I wasn't sure if the RSRs - who were all delivered in white - had the outside of the door-insides painted black as all other cars in the day had, but we did anyway as it just looks better. Another disappointment was that the bright-work of the side windows was too damaged (weather caused clouding that just didn't polish out) to re-use, so that had to be brought for re-anodising. That seems simple enough, but requires de-anodising first, then polishing and the pieces are now with Melbourne Anodising in Springvale who are apparently one of the very few places left that do bright-dip anodising.
Another piece Jason is figuring out is how to get the fuel out of the custom FT3 fuel-cell. He already spent a lot of time on the fillers a couple of years ago, but we have two pipes in the foam scavenging the fuel from the bottom, we (read: Jason) now need to fabricate a way to connect the pipes takes looks pretty close to what the original racers had.
So we're really getting closer with the mechanicals, next step is completing the engine.
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