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Thanks Mei. Any ideas what the other plugs are?
Cheers
Iain

Loads of stuff has arrived so far this week.

First up, maxi rear bumper from AC Sport in grp. Quickly offered up this afternoon;



Some brackets in the making;



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They have a captive nut welded on the back. Once I painted them and riveted them in place, I could fit the bumper just using these little a/k bolts.



Happy:



I'll use the holes in the side panel behind the arch where the OEM bumper attaches, to make up some sort of side fitting. I'll use these counter sunk a/k bolts to attach the bumper here.



The aim is to be able to take the front and rear bumpers off with 4-6 easy to reach a/k bolts. I'm happy to have external bolts on a build like this.

More to follow in a mo.
Iain

Also scored myself a radiator diffuser. Not sure how I'll fit this yet. Could make a small frame across the rad to hold it (and maybe the fan?) or might see how it interacts with the front bumper and see whether it can be retained within that. Either way I was keen after scaling down the dimensions of the rad to use a diffuser to maximise it's effectiveness.





And a rear spoiler;



I bought the GRP one, but was pleasantly surprised to see thick carbon blades for the spoiler supports.



It also has really thin lip on the trailing edge.



All of this was from AC Sport. I don't have the same products from MC Racing, but would say they're broadly comparable with the other stuff I've had from MC Racing. The main difference is the last order from MC Racing took about 4 months, and this one from ACS took just under half that.

I'll need to check that Martin - I've still got the front bumper slaved on!
Outside chance I might get to it to have a look on Monday..

Well I'm still alive and have just about managed to keep moving on despite a busy time at work.

I decided to mold the bumper. I wanted to do this to a) get a proper return in the edge of the wheel arch in order to be able to mount a mudflap, and to make a kevlar one rather than GRP.

Inevitably the moment I had some time to do this it started raining, so the good ol easy up came out again.



Did loads of sanding and surface prep, but pretty much ended up taking the whole day. Then a million coats of mold release wax. I think that was it for the day..



I then made some wheel arch returns for the mudflaps using plastic board and foil tape etc.



Then I made the flanges for the mold. The mould will be in three pieces due to the arch returns preventing one piece being pulled from the mold when a bumper is laid up.



Gel coat on - this is white with red pigment in it, so I could see where I was going on the white bumper, and then will benefit in reverse when I lay one up in white using this mold.



Partway through layering up the chopped strand matting. Used 300gsm first then 600gsm. It was a total s**t fight of cutting, layering, weighing out resin, rolling etc etc. Ended up taking hours and hours. Until you've done it, you have no idea what a PITA in the arse it is doing this. Took me hours and hours.





I've then left this for a week, and come back to do a bit more today. I did one of the arch return sections, and also added some more strengthening to the main part in case it needed it, by glassing in some lightweight steel tubes I had lying around.



Hopefully tomorrow I can do the other arch return section, then once the smell of the resin has died down (couple of days) bring the whole thing in the house, where I can leave it for a week to really go off.

Having inspected it, I already know the mold won't be perfect, as I can see the odd lift here and there (about the size of a 5p piece) near some of the edges, which hopefully I can rectify with a bit of work after I've popped it off. (Fingers crossed)

New diff also came today. Purchased little used. Is a Bacci Romano plate diff, the same make as my 5.2 CWP, so will go in my new box. Got it for a third of the price of a new one, so happy with that.



That's all from me for now. I'll report back when I've popped the mold! Although if you don't hear from me, you know it's all gone badly wrong

cheers
Iain

Thanks Steve. The mold making is far from a how to though - it's more of a 'how I did' which depending on how they come out, may be two completely different things! I think I came out of the garage with as much fibreglass on me as the mold

Ha- it's like I said to you last week Dave; I came out looking like a yeti! Had to bin the top I was wearing as I wouldn't have dared put it in the washing machine

Update time. Popped the mold on the weekend.
It was a fighter and didn't give it up easily, but got there in the end.

First thing I did was drill holes in the flanges for the different sections.



I then gradually started flexing the sides and the joins, and getting some satisfying clicks and cracks as the adhesion between the gel coat and the plug bumper released.

Eventually I got one the end sections off, and from there it was plane sailing.



Checking the fit of everything after it was all released from the plug. Looked pretty good.





Pleased to say the returns on the arch lip that I built into the mold have survived and turned out pretty well. These will provide a sturdy edge for mounting a mudflap that didn't exist on the original.

The mold's not perfect, so I've touched up a few little bits with gel coat, and once that's gone off, will wet sand and polish in much the same the way you would for a top coat of a fresh coat of paint on the car. Hopefully over Christmas I can break the mold in, and maybe even get a bumper done.

My aim is to do a bumper before Dave does his wings, heh heh!

Cheers
Iain

PS This isn't a how to - follow at your peril (maybe) - it's just a how I did it

I just got lucky Dan. Perhaps a bit of Wayne's luck rubbing off on me. In fact I think the CWP was on eBay and it was Wayne that tipped me off, and the diff was on a rally parts for sale Facebook group. The diff is 1500E new, was advertised at £600 and I got it for £500, so pretty happy with that. The CWP was pretty expensive new, but I got it for another very good price.
I have a spare, newly rebuilt gearbox, so both will go into that, which will see me with a very nice box for not a lot of money

My aim is to get the box re-built soonish, then once I get the car rolling on it's wheels I'll run it up to my mates place for an MOT and get them to whack the box in for me and check the clutch over. I don't really want to run the car far with the existing box in. Not because there's anything wrong with the box, just that with 645 dia tires I really want the 5.2 and the diff. I think it will make a massive difference, and I know it won't be close to the finished article without.

Well done Ian, I had to restore my project thread . Well done on the progress mate.

________________________________________

Super high boost Completed, destroyer of gearboxes and 160mph club

Mm good question! I can't remember to be honest. I certainly remember throwing some away that I mixed and didn't need, but I did two of the sections, before doing the third (one of the returns) on a different day, so I probably wasted some on both occasions.

It's not loads - it's basically going on like a coat of household gloss paint.

Dave or Wayne might be able to tell you how much you need for a bonnet - they've both done them.

Cheers
Iain

Glad to read your better Iain

Great update m8 ...I run Helper springs myself and love them ...can’t wait to try my car next year without Front ARB

Keep the updates coming my friend