2088 replies to this topic

[76lxhatch]

I prefer not to discuss other peoples package in too much detail

Gotta watch what you say around here!

[Heath]

Considering that Dave's 'road car' MX-5 makes my 911 look like it's standing still and I don't even know if my hatch will be able to beat my 911, I think some of the comments here are a little off the mark haha.

 

Yeah let's get back on track. I've returned from overseas and am back into the tinkering on the hatch. Yay

Edited by Heath, 06 May 2016 - 10:14 AM.

[cameron]

I know the specs sheets say the variations on models are.

Sedan
Kerb weight: 1143 - 1183 kg (2520 - 2609 lb)

Hatch
Kerb weight: 1170 - 1209 kg (2580 - 2666 lb)

 

But I cant see that as being accurate because unmodified ones I have seen weighed much more. I am talking about cars with no mods inc the std 13" tyres no stereo etc and these all came in at 1300-1340kg with about 10litres of fuel and no spare or tookit etc. The hatchbacks being around 40kgs heavier.. Be interested to hear other peoples experience. Did holden weigh them with no interior, motor or some strange method to get them to down to 1100-1200kg. The v8 with 4 speed (inc flywheel clutch etc) complete is at least 310kg.

 

Cameron

[cameron]

Yes that's what I thought.

 

As per holden the v8 manual fluid capacities are

 

Engine: 4.8 litres

Man Trans: 2 litres

Steering Rack: 0.189 litres

Diff: 1.4 litres

Cooling system: 11 litres

Brake System: ??? 1 - 1.5 litres?

 

Say 21 litres of fluid.

So conservative without being 100% accurate by weighing each fluid its 21kgs + say 10-15kgs of fuel I had in the tank. Still got an additional 95kgs from the 1340kgs that we digital car scaled a perfectly standard SS 4.2litre manual hatchback which is a long way off holdens dry 1209kg.

 

Perhaps they weighed it without battery but as per the manual the Lucas Exide 7 plate was only 15kgs. No doubt I am missing something but everything was very standard right down to the tiny exhaust pipes. If it was only 20-40kgs you could understand that variation.

 

Cameron

Edited by cameron, 12 May 2016 - 06:24 PM.

[Heath]

When I took my old Torana on a weigh bridge it was nowhere near that high, but I just do not know the accuracy of those weigh bridges

 

I don't have any figures I'm aiming for; just trying to be conservative with what's in the car and the result will be measured when the car is finished. It won't have a perfect Bill Of Materials.

 

Gave my Dellows crossmember a hit with glass in my friend's blasting cabinet, came up very nicely.

 

Set up my LED work light to shine across the edge of part of the work bench so that I could mark up a straight line over a curved surface to continue building my diff hat.

 

That allowed me to start making all of the sheet metal bits to hold the mount together

 

Good idea to put a fill point in before I start crowding the area with all of the other bits.

 

My machinist mate turned up a taper (for the balljoint pin) in a bit of 4140 bar stock, and I just turned off the extra material where it wasn't needed and made it a 'fit' in some rollcage tubing that will act as a counter-bore for the balljoint nut.

 

Didn't get the taper position spot on, so had to turn up (and then weld on) the spacer on my taper tube.

 

 

 

The way the brace sits across the middle of the diff hat means that I need to have a fill point and a 'bleed' point (I'll leave this bolt out and fill through the top port until it comes out this port, stick the plug in, add additional if necessary and then cap the top one up too)

 

Upside-down, but taking shape...

[rodomo]

Looks like my bench? Shit everywhere!

[bullitA9X]

Loving your metal fab work heath wish i had your skills in this department mate...

[Heath]

Yeah I certainly did consider going IRS although I would have used S14 rather than Commodore, in fact I was in Shepparton on Saturday checking out Glen's LX 'GTR' hatchback with all the Nissan (R33 rear) suspension in it too. I have reasons for and against both and for straight performance, what I'm doing probably is inferior (also the IRS swap would have been easier & cheaper). But I decided this way and can list some reasons to justify it to keep myself happy lol.

[Bullet]

Nice work Heath, looking top notch!

[Heath]

Well I had a rude awakening when I realised (I had noticed previously but wasn't thinking much of it) that the boot floor in a UC is a long way from flat, it actually tapers up around the fuel filler neck 40-50mm which is no good for matching up to a straight beam across the boot floor lol

 

The only real way to fix it was to make a new one in that area. Cut it out and got started on the underside. 

Hammered out the folded edge, slit it and bent it all onto the one plane:

Folded a new edge on and welded it together in the new position:

 

Other side was basically the same but had a bit less material (and a few more ugly shapes) to work with:

Beaten flat:

Welded in the new position:

 

My mate works at a hot rod shop and gave me a hand putting some shape into a big bit of ~1mm sheet I bought:

[Heath]

I think turbo76lx's idea for tying the upper arm mounts to the lower arm mounts was a good one, so I decided to copy it. Sourced some 75x25x2.5mm RHS (nothing available thinner than that).

 

Used a CAD process (Cardboard Aided Design) to get the profile roughly right, and then just spent ages grinding away little bits until it fit really well, and cut a pie-shape out to roll the top around and tack it in the new position.

 

Started to mirror it.

 

Cut the end a bit short on the first one so extended that with an offcut.

 

 

1kg between them.

 

In position:

 

Zap Zap:

 

 

All done:

[turbo76lx]

You should have asked Heath, I had the cutting templates for them in the shed.

[SHEEL]

lol.... DOH'

[Heath]

Ah well, I didn't need those extra hours of my life anyway

[IMORAL]

Far out Heath. You're a fr0cking machine!

[Heath]

Thanks Paul. My secret is just working for fuc king ages on every little part

 

Had to extend the curved shape for the filler down to the new floor height.

 

Seems to have come up pretty well. The part just behind the diff is a fair bit more complicated... and gotta make a battery fit in there too.

[Heath]

The TIG gas is the killer. Only on 5L/min but still going through those little Total Tools bottles like they are going out of fashion.