build diary

March 4, 2004:
It's almost time for the big Engine Dance.
One motor will get built up, two will get swapped and then the Seven will have a mill. I took the test engine out of the frame last night as it's destined to be made into something special. It was a little disheartening as it looks like I'm going backwards. I've known all along that it was going to come out but still...
entry 176

My throttle body looked a little crusty, so a coat of black paint has fixed that! Why black? Because they're usually bare aluminum and anything short of a full polish will look wrong against the manifold on the engine above.
entry 177
Not your typical "Locost" donor - here's the engine that is destined for my car.
First the block that I've been using for test-fitting needs to be built up, then it will replace my spare engine that is in another Miata, then THAT engine will go into the car in the photo which frees up the 11:1 motor for the Seven. Got that?
entry 178

March 5, 2004:
Had an interesting visit today with a representative of Titan.
They make dry sump kits, suspension parts, steering racks - a good part of what you see in the Pegasus Racing catalog. One of the first parts he pulled out of his truck was a Caterham steering rack. Interestingly enough, it's almost identical in width (measured between the inner pivots on the tie rods) to a stock Miata rack. That means it's about 5.5" wider than my modified one. I need to take a closer look at some Caterham suspension photographs now.

I'm going to be busy this weekend working on a prototype Miata. Don't expect any updates for a while.
entry 179

The steering rack out of a Caterham.
Very pretty, but too wide for me!
entry 180

March 7, 2004:
No, nothing new to report on the Seven.
As I said, I've got a Miata with a prototype supercharger that's taking all my time. But I did discover an error in the guestbook that's been there for a few days. It's working again now - sorry.
entry 181

March 12, 2004:
Okay, time to get back to work.
The supercharged Miata was fun but it's gone now. It did leave behind a nice set of 1999 Miata seats, though. All the wiring bits are here except for my starter button - since I haven't ordered that yet, it's not much of a surprise. This weekend I should be able to finish the wiring once and for all. Of course, we needed a set of rear brakes for a couple of cars in the shop this weekend, so the Seven got cannibalised. Sigh.
entry 182

Aircraft circuit breakers to replace the fuse box.
Thanks Mark! He also included a switch guard that is definitely going on the ignition switch!
entry 183
Caterham supplied a set of taillights.
I was pleasantly surprised by the price - only $43 each, including grommets and a connector. They include a reflector as well as a separate turn light, so legality will not be a problem.
entry 184

March 13, 2004:
Steve at CMC has informed me that they stock the same taillights as Caterham for $30.
Sigh. Well, at least the shipping from Denver was quick and cheap. I had a good talk with the Caterham folks when I was ordering the lights - they're surprisingly interested in what I'm doing. Not what I would have expected, given that I'm basically trying to replicate one of their cars for 20% of the cost.

If you read this regularly, you might have noticed that yesterday's postings were edited. I was frustrated and a little harsh in some of the comments, so they've been expunged. CMC has been having both equipment and staffing problems so they're hard to reach at the moment.
entry 185

March 15, 2004:
It's alive!
Well, not really. But I did some initial testing of the wiring and none of the smoke got out. As any British car enthusiast knows, electrical systems run on smoke. When they break it gets out. The headlights (high and low) work, the turn indicators indicate and the hazard lights flash. I guess that means I now have a really big flashlight on wheels. I didn't check to see if the ECU was reading anything as I didn't want to push my luck. I still have to wire up the instrument panel and switches but that's a quick enough job of just connecting the loose, labelled wires. Everything else looks easy by comparison to this wiring setup! You'll all be glad to know that both the skiing and the mountain biking were excellent this weekend.
entry 186

The circuit breakers are in place.
Oops, drilled an extra hole! I've moved them around a little to make the wiring behind a bit smoother.
entry 187
Doing intial wiring tests.
It might look ugly, but it's pretty much done! I just have to put in the switches and hook up the instruments.
entry 188
The wiring going to the front of the car has been cleaned up.
I'll be using something a little more permanent than masking tape when I'm done, though.
entry 189
One of the boxes of wires that no longer have a purpose.
entry 190
Artsy shot!
entry 191

March 16, 2004:
Nothing terribly informative - but I found this arrow amusing.
This is the ventilation system behind the Miata dash. And yes, the photo is the right way up.
entry 192

March 18, 2004:
My prototype stainless steel brake lines have arrived!
The RR one is very short, but then again so is the available space. I'll find out shortly if they work. I've been working on Basil over the past few days as I'm going out to Moab for three days of trail leader training. This should be fun and a nice change from dealing with non-stop wiring!
entry 193

March 24, 2004:
The lines fit pretty well but they're about 3/4" longer than they need to be in the front.
I can deal with that. Since I'm so tired of wiring I'm going to play with the steering for a while. I've figured out how to route the steering column in a way that will require a minimum of u-joints and modification. All I need is a very large rod end to support it. Expensive!

I didn't do any work on the car this past weekend because I was out playing in Moab with the Land Rover. It's a wonderful time of year here.
entry 194

March 26, 2004:
I've managed to find an inexpensive pillow block to support the steering column.
Now I just need to hunt down the appropriate tubing. Here is a great series of photos of a live-axle CMC buildup. I'm considering using a similar blue for my car when it's done. I like being able to see how someone else has solved many of the same problems. It's interesting to see how early he installed the body panels.
entry 195

March 29, 2004:
Finally, some work that's not wiring!
The new brake lines are in. Since the metal supply yard wasn't open on the weekend I wasn't able to do any work on the steering. So attention turned to the seats. It was very rewarding work. The driver's side is done and ready for the reupholstering of the seat base. The passenger's side now fits - snugly! - but still needs some trimming. I've managed to get the driver's seat placed perfectly for myself and with a lot of lateral support. I'm happy with the way it's all turned out.

Steve at CMC tells me that a number of my missing parts are coming. I'm not sure exactly what, but it's good news no matter what. Hopefully there's a fuel cell in there so I can set up that system. Lester Seal also picked up his frame etc this weekend so he's a happy camper.

I went for a long drive in the Miata this weekend - heading up to the ski slopes, 6" of fresh powder and warm temperatures - and did a lot of designing for the instruments in my head. I think it's worked out now. I also decided that I'll be very happy if the Seven handles and rides as well as my Miata. It shows the results of 9 years of tweaking and works extremely well.
entry 196

The stainless steel brake lines are in!
entry 197
The brake line for the left rear wheel is a pretty short one!
It's long enough for full suspension travel with careful alignment, luckily. Moving the bracket further in on the frame would give a little more room but would also require more modification to the hard lines. As it is, the Mazda hard line fits pretty much perfectly - nice trick. Note the re-routing of the parking brake cable. This puts it above the bottom of the car. Thanks to Steve at CMC for the routing suggestion!
entry 198
Snipping three hog rings makes it easy to access the lumbar support of a Miata seat.
entry 199
Since there's no room for the rake adjustment, I've bolted the seatback directly to the frame on the outside.
The other side uses the existing pivot that attaches it to the seat cushion.
entry 200
The passenger's side doesn't have as much room and the seat is too wide to fit between the rails.
entry 201
How to make a seat narrower - use an 8000 lb Jackall jack!
It worked beautifully. The base was "modified" with the help of a small sledgehammer. I used a different technique on a Corbeau seat a few weeks ago...
entry 202
The passenger's seat in place.
It's a nice tight fit for me right now, but I'll take out some foam in the bolsters for a little more room.
entry 203
The stock Miata instrument cluster is getting modified so it can snuggle into the dash without looking like an afterthought.
entry 204
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