chestikoph1

I fabbed the frame with some 25 x 25 box, tacked it up and test fitted, just have to close up the sides with some new sheet metal and then weld the frame to the chassis rails and boot floor. So much easier to work under there without the spare wheel well. Frame work should also help stiffen the rear chassis further where the rear spring shackles mount, and weighs around the same amount the as the factory metal fuel tank.

Spare wheel well cut out, pity because it was spotless. I will weld up frame work for fuel cell mounting.

Started on the rear parcel shelf and bulkhead panels, made them so the bolt down with nutserts, something to do while I wait for the fuel cell and lines to arrive. I am going to weld up some removable ally covers to go over the access holes to the rear shocks. This also allows the rear bulkhead panel to sit flat as the shock mounts protruded into the cabin. Next job is to start cutting out the rear boot floor once I have the fuel cell and battery, I am going to try and mount them slightly lower than the standard floor level if possible. Anyway, enjoy the small update.

Thread is 5 years old dude!!

Nice work Caibs!!

Sitting in the shed at the new house, it took me half an hour just to in mask from the paint. The exterior paint looks like crap against the bay and interior now, but it's ready to put together, I will start on the wiring first and running fuel and brake lines.

Paint finished, it has turned out pretty good. Now to put this thing back together!!

Paint has started, have to do in sections it's hard to paint the bars and not get the rest of the interior dusty.

Off to get the cage, interior and engine bay painted, engine bay didnt really need it but it got burnt up where the cage got welded to the inside of the strut towers, I also welded up the holes where the brake booster, clutch master and heater lines were.

I have had to butcher up the dash in order to fit back in around the cage, the Carlos bars have made it really hard to get it back in. It has to wedge between that and the A pillar bar for to fit in, gonna be a nightmare to fit it in without scratching the cage up once it's painted, oh well it's a race car anyway!!

Some more welding today = both seats in

Made a start on the pedal box mount, not sure about the design yet. I want to make it so I can adjust the position of the pedals.

One down, one to go!!

I got a headache trying to read that!! Most engine conversions require a similar amount of work and mucking around in small KE20 engine bay and is going to require dollars to do it properly, if you have the cash go 3sge if you are set on a Toyota motor. More hp, more torque depending on which version you go for and it would like to rev more than a 22re. 4age would be the simple choice.

Floor is finally in etch primer.

Yeah it's a pretty comprehensive cage Carlos, but I have always believed you can never be too safe, so I got as many bars I could in there. i have just started on the tedious job of sanding.

Diff hump cut out and new section tacked in, loads of clearance now. Should be the last day day of cutting out bits of the car, waiting on the weld in captive nuts so I can weld in the seat rails once that's done I can start on the pedal box, then I have to try and fit the dash back in around the roll cage.

Passenger side done and started on the seat rails, still have the diff hump to do, I have my new mig welder dialled now and welds look a heap better than the drivers side. If I was ever to do this again I would cut out the whole floor with the tunnel and fab it all from scratch, it's a pain to work around the existing floorpan, oh well lesson learnt for the other shell.

Drivers side floor and gearbox tunnel done.

Cheers Matt, it's coming together slowly. Started on the tunnel today, just one more section to fab up and join the tunnel to the floor and drivers side is done. Then the passenger side has one hump to remove and I can start on the seat mounts.

A couple of more hours spent on the floor after work and another piece of the puzzle done. Man I hate YouTube, they make things look so easy. Can't complain though first attempt at sheet metal work and it's turning out half ok, just got to remind my self it's only an floorpan!

After trialing the fit of my new seats I have realised I need to get the seat mounted as low as possible. 6ft tall and with a helmet on leaves me really close to the roof bars, so I have started on converting the drivers side floor to a flat floor. It will start just before the standard seat rail was. So many bumps and raised sections in the standard floor it would have been a nightmare to get the mounts as low as I wanted. Bought my self a bead roller and pan brake so I can fab the floor myself, I think I will mod the tunnel and give the diff head some more room as well. quick phone pic of the start of the floor

Cage now 90% finished, just have to do the bar that runs under and across the dash to attach the steering column too, then intstall the Tilton adjustable pedal box. That gets rid of the standard pedal box and most of the interior plastics, hood lining, door trims, geez there will be a heap of parts to sell off after this, also things like the MR2 seats, PWR radiator which I am changing, will post up when I get a chance.

Pretty sure you will need a te37 bonnet, the profile is different to any other ke series they have higher bulge in the middle.

Well it's been 3 years since an update. 2 shoulder operations, one house move, a career change and one new family 4WD later, and there has been some action happening back on the beast. It has been sitting untouched for all this time up until a few weeks ago, some plans have changed some have not. It's still making the progression to a more serious track car, but I am going to try and keep it as simple as possible. I have another coupe shell which I will start on once this one is back on the road, that will be a lot different and a much longer build process. For now a full 8 point weld in cams spec cage, through to the front towers and tagged to most body points. more to come!!