altezzaclub 274 Report post Posted March 15 I thought I'd start this for fun, its just what I've been doing over the covid time. Josh used to navigate for Steve in the rally car, although he had his own 180B rally machine at the time. Since then he moved down to Blayney, about 40Km from Orange, and seeing I'm not building rally cars up in Walcha I've been giving him a hand. These days he has an Evo3 for gravel work and an Evo5 for tarmac stuff, and a few cars lying around. I figure we can build cheap entry-level race cars as a sideline business, Josh does roll cages and general fabrication as a business, so we are well-suited for it. The first candidate was a rusty orange KE70 we knocked up last year as a gymkhana car, meaning he extended the LCAs, shortened the steering arms, welded the diff up and bolted on a 32/36 Weber! Seeing there is a 2L injected Pintara sitting there we pulled the motor out of that yesterday and then started on the KE70. By the time I go down there after writing this I expect the 4K will be outside and the CA sitting in its place. Anyone want a running 4K & K50?? I'll get some photos today, obviously it will need engine & g'box mounts, a driveshaft, radiator, fuel system and all the ECU looms hooking up, but I'm sure we will have it running in a few days. Then we tackle the rust... Whether to cage it or not, or run twin SUs or injection, hasn't been finalised yet, but we plan to make it look passable, use it with big "For Sale" ads on it, and sell it to someone keen to get into motorsport. I went to the Whiteline tarmac rallysprint with him last Thursday, my first time there, and I was amazed at the wide range of cars entered. You can run anything that passes scrutiny, so a road car to a race car, and I figure that's the sort of place we build cars for. Josh came 2nd in the Evo5, as usual trailing an Evo8 worth several times as much money and driven extremely well. It started raining halfway through the night, which really added some interest! Here's a Moke we caged recently for his cuz- The previous one was a Corolla for a racing team- The Bluebird he bought off Steve 5years ago has become a drift weapon, radiator in the boot, giant turbo, tube chassis.. The Evo3 was ruined in the Armidale rallysprint in 2019, the brakes failed on a fast downhill to a bridge, so it needed a complete front quarter replacement- It sat for all of 2020 untouched, then when rallying started up again we assembled it for the test day two weeks back. I better go, I will be late! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
altezzaclub 274 Report post Posted March 16 Well, it was looking like this this morning- and like this by late afternoon- A tall skinny motor, we just cut the mounts right off the cross-member and re-shaped them to fit. Josh was making the g'box cross-member when I left. We'll stick to injection after long discussions, complicated, but it is all there and working. It means the loom swap will be a hurdle, but not as bad as the rust problem! They make the hydraulic clutch conversion look simple! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
altezzaclub 274 Report post Posted March 20 Well, things went sideways fast after that! I rocked up on Thursday morning to find the Cake outside and a giant press brake sitting in the middle of the floor! It came up for sale in almost-new condition at a good price so it had to be bought! Now we can bend ute trays and similar. What it really meant was the day turned into a massive workshop rearrangement to find room for it! Dig out the motors stored in the back to put the mill there.. hang on, the three motors need stands so they can be stacked.. The steel rack and random sheets of steel that came with the press were to go in the back room too, but that would block access for the stairs that hadn't been built to the mezzanine yet.. So by Friday arvo we had the stairs in place, the steel rack in, the mill moved... and I took the CA20 engine loom out of the Pintara. The next twist was asking Jase at the wreckers if we could take the whole KE70 shell we were about to chop up for its almost-rust-free rear quarters! That will be difficult as its blocked in by other wrecked cars, but hopefully we just re-shell The Orange Cake and avoid the rust problem. We shall see... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
altezzaclub 274 Report post Posted March 22 (edited) Well, the weather has definitely turned to crap! The wreckers said we can take the shell and replace it with ours when we're done, which is great of him... but he can't get a forkhoist down the muddy lanes until it all dries out. He's looking at early spring!! So we need a method of getting the KE70 down off the Skyline it is sitting on, with double-stacked cars front, both sides and behind, without bending the roof or similar! Meanwhile the Cake stays outside as we have a contract to build 4 steel mesh tables for the Botanic Gardens Volunteers... another one of my hobbies. Edited March 22 by altezzaclub Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Banjo 96 Report post Posted March 23 (edited) Quote So we need a method of getting the KE70 down off the Skyline it is sitting on, Suggestion: No: 1 Take the 4 off mesh tables down, & place them around said KE70. One guy stands on each, & you lift the KE-70 body down. Suggestion: No: 2 Scotty from Marketing has a few helicopters flying around NSW atm, assisting Gladys, with flood relief. I'm sure they wouldn't mind doing a little lift like that. They might even drop it off, back at the shed for you ! If a helicopter in NSW can pick up a Hi-Lux, it should not have issues with your KE70 shell. https://www.carthrottle.com/post/this-pickup-truck-had-to-be-recovered-by-helicopter-after-cliff-plunge/ Edited March 23 by Banjo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
altezzaclub 274 Report post Posted March 24 It would be nice to see what helicopter was lifting the Hilux. A Jetranger lifts 400Kg odd, so we might just get away with one of those, but I reckon 6 burly young men are more likely. Tables delivered, everyone impressed, and apparently we have a Megane sitting in the workshop awaiting a half-cage.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Banjo 96 Report post Posted March 25 (edited) Ooooowh ! That will be fun, working with one of those fancy French autos. Pictures please as it progresses, as being a half cage, I guess, the Renault Megane is not stripped or gutted ? P.S. French cars are the quirkiest & most unusual cars I have ever driven or worked on. Learnt to drive decades ago, in a Citroen ID19 Godess, I think it was. Only car I've ever come across, where you have to remove the back mudguard to change the wheel ! Cheers Banjo Edited March 25 by Banjo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
altezzaclub 274 Report post Posted March 31 You're right! Torx bolts with flat heads and 9mm threads!! Weird! looks like this- Its a weekend warrior the owner wants to keep the trim in, and have the cage removable- Josh did the main hoop & crosses while I did the feet, mirror imaged under the floor. We have a 3M alloy spirit level trailer-strapped to the roof in the right place, and the hoop zip-tied to it while the rear supports are measured. They come down to the back feet, I ringed one in red. There'll be another X in the back part, so it will be one unit, with junctions onto the main hoop. The seat belt bar will go in that too. That's it until after Easter, then finish this, then rescue the new shell for the Orange Cake, and there is a new Mini Cooper for a cage. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
