[Project] The Rattlebox

[davenport 51]

Haha thanks James.. but seriously.. if your cars working fine, just enjoy it!! Projects soon sap money and enthusiasm, i aint saying you couldn't do it.. but i am saying if it aint broke dont fix it!! Haha

[MaxGTX 8 1 Cars]

Fantastic read. Before coming here I owned a Micra, and any threads with "project" in them on the Micra forums means it's taken him 6 months to put some wide wheels and some stickers on it!

 

But in all seriousness very jealous of the talent you've got. Keep it up.

[davenport 51]

Alright boys n girls???

 

Been bustin my nuts at work and spending some time with the family (yob has now hit 2 years old, gone mental quick).. but in between birthday cake and seemily everything i touch being adorned with bloody gruffalo images i got down the shop sunday evening..

 

 

 

 

 

 

casing needs shortening a bit and a big ol 45° slice taken off the top edge near the dampers.. but other than than i'm liking the looks of it, a definate nod to Espen whos white 205 was/is very influential to this build

[davenport 51]

Evening all...

 

Been putting this off for a while now (i hate drilling spotwelds!)

 

 

 

 

next up.. more exhaust..

 

Purge gear setup

 

 

 

Leaves it all clean inside

 

 

Need to order some wadding and work out how to hang it..

 

[2052NV 24]

What the heck is the "brick thingy with hoses" going into the exhaust for?

[rallyeash 155]

It isn't!

[welshpug 1,657]

yes it is.

 

just for welding, fills it with gas.

[rallyeash 155]

Yes I meant it's not a permanent feature

[petert 586]

Stops the stainless oxidising on the inside of the weld?

[davenport 51]

As mentioned the block is to fill the inside of the tube with argon (bacofoil on top just stops it all pouring straight out)..

 

The tubing i'm using is only 1.2mm thick so the weldpool actually comes thru (penetrates) onto the inside.. if the inside was just left to normal air it would oxidise and go black its also possible that oxidised metal could be pulled thru into the weldpool and result in a contaminated weld..

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

i'd love to learn tig welding, i can only just about mig weld, love the look of tig on stainless, you seem to be pretty good at it by them welds

[davenport 51]

Afternoon....

 

Ive been tinkering!!

 

Those with LONG memories will remember the exhaust was like this:

 

 

Well for various reasons.. it now looks like this:

 

 

Brackets cut off, modified, turned through 90°, re-tacked...

 

Couldnt find any 8mm bar though so this is as far as hanging the sucker got:

 

 

Also a few of you will know about this already but inbetween working 7 days a week/the rattlebox/YOB/missus i figured i needed a house project...

 

I'd been trawling Ebay for ages looking for a suitable engine, quite a few rover V8s came and went, then by luck/chance/fate this came along:

 

 

what we have here is an ex LeMans Aston V12, i say LeMans but in fact all it managed was practice i think then this happened:

 

 

So it came home, got dismantled, got declared f***ed.....

 

Next job.. glass top..

 

I phoned a few places and although toughened glass is cheap, having bosses bonded on ramps the price up quickly.. so, a rummage in the loft and an old coffee table was located, some sketchy dimensions were taking and these were made/powder coated:

 

 

that fitted up like:

 

 

to tie this to the block i sweet talked our laser operator and hey presto! 8mm stainless was cut up:

 

 

and bolted up:

 

 

next job, a base, i spoke to a few cabinet maker buddies and got some prices.... then i started drinking and went on Ebay...

 

and bought this:

 

 

 

to keep it easy to move it really needed wheels, but with YOB on the scene it needed to stay low to prevent toys going under it.. google google = bingo:

 

 

 

these can be sunk into the snapon wood and we're in buisness.. still need to grab some LEDs to hide within the block but things are looking good so far...

 

Stu..

[Kane 34]

Looks the business! When I first saw the picture of the V12 I thought that this 106 was going to be something a little different haha

[davenport 51]

Hello everyone.. time has been flying past..

 

But last week i got sent these pics:

 

 

 

 

Which means!!!!!!

 

https://youtu.be/TfuII_J6W3I

 

 

[Reebmit 51 4 Cars]

Good one gdtting closer now!

[davenport 51]

A few more little jobs being worked thru as and when i get time..

 

 

A while back i had a call from the satchell boys asking if i could do some laser cutting for them ASAP, which of course, i happily obliged.. the parts were for a reinforcing kit for the rear wishbone pickup on the shell..

 

My fee????

 

Well.... i got a set cut for myself while i did them...

 

These need welding in and the tubes cut down..

 

 

The wiper motor was terminated to fit in with the harness, the original sleeving cut off and replaced with DR25.. i noticed where the wires come out of the sealing compound on the unit the wire insulation has broken away exposing bare wires, i mentioned this to Sean and he's left me some Raychem.. errr.. gunk.. that i need to mix up and smear over it all to reseal and reinforce the wires..

 

 

 

 

 

After going thru all the lighting and ancillary circuits and ticking them off.. it was time to look at the engine bay side of things..

 

I still need to input the data for the KAsensors air temp and the oil pressure sensors.. i'm also waiting on a gasket for the fuel cell top plate so holding off putting petrol in..

 

But i can confirm it cranks over and is firing... so thats a good sign!!!

 

 

https://youtu.be/-Jv9zT4No88

 

 

Stu...

[davenport 51]

Evening all.....

 

How ya doing?? Apologies for the update silence but tbh until recently feck all has happened...

 

So heres a quick run down on where im up to

 

i needed a gasket for the top plate.. so a call to ATL saw that sorted.. while i was waiting i drew up a new nutring in CAD, had it laser cut at work.. fitted new hex shank nutserts.. and grabbed some bolts and washers.. a few different types so i can see what i prefer the look of.. lol.. this is why things take so long!! Most of the parts I MAKE!!! And even the tiny details cause me hours of thought!!

 

 

 

 

Ive also finalised the last 3 power cables i need making so they can get underway too.. just need to order a 90° terminal...

 

 

 

I also threw the SpecialistComponents and RaceTechnology software onto the laptop and had a play...

 

 

Then got scared and decided to leave it to someone else!!!

 

 

 

The final power cables have been made from some super flexi 25mm2 cable...

 

Master switch to bulkhead

Bulkhead to starter

Starter to alternator

 

All dr25 sleeved and of course with THAT connector..

 

 

 

 

 

Yesssssssss

 

They're fitted...

 

 

 

 

 

Got the shell spun over and the exhaust hangers welded fully- forgot pics though sorry..

 

 

Handbrake reinforcing plate was next. The one i had made was a bit heavy and didnt fit that well.. so..

 

1.5mm bit of crgp sheet:

 

 

A bit of stepdrill/hammering/cutting disc:

 

 

Tacked up:

 

 

Stitched + nuts welded on:

 

 

Got those big ass plates that secure the rear seatbelts cut off and cleaned up:

 

 

And the list was updated!!:

 

 

Chassis rail notched out to clear the moved over MA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turret/Wishbone braces are in:

 

 

 

 

 

Brake pipe brackets and mountings are in:

 

 

Captive nut has been welded under the brace tube to allow fitting of the satchell lower brace.

[rallyeash 155]

Lovely work!

[calvinhorse 870]

F'ing phenomenal as ever Davenport! Amazing work!

 

Dangerously close to being finished?

[opticaltrigger 52]

Excellent.

Quality work davenport. Keep the updates coming please.

 

O.T.

[davenport 51]

Another good day and it should be ready for paint... then its 'just' reassemble + map + dash calibration

 

Thankyou for the kind words, its been another tough year in terms of limited finances and time but its getting there..

[davenport 51]

Well then doorbar gussets FINALLY got welded in place..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It aint perfect but its ok...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then i spotted a potential future mod on the V8 my dads involved with.. a very compact alternator apparently 85A output.. will grab some details next visit...

 

 

 

 

 

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

85 amp! Details please!

 

The small charade ones we use are only 40/45amps.

[davenport 51]

Will try to get some details.. its a bit tucked up beneath 1 of the superchargers and all the other s*it on the engine

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

Mega looking thing, both yours and your v8.