[Race_Prep] Batfinks Garage - The Projects

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

Yes, I wouldn't bother with the lug mount ones - more opportunities to sell in the future if it's radial mount, as you've got a fairly generic caliper then.

 

I wasn't fussed with Alcon or AP when I recently bought mine, but AP nosed ahead on price, so that decided it.

 

Not sure how cheap is cheap, but be wary of material differences in discs (so I was told by a man who knows far more than I)...

Edited April 9, 2013 by brumster

[Batfink 201]

I'll get the proper discs for when the car drives. That will be a fair few months yet as the bodywork will get done before I fit an engine

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

Fair play for just biting the bullet and buying new, shame you bought 4 pots though!

 

On a side note, did you realise Alcon where based in Tamworth Dan?

[Batfink 201]

It was a gamble on whether rear calipers would be right but I'll be selling them on. They are seriously overkill for anything but a rally car

[Batfink 201]

Bonnet arrived. Aesthetically I wanted a humped bonnet even though the throttlebodies will be facing the opposite way. Quality is 'motorsport'. It needs a bit of work to get a good finish, and some repair work at the windscreen edge at the corners, but I'll use this as a template for a carbon bonnet.

 

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

On a side note, did you realise Alcon where based in Tamworth Dan?

 

Oh yes, I did, but they won't (no longer) deal direct - you have to go via one of their 'distributors' and that ruined it for them, to be honest.

[Batfink 201]

They are good on technical support direct

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

I might be able to sway them from the no direct dealing policy through the company I guess! Looking good Kev.

[Batfink 201]

Today I stripped back the rear suspension to fit some Baker BM solid alloy bushes. Simple to fit with a set of ramps available Or so I thought.

Then I noticed a problem. The trailing arms did not seem to be sitting correctly in the beam. On one side there was a gap.of about 1cm. You could push on one trailing arm and it would push out on the other side. This left me slightly baffled as to what I had done wrong.

I undid the two bolts retaining the antirollbar end plate and I could then push the trailing arm into the correct position.

 

I still could not believe I had made a mistake. I pondered whether this was a 205 beam with a 309 antirollbar but measuring confirmed it was a 309 beam. I clamped one side so it could not move

Then with a nylon hammer drifted the antirollbar end plate into place. When screwing the bolt back into the antirollbar it protruded about 1 1/2cm as I encountered a lot of resistance. I measured the thread and the problem was apparent. When the beam had originally been converted to run turreted suspension, the wrong retaining bolt was fitted. It was simply too long. This allowed the trailing arms to slide left and right depending on the load on the suspension as the ARB is bolted on.

The offending bolt was stuck in a vice and I got the anglegrinder out to cut it down, and bevel the end slightly.
Job done for now but this raises concerned as to the condition of the bearings and seals. A reconditioned beam was used originally and its done a few trackdays and a few thousand road miles. This will need looking at another day.

[welshpug 1,661]

how do you set the clearance to the seals without the torsion bars there?!

 

that's mainly why it will flop side to side...

 

indeed it'll be dubious as to the condition of the seals and bearings what with the arms being able to slide in and out of them laterally.

 

best solution IMO is to bosh some base model bars in there and lighter weight coils on the dampers.

[Batfink 201]

As far as I am aware my antirollbar is being used like the torsion bars would be. I'm guessing you usually fit the trailing arms in place with a feeler gauge and then fit and bolt the torsion bars in position at the correct length; the antirollbar only attached to the trailing arm via the end of the antirollbar plate. Effectively the arms can 'flop' side to side ever so slightly due to this clearance. Is my setup not doing the same as the ARB arm is screwed into the ARB itself, meaning you can set the same seal clearance.

[calvinhorse 870]

No because the tb sets the distance from the beam tube to the arm, the arb can only set the distance from arm to arm so both arms and arb can slop from side to side with only the bearing seals to stop it.. Which won't last long

Edited April 22, 2013 by calvinhorse

[Batfink 201]

ah indeed. I understand. Forgot it goes into the beam on one side and not the arm. I should look harder really lol Its not going to stay on the car anyways as I want a smaller rear track so I can use 8" wide slicks. Will sort it when it comes off the car.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Batfink

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

Will you not need to modify the turrets if you want to reduce the track?

[Batfink 201]

turrets have enough clearance. The closest part the springs sit next to are the beam arms . I'll only be 205 beam width so nothing dramatically different.

[Batfink 201]

New alcons turned up today. Looks like the calipers are the same basic casting. This means its quite possible to rebore the piston holes and run the larger pistons in the WRC calipers. Tempting therefore to make these suitable for the front of the car or another vehicle. Spare pistons and seals are easy enough to buy in...

[Batfink 201]

Progressing on a slightly different part of the car this weekend

[Batfink 201]

Finished the filler work, cleaned and degreased and done a little bit of primering. Needs flatting down to remove some imperfections and a few more layers of primer and then I can put the glass back in.

Then I can make an outer mould..

[Batfink 201]

I thought the door was finished but the more you look the more you want to sort the tiniest of imperfections. The door had previous work done which left the top panel line slightly flat. It wasn't until I sanded into the old filler that I noticed. Rebuilding the line was rather tricky to get right. 98% happy with it now.

 

Door was fully primered to highlight imperfections. Then flatted down with a fine grade paper to remove highs and lows in the bodywork

 

I've now painted the door black as this again shows every imperfection going. I forgot to photograph it but its looking rather good. Will be flatting it back a little and then polishing up. There's a couple of spots I'm not happy about but I'll sand the imperfections out on the gel coat.

Next up was to get cracking on the shell. The front hub came off to finally go to Colin Satchell for some custom bells. The rest off the chassis is being stripped bare of every nut bolt etc. front and rear subframes are ready to be dropped off. Steering is disconnected. Drivers wing also needs to be removed. Then it's off for an acid dip!

 

 

 

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Thats one awesome shell

[Batfink 201]

Its not bad..needs so much work to finish it though! I'm hoping that the acid dip will not find too much hidden away...

 

Had a look at my laser green 205 today. Plan is to clean up the rear quarter rust and pool weld the hole then see what happens when I put it through an MOT. We tried to start it but the shockingly crap alarm system was not playing ball. Tom ran a direct feed to the starter and still nothing. Then we went to check the fuses...

For some reason it was a little warm in there...a fire hazard waiting! Hopefully stripping the dash out tomorrow so I can start returning the wiring to standard.

 

Got my wheels powdercoated

 

And took a picture of the door. I've got to flat back a few runs but Saturday I will be making my mould!

 

Kev

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

Jealous of the wheels.

[Lan 24 1 Cars]

equally jealous of the wheels! love them pts 13s, whats the weight of them?

[Batfink 201]

They are 6kg each. Not the lightest...

[Batfink 201]

Used a fine grade paper to start to take out the sanding imperfections. Bucket of water with washing up liquid to stop the finer grade sand paper from clogging. Also removed some imperfections from my painting.

 

Raided the shelves for more paint as ran out. Its now had a layer of bright blue and a layer of sorrento. I've now built up a few layers so when I next flat it back i'll be removing only imperfections from the paint. In theory this means tomorrow I will be done and I can prep it with some edging and get the glass back in.

 

 

Also started work on a twingo rear diffuser...

Edited June 5, 2013 by Batfink