Ready, set....

Matt at Smash Attack has the chassis prepped and ready for the colour and clear coats next week. We are planning that I will pick it up next Saturday (6 April 2013).

Frank at Motowest is sending my clutch pack, which has sort of held me up preparing the engine (Well actually it's a little early to start on the engine anyway).

So hopefully Sunday week my garage will be a hive of activity.

That was Quick!

The garage is empty again as I've taken the chassis, nosecone, bonnet and wheel-arches to the panel beaters, Smash Attack in Moss Street. Nothing to see, move along, move along. Matt at Smash Attack has given me a good quote so I'm going back tomorrow to choose colours, pay deposits etc.

I'm after the Chevy Camaro yellow...yes, the colour of Bumblebee in the Transformers movie...but also close to the colour of my brother's cool Renault 10 when I was much younger. Also it's not Kermit green, young man orange or mid-life crisis red but still a decent "visibility" colour so I'm meeting my safety requirements. Argh...must...repress...the engineer.

Also Michael from Purnell's has SMSed me pictures of the wheels which look great. Once the credit card cools from painting, I'll get my wheels and tires.

So here's hoping that very soon I can actually fit some parts together.

Engine porn

Michael at Purnell's showed me some great wheels; he gets them as blanks so he can machine to the right bolt pattern, offsets and spigots. He supplies a lot of racing guys so knew straight up what I was talking about and what wheel/tires sizes I was after. He also said he may know someone who will do a good job with the paint considering it's aluminium. After seeing the gunmetal grey wheels, I'm thinking metallic blue.

I was going to start on the engine but the two Birkin build manuals conflict. The manual talks about removing the thermostat cover and the flywheel but there is no flywheel and I'm pretty sure no thermostat cover. Also one manual shows the water impeller casting with the belt driven impeller in place AND the electric pump but the other shows the casting modified (the belt driven impeller removed).

Engine

I've taken some photos so I can hopefully compare on the web.

Stripped!

Chassis all stripped ready to go for painting.

I'm thinking I might get Cal to go with me to Purnell Tyres and coordinate the wheels with the paint...since he is my contracted designer.

Also I've decided to take the chassis off the steel frame it came bolted to and use trestles. Without the frame I can practically lift the chassis myself and I won't need to weld height or wheels to the frame.

Gearbox, bellhousing, diff, hubs and discs, and wishbones

Engine

Another milestone

It's here.

Very interesting day...

First stop Kennards Slacks Creek for the trailer, then picked up Cal and onto Toll NQX at Eagle Farm. The Toll people were very helpful and we on our way back very quickly. Dropped Cal back and came home where Jan and Stewart filmed my arrival and helped me unload everything bar the chassis. 

The engine crane was highly successful; I was a bit dubious about using it on the sloped driveway but with two of us it was simple. The engine was delivered in a molded cradle which makes life very easy.

Jan took inventory as no picking slip was in evidence. A few of the parts were a mystery so were listed by description rather than purpose. Jan lost a bet on whether the crane would fit under the garage door but earned my eternal gratitude for the scribing.

The team arrived after work and only four were needed to carry the chassis into place and then out came the Lego and mid-life crisis jokes. There was even suggestions that I wouldn't fit which I demonstrated were completely fallacious. It was nice to thank everyone with pizzas and garlic bread.

I need to contact Frank at Birkin for a picking list to confirm I have everything and the build manual. However the parts, particularly the engine and gear box, were well packed and the parts mostly labelled.

Onto the actual build...

Build Area Ready!

The garage is all ready to accept the car.

Toll rang Friday and the boxes have arrived in Eagle Farm.

I will ring Kennards on Monday and book a car trailer for Tuesday. Hopefully Cal can shotgun.