Hi all,

After 10 years of no posts and, I think, it’s now about 13 years for the project car as a whole, I’ve decided I should really have a build thread. So here goes..

Current state of the car is it’s in a rolling condition. Suspension is on, wheels and callipers and diff have all been on and off again, engine has changed from the original xr4x4 2.0DOHC to MX5 engine. Steering is done, wiring loom is in and slimmed down but needs wrapped. Seats have been in and out and changed several times, now I’m onto a intatrim one.

In the course of the project I’ve learned engineering, been to university, started with and gained a passion for mx5s, nearly sold it, dragged it around to 3 different homes and 4 different garages, got married, passed it over for an MX5 track build, lived with an engine in the living room for a year, scrapped the track build, refitted a house, aided in the manufacture of a child, and come back round again when I started contracting in motorsport and it made sense to get back into learning and refining build techniques. I even randomly met one of the people I used to know from on here when I went to work at an engines design company.

I hope I’ll get her finished this year, but then I’ve said that several times before. We’ll see, but it looks like I’m stuck with her, longest relationship with anything I’ve ever had (except family of course). Here’s to hopefully the next 13 years actually being in a running car.

So here's how an impressionable youth wanted the car to look

brawn colour scheme

And this is what I would like (broadly) now

Caterham supersprint

Mixed with some design cues from something like this

BMW R80

As she sits today, some of the bits that have been fitted and done have been removed for other jobs.

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The list of jobs to complete.. positive many have been left off but at least it gives a sense of accomplishment to finally be ticking them off.

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[Edited on 11/10/21 by hellbent345]

A list of the many varied components I’m using:

MX5 1.8 NA engine.
Loom from same car as engine (learned from my first mistake - took the engine and loom out of the donor when I knew it ran, transferred it in the same week and plugged everything back in and fired up straight away so I knew it worked)
Steering column from same
Mk2 Escort quick(ish) rack. They sell a much quicker rack now but I got the quickest that was available at the time.
Maxi ball joint, transit drag links etc, Haynes book spec
Mk5 (I think) Cortina uprights
Redone wishbones - I welded my own to the first edition Haynes book, found out they were wrong so I just bought a full new set to the corrected dimensions. I also designed my own front top wishbones when at college and now I don’t trust my early efforts so they have gone on the wall instead.
Westfield alloys, these were the first things I got I think
Polo rad
Tbc brand of high flow electric fan direct mount to rad
Own design coolant reroute with heater delete
Shortened intake with relocated maf
Obp billet pedal box
Obp master cylinders, remote reservoirs brackets etc.
Equinox bodywork
All custom Ali work, because I buggered around with the tunnel and sides of the chassis early on I couldn’t remember what was standard and what wasn’t so couldn't use any of my CAD to get anything laser cut or anything off the shelf
Intatrim seat (want to do a single seater, so trying out how much of a compromise this is)
Lithium race battery in front of passenger footwell
Obp pressurised header tank
Obp 10l tiny fuel tank
Sierra open (I think) diff with bolt on shafts
Bailey Morris custom length MX5 to Sierra propshaft
Haynes rear uprights
Sierra callipers at rear
Wilwood on front not sure now of type (bet I’ll have to get new ones!)
Gaz shocks 300/400 I think, not sure now how good they will be as they are nearly as old as the build
Brake copper lines finished, no flexis yet
Clutch line done

More to be added when complete..

[Edited on 11/10/21 by hellbent345]

Hellbent345 - there are a few of us in your area who have built Haynes Roadsters, mine was an MX5 NB and Sierra based one and I am currently helping a friend build a similar one. Have a look at the East Anglian Kit Car club https://eastangliankitcars.co.uk/ , prbably best to look at meetings in the new year now though when attendance at meets goes up

quote:

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Originally posted by ianhurley20
Hellbent345 - there are a few of us in your area who have built Haynes Roadsters, mine was an MX5 NB and Sierra based one and I am currently helping a friend build a similar one. Have a look at the East Anglian Kit Car club https://eastangliankitcars.co.uk/ , prbably best to look at meetings in the new year now though when attendance at meets goes up

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Looking good so far.
How did you manage to upload photos? I've always had an issue on this site.

quote:

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Originally posted by harmchar
Looking good so far.
How did you manage to upload photos? I've always had an issue on this site.

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