At Last!. I have started on my car ;-) PART 2

Second attempt at glove box door using the KISS method. 3 layers instead of 2 to compensate for lack of stiffness added by letters and car. Weave isn't perfect but it will be painted so not an issue. I still have to trim to size and add a finger hole in lieu of a handle.
 
Having trimmed, cut finger hole and applied a resin flow coat to fill in the numerous pin holes, it's looking pretty good unpainted. I am tempted to keep this as the only unpainted piece of CF on the car :) The 'marks' are reflections of the bolt trays behind it :)

 
Not a lot of progress recently as I have been faffing around with the glove box door. More or less done now.



Opened up the glove box opening and continuing to flat the dash. Once it is in a reasonable condition I will fit it and finish rubbing down with it insitu.

 
New Year's Resolution - Work on the car everyday.
Jan 1 - Worked out how to make rear firewall and prepared carbon fibre.
Jan 2 - Laid up carbon fibre and vacuum bagged it:



 
Jan 3 - Removed CF from vacuum bag. As a matter of interest this is around 496 square inches. I get around 12psi of vacuum so the total pressure exerted is approx 2.4 tons! No wonder the CF is squashed flat :)



Firewall trimmed to fit. This is the bottom section. I have yet to work out how to do the top part :)



Internal fibreglass finish is rubbish so I have glued a couple of CF strips to attach the firewall to. The fibgeglass between the two strips willbe removed, removing a few hundred grams :)



Material required to make a CF angle strip, which will fit to the boot floor to secure the bottom of the firewall. It would cost over £70 to buy! Made from cutoffs this will cost me pennies :)
Aluminium angle as mould
4 layers of CF
I layer of peel ply. This doesn't stick to epoxy resin so everything else can be removed once set.
1 layer of perforated release film. This controls the flow of the resin that is being squeezed out of the CF, helping to attain an even but not excessive removal. This forms the dot pattern on the breather layer cloth.
3 layers of breather cloth. This soaks up the excess resin and allows the air to be sucked out by the pump.
1 vacuum bag.



All put together and vacuumed. This will be left overnight to cure under vacuum:

 
Jan 4 - Pulled CF angle from vacuum bag and prised it from the aluminium former, after trimming it. Not too bad for almost free and won't be visible :)



Glued to boot floor with a 2-part epoxy:



Bottom part of firewall fits pretty well. Now I need to work out how to form the top part:



Whilst I was in the boot I ran a flappy sanding disc over the surface of the boot as it was rather knobbly, in the process removing 220gms. I think I may return to do some more smoothing :)
 
Oxford English Dictionary definition of Weight Reduction OCD:

See Old-Git.

I don't have the raw power so I have to work on the power/weight ratio.

On my car, every 50kg = 1/5th sec over the 1/4.
 
That would be a step too far, even for me :) However, there will be a weight reduction programme for the vehicle master control system.
 
Jan 5 - Sometimes, things don't go to plan, and that is usually at the most inconvenient moment.

Decided to make a new rear panel as I am using different lights.



Started off OK.
Made a pattern (not really required).
Laid double sided tape on mirror
Applied releasing agent to glass
Cut up 4 layers of CF (only used 3 as this saved around 100gms :) )



Cut one layer of peel ply, one perforated release film, 3 layers of breather layer cloth and one layer of vacuum bag.

Once the release agent had set I brushed on a coat of epoxy and laid on the first layer of CF followed by the remaining two. So far so good.


Next came the peel ply

release film

and breather cloth

Then I stuck down the vacuum bag and turned on the pump. That's when my problems began.

Pump was working but I wasn't getting any vacuum action. Bugger, but no time to mess around. Fortunately I have some of the biggest vacuum bags used for squashing clothes and the glass mirror I was using as the CF support just fitted inside. Hooked up the workshop vacuum cleaner and I was off and running. Not as good a vacuum as the proper pump, but at least it was a vacuum and the resin was starting to show through the breather cloth.

Then the vacuum cleaner stopped. Checked the fuse but that was OK. Bugger Bugger.

So I decided to have a look at the proper pump to see if I could work out what was happening, or not happening, as I was stuffed if I couldn't get it to work (I don't think Julia would have been too happy if I borrowed the house vacuum and I like my bits where they are :) )

Quickly discovered that resin had been sucked up into the through bag connector last time it was used and sealed it up!

A quick ream with a couple of drill bits and we were back up and sucking...Phew!

At least I now know that a standard vacuum is no match for a dedicated vacuum pump when it comes to creating usable vacuum.

Hopefully, when I extract the CF tomorrow no harm has been done, should be OK.
 
Jan 6 - Rear panel debagged but still soft so I have left it on the glass to cure properly.

Made mould for top section of firewall and that is now covered in CF and curing.



Cut out the surplus fibreglass between the new firewall mounting strips, removing 1.3kg in the process :)



Trimmed boot opening by removing original lid support channel. 330gms removed.

 
Jan 7 - Rear panel trimmed and glued in.

As much as possible of the rear panel has been removed:


Grey fibreglass panel was cut out of the middle of the original rear panel and weighs 338gms. The complete rear CF panel weighs 306gms :)


Panel glued in place;
rear%20panel%20CF%20070116%203_zpstprhpuya.jpg


Next task is to tub the inner arches to allow the fitment of 10.5" wide wheels.
 
Spent the afternoon playing around with the pattern for the rear sections of the wheel arch tubs. Apart from a little tweaking, they are ready for fibreglass.
 
Jan 9 - Made a slight mod to the tub patterns and repostioned the rear lamps in order to accommodate the fuel filler cap.





 
Jan 10 - Fibreglassed the rear tubs this afternoon. Assuming I can get them off tomorrow I will start to prepare them as moulds for carbon fibre.

Fibreglass is easier to work with but the resin goes off MUCH faster so you have to work a lot quicker.

 
Jan 11- It took me over an hour to get just one of the fibreglass moulds off! I started on the second one but got called in for dinner. I will continue tomorrow.
 
Jan 12 - Managed to remove second tub mould, after much cursing and thumping. Then spent a hour ruminating over how to replace the boot floor. I have come to a decision and will get on to it tomorrow.



 
Jan 13 - Cut out boot floor tonight. I will be using it as the mould so I have extended it by an inch all round with cortex in order to give me something to glue the carbon replacement on with. Carbon and vacuum bagging material cut to size ready for tomorrow. I will use 3 layers, as opposed to my customary two, as it will have to support the fuel system.
 
Jan 14 - Boot floor carboned, vacuumed and curing.


The weave is a little wavy, but this is the underside so I am not bothered :)



 
old-git said:
The weave is a little wavy, but this is the underside so I am not bothered :)
Click to expand...

Alright, who is this? ?-/

People, I think OG's account has been compromised by a hacker o_O

Leave it to me Steve, I will assign you another name and password as clearly the above statement was made by someone who does not know you at all ;)
 
:) Thanks, but It was me, honest! :)

As I am painting the CF it won't show so there is no point in spending time trying to get the weave perfect.

Sorry if I have shattered your illusions, T9 :-(
 
Here you go, Os. Doesn't look so bad now. Weave is actually a lot straighter than it looks in the original photo, a bit of an optical illusion :)

Original boot floor weighed 3.4kg. This, in its untrimmed state, weighs in at 1.28kg so a saving of at least 2.1kg :)



 
Didn't do much today as parcel delivering. However, in order to maintain my new year's resolution, I trimmed the new floor and made the first fit. As I used the underside of the original floor as my mould, the new floor should be stuck on the same side. However, as this will be tricky I may fit it to the top side. I will decide once I have made the CF tubs.


 
Jan 17 - Again, life has got in the way of fun so I have only managed to sand down and spread filler on to the tubs as part of the process of getting them ready for CF.

 
I went to the Autosport Racing Car Show at the NEC on Friday. I was expecting to buy a lithium battery charger, which I did, but I wasn't expecting to change my mind on the planned colour for the Elan.

I have been humming and harring for a few years on what colour to paint it. It was black when last used in 1985 and I have kept coming back to that. I even have the paint. However, the friend I was with pointed out a car and said that he had been discussing what colour to paint it with another friend and this is what they think I should do it in.

Dark satin (not matte) grey:





I like it, but not with black wheels as that, IMO, would be too much on a small car.

Any thoughts?
 
Jan 18 - Again, not much done. Sanded tub moulds and added more filler. Hopefully, when rubbed down, they will be good enough to use. Fingers crossed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
TCJBOLDIE My last track day for 2022 General car Chat 0
TCJBOLDIE TCJB's last track day for 2020 General car Chat 2
TCJBOLDIE When was your last wheel alignment done ? General car Chat 5
TCJBOLDIE TCJB's last track day for 2019 General car Chat 1
TCJBOLDIE TCJB's last mod General car Chat 3
obi_waynne Do they make cars that only last 10 years General car Chat 2

Similar threads


Please watch this on my YouTube channel & Subscribe.


Back
Top