Have done some pre-lim calcs but havn't got the mk3 wishbones and hubs fitted yet so i'll be waiting til i've fitted those before making the final decission on usng the system. Can get Pirtek to make hoses to suit the Mk4 Pump & Mk3 Rack on same day service, also got a local engineering shop to make me a steering shaft adaptor in order to allow the Mk3rack to be fitted to the columb if the Mk4 system proves not to be satisfactory. Oh and the mount for the Mk3 rack on the sub frame are un-affected. The rack being longer and the effective length of the tie rods being shorter in relation to the Mk2/3 set up will effect the steering ackerman angle, so this has to be considered and understood along with any bump issues. Thinking on a little more, Bump steer is effected more by adjusting either the height of the rack or the height of the tie rod ends in relation to each other. The Mk4 rack centre line for height from the sub frame is as the Mk3. The Bump steer should be largely un-changed, its the Roll steer that the ackerman will have an effect on. Bump steer being when both sides of the suspension is in compression. Roll steer being when one side is in compression and the other in droop. (Extended) As compressed in a corner. Attention will be paid to this when the suspension is put together.
Also the length of the rack relative to the inner wishbone mount I was going to ask this is it the same in both planes i.e. fore & aft as well as vertically? What you say is factually correct however we tend to lump it all together negatively as 'bump-steer' (and in a competition vehicle do our best to make sure it never arises in the first place). In a road car some 'roll-steer' may be introduced to achieve certain aims of the designer or dynamics team. It is possible achieve roll-steer without having bump-steer (and vies versa) mainly through the use of tricky bushes and/or something bending... (The Corrado VR6 rear beam bushes are a good example of this) Of course... And I did not mean to be rude or suggest you would not do it properly either, it's just this area is kind of my 'day job' Slightly OT - I have been toying with using an S3 rack (faster ratio) and reached the conclusion that it would be best to modify the MK4 subframe thereby keeping all the necessary juxtapositions correct
Hi Simon, really do appriciate your input, help with these matters will always be welcome. Yes, the rack is mounted in the same line for & aft and on the same car centre line aswell as the height being the same. The S3 rack idea is interesting, also looked at the Mk4 type subframe but at the start of the project I dismissed it as too much of a faf to mod... May be a mod to the Mk3 subframe to allow it to mount to the shell in the same way but give Mk4 wishbone positions?? Been on it today, did Newark auto jumble this morning and got a few sundry bits, more pipes and stuff. Then on with the detailed strip down of the front of the engine bay, stiffened up the slam panel, put gussets on the cross member and started to re-bag and mark up all of the nuts, bolts and fittings. Got a massive bag of pipes. Engine bay being stripped down now. Seems like today has flown, probably done more then I think.
Been working on the exhaust down pipe tonight, got it sorted and mocked onto the car and all is well. 2.5inch pipe fittings and flexible all made up onto the original collector off the turbo. In place on the car. Had some more parts delivered over the last couple of days. Integrated Engineering SAI valve blank off and a resistor to fool the ecu into thinking the secondary air pump is still connected. Forge 007 DV in black. Both the above items were ordered on the same day early last week, the Integ.eng. parts came from Salt Lake City (U s of A) via San Fransisco (approx 8500 miles away) and arrived yesterday...... The DV came from a supplier in Chesterfield, Derbyshire (12 miles from my house) and arrived today 24hrs after.... go figure?
After a night of freezin my bits off I've got a bit more done. This is the last time the motor is coming out, next time it goes in will be for real. Block and gearbox separated for clean up and mod parts to be added. Fabed the ABS pump mount tonight at long last, not sure why i've been putting it off. Had to lower the pump a little as I'd lowered the servo & res to get the pedals to fit. The last job in the engine bay is now completed, i've put a gusset into the original mount to add a bit more guts to it and the bit I cut off it I made the mount on the chassis rail with. Welded a couple of studs to it to carry the pump bracket. Stripped bay ready to start to prep for paint.
Just a quicky as i'm trying to warm my frozen bones... I THINK I'VE FINISHED THE FABRICATION/BUILD PHASE!!!!!! Finished off a couple of little bits on the interior, centre console mounts, air bag module mounts etc.... didn't take any pics too cold to keep stopping. Just got the mamouth task of prepin the panels and shell for paint now. [:^(] Thanks to all for your support so far.
I know its mean, but I`ve quoted that for in the future when you have more fab work to do and I will remind you of what you said Seriously, there is a heck of a lot of fab work gone into this car, really enjoyed looking at some of the details last week. Keep up the great progress, it really shows what can be done when you put your mind to it and you have the skills / perseverance you do
Started the body and panel prep today, front wings first. Drivers side to start with. Looking a bit sorry for itself. Had to cut part of the wheel arch away to allow for wheel clearance on the wide track mod. Then set to the factory wax coating on the underside. The whole thing is being painted so the body shop guys have asked me to get as much of theis stuff off as poss. There is gonna be a lot of this to get off on the whole car. Hit it with the old hair dryer first to soften it up and wipe most of it off. Then it was a wet coat of spirit wipe and scotch pad down with gun wash thinners. Can't say it was a pleasent afternoons work, but the results are ok. Then onto the rust spots with the angle grinder wire brush. The wings are in really good shape with minimal corrosion. Cleaned them with wet & dry after the wire brush. Scotch padded the whole wing down then another wipe with spirit and rust proofed the spots. Then after more cleaning it was on with some etch primer to cover until it gets to the paint shop. Its gonna take forever, one full sunday and only one wing prepped, need more hands or more time....
I'm starting to panic too as got soo much to do before the 25th Jan when the cage goes in. I hate doing body and paint work! Good progress again bud - bet its all done for the new year
Me too, chuck any amount of mechanical or fabrication stuff at me, but don't ask me to paint anything! Just had an hour in the garage before going to the pub. (Monday mates thing) Yours is coming along great Dan, keep at it...
Cheers PAB, but i've not managed to touch mine for a week now firstly due to work early last week and then i've been ill since last wednesday so no working outside in a VERY cold shelter for the time being[:^(] I'll get back on it asap
Difficult 3rd project Hi PAB have just spend two hours reading this epic, loved it better than 24. Keep on mate cant wait for next episode. Kev
Cheers Kev. Not much going on tonight, been to the bodyshop i'm using they will be ready to take the car from the Jan 4th so I better get crackin!!! Gonna move the shell into my warehouse at work so I can work in the warm during the christmas break. These babies arrived today, yet another ebay bargain. With my Ebay Eibach springs on them she'll look great and handle quite well too.
Had a moving day today... literally. Moved my equipment and shell into the warehouse at work to enable me to complete the prep in reative comfort and with some better conditions for painting. Got til next monday to sort the shell for the body shop, which as luck would have it is directly behind where our warehouse. Moving time, amazingly it only took two of us to push the car onto the trailer, quiet a high bed and longish ramps. Action shot, me strapping down. All set and ready for the mile and a half trip to work. New home for a week, the building is brand new, well six months old. Had a test fit of the wheels i'll be using Seat 7x16, gonna have them refurbed with a darker colour, not made the final decision yet. To Do list for the week.... Laters.......
What a day, been at it since eight thirty this morning. Great environment to work in, gonna find it tough when I'm back at home with it. Started out looking like this, then it was off with the front suspension and subframe and full steam ahead de-waxing and cleaning the inner wings for painting. Near side. Off side. After what has seemed like an eternity on my knees with nasty thinners, angle grinder wire brushes, hot air guns and scotch pads the inner wings looked like this. Wanted to keep as much of the original sealent on for protection but had to take enough off to get rid of the wax so the new sealent and paint will stick. Then fitted the front strut brace, has steel mounts so I welded it to the strut tops, when the body shop guys re-seal all the welds in the engine bay it should look like its part of the strut top. Cleaned up under the strut tops too. Then it was onto the front edge of the fllor pans, ran out of time so I'll start there tomorrow.
Hi all, had a monster of a long day. Got into the workshop at half seven and home at half eleven tonight. Not really stopped all day and don't have many photos so i'll keep it short and sweet. Started by cleaning all the welds in the engine bay then cleaning the entire engine bay. Then moved on to the underside of the car. Even though the shell is in really good condition there were still plenty of spots to knock back with the wire wheel in the angle grinder. Mainly the bits where i'd welded the seat mounts and roll cage. No really a great shot but the only one I have. Cleaned the glue off the cills where the cill cover part of the body kit was held in place. Think Satan himself supplied the glue to Volkswagon.... very sticky and tough to get off. After that I removed the rear beam assy so as to let me clean the rear half of the underside of the car. The body shop are going to totally re-seal the underside of the car and then paint it body colour. Car as she stands tonight. Just though i'd let you all know, i've decided to change the colour, still red but a little brighter. Porsche Guards Red....
