GT-Forte GTs40 build

[David]

Keith, Welded in on mine, makes them stronger but more of a pain.

Ben, yep essentially temp rivets. I'd never heard of them either before seeing them here.

You push down on the end of them (using special pliers), put in the hole and then release, it pulls it tight yet can be easily released by doing the same in reverse. Used AFAICT mostly in the aircraft repair industry.
You can do it without them but they do work rather better than the place the rivet in technique due to pulling the metal pieces together and of course can be used at any angle.

Anyway managed another panel tonight, took most of the time to make the template but now have 3/5 of the RHS/drivers inner wheelarch panels cut.



That is at least the hardest panels done, final two on the RHS should be pretty easy in comparison. It took me I think most of the time to make templates but now those templates should then be the same for the other side (plus I've already done 1/5 due to my mistake previously) but it'll still take just as long to fettle round welds etc.

[David]

Well no update (or work on the car) yesterday as I woke up with an ear infection, went to the doctors and got a course of Amoxicillin but was feeling pretty rough in the evening.

Thankfully felt much better today so without further ado set about the next panel, I was a bit undecided about how to finish it at the top but in the end decided on a flange.

When it then got to fitting the panel I then realised there is a plate in the way so ended up cutting the flange in half and bending one side one way and the otherside will go the otherway.

Once I'd done that it was time for more drilling. So now we're up to 7 panels (mostly) fitted...


Still needs a little minor amount of fettling round a few of the edges and I *really* now need a right angle drill to finish doing the last of the holes but getting there slowly.

Tomorrow night I'll do the last panel but I'm undecided as to if I then extend it down to cover the end of the spondon or not. Or make that another panel.

I really need to order some more alloy too, not much left! With a bit of luck and assuming they have some more in stock should get it delivered by Monday.

[David]

Didn't do any panelling last night. Got the steering column and spent some time trying to get the wheel off (easy with the proper tool, a PITA without it and couldn't be bothered to make one just for this). Eventually gave up and applied BFI, garage is now filled with Mg-Al swarf and rubber bits!

Anyone want a Corsa 'B' airbag?

In other news, suppliers out of stock of alloy sheet in the grade/size I want until next Tues/Wed and have ordered a right angle drill.

More panelling tonight though.

[Pat]

David, it looks like beautiful work you'll love to drive. One thought, while you have it in the panel stage, it may be worthwhile to put Dynamat or some other sound insulation down while you still have easy access to all the panel interiors. It will make driving it, especially with a passenger a lot more enjoyable later.

[David]

Hi Veek,

Thanks.

Yes I plan to insulate it, I'm thinking of using aluminium foil tape round all of the edges to the frame as a double measure (the sealant should do the job by itself) and to ensure any small holes (eg round the suspension mounts) are sealed. Then I'm currently looking at using lizard skin against the panels themselves to reduce drumming followed by rockwool and then the inner panels.

I've got plenty of time though, I'll be doing all the panels then taking them off to powder coating them, permanent attachment will be some way away.

[David]

Didn't get to do much over the w/e thanks to looking at 'sensible' cars for my wife, unfortunately she's at the what car to buy stage although looks like she might have made up her mind on a Ford 'Asbo'[1] subject to test driving one. Then just got to sell her car and find a decent one.

Did manage to get one panel mostly done though


D

[1] Viewers of Top Gear will know what I'm on about, others may have to google it.

[Brett James-McCall]

David,
Get a late as one as possible to the end of production. We did a lot of work on the cals and driveability and some guys were reporting 34mpg av... and that's managers driving them... I miss mine Though I am loving my current 2.2 diesel Mondeo as well.

Another ecommendation is to get the Mountune kit on them, which also doesn't invalidate our warranty as long as an approved dealer does it....

There is another option, but that's a beer chat some time if we ever meet

Brett

[David]

Swapping from an RX-8 so fuel consumption is not an issue! 34mpg is better than double what she's getting atm!

If she gets one going to be an all Ford household to go with my trusty Mondeo, not to mention the GT40!

[Brett James-McCall]

Personally, if you can wait... I'd wait until next year....

[David]

Not buying new so doesn't really make much of a difference. After something sensible for a few years which is going to take child related abuse but still be quick enough to have a bit of fun when she's by herself! Thought about the ST170 but said its just too slow.... Although I think she might have changed her mind again and looking at ST220's Gah!

[David]

Anyway, enough about sensible cars!

My right angle drill arrived today so drilled the inside of panel 3


As well as panel 1, in which I messed up slightly and one of the holes ended up very slightly oval, I think I'll do the otherside slightly different. I tried to do 3 holes central to the vertical chassis member and the bottom one slightly offset but that involved drilling the one at quite an angle, I'll do the other side with the upper 2 central and the bottom 2 offset.

I then spent ages de-burring all the panels before drilling the diagonal holes across panel 3 and fitting the end panel.


Still got quite a lot of minor fettling to do to them but looking pretty good.

[Mark]

That's looking really nice. With my build, I was looking forward to takling the panelling myself. It looks to be very rewarding as there is an easy to see result after all the hard work. However, my build has been passed to the pro's now, so I guess I'll never get to experience this particular thrill!

[David]

Thanks. Some jobs take ages for no apparent change, others seem to show a lot quickly.
Some of the panelling is great some is a pain but at the moment doing roughly 1 panel a day its showing results pretty quickly.

[Andy Green]

Oh I see, wanting to know what a decent build manual looks like

[TrevS]

Hi David

On a note on your build, you might want to think about leaving some room to fit a panel at the front of the fuel tanks on your most outer panel. On my car I've drilled the top half of the chassis rail and left room to add an additional panel at the bottom half (see panel 8 in pic below). Looking at your panels you'd need to overlap the extra panel so might be worth not riveting that panel and using the same drill holes for both panels.



Hope that makes sense

Trev

[David]

Hi Trev,

You know what I was just looking at your build last night and thinking about this!

I think I'll cut a slightly too large panel and fit it behind that 5th panel then cut it to fit the sideskirts when I fit them.

Didn't actually do a lot that shows last night, I got a set of front uprights/hubs through (thanks Andy! ), had a look at those and then had a look and think at how I was going to attach the screw on panels. It would be *just* possible to fit a M5 rivnut, counterbore the underside of a 2mm panel to get it to sit flush (using pan, cheese or button head screws). Could *just* get a countersunk screw to fit but it wouldn't have a lot to grip the panel with. I think I'll get some countersunk rivnuts and try them, see how flush I can get things. Otherwise everything is going to have to have a ~1mm gasket/spacer.

Then took off all the panels again, de-burred the 1st, 3rd and 5th panels where I'd drilled the extra holes, did a little bit of fettling round the edges and folded the top of C where it protruded above top of the chassis. Nothing really to show so no new pictures.

Just going to repost this pic though because I realised the original was in 640*480, I've swapped it in the album but the links are unique and can't edit my old posts to change it.

[Brett James-McCall]

Andy,
I am not backing either party. This is David's build thread, as I've stated before:

Please take it up in another area of the forum or off-line

I have discussed this with Ron a few weeks back; if you wish to take legal recourse against GTS, then that is your prerogative. As with other threads discussions of this nature, the posts have ended up being removed, as the forum should not be the place to start litigation, or even be used as part of its evidence.

I will start another thread in the Manufacturer's section and move all the related posts to there, as this is David's build thread, not a Tornado vs. GTS concerns thread.

Which is here: http://www.gt40s.com/forum/vendor-ma...tml#post347487

Brett

[Andy Green]

Hi David,
As Trevor stated you can use the same horizontal holes to attach the sill in-fill panel if you’re careful. To give it additional support I use a piece of angle to riveted on the inside to support the vertical edge (see photo, which probably makes more sense).
I found this a lot easier than making & sealing a return flange as the Tornado Build manual states
Regards
Andy

[David]

Hi Andy,

Interesting, the GTs40 manual hasn't got that far (for the other Andy's benefit, Darren isn't joking, I have about 3 pages of intro and 2 pages of manual covering the floor and first few panels plus some diagrams). I shall have a look and think see what will be easiest. Are you riveting it to the diagonal member too?

In other news I got a bit bored of panelling every night so seeing as my wife hasn't complained about swarf in the house for at *least* a month (in fact strangely ever since I moved the lathe!) I felt like having a bit of a play and so tonight have been firing hot aluminium chips all over the garage (they don't half sting when they land and stick too).

Anyone care to guess what its going to be?

[Brett James-McCall]

David,
I Rivetted that area on mt RSGTD-SGT. I though made the whole of that area as one piece rather than multiple sections. Go and have a look in my build log.

Brett

PS - put a large battery in the middle with some prongs, and your making a taser to stop the wife complaining about swarf?