Saturday 15 June 2013

WE DRILL DRILL DRILL

SATURDAY 15TH JUNE 2013

Thank you Carol (a canal chum) for your comment and to set your mind and any other concerned mind at rest, the aluminium panels are covered in a plastic film, to help prevent them from getting scratched. Before final assembly the plastic will be peeled of and the aluminium polished, the plan is for the top side to be painted Morgan Red and the bottom half to be lovely and shiny, thus satisfying my need to always be polishing something.

Almost all the rivet holes on the left side have been drilled and the panels removed exposing the transmission tunnel and most of the compartment where the single rear wheel will be attached. I used a 10mm drill with the shaft end ground down to fit a hand held chuck and set too with the laborious job of cleaning up all the drill holes to remove any swarf and ensure a flush fit when it is time to bond and rivet the panels to the chassis.




 All of the ali panels are a perfect fit, with the exception of a small section of the large floor panel, which for about 18 in.at the rear,m projected beyond the chassis rail by no more than an 1/8 in. I carefully marked the overlap, dropped the panel in that area, clamped it with 2 in.blocks to the chassis rail, so that I had room to grind without damaging the chassis and with my angle grinder, dreadnought file and emery paper, produced a smooth flush edge. Almost certainly I will have to do the same on the right when I get to it.

The bonnet halves are formed, but not a perfect fit to the nose cone and scuttle, with a bit of extra bending here and there the left half now sits fairly accurately and once the rubber strip cushion  and spring bonnet catches are fitted it should be fine.


That's it for now, all tools tidied up, drilling and grinding  swarf vacuumed away and off to France for a few weeks to ride my Moto Guzzi amongst other enjoyable holiday pursuits and on my return I will start on the right side, see you then.

Saturday 8 June 2013

IT'S ARRIVED

SATURDAY 8TH JUNE 2013

Not quite the end of the month, but Tuesday 4th of June was delivery day and just after three pm. Arthur and two chums came up the drive in a white van drawing a trailer with my kit strapped securely to it.



My friend, Colin had come to help with the unloading and four of us comfortable lifted it from the trailer onto my trestles. It looks as if I should have enough working room, but I will need to turn it around when it is time to fit the front suspension, but that's some while away.



All the aluminium bulkheads and panels have been loosely fitted, with the odd pop rivet or bolt here, but still requiring me to drill a myriad holes in various sizes. The fibre glass sections look to be of superb quality, very substantial and rigid.



I have now drilled all the rivet holes in the left hand bottom panel and it is held in place by 'cleco' pins, fitted to alternative rivet holes. Theses are a secure but temporary form of rivet as none of the panels should be bonded and riveted permanently in place until all mechanical, electrical, fuel and braking systems have been installed tested, way to go yet!