March 2020 Update #3: Spring Break Progress
Body I brought the car to get the glass installed. Everything but the doors have glass now! Installed the hood pins for the hood and the rear portion of the top. Doors I have assembled and installed the door frames, latches and doors skins. Quite a time consuming task with a TON of fiddling with […]
March 2020 Update #2: COVID-19 Quarantine Edition
Body Finished the headlights and checked the wiring. Everything works except the running lights on both sides so I need to look into why that is. Fuse perhaps? I honestly don’t even know if they’re supposed to just turn on with the low beams or what. I played with the hood and fender fitment. Attached […]
March 2020 Update: Front Bodywork
Bodywork With some help from a friend, several hours were spent working on getting the front half of the body put on. So much fiddling with alignment! Pretty much every mounting location moves and each of the body panels is asymmetrical enough to make you scratch your head a bit. Slowly but surely, we worked […]
February 2020 Update: Adding the “C” to the 818
Bodywork Placed the hardtop onto the car! Really helps improve the “car” appearance of the kit. I have to trim the front flange to fit around the brake fluid reservoir. I can’t actually install or fit the top properly until I do that. I’m going to do some forum research to make sure there’s no […]
January 2020 Update #3: Rear bumper install
Body Rear bumper has been fitted. Overall pretty easy because they mount it on the body for shipping so some of the work is already done. I did trim around the trans mount because the build manual just showed it going over the studs and I did not like that. Easy to dremel around so […]
January 2020 Update #2: Bodywork and Stereo
Bodywork I installed the tail lights into the rear bumper and cut out the lower bumper vent. Drilled and cleco’d the side panels in place. I will probably rivet them after I fit and check the rear bumper alignment. I want to keep them easy to remove for the time being in case something needs […]
January 2020 Update: Bodywork Begins!
Body I started the bodywork on the car! Just doing simple things at the moment such as cutting holes for the taillights, cutting vent holes, and starting to mount the panels for a rough mock-up. Right now, I have just the sidesail clamped to the car but I plan to throw on some of the […]
December 2019 Update #2: Final Go-Kart Items
Vintage Air A/C Heater lines plumbed incorporating a GM LS-engine heater bypass valve that is 4-way to allow for coolant circulation even when heater route is off. It was a bit of a pain to get the whole system to bleed but it all seems to be working now that it’s bled. A/C lines from […]
December 2019 Update: A/C Installation
Vintage Air A/C What I’m Using: Vintage Air Mini II Heat, Cool, and Defrost I purchased all my components based on the forum info compiled by user AZPete. He did a good write-up and a comprehensive parts list. I have a newer gen Mini unit and I am taking his advice on the heater bypass […]
November 2019 Update #3: G37 Brake Master Cylinder and 3D Prints
Brakes So I think I’m finally at the end of the power brakes project. Unfortunately, the MazdaSpeed 3 booster would not fit in the space provided. I actually got a lucky break because the dead Miata forum thread regarding 1″ master cylinder’s came back alive. NC Miata owners found that a G37 brake master cylinder […]