You'd think because its gone quiet that not much has been happening..... quite the contrary is true though.
Engine
You might recall that the engine purchased in Christchurch is having a stopover in Wellington with Phil Bradshaw as Phil will be wiring it and changing the Cam belt while it is with him. This made sense given the chassis is being constructed in Wellington also. In addition to that, it means that once it arrives back here with the chassis it will be able to be fired up.
While I was in Wellington recently I called on Phil and while I was there I was treated to a blast up the road in Phil's Toyota Supra that has had a Lexus V8 shoehorned into it. Now it's fair to say I was expecting big things from this.... I wasn't disappointed! Phil let the car warm up a bit then it was given a good bit of Jandal. The sound was amazing, but what blew me away was just how quickly and easily that rev counter flew up to 5 or 6 thousand revs in every gear. Just incredible.
Okay, now I am picturing driving the Tudor with this technology on board. I'm so excited I'm beside myself.
Aircon
The aircon has been a pain in the arse to date and that's putting it politely. To date I have tried to deciphre the wiring with no less than 6 different wiring diagrams. I now know why the Japs have their cars so sorted. Nothing is ever the same, each model is an evolution of the previous with constant improvements being added. This however has a downside for someone like me trying to unravel the intricate mysteries of Toyota aircon. I reckon I am close to cracking it though and once I do it should progress pretty rapidly. Hopefully the next update with this will be that I am ready to dismantle the components and repackage them into an underfloor unit. For now though.... just bewildered.
Chassis Build
All is go here too. Juniors Kustom Rides have finished installing the Jag Rear and have taken the chassis across to the other side of the workshop to have the front end installed. I have given them the go ahead to install stainless steel A Arms too. This will mean I don't have to contend with chrome that chips and rusts and can weaken the structure. I will end up with something like the picture below. The A Arms are the triangular arms that hold the Hub in place and bolt back to the chassis. The top one can be seen quite clearly in the picture below and there is another at the bottom that is a bit harder to see....
Alloy Quick Change Diff Cover
You will recall I bought the diff housing from Magoos a few weeks back. It is straight out of the mould and still needs to be polished. It is bloody expensive getting this done so I thought I'd have a crack at it myself. The same guy that gave me the aircon unit (Garry Pegler) sells/distributes hand tools and power tools to the trade and obtained for me, an electric die grinder and metal polishing kit with various buffing wheels, a spindle, flap wheels and polishing bars. With a bit of elbow grease and a ton of time not to mention a chunk of patience I should be able get the housing gleaming. Watch this space.
Application
Lastly, some of you will be aware that I am hoping to make this rod in such a way that the body can be removed and swapped for a Coupe Body. That way you get two rods in one. Obviously there are a number of regulations involved with getting a rod on the road not least of which is certification.
There is provision in the certification process to apply to the technical committee if you are wanting to do something a little different or unique. This proposal I guess falls into that category.
If there is one thing I have learned from building the Coupe, is that if you stick to the rules and accept the guidance being given the cert process is relatively easy, so I intend starting off on the right foot. So the application is about to be sent.... I'll let you know the outcome as soon as I hear.
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