Update (and tow eyes...)

[Pedders]

It would be fair to say that most of my posts on the Ultima forum are normally about trivial trim and similar matters.

This post will be no exception (as I want to ask about toe eyes), however, to try and establish some credibility first and show that I have being doing more on the car than worrying about things like whether to have an interior light or not (still grappling with this one....), here's a few update pics.

After 3 years and 3 months - it's nearly finished and can actually be driven! Am waiting on new wheels and tyres, and the lead time on those will give me enough time to pick off the few remaining little jobs, and then it will be IVA time!

Completed engine bay - now satisfyingly leak free following a while searching out an annoying coolant leak:

|http://thumbsnap.com/9SJ7S0Zq[/url]

Finished interior (intentionally minimalist for those wondering if I have forgotten the gauges).



Now back to toe eyes. I was just wondering if there were any alternatives to the factory option? Pics would be much appreciated if anyone has done something different.

[Pedders]

Thanks for the comments all - it's an LSA engine and exhaust package supplied by AB. I had expected that getting the engine running would be the hardest part of the build (due to lack of experience on my part). When it fired up on the first attempt, and purred like a (very big) kitten on idle, you could have literally knocked me down with a feather - it was a great moment in the build.

Fibre strap for occasional use is a good idea, particularly for use on the back of the car, but then bodywork damage is a similarly good point.

Welded boss is also neat, but a bit more work than the drill and bolt method.

I think it's attaching something to the front of the car which is the most challenging, as there doesn't seem to be many options in terms of attachment points, which I guess is how the factory ended up with their solution.

[Pedders]

That's a neat solution, Highflyer - and many thanks for your kind offer. I'd be quite happy to pay you for it, too, so will send you a pm.

[Pedders]

845ste said:

WOW! great work of the engine compartment.

I'm sorry I do not understand: you have a volumetric?

from where it takes the air intake?

Hi 845ste - it's a supercharged engine and you can just make out the top of the air intake on the left hand side of the engine (under the chassis brace bar).

Here's a pic of the pipe (apologies to those who have seen this pic before!) which puts the filter close to the bottom of the engine bay where the air temps are cooler, but still out of the way of road muck.



As was pointed out when I posted this photo on the ultima owners Facebook page, the pic makes the air filter look small, when it's actually pretty big!

Edited by Pedders on Sunday 24th January 11:10

[Pedders]

BogBeast said:

Very nice car, looking forward to seeing some vids and maybe seeing in the flesh, grp/ally/steel.

Planning on coming to Silvertone?

Thanks BogBeast. I'd love to run the car at Silverstone, especially if there was another Ultima or two. Not 100% sure when the car will be finally ready and road registered, but Spring is the goal.

I have driven Silverstone a couple of time in a Nissan GTR, and had a huge amount of fun despite my lack of driving talent. Happy to be corrected, but if I recall the only corner where you need to be mindful of there being less run off is the right hander going into the new start finish straight (with the 'Wing' on the right hand side). In the big Datsun, you could bury the throttle when you were ready to accelerate onto the straight, and would feel the back end of the car do a little 'shimmy'. That was the traction control stopping you from an expensive incident involving concrete. I think I will be a bit more cautious in the Ultima!

[Pedders]

I really appreciate all the comments chaps - thank you! Had a spare half an hour tonight so thought I'd pop down to the garage and tweak the panel gaps of the rear clamshell. Half an hour is up and as is usually the way with jobs I try and fit in limited time slots, it's all gone a bit wrong so the car is not looking quite so close to being finished now! Always amazed at how much difference the slightest turn of the threaded rose joints makes to the panel positioning. If only I could remember this before starting the job.... Something I will need to return to at the weekend!

Comments on the air filter are noted.The photo is quite an optical illusion - the carbon fibre pipe is a consistent diameter throughout, whereas the picture suggests it tapers towards the bottom, so as mentioned it's a big unit in the flesh and as such I think it's up to the job. I believe there are a few other LS cars out there running the same filter with success too, but I do like Rowdy's suggestion of the dyno run with and without, just to prove it - thanks for this Rowdy.

Was a bit slow on the Silverstone reference - sorry!

[Pedders]

chuntington101 said:

On the air filter, if the engine is making say 650bhp then the air needed will be similar to any other 650bhp engine. I wouldn't worry about it too much. You could try running it on a dyno with and without but it would be an expensive test! Just keep an eye on it for any signs of collapsing.

What supercharger inlet is that off (car wise)? I don't think I have ever seen a LSA with such a compact entry to the supercharger. Most stick much further forward I thought.

Thanks Chuntington. I bought the engine from AB as is ready to drop straight into the car (with all ancillaries already fitted - cat out of bag from a build skills perspective....), so I have only known it with this inlet - not entirely sure what was done to make it fit.

Edited by Pedders on Tuesday 26th January 19:36

[Pedders]

J

356Speedster said:

Nice work Pedders, there's some familiar parts in there

Thanks! Yep, may have borrowed a few ideas from your build....