CUSTOM COMES ONE CUT AT A TIME

Following in on from thursdays international call to hemiperformance, the factory steering box and idler mounts were in the way and had to get the chop, a plan was hatched and early on friday morning, I rolled out of a warm bed and into a cold flannel shirt.
Shit just got real.
I pushed the heavy valiant down the drive unaided and somewhat hindered by its independent front steering, yet I managed to get it loaded up into the parents garage the only way a forty boy knows how, cargo strops, with enough cargo strops any object of any size and any weight can be moved by anyone. Not too long after my uncle and master panel beater Roman Swierczynski (of classic-restorations fame) turned up to give me the much needed guidance and direction. Well thats an understatement, he basically did the lot, cheers!!!
Jacked up, axle stands .... blah .... who cares? heres some hot metal ....

As always a lack of photos is evidence of an abundance of progress.

Mounts were cut off, shaved smooth, rack cradle lifted up, now the brake line brackets were in the way, due to the complex multipoint star stamped into these they were carefully trimmed away from the chassis rail, the last thing needed is to rush to failure. This 'simple' install was not at this stage looking like it was going to be completed in a morning.

First snag.

Drivers side, using the existing steering box mount hole, as directed in the very misleading instruction sheet.

The mounts were drilled for the existing 7/16" hole somewhere around 10-20mm out ... at this stage we had a stop work meeting, and a decision was made to press on, albiet to do as little as possible to dummy the rack up and get it in place, the wheels moving in unison, and the car able to be rolled around much easier.

Passengers side



Second snag

 

Although difficult to tell from the one photo I had taken to display, the rack position is SHIT!!! It sits a solid 20-30mm too far forward.

Third and final snag, which only became apparent later in the failed install.

The red plastic in the above photo is a protective blank over the rack input spline, it is pressed hard against the oil filter, which if you could see behind it is the window which the steering column attaches ..... Time to pack up for the day.

The leaking front pressed steel wheels, which were spoted due to the morning dew, were loaded into the domani and taken to firestone, were i had the valves replaced and instructed that they were in very borderline condition for running tubeless.

The car was put back together and dropped back on its feet.

Problems, I have them, its time to engineer some solutions.