GRIZZ’s English 2001 S10 Extra Cab 4.3 V6 Truck

[Grizz1963]

So my day started, thinking it would be a quick 5 holes measured…….



Drilled……..




Ooooooppppssss……..

Stop right there.

Well, the next size drill did, after the 5mm pilot holes were drilled.

It was almost like the holes were glazed, despite cutting fluid the 8mm drill bit after the 5mm pilot holes just seemed to spin and create smoke in the holes.

I also tried a new 9mm bit and failed.

So after trying to drill all 5 mounting holes, I called it a day and went indoors.

Sally was busy with her artwork, so I distracted her and offered a quick shopping trip.

When she bought the Fiesta it was only supplied with one key, whe. The key was handed over, I objected and Dan the salesman took a moment and then agreed to paying the £75.00 for a spare, immobiliser chipped key for her.

So today we went and had one cut and programmed.

While out, I also went to B&Q (Big hardware store) and bought a set of various TiN Titanium Nitride drill bits for £22.00




I hope to get back to drilling the holes tomorrow.

Of course a hand held, corded drill and no support or stabilisation of the angle iron may make it a touch awkward, but I am hopeful.

I really need to get these holes drilled and the screen prepped for Tig welding.

Now for some alcohol…….

[Palf70Step]

I am always very nervous when it comes to old glass. I have, nor will I myself, attempt to cut, engrave or whatever on old stuff. I use to know someone who I would go to for advice, but he passed on a couple years ago. Definitely find out from an experienced glass person and let them handle it if they feel it is ok.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

I am always very nervous when it comes to old glass. I have, nor will I myself, attempt to cut, engrave or whatever on old stuff. I use to know someone who I would go to for advice, but he passed on a couple years ago. Definitely find out from an experienced glass person and let them handle it if they feel it is ok.

Sounds about right Bill.

I think if it self destructs in the hands of a professional, that would be fine, and I would have calculated the cost of new into it already.



This morning after the hospital and X-rays I popped into my favourite scrap yard/recycling yard.



Needed some pipe to use to extend the MX5 under dash support.

Found nothing that I wanted.

But got a 2.0 meter length of heavy box section that could do the job too, albeit differently.

£10.00 for the steel and this little steel ride on car.

I cannot resist them.

Needs a steering part to be replaced r repaired.



Then straight back home to get some work done.

Later the post man delivered the track rod ends I had ordered last week.

At lunch time I popped out to go see if they could be fitted in under 30 minutes.

Of course they can, just not today.

Jacked up front end, minus wheels, undid top nuts, one wallop each side and the tapers popped loose, Undoing the locking nuts, unscrewed and started to fit the new ends once I clened and copper slipped the threads….. then failure to get one side in.
Eventually tonight after work, cleaned up threads with Tap and Die and job done.



Old vs New

I think the old ones were fully serviceable.



Reassembled.

Just needed to be tightened down.





Tracking is wildly put, so I will disassemble and clean up the nut and adjustment thread and then just set it by eye, another job for the professionals once built.


Time for some food.


.

[Palf70Step]

B4 you cut, I would see how the rollbar effects the look. I think the high backseats and rollbar may look a tad off above the shortened windscreen.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

B4 you cut, I would see how the rollbar effects the look. I think the high backseats and rollbar may look a tad off above the shortened windscreen.

Very valid comment a d observation.

I certainly will be doing that.

[Grizz1963]

A photoshop of the 50mm



Worth my time, thinking about it.

[Just call me Sean]

If you chop too much you'll hit your head on the roof.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

If you chop too much you'll hit your head on the roof.

Morning mate

No roof on this one.





Saw this on FB

S10 meets Jeep with added Big Block.








Thought it would have a few of you frothing at the mouth.

[Grizz1963]

Well.

Mate Martin who does the disability conversions popped in unexpectedly to sniff around.
Thankfully I could take a break from my desk.
He was always pro-chopping
But sat in the seat with screen up and I could see that maybe if was pushing it with a chop.

So I asked him to take a pic for me so I can see the proportions

The result it seems would suggest holding back on even the 50mm chop for now.

The seat height is fine on the chopped screen.

However, mentally adding the roll bar behind and above the seats somewhat seems to be wrong.

So for now, I think leaving it alone will be the answer.



Leaving more time for the important stuff over the weekend.

Day job has now fully kicked back into gear.

[Grizz1963]

Quick change of direction.

Two day heavy duty business meeting in London this week.

31 years later, I have never forgotten my roots or the privilege of my life, even though I know I have paid my dues.

Lunch view on Tuesday.



Later……. London.



In the evening a walk along the Thames river, a boat cruise and another walk.

Eventually leading here……

Bloody freezing yes.







Where are we then?



Cutty Sark is a British clipper ship. Built on the River Leven, Dumbarton, Scotland in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line, she was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest, coming at the end of a long period of design development for this type of vessel, which halted as steamships took over their routes.

After the big improvement in the fuel efficiency of steamships in 1866, the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 gave them a shorter route to China, so Cutty Sark spent only a few years on the tea trade before turning to the trade in wool from Australia, where she held the record time to Britain for ten years.[5] Continuing improvements in steam technology meant that gradually steamships also came to dominate the longer sailing route to Australia, and the ship was sold to the Portuguese company Ferreira and Co. in 1895 and renamed Ferreira. She continued as a cargo ship until purchased in 1922 by retired sea captain Wilfred Dowman, who used her as a training ship operating from Falmouth, Cornwall. After his death, Cutty Sark was transferred to the Thames Nautical Training College, Greenhithe in 1938 where she became an auxiliary cadet training ship alongside HMS Worcester. By 1954, she had ceased to be useful as a cadet ship and was transferred to permanent dry dock at Greenwich, London, for public display.

Cutty Sark is listed by National Historic Ships as part of the National Historic Fleet (the nautical equivalent of a Grade 1 Listed Building). She is one of only three remaining original composite construction (wooden hull on an iron frame) clipper ships from the nineteenth century in part or whole, the others being the City of Adelaide, which arrived in Port Adelaide, South Australia on 3 February 2014 for preservation, and the beached skeleton of Ambassador of 1869 near Punta Arenas, Chile.

The ship has been damaged by fire twice in recent years, first on 21 May 2007 while undergoing conservation. She was restored and was reopened to the public on 25 April 2012.[6] Funders for the Cutty Sark conservation project include: HLF, DCMS, Sammy Ofer Foundation, Greenwich Council, Greater London Authority, The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Berry Brothers & Rudd, Michael Edwards, Alisher Usmanov.[7]

On 19 October 2014 she was damaged in a smaller fire.[8]

Cutty Sark whisky derives its name from the ship. An image of the clipper appears on the label, and the maker formerly sponsored the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race. The ship also inspired the name of the Saunders Roe Cutty Sark flying boat.


Walking down into the dry dock for dinner.



Not so much a request, but an opinion when you are sober and would rather be at home with a mug of tea and a sandwich.




Two days of hard work underscored by a nice reward.


Did I mention that Life is Good?

[Grizz1963]

What a week.

Tomorrow blocked for building this thing.

Despite the options did include having a go at this little car.

But it won’t get the RR on the road.



Day job first though.


.

[Palf70Step]

It was good talking yesterday Rian. I thought the Mazda shell had already made it's trip to a recycler or it's next parts borrowing place? Looking forward to getting back on my 70 some, just waiting on energy to fight the damp cold. I am not quite as use to the damp and cold like you folks, so I am using the I am really old clause to delay things.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

It was good talking yesterday Rian. I thought the Mazda shell had already made it's trip to a recycler or it's next parts borrowing place? Looking forward to getting back on my 70 some, just waiting on energy to fight the damp cold. I am not quite as use to the damp and cold like you folks, so I am using the I am really old clause to delay things.

Great talking with you yesterday Bill

Sorry I had to get into the soares shop before tbey closed.

Kevin who “owns” the shell had a breakdown of his tow vehicle so failed to collect it in the first week of January.



Sallys little petrolhead (or is it electronic head) grandson.

If is has wheels, he wants to be in or on it.



Seems George, the cat I don’t have likes a car too.

Found him sleeping in the Rezin Rockit a few times.



Had to kick him out when I removed the body.

Not a happy cat.

[Grizz1963]

So…….

After giving George some ham (delivered in the carport) I booted his butt out of the seat.

Figured out a way to lift and remove the body without breaking stuff.

Disconnected the wiring looms that @nickwheeler and I had laid out and strapped in on Sunday.

Then hoisted up the body once I moved the car into the right position.



While doing it, I was wondering why.

I decided to also touch up the chassis that has taken some beating with the fitting and moving stuff about, including the chassis and engine.

Ohh. And one that has bugged me since we made them….. the engine mounts, painted.



I guess the result explained it.



Really pleased with the way it came out.

And all of this in between doing the day job, and being really pi$$ed at the way corporate butt kissing happens, and the way some people are oblivious of just how obvious it becomes when they bend over backwards to kiss their own ring, then coming up proud of themselves while sprouting more corporate bolloxx.

But it pays the mortgage I guess, and I actually really love my job.

One less job for the weekend though.

Onwards in the words of @pauly

[Grizz1963]

[quote author="@nickwheeler" source="/post/2717925/thread" timestamp="1643911860"]





Preliminary work to make the Cortina pedal work the Mazda clutch:

drilled a hole in the pedal to replicate the Mazda offset.
Made new, cross-drilled clevis pin and nylon spacer.

That will be enough to position the master cylinder, but I don't think there will be enough adjustment in the pushrod. If that's the case, I'll make a longer one with a more robust clevis that doesn't need a spacer.

The hole in the Mazda pedal is 10mm but the pin is 8mm. I find that odd. I discovered it after I had drilled a new 10mm hole in the pedal.[/quote]


Long, hard day at work today.

Took me 2.5 hrs to do the 36 miles to Denmark Hill to Kings College Hospital, and two hours back.

Loads of change there, including parking area now a building site.

Only parking available is a private carpark, charging £4.00 per hour or part of it. 3hrs 10 minutes was £16.00 grinds my balls.

Anyway, got in just after 5.00pm and tired.


Then I see your report and my day suddenly turns grand.


Thank you for getting on with these jobs, making my life a breeze Nick.

[Grizz1963]

Over at Dennis’s place this is the current status at Dennis’s place.



He is not a happy guy.

[Grizz1963]

[quote author="@31coupe" source="/post/2718928/thread" timestamp="1644483973"]Ooooo that V8 Beetle build is epic!!! Any idea what motor he is putting in it? [/quote]


Rover.

And a big round blowy thing.



Turbo.

[Palf70Step]

I remember then work hours, but mine started at 0500. Now sleeping late is 5:00 to 5:30 time frame.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

I remember then work hours, but mine started at 0500. Now sleeping late is 5:00 to 5:30 time frame.

I struggle past 6.00 am

Often earlier, mostly around 5.00am when the lodger gets up.







After the brackets, I had another coffee.

Thanks to Nick, I drink more coffee now.

It allows me time to reflect for 10-15 minutes when progressing ideas.

Then back to the build.

Engine bay next.

It is pretty untidy.

Found some used, scrap aluminium to make a blanking plate.



Ductape, gotta love it.



Removed the heater pipes’ access, and copied the holes onto the plate.

Then got the template Nick had made last weekend and transferred it.

Drilled, jigsaw and a regular hand file to shape.



Holed.



And test fitted.



Then removed the grommet again and turned it inside out after cutting back the loom tape.

Filled with horrible gloopy black foam stuff.

Unpicked most of it.



Then drew the grommet over the lumpy bit to the next loom junction.

And it seems a perfect length to get to the firewall.

Tomorrow morning I will fit the grommet again and screw the plate into the firewall with a bit of sealant around the edges to seal it well.



At this point I made a quick escape and closed the shop so I could come in and spend a bit of time with Sally and make dinner.

She had done a 9 mile fast walk this morning with Sl in preparation for the Moon walk they are doing in May, for which she has managed to collect £700.00 so far, so she was tired and would not cook for herself.

When I came in George, the cat I do not have, had spent most of the day on my chair……..

King George?



Tonight I am waiting for KevFromWales to get here to collect the carcass of the MX5 donor.


More progress tomorrow I hope.

Tired tonight.

[Grizz1963]

So the weekend has been……

Today I had planned on doing a load of smaller tasks that would get me moving along the list that @nickwheeler had previously created as a guide.

I like lists.


Thanks Nick for creating this.



Rezin Rockit
Jobs List

I’ve broken these down into Mechanical, Electrical and Body. There will of course, be some cross-over as to what should be where.

Now that most of the major fabrication - engine and gearbox mounts, scuttle support- is done, the remaining jobs are each much smaller, but they ought to be done in a considered order so that they don’t have to be re-done. Like the old joke about how you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. Getting the car running and driving is the objective.

To that end, jobs will be tagged with a priority and difficulty rating as follows:

High Priority - large job, that will enable others to be completed, or parts sourced
Medium Priority - smaller job, with consequences
Low Priority - small job, can be done at any time

Difficult - time consuming, orneeds extra parts planned and acquired, or tools, or skills, or more hands
OK - achievable with available parts, or minimal time
Easy - quick job, needing little equipment or expenditure


Your assessment will probably differ slightly!


Mechanical

Steering Column: Fit column, make connecting shaft, make weather tight

High priority - can only fit in one place, and will affect other placements
OK difficulty - shafts need turning and welding inside sleeve

Clutch Pedal: Adapt Ford pedal to hydraulic, fit master cylinder, connect to slave

High priority- requires mods to brake brackets and bulkhead
Medium - placing is a two person job

Throttle Pedal: Fit Mx5 pedal assembly, and use casting as pad.
High priority - needs to attach to bulkhead/pedal bracing

Throttle Cable: Longer cable with Mx5 fittings required
Low priority - can’t be done until pedal is fitted
OK - needs parts sourced, but easy to do

.Propshaft: Hybrid Ford/Mazda shaft required to custom length
High priority - last big mechanical part, car won’t drive without it, might take a while
Easy - cheque book job!

Brake Master Cylinder Inspect and improve as necessary
Medium Priority - easy job, but needs doing before car is drivable
Easy job - standard part, readily available

Hydraulic Lines: make new brake & clutch lines as appropriate
Medium priority - needs pedal fitted, but best done before other parts fitted
Easy job

Radiator: Make brackets as required
High priority - mods to fan and hoses will be required
Easy job

Cooling Fan: Mx5 fan needs modifying or replacing
Medium priority
OK or easy



Cooling hoses: modify radiator, expansion and heater hoses as required
Medium - needs radiator and other parts fitted first
Easy

Engine Service: New plugs, oil, filters, cam belt etc
Low priority - not to be touched until after it’s running!!!!!!!!
Easy

Fuel system: Fit tank, fuel pump, filler, pump filter and pipes
High priority - probably the biggest single job, affects other parts
Difficult - parts choices, fitting, fabrication etc

Gear Lever: Needs extending/cranking back to suit driver
Low priority
OK

Exhaust: Make new system from downpipe back
Low/medium - needs fuel tank in place
OK

Airbox/Intake: Fit airbox and modify trunking as required
Medium priority
Easy

Rear Wheels: Sort out correct studs/nuts and fit larger tyres

Low
Easy


Electrical

Main Loom: Fit to dash support, connecting to fixed parts and mounting components as required. Route front legs through bulkhead, and along inner wings then modify to match components as necessary. Route rear section along driver’s sill.

Medium
OK

Power Loom: Connect to starter etc, route along chassis to rear, connect to fuse box & distribution block

Medium
Easy

Engine Loom:Route through bulkhead and seal. Mount ECU to dash rail.

Medium
Easy

Rear Loom: Connect to front loom, route to components, secure

Low
OK

Battery: Build and install battery box

Low
OK

Wipers: Design and install - Either OE Land Rover, generic screen mount or re-engineered through scuttle

Low - not needed for car driving
Depends on decision



Body

Roll Bar: Source and fit. Make new chassis mounts

Low priority
OK, once part is on site!

Dashboard: Design, build and install dashboard

Medium - not required for car to run
OK

Bulkhead: repair all redundant holes

Low
???? - glassfibre work

Floor: Strengthen as necessary, adapt for new Roll Bar
Low
???? - glassfibre

Gear Lever: Lever hole needs moving forward and finishing

Medium - needs doing before dashboard
Easy

Windscreen:Modify and fit

High - best done before the underdash electrical work
OK - some fabrication and fitting required

Seatbelts: Need Roll Bar in place

Low
OK



Job Order

Steering Column and Linkage

Pedals

Wiring looms, concentrating on getting the engine working

Hydraulic lines

Fuel system

Propshaft

Exhaust

Roll Bar

[Grizz1963]

After a rubbish night I was out in the garage early.

Weather forecast was for a lot of rain, so I needed to beat that, and the chill.

So I carried on with the firewall plate I had made up yesterday, and the next planned job was to cut the holes in the firewall for the two side wiring looms to come through over the fenders.

Then Nick arrived.

Coffee, chat, planning and some gift exchanges.

He also forgot the sleeve and two parts of the Ford and Mazda steering shafts last week.

Plan is to turn them both down on the lathe to fit the tube, drill some holes to weld up after getting the total length right, followed by ensuring it all will work to,wrap,the steering up.




After KevFromWales failed to materialise by 01.00 this morning, he eventually made it to my place by 1.00pm

Kev and Nick hit it off and gassed for an hour before we loaded the MX5 onto Kev’s trailer.

A few mugs of tea, cookies and Kev was off on his return trip to Wales.



Once loaded the coal roller headed out.



Then Nick and I went back to work.

Loads left to do.

[Grizz1963]

So next job you,say.

I had hoped to sneak an hour in during the week, but work just was relentless, and by the time I got home in the evenings, I could not be bothered once I had dinner and sat down for an hour with Sally.

So Sunday was earmarked for that as well.


Looms laid out roughly by @nickwheeler.

Hole saw at the ready and off we went.



With the position of the gas pedal or is it petrol pedal, or throttle…… and its backing plate, there was just enough room to drill out for the large grommet and loom plus various plugs to get through on each side.



Done.



Nasty fiberglass filed back a lot to tidy up.



Both exits ready.



Inside view.



And all three looms in place.

Loads left to do still, but progress for sure.



Nick had been at me since day one when we stripped the MX5 to add a heater to the Rockit, which I kept declining.

So this week I was looking for the throttle cable and pedal

When I decided to pull the original heater/blower out of a box of bits.

Nicks face was like a kid at Christmas, and of course between it, and the original, the Mini blower that this would have been originally, fitted like this.



I may be thankful in the long run when I drive it in November…… or March if the heater keeps my feet warmer than a penguins tail.

We had agreed to an early stop, by 5.00pm as I wanted to cook Sally a Valentines dinner (nothing that special) as she had been at work all day.

But typical Nick, and me for that matter…….

The rear lights and fuel tank loom came out to also be laid out and arranged…..

Last of the nightmare pile of wires.


We should have weighed the loom, just as a matter of interest.



After this and now well after 5.00pm we also stood discussing one of Nicks best ideas that came to him while walking around in Rochester Cathedral.


Relocating the battery from the rear into the engine bay, which then also included setting out the airbox, MAF and connecting pipe.


So a bridge needs to be built, behind the engine, over the gearbox, with a battery tray. (Mocked up roughly in the photo) as well as a bit of a riser for the airbox.





And that was how my weekend ended.

More jobs added to the list of fabrication jobs.

But both of us grinning madly as a bunch of jobs of the list are now partway done.

Monday……..

[Grizz1963]

Report tonight from Nick Wheeler.

He took the steering parts with him yesterday………


Reporting thus tonight.



Pictures aren't in any particular order:


Knocking the Mazda shafts apart because I can't get the assembly in the lathe



Knocking the Mazda shafts back together



Mazda shaft in the lathe



New shaft turned down, with the joining sleeve



Sleeve slid onto the new shaft



All 3 parts slotted together; we need to shorten the new and old ones slightly to get the right length, and weld the sleeve to both




And an explanation:

We need the joint that matches the steering column and one that matches the rack to be joined together via a longer shaft.

the new shaft and black u-joint are the standard Ford/European 9/16 23(I think)spline fittings. Sleeve is thickwall CDS that is almost 9/16 bore and about 150mm long for a strong connection. Certainly stronger than the original modified Cortina shaft that seems to be a piece of rod butt-welded in between the original ends.

The Mazda shaft doesn't use those UJ fittings, and is different at each end for some reason. 

I turned about 100mm of the new shaft down until it was a slip fit into the sleeve.

The Mazda shaft was too short to fit in the lathe with the UJ fitted. I wasn't sure how the parts were joined; the UJ is attached with a staked pin, and it turns out the two shafts are just splined inside each other which is probably for crash protection. I knocked them apart and turned some of the loose shaft down to match the new one. Then I knocked them back together with a new O-ring.

I still need to drill some cross holes into the sleeve for some belt-and-braces plug welds.

We will shorten each shaft by about 20mm, fit the relevant UJs to the column and rack and weld both shafts to the sleeve.

That will complete the steering, and allow us to fit the other components that need to go in the same area.[/quote]

[Grizz1963]

So with a few ideas bouncing around in my head, and @nickwheeler doing a CAD design, I had a few routes to go, all based on available materials in my pile.

So I made a rough cardboard replica of the battery.





Nick did this design and a few others.



So I started with a 50mm x 5mm steel strap, bent and cut to bridge the gearbox.



And made up a small frame that the battery tray fitted into.



Welding next.



Looks like a nice fit.



Mocked up with the battery in place, clamp in position.

The feet will only be welded once the rivnuts or captive nuts are drilled and fixed in.



And finally, bracket in place.


Pretty pleased with this outcome.

There may be some gusseting to be done.




Next job will be to create a stand for the airbox to create a raised platform.


Onwards…….. in the words of @pauly

[Grizz1963]

Spoke to engineers a few minutes ago.

They are trying to get permits for replacement of the pilons that went down.

Loads to do.



Hopefully by Monday afternoon.