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I can't imagine what the wait is like, knowing how far your kit has travelled.
Good luck, Paul.
Thanks Paul, yeh the wait is hard, but it has given me a bit of time to step back and think. Even though I still have a lot to work through and stuff to buy when I can work it all out in my hands, it has allowed me some calm before the storm. Just got to hope the stuff turns up in good nick now as I have well and truly stuffed up a nice z3! Cheers.
Hi guys, this is as much for me as it is for you so I have a record of it on my thread, but if you need a bit of assistance with the wiring in the Z3 harness at the rear of the car "pre the rear light assy plugs" then here we go.
Well done, now go and do the front and don't forget the spot lights!
I carefully wrote it all down on a notepad but left it out and it got rained on, EricHolmes thread has some nice pictures of his wiring notes that I used so you can cross reference to check.
This information you be great to put together in a Tribute build pack.
Could also include
Fuel filler mod.
Door skin fitting.
Boot & door handles.
Door packers.
Hi guys, I know the Z3 wiring is a bit easier to work through on the front, but here it is if required. (One of these below is side different to the Haynes manual for wiring colour, either they mixed it up when printed or my car was stuffed up with the wrong wire installed in the wrong side of the harness. Have checked more than twice and I know I am not colour blind so who knows!) NEG = Brown for standard -ve wiring.
L/H Front
Front Indicator - Blue Feed and NEG
Headlight Dip - Yellow/Green and NEG
Main Beam - White/Green and NEG
Sidelight/Pilot - Grey/Violet and NEG
Fog Light - Yellow/Brown and NEG
Side indicator - Blue/Green and NEG
R/H Front
Front Indicator - Blue Feed and NEG
Headlight Dip - Yellow/Blue and NEG
Main Beam - White/Blue and NEG
Sidelight/Pilot - Grey/Yellow and NEG
Fog Light - Yellow/Brown and NEG
Side indicator - Blue/Brn and NEG
R/H and L/H headlight adjusters are both Black/Brown/Yellow for 1/2/3 Posn.
Update on the kit, it arrived today. A few things straight away to sort with the guys back in Blighty, but great to have it in my hands under some sort of control! Keep you updated. Cheers.
I notice you have removed the rear ariel. I left my base in position and used a sharks fin style booster. Cut away most of the shark's fin leaving the base and amplifier. It has a single wire with a loop, this is simply screwed onto the base using the hole that the ariel screws into. Very surprised that I get excellent radio reception and all totally hidden.
How are you getting on? I suspect as you have had it a few days that it must almost be ready for paint
Looking forward to your build and regular updates. I'd still be in the market for a convertible version if it should become available. Good luck with your build.
I notice you have removed the rear ariel. I left my base in position and used a sharks fin style booster. Cut away most of the shark's fin leaving the base and amplifier. It has a single wire with a loop, this is simply screwed onto the base using the hole that the ariel screws into. Very surprised that I get excellent radio reception and all totally hidden.
How are you getting on? I suspect as you have had it a few days that it must almost be ready for paint
Hi Jag, great idea on the aerial, yes I removed it temporarily but it is still there wired in and was going to try to work an angle on it. Might have to try plagiarising your method as it sounds a good one! Kit has hit some reasonable snags that I am working thru hopefully in the next week or so with Chris and Dan, have to construct a plan. The kit unfortunately was sent missing items which need to be sorted and at present the roll cage/roof support doesn’t fit. I have a line of sight that may work, but failing that it may need remanufacture. Gutted it has started like this but I am sure won’t be the last of the challenges along the way. Keep you all updated when able to and making forward progress! Cheers.
Lucky@LeMans wrote:
Looking forward to your build and regular updates. I'd still be in the market for a convertible version if it should become available. Good luck with your build.
Thanks LLM. As you will read above not the best start but once progressing I will make sure updates are flowing when they can. The “glossy feeling” has diminished a bit this week after the wait but as soon as I can get fitting items that will rush back! Cheers.
WelshKiwi – Sorry to hear you’ve had problems ‘out of the box’.
I am planning to meet up with Kidge and his 275 next week for the first time.
Which lead me back to my first post on this thread back in Sep.17…
So I really hope I will be able to post similar comments about your car at the end of your build.
Good luck, Paul.
Hey thanks Paul. You always expect some challenges, but after all the planning and “replanning” you hope it doesn’t come at the first build hurdle! Spent about 4hrs yesterday meticulously removing micron after micron of metal. Not sorted yet but optimistic I may have a solution, it is going to take a while though at best in a home garage with no chance of the heavy engineering workshop it needs. Hoping the optimism continues!
I have been looking at Kidges car and liking it a lot. Certainly something to look forward to. Cheers!
Hey thanks Paul. You always expect some challenges, but after all the planning and “replanning” you hope it doesn’t come at the first build hurdle! Spent about 4hrs yesterday meticulously removing micron after micron of metal. Not sorted yet but optimistic I may have a solution, it is going to take a while though at best in a home garage with no chance of the heavy engineering workshop it needs. Hoping the optimism continues!
I have been looking at Kidges car and liking it a lot. Certainly something to look forward to. Cheers!
In my experience with welded fabrications and fibreglass moulded parts often require some "heavy fitting" at the early stages. It will need more than just trimming a few microns here and there by the sound of it, don't be afraid to get stuck in if needed !
In my experience with welded fabrications and fibreglass moulded parts often require some "heavy fitting" at the early stages. It will need more than just trimming a few microns here and there by the sound of it, don't be afraid to get stuck in if needed !
Thanks LLM, yeh you are right a bit of hard elbow grease will be required at stages. Just taking my time with the roof support as this is part of the certification process over here so it is tread very lightly. It is coming together slowly, I have been at it for another 5hrs today and it is starting to work. I do have angle of insertion issues with the roll bar, so once I can get them to go full insertion into the chassis tubes separately then I can try and play with the angles between them. At present they won’t insert into the chassis together.
Appreciate the good thoughts tho! Cheers.
I am presuming you are talking about where the roll cage drops into the vertical tubes in the car.
If they are slightly too close you can get a hydraulic body ram kit cheaply on eBay, amazing what they will move.
If it needs bringing in you could try using some heavy duty ratchet straps, again it is surprising how much pressure they can exert.
I am presuming you are talking about where the roll cage drops into the vertical tubes in the car.
If they are slightly too close you can get a hydraulic body ram kit cheaply on eBay, amazing what they will move.
If it needs bringing in you could try using some heavy duty ratchet straps, again it is surprising how much pressure they can exert.
Yup you got it Jag. At present they are too far out at the insertion point. I have had them to line up with ratchet straps but they are not in alignment enough to insert more than about 30mm without jamming up. As you know they have to insert approx 270mm! Once I have them freely moving in and out seperately it at least gives me the starting point to work on alignment. At present they won’t insert fully on their own. I may find that it is just “spring” and aligning the lower end squares everything up. It may tho be that the stresses are coming from the top end so a bit more persuasion with heat may be required. Just have to wait and see but the good bit is I can strap the tubes so they start. Cheers.
I would suggest a couple of heavy ratchet straps and as they are under tension a few good hard taps with a sledge hammer.
That is the "heavy fitting" I was talking about ! Taking a few microns off here and there isn't the right approach. If you are sliding tubes together use some grease or anti sieze too.
We had the same problem. When Chris was here trying to fit it, he blamed the car . . . but since you have the same trouble, it looks more like the jig / mule he is using.
I used a 40 grit sanding disc 115mm several / a lot of times and a couple of ratchet straps around the Z3 tubes.
After a while, at about two thirds to three quarters down, I decided the fit was ok. Got it powder coated [just to the top of the Z3 tubes]. The bottom of these tubes is open, so I only used a smear of grease and then seated the frame right down . . . never going to come out again. Took a bit of life out of my leather hammer, rubber shot hammer and a wooden mallet, even holding a bit of wood on the top tube, but the frame is ok now !
That is the "heavy fitting" I was talking about ! Taking a few microns off here and there isn't the right approach. If you are sliding tubes together use some grease or anti sieze too.
Hi LLM, thanks for the inputs, but I am happy the right approach is being worked. An interference fit is an interference fit and if I employ the Geoff capes method then all that will happen is I will have a bare metal, non-painted roll cage jammed in the car. With how tight it is I will be able to pick the backend of the car up without pulling it out! I am not ready yet for that point or the heat differential method of fitting (I.e cooling/heating the seperate parts) To coin a phrase that we use a lot when fitting interference parts, “I could paint black hairs around it and it still won’t go in!” Ooh err! Read the next post you will see I have made some progress tonight. Cheers.
We had the same problem. When Chris was here trying to fit it, he blamed the car . . . but since you have the same trouble, it looks more like the jig / mule he is using.
I used a 40 grit sanding disc 115mm several / a lot of times and a couple of ratchet straps around the Z3 tubes.
After a while, at about two thirds to three quarters down, I decided the fit was ok. Got it powder coated [just to the top of the Z3 tubes]. The bottom of these tubes is open, so I only used a smear of grease and then seated the frame right down . . . never going to come out again. Took a bit of life out of my leather hammer, rubber shot hammer and a wooden mallet, even holding a bit of wood on the top tube, but the frame is ok now !
Rear mount holes needed a little adjustment . . .
All the best
Hi Kidge, thanks so much for the info. That is pretty much what I am doing and also clearing/honing the chassis tubes as well. The good news is after 12 hrs of going at it I can get the tubes fully inserted separately, but it is still tight. So I will carry on to give me a bit more clearance around both tubes which should help then making the alignment problem a bit easier. They are dropping at a slight angle so a bit of spot heating on the tubes may be required to straighten them up together. Just have to patiently truck on an work through it.
I am going to spray it once completed, I am staying away from powder coating now.
To give you an idea of spring in the tubes, I can ratchet them from 1006mm static to about 990mm fully loaded so plenty of wiggle room. 12hrs in on this so far!
Pity tho that you had issues and now this one as well. Could be right with the mule or could be the method of construction/heat in areas when placed in car is pulling the cold form in the wrong direction. Cheers, loving your car by the way!
I've not seen the item (so forgive me if this is a daft idea) but could it just be cut in the middle (or to one side), trimmed and slotted into place and re-welded?
ETA, if that's it in #94, then I'd just slice and re-weld!
I've not seen the item (so forgive me if this is a daft idea) but could it just be cut in the middle (or to one side), trimmed and slotted into place and re-welded?
ETA, if that's it in #94, then I'd just slice and re-weld!
Hi Mitchelkitman, fair thoughts and I have already asked that question with the cert guy who is dealing with it over here. Truth is he doesn’t know if that is doable without further advice and it may render the main hoop needing being remade. Trying the softly approach first, I have managed to get the tubes fully inserted tonight, when fitted together about 50mm insertion, so i am clearing a bit more gap and then working on the alignment. Hope it doesn’t get to the point of cut/weld or remanufacture. Cheers!
Hi Mitchelkitman, fair thoughts and I have already asked that question with the cert guy who is dealing with it over here. Truth is he doesn’t know if that is doable without further advice and it may render the main hoop needing being remade. Trying the softly approach first, I have managed to get the tubes fully inserted tonight, when fitted together about 50mm insertion, so i am clearing a bit more gap and then working on the alignment. Hope it doesn’t get to the point of cut/weld or remanufacture. Cheers!
Ah.... regulations. It shouldn't (surely?) make any difference because it isn't part of the original structure - but when does logic come in to regulations? Done well, and repainted, nobody need know (unless they x-rayed it), but I understand your concern.
Ah.... regulations. It shouldn't (surely?) make any difference because it isn't part of the original structure - but when does logic come in to regulations? Done well, and repainted, nobody need know (unless they x-rayed it), but I understand your concern.
Here in NZ there is the "Targa" road race with max speed 200km/h, which requires cars to be both road legal and comply to motorsport regulations. The wording of the Low Volume Vehicle regulations makes this type of roof support (not specifically described) very close to a roll cage (which are described in detail) so certifiers get a bit nervous .
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