Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Lack of updates don't necessarily mean lack of progress, but the wheels are back on a functioning suspension and the chassis is mobile for the 1st time in over a year! Current priority is bonding the gear lever re-enforcement in but the temperature has fallen again so its not big fun working right now (glue and paint don't cure either).
Now the chassis is movable the big push now is to get everything ready so the body can be re-attached and brought back to the workshop.
In the meantime I'm also working on a lot of sub projects (gear change, doors, pop up head lights).
Trying to get videos done but they are so time consuming and by the end of the day (2am usually) I am burnt - hopefully soon.
19 - 2
Safety cage design is pretty much there now. over the next few weeks the design will go thru computer simulated stress analysis to see where the strengths and weaknesses lie in torsion and impact.
The next thing to do is to get some physical mock ups completed - there is next to no room in the Esprit cabin and everything has to be optimised.
21 - 3
Tonight's 2hr progress:
I've kinda reverted back to stock here for the time being mainly to validate the CAD model and confirm some issue before I go nuts on making more control arms (ie scrap).
Trying to convert the upper arm into a 1 piece unit and do away with the ball joint clamped between the two arms but having trouble finding anything suitable or with enough articulation angle.
Should be back on the wheels soon, got lots of little jobs to fix 1st.
11 - 2
Drove 50 miles to check out the 037 project today. Its been in a 'bubble' for the past month, last time I saw it it was still really damp inside. However, last visit I removed a lot of the water that had collected in bizarre areas and the soaking wet rear bulkhead sound deadening, and finally the bubble has had a chance to dry the car out - to the bone!
So got into stripping some interior and the drivers door to increase air flow inside but the good news it the car looks pretty promising and it is no longer corroding.
What was odd, is that with all the rust not a single bolt was fused or even slightly rusted.... I don't get it, but I'm not complaining. There were rumours Lancia used poor quality Soviet manufactured steel for their cars, which would ring true as the 40 year old fasteners look brand new. Complete polar opposite to the Lotus where the plastic body doesn't rust but the fasteners corrode like mad men.
Probably wont get around to an update much before May-June 2023 as the priority is still the Esprit but the next time I get to this car I'll be breaking it down to the passenger bay.
9 - 0
The down side of things you don't usually see.
Decided to take the oem grease off the rear wheel bearings and re-pack.
Upon re-assembly I was adamant I pressed the bearing cover plate on the wrong way around, and after a few curses proceeded to press the other bearing on 'correctly'.
As it happens I was correct 1st time around and subsequently reckd a perfectly good wheel bearing which now wont turn.
The plate was removed to restore the hub, so they dont usually come off.
Sadly the zero miles £60 bearing has to be destroyed to get it off to flip the plate.
Just one of those days!
5 - 6
Test assembly of the rear suspension - I have to do some footage with the standard polybush assembly but it needed a counter weight so I tried out the rod end mods. One side you literally cannot move, the other side has no resistance what so ever. Much faster to assemble as well and fully adjustable.
10 - 1
Bonded chassis re-enforcement video coming soon...
7 - 0
Progress has been sooooo slow right now - its cold, and I'm only getting 2 hours a night in tops.
Damper rod ends had to be machined down to gain extra stroke, meaning jigs had to be designed and made to hold them whilst taking 0.2mm skims off the body which checking the thread depth. They're made from chrome moly steel so pretty tuff and with the lathe stuck on one speed it's been a challenge. Ruined 3x rod ends in the process, but finally there and the dampers are now complete.
Just grabbing some footage for the Suspension video - it could all go on today but had to tidy the workshop which took all night.
As good as they are the facilities are a big hang up right now, I'm speaking to an estate agent tomorrow to see if we can't sort this out - make or break year for me.
10 - 6
Question : Would you like to see regular updates here or on other platforms such as Instagram / Facepage ?
I'm structuring videos into episodes but do you want to see minor updates or is that too much info ?
0 - 2
Made some emergency adjustments to the Lancia today - Shell is currently in a bubble drying out but it wasn't working. Inside there were areas full of water like the sound insulation and trim around the A-pillars and roof which were FULL of water. Amazingly there is no rust inside and the structure looks sound.
Windshield also fell out which is no big deal as it'll increase the ventilation. Floor pans are much better than I envisaged and also took my weight on on foot so this points to less corrosion than expected.
Just waiting for the good weather to begin the cutting.
5 - 1
This is my channel for the engineering project I am working on.
My main passion is racing cars, but I have also dabbled in WW2 aircraft and other areas as well.
If an interesting project comes up - I'll try and share it here!
I specialise in using 3D technology to help me design and create projects, utilising reverse engineering, 3D scanning, Solidworks and Blender 3D design packages.
More examples of my work can be found on my SketchFab page - sketchfab.com/jon.himself
Please contact me at jonhimself@protonmail.com if you have any suggestions , commissions or requests, which may be featured on this channel.