The Parts collection
And so the search begins
The deposit paid and the wait commences.
First stop is to dismantle a 1981 Mark II Escort, which has had a catastrophe. Obtaining the usual bits, diff, axle, steering rack, radiator hand brake and alloy wheels.
Importantly I needed to find an engine and the search began. I had settled on getting a Toyota 4AGE 1600 Twin Cam - and I was hoping to find a 100kW version. It was also essential that I got the original loom and computer as to be a complete auto electrician novice I didn’t want to tackle a job like that!
I did end up finding an engine from Toyospares - Melbourne. They were very helpful, and while not the cheapest at least understood what I wanted, and I would recommend anyone wanting stuff from there to call Ward as he is really helpful.. They also provided other necessaries like gearbox (T50), clutch, slave cylinder, steering column tailshaft yoke. Not to mention a whole heap of assorted sensors, wires, pipes, filters etc. All of which I don’t have a clue where they go! When the bits arrived I set off in
my 1977 Hatchback Torana (My pride and joy) to pick it all up. Well the guys at Merricks Transport laughed long and hard at my attempt to load it all up - but I insisted so they dropped it all in the boot. Well it was rather heavy and I had second thoughts when I was at home.
Not to be put off, (I considered this the first of many challenges) I got all the lounge suite cushions (the wife wasn't at home
J ) and stacked then behind the car, and covered the whole lot with a few old "car washing" towels. Then it was a case of rolling the whole lot out of the back of the Torana onto the cushions. The theory was then that the cushions would compress lowering the engine to the ground. That was the theory - and ……… It worked - I was a happy boy!Another thing I tracked down at this point was a dashboard. While many of the kit car builders in Australia and overseas tend to favour the VDO setup, I thought there has to be a way to make the cockpit look different to the rest. The solution to find an existing dashpanel from a wreck. My father (Thanks dad cos this will no doubt be the first of many bits of advice
J ) suggested a Datsun 240K dashboard. Well it looked the bit; had a 240km/h speedo (Very important to have a big number in here), tacho with a 7000 RPM redline, and a fuel, ammeter, water temperature, oil pressure gauges - and a clock (For the Luxury option). This was all mounted in a square flat facia which looked like it would fit. When I went to find a wreck I got 3 dashboards for $40.00. So this option was looking cheap to J .Other bits and pieces I gained were heater from a 1968 Datsun 1200, a windscreen wiper mechanism from a 1976 Morris Marina, Front discs, calipers and uprights from a 1975 TD Cortina, locking fuel cap from a 1988 Yamaha motorcycle and rear indicators from the same (to be used as front indicators on the Westfield). Scuttle indicators have been sourced from 1989 XF Falcon front side indicators. Heater vents for the cockpit have been sourced from a 1985 Alfa33. I also obtained a gearbox lever remote from a 1984 Nissan Pulsar.
I wonder what I would call a car with so many parents?? Toyonissadatsordarinamaha. Hmmm - I think Westfield is easier to say.
Repco (motor component suppliers in Australia) loved seeing me walk in the door as I walked out several hundred dollars poorer. They were rather amused when I started requesting rubbers and seals etc from about 5 different cars. They thought I was either a motor mechanic or cracked. However as with most people, their reaction was great when I told them I was building a kit car, and seem extra keen to find the bits I am having trouble describing. Repco were good, supplying me with all the steering ball joints, brake components, brake flexible lines, engine mounts, thermofan, and lower ball joints.
Now I was hoping that car would be here by now, but as it wasn’t, I had a play in the garage and set up the bits in the form of a car!!
The oil came out of the diff as I was about to dismantle it ready for the trailing arm bracket to be welded on, and I spilt oil seeing how tight the plug was (doh). (Also just a note - I hate gear oil…. Especially in the hair)
And so you can see the alloys here is another shot
(Yes that is my finger on the bottom left of this shot!!) Note the 4AGE computer sitting on the "pilot's" chair.
