MX5even prototype build - Day 1

After a long wait i finally got to collect the chassis from powder coating for the newest of our models, which is going to be forming the basis of a new book; It's easy to build your own sports car. Whilst books on this subject already exist, the object of my new book is to unite buidlers from around the world by using a donor car that can be sourced easily around the globe.

The book will include all the chassis plans etc required to make it. This blog is really the build diary of the prototype car. Pictuces and instructions from this blog will also be included in the book along with technical instructions on how to weld and other useful skills. Some of these technical instructions can already be downloaded from our website, http://www.gtstuning.co.uk/

I'd already borrowed a friends guillotine to cut out the aluminium panels for the chassis, so the first few steps in the build was to fit these. Some of them had to be refined to clear welds and have cut outs added to go around tubes. I started with the transmission tunnel panels, as they are probably the most technical of the panels to fit. Having access to them from all angles in the chassis helps, plus drilling the holes closest to the floor is easier without the floor fitted. Next i did the seat back bulkhead panels. I have split these into three square sections for ease of fitting and cutting. The seat backbulkhead was fitted with silicon sealant underneath to seal it from water ingress into the cockpit.

All the panels have been fitted with 4mm aluminium rivets. Simple fitting process of clamping the panel in position to the chassis, then drilling through panel and the outer skin of the chassis section. I then use a bigger sized drill and by hand deburr each hole, so the rivet can pull down properly. For this job i usually use a pneumatic rivert gun, as the hole job takes about 500 rivets. In this case i did them all with a standard hand rivetter, as my friend has forgotten to return my pneumatic version! Yes, my hands are stiff and hurt. On panels that require sealant under them i drill all of the holes first then remove the panel apply the sealant, before fitting the panel and rivetting. I position rivets at approx. 50-75mm intervals. To get them equi-distant so they look nice i use elastic with equi-spaced marker pen dots on. If you stretch the elastic along the edge you are rivetting the marker dots stretch out and you can copy them over to the job, knowing they are all equi-distant. Thanks to the boys at Car Builders Solutions for that top tip.

Last panel being fitted today was the floor. I turned the chassis over onto some carpet to protect the roll hoop from damage and offered the floor to the chassis. I ran a marker pen around the underside to mark where all the chassis tubes positions on the floor. Then i drilled off all the floor rivet holes, refitted to chassis and copied the holes over to the chassis, applied sealant then rivetted.

Not a bad start although i was hoping to achieve more. This project has really caught my imagination as everything seems to fit into place so well using the MX5 donor components. Building a sports car from a sports car works so much better than from an old reps car.