Birdman's B204 MINI (Mid Engine RWD)

[Birdman]

My welding consistency has not been brilliant. Trying to learn different gauge of materials and in situ harder stuff for the first time in years. Have realised I really need to change the liner on the mig. Battled on though.. 20211113_175401.jpg 20211113_175237.jpg 20211113_175306.jpg

[Birdman]

You can see what I'm trying to do with tubes that will take top coilover mounting hopefully, with curved tube. I think I have screwed one up already though as the notch is really hard to get right. 20211106_141708.jpg 20211106_161330.jpg 20211106_161357.jpg

[Birdman]

Yes engine is supposed to sit at slight angle forward. Coilover offered up at full extension. Ignore the oil cooler dangling in the way. I want to have a mount to underside of tope curved tube, with 3 -4 holes and a bottom mount on the hub part of trailing arm, that has say 3 holes. Then can choose various shock angles and tweak the effective spring rate for different uses and just adjust the ride height back on the coilovers. That is the plan. Pretty much like on Autograss cars20211030_160813.jpg 20211030_160950.jpg 20211030_160959.jpg

[Birdman]

Rear engine support and jacking beam welded and bolted to lower cradle. Lost a bit of time lately as got distracted when dating an Italian chick. All back on track now. Got to knuckle down and keep welding and grinding..;0) Not 100% sure I can use the Porsche anti roll bar, but going to give it a go.. get some drop links.20211113_114154.jpg 20211113_114116.jpg

[fynnbar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_tw8qvSlaU

[Birdman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_tw8qvSlaU

Yeah did all that faff. Just easier to make the exact notch on the wastepipe, because most of the notches are compound (2 different angles). Then fettle the wastepipe to fit the best it can be, slit it, slip over the tubing and marker pen around. Cost nothing and the welding rod setup is fiddly and gives a crap marker line. All the videos on YouTube are useful, but only deal with small tubes lengths. In reality it's not that simple and the tubes are an exact size to fit between other tubes. The other advantage with just wastepipe actual template is that if you cock up that tube and scrap the material, you still have that template that you know is spot on and can quickly do the exact notch again on fresh material. Well that is what I have found in practice.

[Birdman]

Started on rear engine mount with stuff I have to hand. Ford competition type mount in compression. Curved tube to get over intermediate drive shaft. Screws into upper bracket, as welded nut inside to make captive. Bottom mount will be welded to the removable cross bar. Had to cut a window into this part to gain access with spanner. Wanted to use the rubber mount at an angle, but meant more issues, so Instead I have ordered some 75mm tube to make a solid cup around the rubber, like Allspeed do, but a lot chunkier. Intend on having 2 x mounts in compression and 2 x hanging mounts in tension and maybe a steady. 20211122_183110.jpg 20211122_183058.jpg 20211122_183234.jpg

[Birdman]

Trying to order up materials and parts for the Christmas break period...

[Birdman]

Welder in desperate need of new liner and feed wheels now. Was OK enough for me to weld the rear mount 75mm band of steel to form a cup around HD rubber bobbin mount. Thinking about a Ford Fiesta rear trans mount at back of gearbox. Started working out mounting plate for front gearbox mount. 20211127_141318.jpg 20211127_152635.jpg 20211127_160831.jpg 20211127_160853.jpg

[Birdman]

Antiroll bar coming out at the wrong height and will clash with exhaust and needs more thought. Would work mounted to underside of frame, but then may much up for a diffuser and wanted to keep things flat in that area. Will see if I can get the front gearbox mount moved along today..

[Birdman]

Ran out of cutting discs and dronco flap discs. Then I discovered the welders liner had slipped, so had to strip that all down and reclamp, with new mig wire reel. Might have solved some issues actually. Got some progress on Gearbox front mount. Made up the main plate. 5mm steel is all I had to hand, think it will be alright. Going for another curvy tube setup. 20211128_155410.jpg 20211128_155429.jpg 20211128_155548.jpg

[Birdman]

Should be able to weld the curved tube to both the bottom and top main box section frame bars. Have to get some consumables now to continue.. Got a little LED Lamp from my car boot locally for a few pennies. Have stuck it to my welding helmet to provide some extra downlighting when welding. The lamp hinges and folds away, so I can get different angles and level of light. Have to see if this works well or not. Noticed I actually need a new plastic front screen as getting old and scratched. 20211128_161145.jpg 20211128_161154.jpg

[Ronski]

Great progress, having good lighting and a clean lens on the welding helmet makes a lot of difference.

[Birdman]

Steering Column bracket and Fiesta rear gearbox mounting. Will make a bracket and get more nut engagement and probably enclose in steel again.20211128_162640.jpg 20211128_162651.jpg 20211201_131846.jpg 20211201_131852.jpg

[Birdman]

Thinking to notch a 38mm tube across between rear cage bars. This would allow me to use the existing anti roll bar if I make brackets to mount off of this tube. I would like it higher than in pics. but will also be useful to run cables and pipes clipped to it. No more exhaust clash like this. Just offering up and thinking about this .. 20211201_131906.jpg 20211201_131959.jpg