25 May 2012

ooarr, this is me sitting on a front suspension spring (boyyynnnggg said Zebedee). ok, to be precise: this is me in work clothes, sitting on a 60kg rock that's on top of a scaffolding board that's on top of a front suspension spring with a ratchet strap around it. The theory goes that the spring could be put in and the front suspension properly assembled, but then I realised that doing this right now would simply make the carefully and rather laboriously cut-out bits of metal for the front suspension go "ping".

More welding in the heat-wave currently being experienced by South-west Scotland. The idea is to get some bracing in at the front of the suspension that will be strong enough to take the load of the front wheels. The back was quite straightforward: box it in and it's done. This isn't so easy because of the shaping of the front of the car. The nose is highly curved but only 26in wide around the gearbox and electric motor. I'm attempting to make the strut supports for the suspension partly double up as part of the nose cone. Today's welding, due to the heat and the metal delivery not arriving was just the two diagonals 1 metre long out towards the front, and two parts which can be seen embedded into the tops of the front suspension supports. The general idea is to support those all the way round: exactly how is a bit of a mystery at the moment. oops.