Trial fitting the Zetec and gearbox

I knew in beforehand that it would not fit, but still I could not resist trial fitting the Zetec and mt75 gearbox. I forgot that it would not be possible to lower the engine and gearbox mounten together.




Tight fit but probably possible without modifying the transmission tunnel. (Tunnel was designed for Escort Mk1 4-speed gearbox).















The oil filter needs to be removed and replaced by a smaller version. The engine supports (made for a Crossflow engine) have to be cut, as well as the main diagonal strengtening beam. After fitting the engine new diagonals will be added.

Engine liberated!

Yesterday I have liberated the engine form the Mondeo. I have disconnected all the electrics, the hoses etc. Then I cut the propshafts with an angle grinder. Removed the forward and aft gearbox supports, so the engine and gearbox were supported in 2 supports only.

I could lift the engine and gearbox out very easily.

Note that I have labelled all the connectors from the wiring loom.





The Sierra mt-75 gearbox fits directly to the 1.8 Zetec engine.

Mondeo donor car

Due to regulations in Holland I am forced to use another engine. Not the 1.6 Kent which had already been fitted. Fuel injection, labda and catalitic converter must be used. I have chosen to use a Ford zetec engine, because it can easily be fitted to a Ford RWD gearbox. Enter the Ford Mondeo donor vehicle!

Parts which will be used are at least: Engine and clutch, wiring loom, ECU, labda, catalitic converter and the fuel pump. Maybe I will use the steering column , the inlet manifold, air filter, MAF-sensor etc.

Fuel tank - Triumph Spitfire

Yes, I got a fuel tank for a bargain, € 10,- only. A small hole needs to be repaired at the filler neck. It does need some inside cleaning (rust) and an electric fuel pump for the injection engine. I will wait with modifications until I have the needed parts.

After some trimming with an angle grinder and some persuasion with a hammer it fits perfectly in the boot of the car. This will save time and money from making my own.

Roll-bar stays and fuel tank supports

For the roll-bar stays I have made a piece to divert the forces in case of an accident. The piece is made from angle iron 50 x 50 x 5 mm and it is fully welded onto the lower part of the chassis. This will provide ample strength. The back-stays are made to snugly fit onto the upper roll-bar and onto the load dividing piece.

Because the car needed to be flipped over for fully welding the stays, I took the opportunity to weld the fuel tank support strips as well. It was still unlclear which tank was going to fit in there, so I made the supports as big as possible.

Upper harness mounts

I have been working on the upper harness mounts some time now. The height of the mounts is very important. The minimum required height for SVA/IVA is 450mm above the seat reference point. This is exactly the height of the rear member where the mount are to be welded on. However, with the seats placed and the harness fitted, the harness seems to point upwards about 45 degrees. In case of a head on colission this can cause compression injuries to the spine. Also, it seams that for smaller people the harness interferes with the edge of the harness slot in the seat. Therefore I chose to raise the mount by 25mm.

Threaded bushes are made, dia 25mm length 60mm, thread M12.

The bushes are fully welded onto the member. In case of a colission, this creates a torque on the member. To prevent this, the construction is strenthened by another new member.

The raised harness mounts finished.

Placing the seats

In order to place the seats I have screwed in threaded bar, extending 20 mm from the under side of the seats (the spacers for mounting will be 20 mm high).












Then I placed cardboard on the bottom of the car.














I gently placed the seats onto the cardboard. When happy with the location I pushed the seats down, so the threaded bar left a mark on the cardboard. The dog approved this method of working...











I have drilled 9 mm holes on the marks. The seats fitted perfectly!

Assembly

Even though I have not sorted the registration yet, I have decided to continue the build for now. So I have assembled the chassis and the suspension units which were more or less ready. It's looking good. Next thing will be mounting of the seats, but after that I need to decide which engine I will be using, and source one.

The original idea was to use a 1600 Kent (Crossflow) engine. The eninge and gearbox mounts are designed for this setup. Because of the difficulties with registration, I need to go for another engine with fuel injection, lambda and a catalyst. Bye Bye Kent.

Roll-bar and rear brake drum

Last week I have welded the roll-bar onto the seven. Looking good. When I have my fuel tank, I will add the backstays.













Also I have opened up the RH side brakdrum of the rear axle. Something was not running properly. It turned out that a liner came loose from the brake part. I will exchange the brake parts later on. For the alloy rims I do not need to get longer studs! Save a few hard earned Euro's!

To remove the brake drum I was advised to use the Fu*$^!@ Big Hammer method, because the brake liner could be worn into the drum. This was not the situation. The drum was stuck onto the shaft. With the flame-torch it was easily removed.

Update: no progress

I have done some paintwork, and I place a seat: almost nothing since the last post. The reason is not being motivated. Besides the below zero temperatures in the garage, it is mainly the news about registration that I got recently. It will be difficult to register the car. And if I can do it, it will cost loads of money. So much, that it is not worth it to continue the build. The estimation is approx. € 6.000,- to 8.000,-.

I have given it many thoughts, and I am still not sure wether to continue the build or not. Why not buy a car which is already registered?

Anyway, when the temperatures go up, at least I will assemble the car with all the parts I have now. Pics will follow!