Grahams81-Leon 4wd, Big Turbo - Back in the saddle :-)

[Phillc]

Still waiting on my SEM inlet manifold from Clay @ CTS Turbo --- only been 4 months now

Anyhow thanks and so long.

I feel your pain on that front Graham, Tim and i paid for our stuff from INA in Sept last year, I got the final instalment of mine in March, and Tim got the bulk of his last week and is still waiting on some parts.

 

[grahams81]

Looking good graham, its coming along nicely
I know how much of a pain waiting on bits is though

Thanks Tim, i know you've also been waiting for bits, at least the Manifold isn't holding me back..... i just want it - i hate it when you've paid for something and end up waiting months.......... i think it's cos i'm inpatient i also hate it when i get parked up in the waiting bay at McDonalds (so much that i stop the missus ordering obscure things of the menu - it's either a big mac or F..all )

 

[Ape]

What's the reason for the delay? Or is it just poor service?

 

[grahams81]

Whey! More Scaffolding installed! Good work Graham. Green eyed monster is sat here next to me!

What's the reason for the delay? Or is it just poor service?

Sorry managed to miss these posts, apparently I'm as equally slow at building cars as i am at typing
Gotta love a bit of scaffy bar
The delay on the manifold is apparently due to SEM motorsport changing hands and moving the manufacturing to a new place - it's a bit weird tho as most other suppliers seem to be selling them still

I feel your pain on that front Graham, Tim and i paid for our stuff from INA in Sept last year, I got the final instalment of mine in March, and Tim got the bulk of his last week and is still waiting on some parts.

Cheers Phill, yeh bet you guys are glad the stuffs turned up now, you looking forward to getting the engine in then ?
Or did you ever manage to get a manual belt tensioner pulley ??

 

[suj]

Thanks Mate, I think they'll look good with the overall theme. It's not going to be a show and shine car - it's being built to drive and like you say if they are lightweight do the job then happy days

Yep, totally agree mate, will be spot on

 

[Phillc]

Cheers Phill, yeh bet you guys are glad the stuffs turned up now, you looking forward to getting the engine in then ?
Or did you ever manage to get a manual belt tensioner pulley ??

Yeah i got one from IE, engines going in in 10 days time lookin gforward to that!!

 

[grahams81]

Yep, totally agree mate, will be spot on

They DO look spot on

Yeah i got one from IE, engines going in in 10 days time lookin gforward to that!!

Happy days ! then the fun begins.

So i've had a right chew on with the courier for the wheels. I organised with the seller to get a courier - he was nice enough to package them up.
The courier apparently tried to pick the wheels up - although they didn't leave a card and there was somebody there all the time..... so 2 days after i thought they were picked up i went online and the website said they hadn't been collected - so i tried to get hold of the seller but i couldn't get hold of him.... sent text's / emails / voicemails etc nothing for 2 days

So i was thinking i'd been scammed but i paid using Paypal (goods not Gift) but i was still a bit nervous.
I feel like a right d*ck after sending the seller a pissy message..... turned out the guy is in the army and was on exercise. Oh well he understood i was getting nervous and no hard feelings.

After all that i had to rearrange collection and pay another tenner, so checked the internet to track and the ETA was monday so the wife waited in all day Monday - never came

So i contacted them and picked them up this morning from Durham

Think they look AWESOME !!!!!!

I thought they look a lot bigger than 17's so i got the tape measure out -

The outside of the rims measures 18.5" and 10" wide..... i got a bit nervous thinking they were 18.5" rims.... but after a bit of researching the size is measured by the tyre bead seat floor. So they are 17" just with massive outer lips (obviously to stop the tyre popping off !!!) Chances are they are 9" wide too.

I also got my package from the US from Integrated Engineering -

Contents -

20mm JE Tool Steel Wrist Pins x 4
83.5mm Overbore Head Gasket,
VVT Tensioner Gasket,
ARP Camshaft Pulley Bolt,
6 x ARP Flywheel Bolts,
IE Ekagrip Friction Disc for Flywheel / Crank,
Gates High Performance Cambelt,

The tool steel wrist pins are tapered on the inside and a thicker wall by the look of it.

Crap photo -

So got to get the rims on this weekend and take some photo's. Also hoping to finish off the cage and start removing all the sound deadening from the floor prior to painting the inside.

 

[csd_19]

Nice collection of bits there Graham, love the SEAT Sport wheels tyres are marked as R17 btw (your 2nd pic) can understand the panic though!

 

[grahams81]

Nice collection of bits there Graham, love the SEAT Sport wheels tyres are marked as R17 btw (your 2nd pic) can understand the panic though!

Thanks Mate, yeh i thought they've gotta be 17's but with them measuring large i thought strange thoughts about stretched tyres.....

Gonna look sweet, just need some 235 or 245 Toyo R888's now

 

[cupra-barn]

The wheels look awesome Graham, they will look at home on the monster you're building can't wait to see them on.

I think everyone would understand your nervousness, everyone would think the same but smiles all round in the end!

 

[grahams81]

The wheels look awesome Graham, they will look at home on the monster you're building can't wait to see them on.

I think everyone would understand your nervousness, everyone would think the same but smiles all round in the end!

Thanks Mate, I'm certainly happy with them

So i couldn't resist the temptation of the garage so with permission from the missus i disappeared for a few hours.

As i can't steer the car because of the steering column is removed for the roll cage installation i couldn't get the car out of the garage to fit all the wheels.

I did however manage to get one fitted to the back - remember my coil overs aren't fitted so it's not sitting at the right height (plus it'd just been jacked up)
I also don't have any discs fitted so there straight onto the hubs - it'll space them out a bit once the discs are on.

From the top -

So they fit nice with no clearance issues with the 4wd suspension

After that i decided to try and get the front cage / door bars finished up.
I decided to put some more tacks on the door bars to hold everything square whilst i welded it up out of the car.

Removed the tacks to allow me to get the front parts out -

I then spent the next two hours TIG'ing the joints (used about 120amps on a 2.4mm Tungsten)

All Done -

Not the tidiest of welds but to be fair i'm not a welder -

So the plan for tomorrow is to put the front sections back in and weld the ends to the main hoop and the box supports to the floor, then weld the rear part of the cage in.

Happy Days

 

[cupra.al]

will these poke out on the front if you had the standard arches on?

 

[grahams81]

will these poke out on the front if you had the standard arches on?

Dunno mate, i don't think they would but i really don't know - i posted the offset a couple of pages back so you should be able to work it out from there.

UPDATE

Just come in from the garage - been working on the car for a good 5 hours..... time flys when your having fun

I decided to dress up the welds on the door bars / front section where i had butted up the pipes (i left the angles) then i decided it would be wise to get some primer on them.

All cleaned up and etch primer on -

I then set about putting the front sections back in for the final time, everything fitted snug there was no misalignment from the final welding.

I then final welded the A-pillars from the roof section to the front section.

I wanted to get the dash cross bar back in so i could remount the steering rack (i need to get the car in and out of the garage and i couldn't turn the steering before)

I had to trim the ends of the cross bar due to the roll cage but sorted it quickly.

Cross Bar back in -

Remounted the steering rack and tied the wiring loom back into place, steering wheel dropped back on -

I even had time to trim the dash back for the roll cage. I pulled the top coating back and trimmed the hard plastic underneath - i did measure it at first and gingerly trimmed it back - tried fitting it no joy so kept trimming until it slid nicely in

Really happy with todays progress - it's even starting to look like a car again

So tomorrows plan is to strip the sound deadening out from around the front roll cage mounts so i can weld them into place.
I will just need to weld the rear door bar mounts to the main hoop then its all done

 

[cupra.al]

getting there now welds always look good with paint on.
them door bars look professional.

was thinking of buying the same set of wheels you have from the same guy just unsure they would fit at the front,the et is 25 from what ive worked out thats 35mm they would stick out further than the standard wheels,just dont want to purchase them then have them sticking out the arches .

 

[ShizTheBiz]

ace job with the cage. looks very professional and they are not bad welds. mine are far worse!!!

whats next on the list??

 

[seatcupramad23]

flocked dash would look sick

 

[m0rk]

How do the butt welds stand up strength wise? I always understood complete drawn sections are preferable

 

[grahams81]

getting there now welds always look good with paint on.
them door bars look professional.

was thinking of buying the same set of wheels you have from the same guy just unsure they would fit at the front,the et is 25 from what ive worked out thats 35mm they would stick out further than the standard wheels,just dont want to purchase them then have them sticking out the arches .

Thanks Al

ace job with the cage. looks very professional and they are not bad welds. mine are far worse!!!

whats next on the list??

Lol cheers mate.

flocked dash would look sick

I have thought about that - i thought it was a material like suede that you covered stuff in but it appears to be glue with dust dropped onto it.
I'll look into it a bit later

How do the butt welds stand up strength wise? I always understood complete drawn sections are preferable

Yeh M0rk they are preferable but it's not something i could do myself, i have paid particular attention to the welding - ensuring the penetration has been enough.
I also used 3mm thick tubing (much thicker than the standard roll cage tubing)

I did several tests with varies current etc and cut the pipes open and checked penetration.

I tried to break some of them but there was no chance, i think they'll be fine.

Small Update -

I got cracking on finishing off the cage today (not quite finished for the day yet just stopped for a jacket spud )

So i used the original cage door bar to create a brace for between the rear mounts -

I then decided to put braces between the rear mounting feet and the upper door bar mount on the main hoop -

There just cut ready to weld in -

I've also welded up the rest of the bits of the cage to finish off.
So after me dinner i'm gonna weld up the rear braces and then the only job to do is weld in the front box mounts.......

 

[Ronin225]

Looking good graham, will you be welding the rear doors closed too?

 

[grahams81]

Looking good graham, will you be welding the rear doors closed too?

Thanks Tim, i did think about welding the doors shut but i think it would look weird - it would be the biggest rear quarter on the planet. For it to look good i would have to move the B Pillar backwards by about 4-6"s and lengthen the doors... one off glass etc in other words a monster of a job.
I would like to do it but to be fair i just want to get it painted now so i can get back to the fun engine / turbo stuff and get finished.

Small-ish Update

I've finished the cage bar a bit of dressing up welds and fitting gussets plates to the A & B Pillars

As always after a lot of work the garage was like a bomb site - i decided to have a right clear out.
I spent a couple of hours clearing the car out and putting everything back in its place.

I then jacked the car up to put my new wheel on the back - when i jacked the car up at the back the front lifted pretty much exactly the same...... the cage has made a massive difference to the chassis stiffness, before when i jacked it the car would flex and twist. I'm over the moon.

So i took loads of pictures once the car was out of the garage -

Well it's getting there now.

I've got a couple of weeks off work in June so hopefully have the car painted by July

You never know the car may see tarmac this year.