build diary

May 14, 2004: The problem with the rear body panel was alignment on the driver's side.
I had an inkling this might be a problem, but I thought it was due to a badly cut panel. That wasn't it - the round tube that forms the upper portion of this body is welded on crooked. You can get a hint of it in photo 87 - the driver's side is higher than the passenger's. It's not bent as there's a consistent angle from one side to the other. I'll either have to make a matching, crooked rear panel or cut those parts up and reweld it. This has prompted me to measure a few other dimensions on the frame, as you might expect. I got a bit of a scare when the wheelbase came out 1" longer on one side than the other but this was tracked down to a rod end that wasn't installed quite as far as the others. A few other measurements are showing up 1/4" out here and there, but nothing crucial as yet.

My brake and clutch pedals have also arrived! This was a fun day of unpacking white Wilwood boxes. I'm going to have to modify the frame in order to fit these. Time to wire the garage for 220v, then. I'm using twin master cylinders for the brakes with a balance bar. I've also got an adjuster so that the bias can be tweaked from the cockpit. I'd rather not have to get inside the driver's footwell to adjust the bias once everything is installed!

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