Wheel alignment

I found a relatively local firm in Canterbury  Treadmark Tyres, various forum reviews seemed positive & they had a great 'turn up and we can help' attitude over the phone.

They use  an automated laser alignment/measuring system from John Bean - large 'T' style 'eye' which locates and measures targets on each wheel. A fay cry from the manual process I was using previously & a lot less hassle, the whole exercise came to under £40 even with camber adjustment.

Before and after settings pictured.

Only the front is adjustable, rear end fixed by the suspension arm geometry.

Not a million miles out beforehand but she did run a little lighter on the steering home.

Do need to check the diagram for rear right, i.e. the wheel image shows +ve camber, while the measured number is showing -ve camber. The back isn't adjustable anyway so not too much of a concern - I suspect they didn't even bother measuring it due to lack of adjustment.

Minor maintenance - suspension & brake adjustment

A little tinkering @ 8.8k miles:

• Spare wheel swapped to nearside rear to even tread wear;

• Rear springs adjusted 3/4 of a turn higher since the back has settled a little since build;

• Front calliper slider bolts removed, copper greased and replaced. I should have paid this more attention on the original build - I had assumed I could just bolt on the recon callipers, but while clean/new etc the sliders did not appear to be greased.

... and, of course, a 'test' run !

Barcelona - initial thoughts

Attending a conference for work in Barcelona later in the year, so seriously thinking about driving down in the Zero.

The schedule will be something like: 3 days south, 3 days at the conference, 3 days north; approx. 900 miles each way.

The Route through France pretty much decided, still thinking about the Pyrenees...

I'll probably work out some towns as waypoints and wing it in between.

...a trip badge is a must have!
Helps keep the project momentum going, the font called 'Matador' which seems appropriate.

On the car...

...and SatNav splash screen...

Pre trip to do list:

1. Learn basic Spanish :)
2. New more robust half hood
3. Adjust headphone circuit
4. Get tracking laser aligned
5. ...

Passenger Foot Rest

Long runs, passenger side, while the seat is comfy you cant touch the end of the footwell and brace your feet against anything.

Modded an off the shelf rally co-driver foot rest to fit using a cardboard template for the floor space, to measure foot position, and another to work out the cutouts to miss footweel chassis tubes. A strip of velcro under the bottom front edge fastens it to the floor carpet and will leave it removable to adjust if need be.

Its not going anywhere: bottom front edge velcro to the carpet, bottom back edge butts against the chassis tube, left edge against the side chassis tube and top corners pushed against the side panels.

Tidy, wife happy, job done.

Silencer bracket - padding

Since the build I had used exhaust wrap around the tailpipe to cushion it & the silencer against the rear bracket.

I have stock GBS silencer with Cat and the bracketry.

Heat wrap generally lasted about 500 miles or so before looking like the left of this picture - its not so much heat damage as the silencer needing to move and wearing through it.

I selected two materials for an oven test to gas mark 8/220ºc (while my wife was out :) ). Rubber windscreen surround & an off-cut of silicone cooling system pipe.

The windscreen rubber bubbled and perished within about 30 seconds, the silicone pipe didn't seem to mind at all even after 5-10 minutes and maintained its rubber properties; some question over its abrasion proof properties though.

However...

After some chat online, Paul recommended using an off-cut of fuel pipe.

I tried this for the run out to Castle Combe this weekend, approx. 300 miles round trip of mixed driving.

Looks like a contender, the picture is after 300 miles - mostly abrasion marks either side and some evidence of heat getting to it - but still in good condition - certainly better than using exhaust wrap; so this stays on until I find something better.

I just cut the length to sit over the bracket itself, over the top is the normal spring clip.

Update - Added a short length of exhaust wrap over the top, under the spring too, just stops excessive rattle when driving.

Castle Combe - Classic, Kit & Retro

Castle Combe was an excuse for a run out really, something to wander round at the far end and then a good starting point for some proper A road driving back again...

Out

Run out was the 'get you there route' motorways and Friday evening traffic jams; But found a good pub in The Crown at Yatton Keynall, with slightly eccentric but friendly ways, for an overnight stop.

Google Maps Route

Castle Combe

Bob had already setup the day before, tea on tap too! 

Not a bad showing of 7 style kits; We weren't exactly in the centre of the display area, but none the less on a through route from one carpark, so a reasonable amount of passing visitors and interest.

My wife's head turned by a brand new Cobra replica, very impressive paintwork and finish:

Pictures look a little gloomy, but overall the weather was very hot, rain limited to literally a few drops around mid morning/lunchtime; and plenty of mad men in motors on the track: The old ford escorts (proper modern classics) were giving it some around the final corner; + this viewpoint you could see around half the entire circuit.

Watching was enough for me, your mixture on the track of those who knew what they were doing - smooth driving, less tyre squeal, and those either learning or just out for a laugh decidedly sideways around this fast corner, and/or nearly losing it trying to overtake on the inside...

There's the Cobra again, lovely grumbly low note engine...

Spied a few Lotus examples...

Return 

Left around lunchtime, stopped at the recommended Bell Inn in round the corner. Fantastic pub, huge food portions!

For some reason they had a Snow Trak in the yard? Owner said it was for sale too - but you wonder how many snowdrifts there are in this part of the world... ;)

Presumably its just as good put to use as a tractor on soft ground.

Meandered past StoneHenge, Winchester and towards my parents house in Surrey. The trick with satnav is give it the next waypoint then ask it for an alternative route - tends to stop it selecting the main roads; some great A roads across Salisbury plain.

Short sleeves weather all the way back!

Day before the Summer solstice; passed some nice looking bohemian/hippy hitch hikers part way presumably on their way to Stone Henge; no spare seats in the Zero so had to wave and pass them by.

Google Maps Route

Dropped in at my parents to break the journey and then the last leg from Chelsham to Maidstone very wet: stair rods wet. The second time only for the roof up on the car - we still go soaked and more than a few times the car felt a little squirrelly on the road.

A reminder to re-work the half hood; its not used much, but when it is it should work a little better.

Good weekends run out!

Tyre rotation & Castle Combe Prep

Tyres

Seems tyre rotation is frowned upon nowadays, however; with the Zero I want all four to wear out roughly at the same time, so when I change them I can put a different make on as a set. 

Front are lowest tread on the inside edge; perhaps too much camber - My plan is to have the geometry set professionally when I change the tyres.

8.4k miles in I'm doing a standard Rear Wheel Drive rotation pattern.

Castle Combe next weekend

Excuse to give her a wash and repair the windscreen chip at the same time.

All set for Castle Combe Classic Kit and Retro Show next weekend - if nothing else a drive west rather than north: weekend away to meet up with some RhoCar members and, if the weather plays ball, a nice meander back.

New 2.4 Quick Steering Rack

Steering rack upgrade; Intended to avoid me getting 'behind the car' on those fast/speed change corners which tighten mid way. The new rack is a 2.4 replacing the old 2.9.

At the same time I'm upgrading the mounts to billet alloy:

First trick, I didn't want to take the radiator out and drain/refill the cooling system unless I had to. The rack cannot be extracted or installed from the side - it doesn't fit through the panel openings - so instead a convoluted route, threaded down the side of the engine and then up and out at the front, new one went back in the same way:

New (foreground) and old, identical external appearance:

It could have been a simple bolt in job, but changing the mounts also meant some adjustment of mounting holes on the nearside chassis bracket - again not easy due to leaving the radiator in place - but the results are tidy:

The bonus - steering wheel now straight, I actually checked it this time while setting up the wheel alignment:

Excuse for a test run this evening around 70 miles towards Faversham, via some great country lanes near Norton and back along the A2; the 2.4 rack does make manoeuvring, especially reversing, a little heaver. At medium speed not a huge difference, but when accelerating or driving at speed the slightest nudge on the wheel has a dramatic impact - like it!

Tyre wear, wheel arch adjustment

Noted in Scotland, My rear tyres were sometimes wearing against the rear wheel arch; especially when the car was fully laden: driver, passenger & luggage.

I had softened the shocks to 10 clicks which gave the rear end a little more bounce; The red circled area on the tyre is worn - but only the surface detail - it is hitting against the inside edge marked green when the suspension is on full compression.

15 minutes with the dremel, I took the wheel arch return edge back about 5mm on both sides, from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock position & hardened up the rear shocks to +7 clicks in total. Combined this should mean the tyre just misses the arch - hopefully problem solved & invisible unless you crawl around on the ground and look for it:

Good excuse for a 50 mile test run around Kent; Maidstone, Bewl Water, Bedgebury and the scenic route back...

Stoneleigh

Weather looks promising, so opportunity for a run up to the Stoneleigh National Kit Car Motor Show near Warwick today.

Sunday was wet, but today, while cloudy had some bright warm spots too, perfect for a mooch around the stands and club cars & a hog roast sandwich for lunch!

RhoCar stand well attended & met up with some friends from the Scotland road trips as well as a few builders and blog readers.

...My motor still presentable after 8,000 miles and 2 years on the road:

Perhaps the next one? - Lotus Elite (I think) hiding discretely in a corner; or perhaps classic Lotus should only be appreciated from a distance and let others run the expense of keeping them on the road. Pretty Car...

My daydreaming about Lotus ownership shattered by Andy, flown down from Scotland with Stuart, trying to nick my ice-cream and startling the h*ll out of me! :)