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October 01 Powerplant and TrannyAs promised in the last blog entry, this is an update on the power train!
After two years of searching for a adapter plate to mate a BMW M60 V8 540i motor to a Audi 016 transaxle (gearbox/tranny), I have found someone that could do it in Johannesburg! (No it wasnt GILO Engineering, after MANY attempts at begging and pleading, they just refused to do the job.) The gearbox and engine were put together with a custom flywheel and a VW 240mm clutch/pressure plate. The plate was milled from an aluminium block and looks just stunning. If you need an adapter lake this give me a shout and I will help you organise it.
The pictures in the blog show the engine going in, and two shots of the engine from the side and top. Everything matches up quite nicely and there is ample space for the engine. The rear frame was measured out perfectly to accommodate the suspension pickup points and the size of the engine block. The gearbox uses Ford V6 mounting block and the front mounts are from an Audi lying on custom made brackets (4mm steel). The bottom of the engine (sump) is nearly level with the bottom of the chassis.
Since the engine has gone in I have completed the brake lines, clutch lines and master/slave cylinders, repositioning of the oil filter, handbrake lever and cable, pedal box, gear shifter and fuel balancing pipe (between the two fuel tanks). On the to-do list is the water expansion tank, gear linkage cables, petrol pump and filter. These should be quote easy in comparison though.
Check in again for more close-ups as the rear fibreglass goes back on and final changes (Like engine lid modifications) are made. My aim is to complete all fabrication and initial assembly before the end of the year. January I would like to strip the entire vehicle and send chassis for welding. Time marches on...
May 17 And so the build goes on...Time for the latest update... a lot has happened behind the scenes since the last blog entry. In short a lot of work was done on the fibreglass, as every nook and cranny needed attention. To add/modify the fibreglass sometimes takes 3 days, as the preparation, waiting for the fibreglass to set, sanding and filling takes a while.
I am now waiting for the adaptor plate to be finalised and the car is ready to receive the engine!!! That is the largest and last engineering component that might be difficult in this build... provided I didn’t screw up something of which I don’t know yet...
Last weekend I have managed to have all the brake piping fabricated and supplied. I now have all the components I need to have the brake/handbrake system working! Must say that the piping which the guys made up for me all look perfect. Should look nice in the final product.
A very nervous part of the body modification was the cutting of the front windscreen to make space for the door lip. Must say I put it into the hands of my very proficient brother who made it all look so easy. Now I can extend the doors to properly close up the gap between the door and windscreen.
The side vents are also now complete. Needed to build up new fibreglass to channel the air towards the radiators. The gaps are mostly closed up so that the radiator only sucks up cold air from outside and not "recycles" the warm air in the engine bay again.
Well, the next update should have some pictures with the motor going it... so till then!
October 02 Rear SectionWell, the story continues with the rear of the car.
After cutting the car in half (behind the rear firewall), I commissioned John Botha from GT40 Developments to build a rear frame and suspension for my car. I must say he did an excellent job and the frame which fitted perfectly. The fully adjustable rose joint, dual wishbone setup came with uprights, hubs, disks, brake calipers and anti roll bar. Everything is completed with the outmost precision and accuracy and is fully adjustable.
The rear fiberglass section, boot lid, rear lights and engine cover are already mounted to the chassis. The rear lights I found out, are original Alfa Alfetta light clusters coincidentally used by Lamborghini SPA in the Countach! Sourcing a second hand spare was relatively easy from a secondhand Alfa dealer. Total cost of lights was R450… about USD50!!
The stainless steel tanks built by Silverton Radiators are also in and the next step is to install two brand new custom aluminum radiators, which were completed this week by MRP Motorsport in Vereeniging.
At this stage I am still struggling to find a workshop which can manufacture me an adapter plate for the BMW M60 motor to the Audi gearbox…. Anyone with contacts?
Till the next update
Cheers
Damian
April 08 1/2 the car done!Ok, the front half of the car is now fabricated (It is different to done) as it obviously is not truly "done" yet!
I am happy the way the project is progressing. Have managed to source a company that is busy doing a adapter plate, flywheel and double clutch... holding thumbs that it should be done within the next month or so. I am also expecting to collect the rear subframe and suspension next week, so I have hanged the plan to put in the engine.
The engine will have to wait until I have the adapter plate.
In the meanwhile then I will be putting on the rear fibreglass section. This should give me the spacing to commission the fuel tanks and radiators in the meanwhile. This should take me about two months so then the rear will come off and the engine will go in.
Check in soon to see the pictures of the new rear! November 12 Nose test fitI have decided to continue working on the nose section. The more I thought about it, and the more I planned around the existing frame, the more problems I encountered. So one day I just decided, this is it, I’m cutting off the whole nose! Was not an easy decision, but now that I look back at it, was the sensible thing to do. The suspension got (re) mounted for the 3rd time now, but now at least I am happy with the result. It is attached good and solid and will not move.
Starting from scratch gave me the opportunity to use fewer members and put the steel members exactly where I needed them to support the nose. The nose is in place now with all the brackets in place. The next step will be creating the light pods with motors which will lift and lower them. August 15 The Doors... updateI have now been working on these doors for well over 5 months! Time surely flies, but the progress is painfully slow. Even with so much work, the car looks pretty much the same for the last year.
The doors required a lot of work as I pretty much build them from scratch. The only part I reused was the outside skin. I had to build new hinges, window frame, window winder, door lock, door striker, door hinge supports, side impact bar, interior door cover and solenoid. The item that took the longest was the door frame as I had to re-enforce it and ensure that there are no gaps between the door and the new door rubber.
The gaps in some places were so wide that you could stick your finger in them. I t took many layers of fibreglass to build up the required thickness. Body putty on doors is a big no-no as it would crumble away when the doors flex.
While I am now waiting for John Botha to build the rear suspension for me, I will use this time to finish off the doors to the point that they are perfectly functional and only require paint! Maybe, just maybe I will fetch the fibreglass nose and put that onto the car in the meanwhile as well… This should make it seem like there is some more progress… June 20 Arrival of the new powerhouseIt is not often that I get so excited, but believe me when you load a new motor onto a pickup, you do get excited like a little kid getting a new toy... with batteries!
That’s right, what you can see in the picture, the new engine I bought is from a written off BMW 740i. 4 Liters, fuel injected, quad valve motor delivers 210kW (298HP) of power! Still have to do the calculations, but the power to weight ratio will put it in the super car category!
And yes, it will fit, I should have about an inch of clearance on all sides of the engine once it is in, but that should be enough... Mating it to the gearbox will be another issue, but Ill deal with the problem later as I know that some people have put the BMW V12 into the GT40s using the same gearbox! The electronics including the computer boxes I stored for now. (It takes up 4 boxes!!!) I hope I get a good auto-electrician... May 30 Doors - Part IWell, I have finally started on the doors... The progress seems to be going quite good for now, so I am in high spirits. I have so far managed to get a "Alpha" door bracket in place, the hinge has got a bit of play which is magnified by the length of the door. Will have to think out how I can make a pretty solid hinge. The one door window winding mechanism now also works in its frame, give it juice and the window goes up and down. Seemed quite easy to build it so I wonder if I have missed anything. The next step is to get the door strikers in, managed to find a Audi A500 which should work pretty well, they nice, chrome, compact and simple. will post a pic of it once it is all in.
The rear quarter windows have now also been changed to be a much better reflection of what the original car looks like. Since they are now at the correct angle, one can actually look out through them!
Must say that I am enjoying the build of the doors as it is light work, but pretty complex to get right. I constantly find myself undoing what only a few minutes previously seemed like the perfect solution!
January 22 The dashThe progress is continuing on the cabin as I would like to complete the cabin completely before I move on to the rest of the car. This helps by me being able to focus on one part of the car and not get too distracted with other problems and engineering issues. The most recent and most visible change came when Olaf came over and helped me out on Saturday to sand down the fiberglass dashboard, cut out the radio & cubby hole and give it a quick coat of mock-up paint. This is just in order so that I get a better idea what the finished leather-covered dash will look like, and besides, it looks nicer than a multi-colored body-filler covered piece of fiberglass. The steering wheel was also purchased and mounted and an old radio inserted in order to get the spacing and brackets in. The interior will pretty much look as is for the next month or two an I will now be finalizing the metal dash brackets, heat exchanger, AC piping, pedals etc. All of which will not really be noticeable, but need to be done correctly in order not to pick up any rattles and reliability problems later… 1 March: May 26 The work has commenced!The Work on my dream has started... Since the early days of high school, I have been fascinated with the fantastic Lamborghini Countach which appeared on magazine covers way back in the 80's. The car has somehow managed to make its way into my "desirables" list and has stayed there ever since. At the moment it does not look like I will be able to afford a real Lamborghini anytime soon, so I decided to do the next best thing. This will be my site to document the progress of the build of my dream car. I have taken over this project from a long line of people who have unsuccessfully tried to finish this car. It was standing for a very long time and it became necessary for me to strip it completely and start from scratch. The current progress is at the chassis level, where I am trying to modify and strengthen the chassis. The mounting of the suspension will be next and I am still looking for a proper rear suspension that I can use. Give me a shout if you have done something similar! "The best way to become successful is by faking it first!" |
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