Fuel Injected VX Beta Spyder

[WestonE]

Fun with Plywood Door Backings. This is a lot more complicated than it should be thanks to the wobbly patterns and custom metal work!
[/img]

[mangocrazy]

Thanks for the rad info - double the original power certainly calls for seriously uprated heat dissipation. I like the liberal application of Dynamat everywhere - should keep unwanted resonances to a minimum. What is the thickness of the mat you're using?

[WestonE]

I am using Superlight Dynamat on the doors boot and bonnet and Dynamat extreme on the main body shell. I did use some Fat Mat but found it even more horrible to work with and it is just not as good at the job anyway.

Superlight is thinner and importantly lighter. If I make the boot heavy the springs will no longer work. The Bonnet will have some foam added and the liner made by Mark Wastnidge. I hope I can use my right foot to choose noise when I want it.

Eric   

[WestonE]

Some More minor progress!

[/img]

[WestonE]

And a couple more incredibly slow bits of progress!
[/img]

[WestonE]

I am now trying to get the brackets and mounts made that need holes in the shell before it goes back to the body shop for paint fixes and making the rear bumper over the very cold winter months. I definitely under estimated how long this would take and continue to find parts I thought were good to go that need work or replacement to be worth using. Perhaps I would be better not using my glasses!

Enjoy

Eric

[HFStuart]

Doesn't it always? At least you've got to the putting back together stage!

[SPIT TC]

You certainly are not short of talent Eric !

[WestonE]

Thank you for the compliment. Sadly I frequently find myself running out of talent and have to remind myself I do this for the challenge of learning new skills and making a great car into an amazing car.

Every mistake is an opportunity to learn so I get a lot of opportunities to learn!

I share this stuff so others can take whatever helps them make their car just a little bit better, more fun or simply more reliable.

Eric

[HFStuart]

Eric,

I've read before that the hubs on PS cars are different. Do you know how they are different?

[WestonE]

Hi Stuart

The PS hubs have larger conical holes to accommodate the larger PS Track Rod. They are also a physically beefed up casting which is hard to spot until you put them side by side with early no PS. Maybe late generation non PS hubs are the same casting with a smaller hole?

They do have a part number in the casting.

Eric

[WestonTB]

I think you will be easily surpassing an 'alfaholics' type build, just looks amazing, another bench mark like your Monte!

More power to yer elbows!!!

[WestonE]

So a major day in the build I have working brakes! This is with a front right back left and front left back right X pattern split and a twin channel (group n) AP Bias valve. I have copied the Integrale set up with the X split as the Master Cylinder is basically the same. But not used the Integrale twin channel rear bias valve linked to the rear suspension.

The Bias valve is there to dial down the rear brakes in emergency braking as weight shifts forward. By using an adjustable item I can reach from the engine bay I can dial in more or less rear braking to balance out the larger 284 vented front discs and 6 piston calipers. I am using Ferodo DS2500 front Pads and Tarox rears.

It was a huge relief to bleed the brakes and have sensible pedal travel as the design model said I would. Obviously this is without the servo assistance and the travel reduction from pads bedded into discs. Road tests will have to wait for a working engine.

A few pictures. [/img] 

[WestonE]

A bit of bracket fabrication lets me fit the Fuel pressure regulator and hold the radiator in place tipped forward under the front cross member. I have now made the fuse box mounting brackets and the radiator box side panels but took no photos. Next it is the new Fuel hard lines through the cabin and the car goes back to the body shop whilst I muck about with fitting the new hood to the frame lining the Targa roofs and making number plate mounts in a warm workshop. I hate working on cars in winter temperatures!

[/img]   

[mtulloch]

I've a couple of questions;

Where did you get the radiator & fan?
Where did you source the plastic captive nuts?

How much were those parts?

Thanks.

[Nigel]

Really great work Eric on what is unique.

Quite different to others who build concours examples, and equally dissimilar
to projects like mine.

We are all in it for the passion of Betas, but by so many, sometimes conflicting, methods.
I'm occasionally embarrassed by what I do to mine, but reality is, "it's mine, and i'll do
what I want!"

Nigel

[WestonE]

Hi Nigel

Fancy engineering wastes valuable driving time so doing what works cheaply and let's you use your Beta reliably is a smart move. I know what let down my previous high performance Beta Spider and it was a very good car sold to Terry Wood in de-tuned form, but still more powerful than standard.

I know I will have more than double factory power so have tried to build in the right suspension, brakes and cooling. Other mods are for reliability, comfort or just removing things that annoyed me (properly mounted rear speakers).

Enjoy driving your car. I can only dream for now!

Eric   

[WestonE]

The Fans front and rear come from Car Builder Solutions as I found their performance excellent on the Montecarlo with a low profile design. There is a Setrab 235 x 19 oil cooler mounted to the front of the radiator and I use 3 large studs on the base of the radiator in holes with rubber grommets in the lower cross member. I have 5mm Rivnuts fitted to the radiator top rail to mount the fixing plate which I designed in cereal box before making the alloy version.

I am using twin fans via one of the 2 new relay and fuse boxes because I want instant control of temperature spikes. Probably overkill for most people, but experience borrowed from the Monte along with running the water pump faster by using the Monte water pump pulley and the Beta Crank pulley.

I supplied a tatty VX radiator, sketched dimensioned design, fans and oil cooler to Concept Racing near Ross on Wye before discussing the power change and core options. The receipt is buried but somewhere in the region of £350. I might have found a cheaper supplier but I am happy with the quality of this critical part. I spent months looking at Radiators from other cars, but was frustrated by their poor fit.

The Nylon blocks used all over the car have some cross over to parts used by Land Rover. But mine came from Poland following a tip from Fred's documented restoration on this forum.      https://auto-spinka.pl/

I found I could source new screw in Nylon Blocks for the whole car and the Montecarlo a god send for a car that was completely stripped. I also sourced brake line clips and some other random clips from Bresco.   

Enjoy

Eric

[WestonE]

Fuel Hard Lines prove that 7.9mm 5/16 is not the same as 8.00mm when it comes to the fittings for the hardline. My 5/16 compression to A/N -06 fittings (those Goodrich type screw together fittings) did not want to go on my very nice 8.00 aluminum black coated hard line.
After a healthy dose of swearing and refusing to pay motorsport Demon Thieves prices for 8.00mm Krontec fittings I bought a 7 meter plus  coil of 5/16 copper nickel for less than 2 of the 4 needed fittings.

I was dreading this job and pipe that was harder to bend added to the fun. At least at over 120 bar tested rating I should be safe with the 7Bar max with Fuel Injection. I used Compression fittings because 37 degree single flares tube nuts and sleeves would be tricky to do in the space for me. I am using fitting from Torques on ebay which are at least as well made as Goodrich, Earls, Fraggola etc BUT way cheaper. I also use push on hose ends which are rated to 400PSI so I can build custom plumbing and simply unbolt it for servicing.

The Pipe clips came from Bresco.

[/img]

 

[WestonE]

NB the single brake pedal pedal box is a lash up to test the brakes and fit a steering column until I have the car back for the final build.