What have you been up to this week

[Rogue Trooper]

Hey Merlin, have you had a good measure up with regards to the engine placement and seat height?

If your seats are being mounted on the engine cover you may not be able to lower them. I'm assuming that because you are mounting the seats on the engine cover the engine is going between the 2 front seats like mine. I mounted the engine as low as it could go trying to take into account things like judder bars etc as this is an issue with a mid-mounted engine. I've mounted one side of the seats to the engine cover to try and save a bit of headroom and I still had to raise my seats well above the original seating position.

You might have trouble actually lowering them. Having said that the sides of my engine cover had to sit a bit higher as I had to take into account things like the power steering reservoir and air intake on the throttle body. Don't know much about the LS1 so maybe you won't have a problem. Just thought I'd mention it.

[Bedfordcrazy]

AWESOME merlin, can't wait to see it done. Now for the important part, plenty of pics, make sure you wear out your camera. Mate i thought i was doing a big conversion, i'm dizzy reading your list. oopps that my medication lol. I  am looking forward to seeing the firewall graft, and all the gear that goes with it. Some engineering involved merlin, but thats cool, just wave your wand, one beddy done. lol
good to see you want to be different, different is good. 
george.

Hey guys, if merlin is chopping his roof, how do they do the new windscreen glass, always wondered, do they make a one off custom windscreen, or maybe cut an original down ?

[Rogue Trooper]

Hey guys, if merlin is chopping his roof, how do they do the new windscreen glass, always wondered, do they make a one off custom windscreen, or maybe cut an original down ?

Don't ask Busy. I think that's a bit of a sore point right now. 

[Merlin]

G'Day Rogue the engine encroaches into tha cab by 110mm at the rocker covers I am relocating the coilpacks to the frame rails so the engine cover will be approx 20mm above them with a rise over the manifold (with enough room for a supercharger  ya never know!!!) heres the tricky bit the seat bases will be mounted to the side of the seats saveing approx 70mm in height the reasons behind lowering the seats (apart from the roof chop) is I might have to run the VT air bags & ABS still being worked out .          George I am not chopping my screen i am lowering it into the cowling as i will have the commy bulkhead and wipers in there but on the subject of chopping screens I have spoken to my screen guy and he tells me you can order your screen in two sheets (without the laminate) have the glass cut and then get them laminated together       CHeers Neil                                                     

[John Abbott]

Well yesterday i went and bought a donor car for my van. 1993 series 2 vp commodore. Put some petrol in ,a battery,some power steering fluid, and drove it home. Smooth as ,didn't miss a beat ALL FOR $100.00..  

[mezzmo]

This weekend was a beaut!! finished the engine cover, lined the entire van in a 'Dynamat copy", fitted the rear door skin and rear upper console then gave everything a spit polish. Getting closer everyday!!! Auto Elec should be finished by Wednesday so its then off to my co bashers factory in Cheltenham where we will finish the internal fitout, get the bull bar fitted(only for the bash - i hate bull bars) design the graphics for the exteriorand we are ready to rock and roll - WOO BLOODY HOO - livin the dream boys......livin the dream!

[BusyKiwi]

Hey guys, if merlin is chopping his roof, how do they do the new windscreen glass, always wondered, do they make a one off custom windscreen, or maybe cut an original down ?

You can cut down laminated glass with a pretty good success rate (75%), toughened glass can't be cut
You can also get a screen custom made - $4000.00 NZ


Hey Mezzmo, whats your "Dynamat copy"? is it the building industry stuff?


Merlin, sounds great. There is a section on my van website about chopping bedfords if it's any help to you

[Dave]

My beddy is back on the road, lights all working, but the problem is intermittant so for how long who knows.
The Auto Sparky I took it too fixed it but it blew a fuse on the way home.  I narrowed the problem down to drivers side headlight, but after wobbling the wires while trying to fix it it all came good (for now).
It is nice to be driving a real car again instead of the dunnydoor backup car.
Dave

[Bedfordcrazy]

hey merlin, i can tell you now, if you are going to use the firewall and dash set up, you WILL need to connect the airbags. I have just finished going through the same thing. I wanted to go with a late model steering column that incorporated an airbag in the center of the wheel, and was told i had to connect the bag. With some advice i went for the same model of column, but a year earlier and non airbag model. I was told i could supply qld transport with detailed drawings and engineers reports and drawings, and i might be able to get around it and not connect the bag, oh yeh, and it would take anything up to 6months for an answer, and MIGHT being the operative word, no garrantee. That was 3 months ago. We start on our column this week, with very little paperwork, but still an engineer to sign off on it. In the end my van will be safe and all approved. Hope this helps, and yes different states, different ideas, this was qlds rule.
george

[John Abbott]

Johnno's $100 donor car....