DRB 540 build

[paul68]

Dave mine sounds the same as chris's car,i ran them the same as your build cd cd shows.The exhaust should be no problem.Here's a photo of Peters exhaust as mine is in the exhaust shop till monday or tuesday.
you can see the brake and fuel lines in the corner

[boxhead]

Cheers Paul.

[AC-460]

Can someone tell me the procedure in NSW to get these registered....just want to know before I get to far into it

[Zedn]

Procedure is to find an engineer who will take on ICVs. There are two that i know of, most will turn you away. Depending on what scheme they are part of they will register you with the RTA and you will get an ICV number or they wont . I dont know why because there doesnt appear to be any use for it.

The kit should come with beaming and torsion test results and seat anchor test results. When the time comes you need to do weight bridge, emissions IM240, brake test on a track (RTA have released a new test method last week but i dont know what the change is), drive by noise test and then final inspection and sign off from the engineer. The engineer then makes a submission with all documentation, test results and records to prove you meet the ADRs to the RTA. You then go for a blue slip inspection (this may no longer be required). You then have an RTA inspection (which i dont think anyone has passed yet). I dont know what happens then becuase no one has got that far . Somewhere along the line you get issued with a VIN. Im not sure if this is before or after RTA inspection.

As you can see its not an easy process and i dont think i would start a build now. Im too far to turn back. I would buy a used car that is registered but not an option for a 540.

The scheme is changing next year and im hoping that they will start passing cars again.

My engineer quoted up to $10k for the engineering process.

[AC-460]

My kit is number 23... the sound like it hasn't changed much since I done the cobra in 03...just have to meet all the adrs and find a good engineer...
Im going to do the firewall modifacation to make it the same as the new model to fit the full heater air con unit

[Zedn]

Originally Posted by AC-460

My kit is number 23... the sound like it hasn't changed much since I done the cobra in 03...just have to meet all the adrs and find a good engineer...
Im going to do the firewall modifacation to make it the same as the new model to fit the full heater air con unit

Do you mean rego hasnt changed much since 2003? Did you read what i posted. It has changed a lot in just the past 12months let alone 7 years.

What you have to comply with may have not changed much but the way of demonstrating compliance certainly has from what other people who have gone through the process in the last 3 years tell me.

[boxhead]

Oh, what modifications are needed to the firewall?
Chris's car is 17 or 18 so I suppose it will have firewall like yours?

[AC-460]

Boxhead
From about car 30 the have changed the firewall so that the entire heater aircon unit fits in...it doesn't in previous models you have to use their modification Kit which runs into a couple grand... now they have shifted the centre part of the firewall forward roughly 75mm and dropped the height of the tunnel...to let it fit. The tolerances must be tight from the tunnel to the box...Nothing an angle grinder and a Tig can't fix

[boxhead]

Sorry about no updates last week, my camera would not talk to the laptop.
Last week I got the rear end in place (still have R/H driveshaft out to replace CV boot).
The rear end went in very easy with all bolt holes lining up perfectly with no swearing or slotting holes needed.
During the week the updated build CD arrived (Thanks Peter @ DRB) and shows many parts I had questions over as the chassis is much more like Chris's.
I will post a pic up next week (left memory stick at work), but it is nothing special just shows rear member in place.

This week was donor dismantling time, so at 7am Saturday it was a complete car still and by 11.00 it looked like this.








The plan now for next Saturday morning is that my young apprentice will be cleaning engine, gearbox then front end parts.
While I get the rear driveshaft back in, get wheels on the back and turn the car around on the hoist, so we can get the forklift infront to drop engine in place.
I think by the time I go home at lunch time next Saturday it will have all suspension and driveline in place (minus tailshaft)

An intersting thing we discovered regarding the ABS (Chris's donor is a ute, he bought a sedan rear end seperatly) He should have bought a sedan as that is what is required for build.
The ute is only a 3 chanel ABS system yet the V8 sedan (and build cd shows) a 4 chanel system, well Chris has a BA XR6 in the shop at the moment and it is fitted with a 3 chanel ABS system, so I think we will be ok running a 3 chanel system.
My other concern is that Chris has bought the larger FPV brakes (front and rear) that where on the donor sedan rear end he bought, I will need to see if the cars with bigger brakes run a bigger master cylinder.

Unless someone out there knows?

[boxhead]

Time for todays update, I have now spent a total of 17 hours (5 hour day today) and we have a roller with engine and gearbox (including dismantling donor).
Started at 7am this morning and worked through till midday.
While I finished of the rear end (fitted driveshaft with new cv boot) and remaining rear suspension parts and braces, my young apprentice was cleaning the engine and front end parts.



Still have original shocks and springs fitted (Chris has not ordered new ones yet) and thanks to new build CD it showed how to modify rear links to use as connectors.



We then dropped the car on the ground (jack under front) and turned it around on the hoist to make access easier, and it was time to fit the engine and gearbox.
Time to join these 2 together.


The engine went in easier than I expected and it isnt as tight as I had feared (but is still tight)

Here is the gearbox tunnel all filled up.


Then I fitted the front cross members and front end suspension parts.



At this point I have convinced Chris we will assemble the car first while he decides colors, once we have a driving car we will tear down and paint.


We will also at that time replace all bolts with grade 8 black button heads.

And here it is at midday.




Chris is very excited after looking at it sitting in the corner of his workshop collecting dust since its arrival.

[Zedn]

Looks like good progress today. I cant believe how quickly everything goes in. I guess thats the case when all the holes are in the right place and you dont have to fabricate everything. Looks to be a very well designed kit.

I think you provided the right advice about build then paint. I started painting and polishing parts on my car as i went but quickly figured out everything gets scratched and dirty.

Thanks for the update. Its interesting to watch.

[Rog246]

I see from one of the photo's that you've removerd to front yoke from the tailshaft & I have to do the same thing.
Question is how did you get it off ? I have removed all the bolts etc & expected the front yoke to come pretty easily, but obviously it hasn't !
Is it held on by a nipple type of arrangement or something else ? I didn't want to force it as I want to sell the shaft after I've taken the yoke off.What is the G O please?

Rog

[WKB]

Originally Posted by AC-460

Can someone tell me the procedure in NSW to get these registered....just want to know before I get to far into it

One thing I was told, in NSW at least, the RTA are saying on the 540 there must be sunvsors fitted. There are two 540's in NSW that are in the process of trying to get registered.
In Qld we require a non air bag compliant steering wheel and boss fitted. The standard one in the falcon, with the air bag removed/disabled is not approved.

Warren

[boxhead]

Originally Posted by Rog246

I see from one of the photo's that you've removerd to front yoke from the tailshaft & I have to do the same thing.
Question is how did you get it off ? I have removed all the bolts etc & expected the front yoke to come pretty easily, but obviously it hasn't !
Is it held on by a nipple type of arrangement or something else ? I didn't want to force it as I want to sell the shaft after I've taken the yoke off.What is the G O please?

Rog

Sorry to say Rog, I just undid and removed the 3 bolts and it fell off.

[boxhead]

Well Christmas parties took there toll this weekend, Chris had his staff party on Friday night and I got a message late Friday night advising not to come in till 8am.
So with only 3 hours work I managed to remove colomn, remove pedal assy and modify pedal box (remove a small amount of plastic webbing) and fit the pedal box and booster/master cylinder in place.



Then I made a bracket for the ABS module, modified part of existing bracket as per instructions and mounted that, refitted power steering pump and modified (bent) the pipe to suit.

And as you can see in above pic I also removed wiring harness from donor engine bay, mounted fuse box and routed wiring around bay and into cabin.

I am not sure how much if any work will get done next weekend as Friday night is Chris's Christmas shed party (could be a late night)

Chris was also going to order the A/C kit this week.

Again I have to say that everthing is going together way too easy to be classed as a kit car.

[WKB]

Originally Posted by boxhead

I have to say that everthing is going together way too easy to be classed as a kit car.

Boxhead,
I have to agree with you this is an easy car to build, but maybe this should be the benchmark for all manufacturers of kit cars to achieve.

Warren

[LoBelly]

Thanks for the updates Boxhead

I really enjoy the build posts - keep up the good work

LoBelly

[paul68]

Boxhead
If the road to alice stays open i will be in alice friday night,would like to catch up on saturday sometime if you have fully recovered from chris"s shed party.Only a quick trip will be heading home on sunday morning.
Paul

[boxhead]

Paul, that would be great to catch up, weather permitting I will be driving the Cobra to Chris's workshop Saturday morning.
He is located at Hele Crs (I think number 4)


Do you still have my mobile phone number?

[sevenohms]

Originally Posted by boxhead

Sorry about no updates last week, my camera would not talk to the laptop.
Last week I got the rear end in place (still have R/H driveshaft out to replace CV boot).
The rear end went in very easy with all bolt holes lining up perfectly with no swearing or slotting holes needed.
During the week the updated build CD arrived (Thanks Peter @ DRB) and shows many parts I had questions over as the chassis is much more like Chris's.
I will post a pic up next week (left memory stick at work), but it is nothing special just shows rear member in place.

This week was donor dismantling time, so at 7am Saturday it was a complete car still and by 11.00 it looked like this.








The plan now for next Saturday morning is that my young apprentice will be cleaning engine, gearbox then front end parts.
While I get the rear driveshaft back in, get wheels on the back and turn the car around on the hoist, so we can get the forklift infront to drop engine in place.
I think by the time I go home at lunch time next Saturday it will have all suspension and driveline in place (minus tailshaft)

An intersting thing we discovered regarding the ABS (Chris's donor is a ute, he bought a sedan rear end seperatly) He should have bought a sedan as that is what is required for build.
The ute is only a 3 chanel ABS system yet the V8 sedan (and build cd shows) a 4 chanel system, well Chris has a BA XR6 in the shop at the moment and it is fitted with a 3 chanel ABS system, so I think we will be ok running a 3 chanel system.
My other concern is that Chris has bought the larger FPV brakes (front and rear) that where on the donor sedan rear end he bought, I will need to see if the cars with bigger brakes run a bigger master cylinder.

Unless someone out there knows?

Three channel only runs the rears as a common line, four channel is for the traction control system. The ABS needs to go with the BEM and PCM as they are programmed together. The FPV's don't get different pedals or master cylinders. FYI FPV utes at BF (or BFII) didn't get traction, but the XR8 utes did. I don't believe you can upgrade to traction, but I haven't tried.

The only thing is the FPV brakes squeal. There are good pads around that help.

And under the steering gear on one side is a aluminium to alum joint that should have a 0.5mm stainless washer. Without this the steering gear creaks! Very annoying

Nathan