FFR Coupe 65 in Sydney

[SydneyChris]

Originally Posted by Hoity

All good Chris, have moved on from CR. Think I am going to be another pace tragic!

It's hard to swim against a tidal wave!

Pace is the place to be Hoity.. Good to see the meds kicked in..

Will look forward to seeing your new ride..

[albanycobra]

Hoity what happened to the Guy that was doing the group builds with communal workshop?

[SydneyChris]

As a result of my labors, I now have what I believe is a CS 1185 Rollmaster DR timing chain kit.. to suit a Gen III at least.

Consists of a double row cam and drive sprocket, chain, oil pump drive, spacers and oil pump bolts to suit a single or three bolt cam as pictured. This is a single cam sensor trigger per revolution type.

Has run for a few minutes only from new during engine commissioning.

PM if interested. Happy for it to go to a good home..

Cheers

Chris

[Hoity]

Originally Posted by albanycobra

Hoity what happened to the Guy that was doing the group builds with communal workshop?

i will update my thread so as not to hijack sydneychris again.

[Classic Revival]

I have been directed to this post by one of my old customers. I wish to set the record straight.
During the 25 years that I produced the Kobra & other vehicles, I have had hundreds of very satisfied customers who I have helped build their pride & joy.
Yes, there has been a couple of minor problems caused by errors on my part ( we are all human & make the odd mistake ) however, without exception, all such minor problems have been rectified by me when they have been raised.
This case is totally different, I was denied the opportunity to know if these alleged problems were of my making or others, and denied the opportunity to rectify any alleged problems.
Any consumer who thinks they have an issue with any product or service must first notify the manufacturer or merchant & give them the opportunity to repair or replace the item.
This did not happen in this case.
The alleged problems were allegedly repaired or replaced by others BEFORE any notification was given to me!!! I have been given no details as to what was replaced & when. When I asked for any supporting documentation in this matter I was subject to a tirade of verbal abuse at which point I terminated the conversation. Hence I am arrogant!
He has subsequently, both verbally & in writing, tried to blackmail the new owner of the name CR into paying him $5,000- or he would ruin the reputation of CR!!! Hence his post?
End of story. I will not be making any further comment on this matter.
Ian Denner
PS
To my many loyal customers still in the build stage, full support is still available through the new owners of the name Classic Revival ( in Gosford NSW ) who are producing the Kobra with the original moulds & gigs.

[SydneyChris]

Well at least you are consistent Ian..

You were advised in EVERY SINGLE instance of EVERY SINGLE issue, and EVERY SINGLE TIME you ignore, denied and sought to obscure the situation by any means available to you.

No I can not bring an installed wiring harness from Heathcote to Hornsby for you to bench test it end to end, which would as you SHOULD well know prove NOTHING.. which is the only outcome you are seeking.

There are at least a dozen similar examples..

You have been made aware of reasonable costs to rectify your inoperable, grossly defective and incomplete works... and you only fall back to the same position of denial and completely unworkable proposals which you know cant be reasonably accepted.

As I advised you during our last conversation when you were offered the opportunity to settle, (but refused point blank to even acknowledge any fault, let alone the lies you had passed onto the new owners of the trading name)... that 1. you have been notified in EVERY instance.. and 2. by your overwhelming, consistent and DANGEROUS incompetence in relation to ALL of the works you performed that I was involved in, you forfeited ANY opportunity remedy the defects you alone created.

I had chosen not to take this level of detail public, but your insistence in publishing more lies and misdirection as is your way leaves me no choice but to release only a small extract of the extent of your faults in this case.

Im happy to post the remainder of items in a rather substantial list.. ALL of which you were made aware of prior to them being rectified by APPROPRIATELY QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED TRADESPEOPLE.

If there was no fault on your part.. there would have been no rectification, remedial or repair works required..!

PS.. If you'd like to set the record straight Im pretty sure you know what to do.. but have yet to even attempt to.. so let your actions speak the loudest in this instance.

If you'd like me to set the record straight I can list every one of your errors on my build.. the question is whether they should be in; chronological order, rectification cost, extent of the incompetence or time lost..!

Lastly.. this is a site for people who like cars, wish to be part of a community, support their fellow members and share knowledge while enjoying their passion... its not for this garbage..!

[SydneyChris]

Long time between updates.

It's been what the American Pickers would call 'smalls' for several months now, a bracket, fitting, wire, rivet, trim etc. The engine bay is nearly done, with the exception of a heat shield for the steering column and the washer bottle for the windscreen. Dash, about 70% there.. has been fabricated and fitted and removed for the moment awaiting the final covering. Pedal box is good, wiring is done up to the point of connection for the head and tail lights, have roughed up some inner guards for the rear wheels as well as fitted the splash guards for the fronts.

Biggest news has been the decision to 'move forward in a different direction' as opposed to going backwards, again.. !!

Ive taken the call before regretting it even more and dropped the floor height by 2" on both sides. Pics included of the floor paneling cut away and the main rail nicked ready for cutting. Will be replacing the 4" main rail with 6" x 2" RHS in 5mm wall. The stress calcs show its around 10% weaker than the original rail, but significantly stronger that scalloping the rail and adding a cover piece. Will also be adding a section from the side rail to the chassis upright at the rear of the passenger cell and a couple of uprights for side impact and torsional rigidity.

More pics to follow in a few weeks after the fab and welding is completed.

Cheers

Chris

[Tenrocca]

Wow, thats a big call - Just to be clear, are you cutting out the original 4" rail, just in one section, and replacing it with a section of 2x6 RHS? Is your engineer OK with this?

[SydneyChris]

It's a capped 5mm wall section welded all round that's then welded to a 5mm thick disc welded to the rail. The original rail is 4mm wall, 4" dia.

This alone is not sufficient to replace the lost torsional strength but it's within 10%.

The US option is to cut a scallop into the rail from 1/2" to 2" deep then plate over. This solution is about 50% weaker than the initial construction.

The additional side impact rail with uprights and brace to the rear chassis member as well as bracing from an already up sized SHS section from the A pillar to the suspension uprights the whole chassis will be significantly stronger than its original configuration.

There were also a dozen different strengthening measures I'd taken with the original chassis including capping and internally welding the roll cage to the chassis cross rails and adding corner bracing at all overhead junctions.

The proof will be in the beam and torsion tests which according to my engineer will be required for my vehicle, but in short.. Im not just cutting the rail and replacing it with a 6" x 2" RHS.

[SydneyChris]

Floor mods well progressed now. Have essentially build or connected a space frame style structure around the now removed chassis rails in the cabin area.

Anecdotally the structure is significantly stronger than the original design, as I was lifting the car off the jacks at the end of the weekend there was no discernible deflection across the chassis when lifted from any corner.

Look forward to any thoughts or feedback.

Chris

[SydneyChris]

Floor mods well progressed now. Have essentially build or connected a space frame style structure around the now removed chassis rails in the cabin area.

Anecdotally the structure is significantly stronger than the original design, as I was lifting the car off the jacks at the end of the weekend there was no discernible deflection across the chassis when lifted from any corner.



Look forward to any thoughts or feedback.

Chris

[Cobrakiller]

Hi Chris,when you do the torsional and beam testing you are ideally looking for a linear twisting from the front to rear. What you don't want are stress concentrations and abrupt changes in the chassis as it twists under the load. Ideally the stress should be evenly dissipated along the length and breadth.Its hard to tell with out seeing the whole chassis, but the butt welding of the round to rectangle section will cause some stress concentration. Splicing the two would have been preferred, however you could try some gusseting and try to blend the two together. If you are going to perform your own torsional test, this will show any weaknesses. Its not that hard to do and is the only way to see if your mods are going to work. Good luck with the rest of your build.

[Jethrow]

Agree - the step change in section is not particularly terrific. Suggest adding a 30 degree (from long axis) blend piece between the sections.

It's a stirling effort however. I left my FF chassis alone, but I can understand the desire for more headroom. The Kirkey seats did assist me with that to some extent.

[Cobrakiller]

Chris if you do a search for "chassis torsional testing" you will find pics of the test rigs used. There is also a diagram in the VSB 14 that explains the test procedure and test equipment. I was trying to post a pic of my rig but aghhh.
Anyhow check with your engineer regarding your mods, also when comparing Young's Modulus of Torsion between round and RHS sections the RHS is tested in the longitudinal axis.If you lie it down 90* as in your build it is considerably less. PM if you need any help

[Jaydee]

The new owner for CR is Daniel. I spoke to him the other day looking for some data on my 2001 CR in regards to beam tests etc. He was one of the workers for Ian in the past so he knows the CR very well. All those issues with rear bump steer and front end shocker interference issues have been dealt with. They make up their own suspension arms etc. I spoke to him for a long time and he was very helpful, and didn't seem rushed. He spent a lot of time looking for the info I needed. I don't want to seem like I'm kissing his backside, but I think we should give Daniel a fair go in his business, as the CR is still a great kit. The fiberglass layup system they use is very strong and light. I still feel proud to own one and can't wait to drive it. Not long now.
JD

[SydneyChris]

thanks for the tips guys,

In capping the 150x50x6mm rhs as well as the ends of the 100dia x 4mm tube with 5mm plate in both instances I would have thought a total cross section of 10mm with a 12mm fillet weld all round would have dissipated the stress at these joints sufficiently.

Will post a couple more pics.. the down tube from the base of the A pillar to the suspension uprights has been increased from 25x25x1.6 to 50x50x2.5 in RHS and the effective span shortened by 800mm through connecting a footwell cage with cross bracing to the main chassis rail. This mod increased the stiffness in that section of the chassis by 300% above standard.

Will continue until I get it right I guess.. lol

[SydneyChris]

Structural mods done, roll cage reinforced as well as an additional V brace in the engine bay. Can literally jack the car from any corner now with no discernible chassis bend..

Progressing with sheetmetal, then heat shield / noise dampner.. body back on next and complete the dash. Kinda dreading the doors at this stage, looking to fit power windows, no idea where to start just yet, but thats not an entirely new experience either..

Cheers

Chris

[SydneyChris]

Brakes have been a charm since day 1 with this build.. the rather pricey Willwoods needed to be stripped down after finding swarf in the piston chamber of one, the hoses remade to meet the AU standards as well as the caliper bodies retapped to take a UNC thread (7/16 - 20).

After the BA Falcon booster and MC, which were matched to the BA ABS controller could not be fitted under the bonnet I went to a 7" diaphragm hot rod style booster and MC set up, only to find, in short, the thing was @#(*&@(#*&@(* !!@! useless.

Third times a charm... XA Falcon booster, 8" dia which fits, with a few mm clearance, modified to OE spec to be double diaphragm / 1400psi output, mated via a 3D printed adapter plate (draft version shown in yellow) to an XC Cobra master cylinder with a 1" bore, (which was ironically the car I was initially looking to build). Res. capacity exceeds the piston fluid capacity across their full travel, is ADR complaint, sits around 25mm lower than the BA equivalent and is a dual port configuration, matching the input ports on the ABS controller.

Getting a longer booster pushrod made up in the next day or two (as I didnt have any hardened steel dowel) to compensate for the adapter plate and we will see how it goes.

A shout out to Tim and the team at Warringah Brake and Clutch for their patience, advice and perseverance. You could do a lot worse than give them a yell if you are in Sydney or need parts shipped...

Cheers

Chris

[Modena]

Why aren't you using whatever Factory 5 supply? Just askin.....

[spookypt]

Getting there Chris. Cobra Nats is 4 mths away!!!!