Manky's Pop.

[Cabman77]

Why didn`t you just divert the exhausts up into the top rails of the rear body? Would sound b***dy awesome methinks

[Manky Monkey]

External projections aren't tested in the commercial SVA test we're aiming for Bobbi.
Thought about it Cabby! Apart from the fact that we're going to mount the indicators in the ends of those tubes, I'm not sure what the testers would make of that! Hot exhaust gases being expelled at head height for following drivers might be frowned on. The heat would also bubble the paint.
A fairly quiet day at the 'shop today. Felt like we didn't achieve a lot, but as Loony pointed out, we crossed one more thing off our list, so not so bad really.
I dropped the Reliant fuel tank out from the back of the chassis, then used a hole saw to cut out the old outlet pipe. We'd already welded this in, in place of the original fuel gauge sender unit, but found the pipe was too small a bore for the Rover engine. So I bought a new one from Pop Browns. With the hole cut & new pipe sat in place, Loony welded it together.
We've already welded an old motorcycle filler neck, with integral breather pipe, into the other end of the tank.

[Manky Monkey]

Big Darren dropped in to see us this afternoon. He's got a decibel meter app' on his mobile phone. Don't know how accurate it is, but it registered around 80dbs one metre from the tail pipes on tickover & about 90 when we blipped the throttle. When he put it right next to the pipe on tickover it read 99db.
I arrived home this evening just as Taz pulled up in her V8 LandRover Discovery, (it's a works vehicle, not ours). Same Rover engine as mine, but injected instead of carbs. Sounded exactly the same as the Pop.

[Manky Monkey]

I had a pannicky moment at the top of the yard. There's a heavy steel chain strung across the end & as I approached it, I pressed the brake pedal -& accelerated straight towards it. Argh! I'm just not used to driving autos & had stomped on the accelerator by mistake. Managed to pull up just 6 inches short of the chain. I think I need a big empty space to practice driving this thing in before I venture onto the streets. Loony drives an auto every day & says the Pop doesn't handle too bad at all -so it's me, rather than the truck.

[Manky Monkey]

A few annoying problems starting to show up, but nothing we can't fix. Hopefully.
The headlights are very close to the front mudguard mounts -just a few millimetres between them on full suspension travel. It looks like the lights need to be lower &/or further forward, but not sure if we can do that & also make it look good. Bringing them forward might also mean they foul on the tyres on full lock. Another option would be to fit wheel spacers as the front axle's quite a lot narrower than the back, but that would mean the brake discs would show a lot more, rather than being tucked into the back of the wheels, & the mudguard mounts would need completely re-working. We may have to just drive carefully for the test, then sort them out later.
When I drove to the opposite end of the yard, there was a lot of metal on metal clattering going on, though I couldn't work out where it came from. Everything fitted at the moment should be bolted down. Might've been the bonnet panels, which still need some rubber bump stops, or the pick-up bed sides, which are still unattached along the bottom edges. Or maybe just the doors, which barely fit their openings at the moment.
One of the rear brake drum brake pipe fittings seems to be cross threaded. When I undid it & re-tightened it, it immediately began leaking. So now we've got no brakes again. With luck, it just needs replacing. Worst case scenario, we need to replace the slave cylinder. We need to fit in-line residual valves either side of the master cylinder, plus re-routing the pipes around the rear axle, so will have to re-bleed the brakes anyway.
Biggest problem is the suspension. We've used a new transverse spring on the front, damped by Morris Minor lever arm units. We filled those with light machine oil. Should they use something thicker, like engine oil?
The back end uses 225lb adjustable Gaz coil over shocks, mounted at about 30 degrees, with a triangulated 4 bar linkage. With the springs wound up to about 2/3rds of their adjustment & the damping roughly halfway on the dial, the body sags quite noticably to one side when someone sits in the driver's seat. Stiffening the springs just makes it rock hard. Loony wonders if fitting an anti rollbar would cure it? Anyone know of a fairly narrow one we could use? (about 27 inches wide).
The left hand exhaust's now fully welded, so I can smooth that off tomorrow, then move on to the right one. 
 

[spanners]

anti roll = look up hcd =howard cole developments,or racers hardware , if you find there site and have a good look you will find exactly what you need  trust me,

[Cabman77]

The best advice I was given when I first drove an auto box was "tuck your left foot underneath your right leg". You don`t get tempted to use it then.

[Manky Monkey]

Exactly what Loony does.
I'll check the site Mike. Thanks.
Spent the whole afternoon smoothing the welds on the left exhaust. Right one next.

[phunkie hiboy]

We've used a new transverse spring on the front, damped by Morris Minor lever arm units. We filled those with light machine oil. Should they use something thicker, like engine oil?
 
  

We have the same shocks on the rear of the roadster and use fork oil. We tried HD Harley oil to start with and they were too stiff, ended up using standard Harley fork oil and it's spot on. If you need some they sell it in 500mil bottles at the dealer at Peasmarsh.

[Manky Monkey]

That's great Chris, thanks. I'll give it a go.

[Manky Monkey]

Today was my day off, so I drove up to that London, to my local DVLA office in Wimbledon.
I needed a VIN number, so we can stamp it into the chassis, but I wasn't sure what information I'd need to take with me. Because we're still building the truck & most of it's re-worked old parts, I haven't got many receipts or other paperwork.
So I took 2 forms of I.D, (passport & both parts of my driving licence), plus some bank statements as proof of address. Also the original Ford Pop logbook & new engine number.
The nice DVLA lady proved to be very helpful -hello Michelle if you're reading this! -& gave me a couple of forms to fill in.
A lot of it dealt with unladen weights, vehicle dimensions, emmisions, noise levels etc, none of which I knew, so she told me to just fill in what I could.
What should I put down for manufacturer's name? Obviously I can't put Ford cos it's not any more.
Anything you like -some people put Alternative Ford.
So it's on the paperwork as:
Manufacturer- Manky Monkey Motors
Make- Manky1
Model- Mankymobile
DVLA Lady said she should really ask for receipts before issuing a VIN number, but accepts it's not always posssible, so was happy for me to send them in when I find them.
She added that it was past the end of her shift so she'd post me the number tomorrow, but after I'd filled the forms in, told me we'd chatted too long & she'd missed her train, so she might as well do the paperwork there & then. Nice to deal with a real person after the hassle of the DVLA's automated phone system the other day.
So now I have a 17 digit VIN number. All I need to do is find a set of number/letter punches of 6mm tall or more, so we can stamp it into the chassis. 

[Dslam]

I've got a set of 6mm punches you can borrow. I'm only a few miles from you in Woking.

[Manky Monkey]

Really? Coo, yes please Andy.
I'll Pm you.

[Manky Monkey]

No sooner said than borrowed. Taz & I nipped down the road to see Mr Dslam this evening. Pinched his number & letter punches so I can stamp the VIN number into the Pop chassis. At 6mm high, a row of 17 digits is going to be about 5 inches long! Good job we've got a clear length of chassis rail to fit it on.
We also borrowed a proper noise meter, so I'd better hurry up & re-fit the exhausts so we can test them again.
Many thanks Andy -& apologies for Taz talking yer ear off. She doesn't get out much y'know. 

[brock]

   It really does have nice proportions doesn't it. Sounds like a big step forward in the registration process which is good, and belated happy D minus 100  , Beaulieu Sunday ?