Manky's Pop.

[TwistedPatience]

As promised two photo's of the Gearshift.
Managed to straighten the top plate by clamping in the vice for almost a week, seems to have done the job.

New stainless shaft and button turned and polished, just got to complete the Knob it's self, it's nearly done.

[Manky Monkey]

Ain't it nice to have good mates.
Many, many thanks Doc. 
Just a quick update -I took the iffy steering box, plus the spare I bought at the NSRA swapmeet, over to my brother Brock's workshop last week & we put together one good one from the two. Nothing obviously wrong with the first one, except it was bone dry & full of swarf, probably from me shortening it down. Like most mishaps on this build, it was probably self-inflicted but hey, I've never built a car before & it's a steep learning curve as they say.
No photos as not a lot to see, but I fitted the new box this afternoon, plus a couple of bronze bushes in either end of the drag link to take out the free play, (thanks for those too Doc). The steering column's still not fixed inside the car, but even balancing it on my knees & turning the wheel, we had movement at the wheels. Looks like we've sussed it.
Anyone want to buy a power steering column? 
I've also been to Newbury in Berkshire this afternoon & collected the aluminium radiator from the welding shop where they've repositioned the inlet & outlet spigots to suit our set-up.
Getting there -very slowly. 

[panthershaun]

  far better than me then  managed 5 mins up the barn today but had to rescue some of my junk I mean projects from a mates barn as it looks as if he may be evicted and all the contents sold to pay his arrears in rent

[Manky Monkey]

Really? Would that be the gentleman with the large collection of interesting machinery? If so, save several for me please.

[panthershaun]

one and the same  breaks my heart to see it all just sitting there but I don't have any free cash at the moment to buy him out

[tazet]

Free cash ha, you'd need a loan to buy that lot out. Is he selling privatley in bits or as a job lot?

[Manky Monkey]

Seriously Shaun, might be interested in a future project or 6 if they were going dirt cheap.

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Now there's a man who plans on living forever........

[panthershaun]

Seriously Shaun, might be interested in a future project or 6 if they were going dirt cheap.

I'll let you know what happens, those rigid/girder Enfields would make great Bobbers

[Manky Monkey]

Just what I had in mind. 

[Manky Monkey]

Been messing about with odds & ends on the Pop for the last week, without actually making any discernable progress at all. I was out in the shed till gone midnight last night, knocking up a very basic but very substantial column drop for the steering -that's a bracket to attach the steering column to the framework under the dashboard. A 2 piece clamp around the column itself, bolting up from underneath into M8 captive nuts, welded to 2 lengths of 3/4" ERW tube, with 1/4" mounting tabs slotted into the ends, which bolt to matching tabs on the bulkhead frame. Might mount some warning lights in the centre panel, or maybe drill some holes in it. Some ugly welds on the top tabs cos I was welding in the shadows while balancing the wheel in place on my knees, but they'll clean back O.K.
  

[Manky Monkey]

Everything's a bit tight but it should work -about a hand's width between the wheel & the driver's door. The intermediate shaft between the Moggy Minor column & the Pop steering box runs within 10mm or so of the starter motor, so I hope the engine doesn't rock about too much on it's mounts. I'm using Pop Brown's nylon bush mounts, rather than the original rubbers, so with luck it'll all be O.K
Here you can see the short section of VW collapsible column I welded in at the base of the Moggy shaft.

[Manky Monkey]

I've got a large rose joint which I'm hoping to use to support the bottom end of the column.
When Brock & I rebuilt the steering box we adjusted the free play in the shaft until it felt right. Now it's attached to the column though, there's about an eigth of a turn of freeplay in the steering. Hopefully tweaking the adjustment on the box will reduce that.
None of the universal joints are bolted up tight yet & I noticed as I left Loony's workshop this evening that at least one of them is turning on the splines, which would explain some of the free play. At least with the steering wheel now set in position, we can adjust the rest around it. 
Oh, the framework on the floor in front of the car is the seat runner from a 206 Peugeot, being scrapped tomorrow. Hoping to mount the driver's seat on it.

[Mr_G]

Looking good Andy, I wish that all Peugot 206's were being scrapped tomorrow!

[Manky Monkey]

  Only one seat in the hatchback, but if the other one turns up I'll pinch the frame from that too. As well as forward & backward adjustment they're also adjustable up & down, which means Taz, Loony & I can all drive it in a modicum of comfort.