SBPFL205 SLFL25

Not the catchiest of blog titles, but something that should grab the attention of any kit car builder. Sticking faithfully to the setup of a Ford Sierra donor the bottom end of the steering column is supported by a rubber mount which sits in a circular cut-out in a bulkhead panel. A common upgrade is to replace this with a ball-bearing which sits in a pair of pressed steel mounting plates which allow the bearing to operate at a whole range of angles. Given that I still haven’t decided exactly how the ‘wheel’ end of the column will sit – this is a perfect upgrade!

The big task this weekend has been getting to grip with the ‘angry grinder’ and brutally removing the carefully crafted angled plates which had held the rubber mount in place. Seems a shame to destroy someone elses work, but ultimately the ball-bearing is a better solution.

Smooth steering guaranteed. Hopefully!!!

The other move forward was to flip the chassis upside down – so I can get ready to cut out the floor from a discarded sign from the village pub. Seriously…

Support your local pub. OR – let your local pub support you. The benefits of marrying into a family with a toe in the scrap metal business…

In other news, I had inevitably forgotten a plate which need to be fashioned ready for the next welding session. Sitting above the differential in the transmission tunnel a plate is needed to hold the handbrake cable adjusters. Thanks to the recent investment of a semi-decent set of drill bits it was not a major task to knock up another plate with the necessary holes in it…. I also took advantage of the opportunity to pop the nosecone and bonnet onto the chassis and see how it looked. Alright, I thought…

Still get excited every time I pop the bodywork on!