ADR 750F

The new bits...

2010-06-03T00:07:00.000+01:00

Wheels, front calipers, prop and rear axle. Niiice!

More bits...

2010-05-22T23:05:00.000+01:00

Picked up front uprights and a rear axle, both with calipers and discs, and a set of wheels. Pics tomorrow (hopefully). Interesting chat with Tom Sadler - he suggested using wires to support the subfloors. Nice and light, and provides some give when clonking over the curbs.

Supporting act

2010-05-18T10:05:00.000+01:00

Had more of a think in the garage last night. I am going to add supports for the centre section around the dash, for sure. Then either support for the centre section, by extending the outriggers, by the rollover bar, or building a frame to support the sidepods, probably at floor level. The whole body is pretty rigid when clipped together together, which helps. I need to think through what I need to consider when making this. Low weight, strong enough, then what will I need to take off for maintenance? I've been trying to get this into Google Sketchup, but am obviously not understanding it - I can't seem to make rectangles in the right plane!

Sidepods and centre section

2010-05-16T19:52:00.001+01:00

IMG_7537
Originally uploaded by PeteHWindsor

This shows the sidepods sat on the subfloor. The centre section sits on top of them, and clips to them. This is why the subfloor needs to be reasonably strong to support the sidepods. I am considering bars going across to support the sidepods, or the centre section, either the full width of the car, or bracing the pivots of the rockers, and going up to support the centre section, or nose.

Bracing stuff

2010-05-16T19:42:00.002+01:00

IMG_7526
Originally uploaded by PeteHWindsor

This is the bar being used to brace the floor. Currently I only have the one on each side, at the rear, which isn't enough. I need to work out how much bracing I need, where to put it, and how to attach it to the chassis. The floor is currently all that supports the sidepods, and they are what the rest of the bodywork attaches to, so need to be fairly rigid. The front section is supported by the crash box, and the rear will have a mounting point too. This is what has occupied my thoughts most of the day...

Brace bar

2010-05-16T19:35:00.001+01:00

IMG_7527
Originally uploaded by PeteHWindsor

The brace bar for the rollover bar used to go to the rear. This has been chopped out, and replaced with one going forward. This will allow me to use a rear end with having to chop bits out of it, and making it weak.

Mounting points for harness

2010-05-16T19:30:00.001+01:00

IMG_7528
Originally uploaded by PeteHWindsor

Here are the mounting points added by ADR for the harness. Bolts welded to plates will take the eyelet bolts, and the harness will clip into them.

Rear of chassis

2010-05-16T19:24:00.002+01:00

IMG_7529
Originally uploaded by PeteHWindsor

This shows the addition chassis bracing done by ADR, and the tabs and bar added to hold the floor steady.

Rivnut

2010-05-16T19:21:00.001+01:00

IMG_7530
Originally uploaded by PeteHWindsor

Here is a rivnut attached to the floor of the chassis, being used to hold the subfloor on.

Rivnuts!

2010-05-15T21:56:00.000+01:00

Made some progress today. I used my new rivnut tool to install some rivnuts in the engine undertray and the edge of the chassis. These will be used to attach the subfloors that will mount the sidepods. Tomorrow I hope to get the subfloors mounted, the crashbox reinistalled and then position the sidepods for mounting. Photos tomorrow. Rivnuts - what a great idea!

Update

2010-05-14T07:14:00.000+01:00

Not updated recently, so to bring you up to date, I have made some floors to support the sidepods. Pics to follow. I have also delivered the chassis to ADR, and they have moved the bracing for the rollover bar to the front, added some plates for the harness and add some bracing. I'll pick it up today, so again, more pics. The dampers have been tested by Nitron, and the rears are fine, but the fronts need replacing, so good and bad news. That's all for now!

Measuring up 2

2010-05-04T22:36:00.001+01:00

IMG_7520
Originally uploaded by PeteHWindsor

Looking down, to remind me of where I took the measurements!

Measuring up

2010-05-04T22:33:00.001+01:00

IMG_7518
Originally uploaded by PeteHWindsor

This is the first post from Flickr - lets see how well it works ;-)

This pic is with the bodywork off so I can measure up for the subfloor. I have the measurements, but will probably put some paper down underneath and measure again to make sure. Debating whether to get it cut, or do it myself. Will have to get some prices!

Some progress...

2010-05-03T20:38:00.000+01:00

Last night I drilled the crash box to match the front bulkhead.

Today I reattached the bulkhead and crash box, and then mounted various parts of the bodywork. This should allow me to position the sidepods correctly, and the make up the subfloor that will mount them. I will need to add some bracing. At least it looks more like a race car, than a collection of parts!

This one is a bit blurred:

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to get the Ali to do the next stage.

Tidying up...

2010-05-02T21:20:00.000+01:00

I've bought some shelving from Machine Mart yesterday, and built it up today. I've spent some time sorting the garage out, and now have a bit more room. Fewer bits in dodgy cardboard boxes now! Will start drilling the crash box tonight or tomorrow. Was contemplating making a crash box from Ali, but Machine Mart were out of the 24" sheet benders, and I was too late to get any sheet anyway. B&Q do sell Ali as well though... Given my lack of progress this weekend, I'll crack on with the ABS one for now.

Bodywork 3

2010-04-29T16:03:00.000+01:00

So last night I shuffled stuff around in the garage, so I could get the chassis off the high level stands on to the floor, and offer up the bodywork. I put the crash box inside the nose section, then pushed it onto the front bulkhead. This allowed me to position the centre section. Next steps will be to mount the crash box and put some clips on the front and central sections to allow me to position the sidepods, so I can build the secondary floor for them.

Really need to get some pics up!

Bodywork 2

2010-04-27T22:41:00.000+01:00

Picked up the foam filled crashbox from the nice chaps at ADR. No time to do anything with it tonight though. I had another good look at the cars in at ADR. The Sport 1 chassis is narrower, so when the rollover bar is replaced, the cover will have to be modified to fit. The centre section is now separate from the rollover bar cover. I did wonder whether I could mount the sidepods directly on the lip of the floor that extends outside the chassis edge, but because the chassis is narrower than the ADR 3, there would be a gap, so a subfloor is needed. What was suggested was to put the chassis on the floor on top of a sheet of ali, then use the outline of the chassis to mark it. The sidepods can then be offered up, and used to mark the outside of the subfloor.

Bodywork

2010-04-26T22:35:00.000+01:00

Today I had a bit of a think about the bodywork. The bodywork is secondhand, and from the latest and greatest ADR 3, but the chassis is from the ADR 1000! The two are not completely compatible! The wheelbase appears to be shorter on my chassis than the ADR 3..

Anyway, in the garage, first thing I did was to get as much gravel out of the nose section :-) Shuffling bodywork around in the garage made me realise that it is going to be cramped in there! I then tried on the centre section of the bodywork. It is not clear where it should sit. The chassis I think is narrower as well...

My current plan is to get the ABS crashbox from ADR and mount it up. This will allow me to get the nose section in the right place. From this, I will then be able to position the sidepods. The sidepods locate the rear of the nose section, as well as the centre section and the front of the rear. The sidepods will be mounted on to aluminium sheet which will be attached to the underside of the chassis. Once I have the rear mounted as well (and I will need to make a frame to support this and mount the rear wing) this will allow me to determine how much I need to modify the rear suspension arms to get the rear axle in the centre of the rear arches. This should also have the benefit of improving the geometry, as bump steer will be reduced by increasing the length of the suspension arms. I think...

Change of direction...

2010-04-26T22:19:00.000+01:00

I bought some 6 pot calipers from a Jedi single seater on ebay, and then bought some rear calipers and disks to fit. Unfortunately these disks will not fit the hubs I had. I spent some time with ADR and have agreed a price on a set of their uprights, hubs, disks and a set of their centrelock wheels. This will make it easy for me to progress the build, and also to replace it in event of an accident! However I still need hubs for the rear (Morris Minor) axle, but I have a contact for that :-)

Taking it to pieces...

2010-04-26T22:07:00.000+01:00

I had left the hubs behind to get steering arms made, disks and calipers mounted. The suspension arms had some surface rust, and some of the rose joints were very stiff, so I took them off and disassembled them. The spherical bearings on the lower arms needed removing before I can get them blasted and powder coated. I improvised a puller using some threaded rod and some suitably sized sockets ;-) I hope to get them done this week.

Intro

2010-04-26T22:02:00.000+01:00

Hi, I'm Pete, and this is a record of my conversion of an ADR Sport 1000 to 750 Formula regulations.

The 750 Formula has been running for many years, and has gone through an evolution, from the Austin 7 engine, to the Robin Reliant engine, and now currently runs the 1108cc FIAT FIRE engine. Gearbox is limited to 4 speeds plus reverse. Tyres are a control 13 inch Yokohama slick, 6 inch wide. Rear axle has to be a 'live' axle, unless the entire Fiat drivetrain (engine and box) are used. More detailed regulations are on the 750 motorclub website.

I bought an ADR chassis from a member of the 750 formula forum. This chassis has a bit of history. It was the display chassis back in 2000 at the autosport show, but has never been built into a car. It came with some uprights and hubs for the front and rear, made to fit some Formula Ford wheels. However, brakes and mountings were needed, as was a steering set up.

So the build begins!