Quote from: AdamR28 on November 24, 2020, 08:25

Quote from: Gaz2405 on November 23, 2020, 19:49Top work on the flat floor, pretty much the same that I've marked out and up using   foam backed board for a template.

Just need to check the weight of 1.5mm galv sheet

Cheers Gaz, good to know our ideas align.

Same size floor as mine in the stuff Petrus mentioned (0.4 density at 6mm thick) would be 22kg, 4mm ABS would be 39kg, and in 1.5mm steel would be 105kg!

I think there's a good reason many people use ply - as well as the weight not being bad, it is cheap (under £50 for two 8x4ft sheets), easy to get hold of (Wickes, B&Q), easy to work with, and pretty resilient to knocks.

Phil, just realised I have a slightly damaged (easily repairable with some wood glue) splitter that came off the front of Matts S2k mx-engineinwrongplace , you're welcome to it if you want, the shape is pretty good for the MR2. Can grab a pic and dimensions if you want.

That would be great Adam, thank you.

158cm wide, 69cm deep, 12mm ply. Should fit in a normal car for transportation. I may be down Skem / Ormskirk way this weekend if the weather is decent and can bring it if that helps!

Quote from: AdamR28 on November 24, 2020, 09:05158cm wide, 69cm deep, 12mm ply. Should fit in a normal car for transportation. I may be down Skem / Ormskirk way this weekend if the weather is decent and can bring it if that helps!

That would be great mate. I'll PM you my number 👍

Quote from: AdamR28 on November 24, 2020, 08:25I think there's a good reason many people use ply - as well as the weight not being bad, it is cheap (under £50 for two 8x4ft sheets), easy to get hold of (Wickes, B&Q), easy to work with, and pretty resilient to knocks.

Wood is basically a supermaterial.
It is still used in airobatic competition planes even.
Not bad at all.
Ply has the additional pre that the fibers run multidirectional so the sheet is highly resistant to tears if it would be damaged.

Made a start on the air dam this morning.

The aim behind this is to reduce drag more than create downforce, so I haven't left a massive front lip / splitter. The idea was to leave just enough to hold a region of stagnant air / boundary layer, and feed it down the sides of the car.

The dam is made from 1mm HDPE. I love this stuff - cuts with decent scissors, can be shaped by hand with the aid of a heat gun, light, tough, cheap. Add some curves and it's surprisingly stiff, too. I had to make it in two halves and join due to 'physical restraints' (my sheet metal folder isn't wide enough, nor was what I had left from this sheet of HDPE!), but with hindsight that is fairly handy in case it gets battered.

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Also made the tabs / deflectors around the wheel arch. The effect of these are shown in the PDFs a few posts back - but in short they create low pressure immediately after the lip and fire the air downwards. This reduces lift and drag by lowering the air pressure within the wheel arch, and reducing the amount of underbody air that gets caught up in the 'squirt' generated by the front tyres.

I'm also hoping these will pull hot air out of the arch and help with brake temps too. I will probably cut / slot / louvre the tops of the front arches as well for belt and braces. I have space and option to add ducting from the front air dam, but would like to avoid this if I can for drag reasons.

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The front of the car will drop around 100mm from where it is now, so that leaves approx 80mm from splitter to floor and 55mm to the bottom of the deflectors, which should be enough. However, another benefit of the HDPE is that it will grind away to a 'natural' height with use!

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I still need to 'fill in' the gap above the air dam end deflector and the front wing to keep air away from the tyres as much as possible, but still pondering about how to attach these. I would like to keep them 100% attached to either the wing or the splitter if possible, to make removal of either part easier. I think I may have to give in and use a screw or two in both parts though!

Here's one of my stupid little videos to finish. Not hugely indicative as there is no air flowing to the side of the deflector, but hopefully shows how this small feature should really help to reduce the amount of air going to the spokes of the wheel - and thus turbulence, and drag.

Was wondering what that air dam material was on Matt's MX5.

Quote from: JB21 on November 25, 2020, 14:29Was wondering what that air dam material was on Matt's mx-engineinwrongplace .

It is extremely versatile. Must have well over km. of tubing on the farm p.e.
One quality is that it although it gets harder with lower temps, even at -10 it does not get nearly as brittle as most other plastics.
This summer we put in a connection to the sewage system; over 100 meters of it with nylon inner tube.
Whether using sheet or tube I prefer cutting with a Stanley knife over scissors; it leaves a neater straight angled edge.
It is not particularly lightweight though.

Quote from: JB21 on November 25, 2020, 14:29Was wondering what that air dam material was on Matt's mx-engineinwrongplace .

Haha. Nah, Matt's was one from BYC Designs, albeit an early 1-piece version without the 'tabs', which made it a pain to fit! https://bycdesigns.co.uk/your-track-car/universal-fitment?product_id=167

It is raining quite hard now and that reminded me; have flood ´board´ for some doors. Those panels are foamboard with aluminium on either side. This too is availeble in a wide range of thickness and with a strength belied by the weight.

DiBond. About 4 times the cost, and around the same weight in 3mm thickness (6kg per square metre) as 9mm ply.

Quote from: AdamR28 on November 26, 2020, 10:31DiBond. About 4 times the cost, and around the same weight in 3mm thickness (6kg per square metre) as 9mm ply.

Wood ís a supermaterial.

Until it gets wet    Which is why the floor is currently bathing in SBR.

Done a few small bits and bobs these last couple of days, but as usual towards the end of a project, progress is now slow and barely visible.

Front wheel deflectors extended.

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Radiator fully ducted in, and mesh added in front of the radiator. I've seen engines lost to a pinhole in a rad before so not taking any chances! Having the mesh as close as possible to the core gives better airflow.

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Also fitted the spreader plates / harness eye bolts, made some more mounts for the floor, and started gaffer taping up the panel gaps.

It looks like MSV are running their December track days so I get to play out next weekend 

In longer-term news, I'm expecting this engine to spectacularly shit the bed sometime, so have ordered a new sump and some baffle flaps to make a proper one ready for the replacement engine.

Quote from: AdamR28 on November 27, 2020, 09:58Until it gets wet    Which is why the floor is currently bathing in SBR.

Remember the ´Spruce Goose´?
The Hughes H-4 Hercules was a sea plane. Made of wood ;-)

Way too young to remember that

Quote from: Petrus on November 28, 2020, 11:35

Quote from: AdamR28 on November 27, 2020, 09:58Until it gets wet    Which is why the floor is currently bathing in SBR.

Remember the ´Spruce Goose´?
The Hughes H-4 Hercules was a sea plane. Made of wood ;-)

DH.98 Mosquito "The Wooden Wonder"

Quote from: AdamR28 on November 28, 2020, 12:03Way too young to remember that

The Morgan chassis will do then ;-)

That is btw also a very good example of the chassis being part of the suspension system.

Technically the Morgan uses a steel chassis, and always has - apparently.

Quote from: AdamR28 on November 28, 2020, 16:22Technically the Morgan uses a steel chassis, and always has - apparently.

Correct the wood is ash and is there to support the body.
Found that out after watching a documentary until then I thought the same.

Quote from: AdamR28 on November 28, 2020, 16:22Technically the Morgan uses a steel chassis, and always has - apparently.

It´s aluminium nowadays I think but that is irrelevant as indeed it is the framework which is wood and which I took to be part of the chassis.  I thought it played a part in the suspension mounting.
Proves the point though that wood is a surprising and neglected material. Good for you to make use of it!

For a particular birthday in 2015 I went to the British F1 Grand Prix, Le Mans 24 Hour and the Morgan Motor factory tour, complete with cream tea.
Mrs J accompanied me to the Grand Prix and the Morgan factory, the latter with some reservation, but she found it to be really interesting.
Little has changed over the years of manufacture and I particularly liked the efficient use of the sloping site. The car build starts at the top of the slope and as the chassis is built up it is pushed downhill from workshop to workshop.
Until very recently the chassis were steel that was available with a galvanised finish, superseded by modern paint finishes and now bonded aluminium has replaced the steel. The ash frame is laminated and formed with really old instruments of torture, well that's what they look like.
Having visited more modern car manufacturing sites up to the mid 80's the workers at Morgan did seem more enthusiastic and engaged with what they were building than
BMC and Ford workers were in the past.
Morgan's are sold at a premium price but do hold their value well.
The cream tea was very home made in style, served in the works canteen, but all very enjoyable.

Quote from: Joesson on November 28, 2020, 20:31Morgan's are sold at a premium price but do hold their value well.

Which is why per March 2019 they are fully owned by the Italian investment group InvestIndustrial.

Some more bad photos of an ugly car 

NACA duct fitted to the floor, sucking air in to cool the sump and exhaust.

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Popped it back on the floor. The only thing left to go on a left hand door skin, at 5kg.

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So obviously not as light as body-less, but sure as hell will be faster round a lap without terrible aero!

The floor and splitter ended up at 23kg, and there's currently no passenger seat and harnesses, meaning the bodywork is about 50kg total even with the doors and both lids skinned (assuming 5kg taken off when I removed the 'bumpers').

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Got a few odds and ends to sort out before the weekend, but feels like I'm almost ready to shove it on the trailer!

Looks quite cool actually and 750 is still 150 kg lighter than mine which is about the same lighter than OEM but a bigger % so stíll

Very excited to see this go around Oulton. Power to weight is very similar to my 2zz now but with yours being lighter, better aero, better driver and you don't have to worry about driving it home, I'm guessing a couple of seconds quicker than mine if it stays dry. I managed a 2:04 last time out in June on AR1's in 30 degree heat.

Two different ways of skinning the same cat, eh Always an interesting comparison.

The previous Munter (115bhp, 800kg) did 2:04s at Oulton so even with the wank tyres I'm hoping M2 will be similar. The chance of getting a clear lap on a dry track on a sold out day at Oulton in winter? Minimal, but we'll give it a go. Hope my cheapo FauxPro camera lasts the day.