[spunagain]

Front cover look familiar?

http://www.ppcmag.co.uk/issue.asp?issue=88

 

[a4kquattro]

Nice! Glad to hear Hilly is getting the recognition he deserves. Way to go man!

 

[quattrofrog]

No way... that magazine is written by crazy people... as in lets put a tank engine in a rover.

 

[hilly]

Oh blimey!!!!!

This just goes to show the power of Motorgeek as it was through this site that the magazine found out about the project and then contacted me.

I had better get down to the newsagent and get me a copy so I can see what they have written.
The cover photo looks cool

Hilly

 

[Corey]

Actually it was me sending Will Holman a link to this thread telling him about your car, he does like a good V8 conversion.

 

[hilly]

Actually it was me sending Will Holman a link to this thread telling him about your car, he does like a good V8 conversion.

You ** man !

Hilly

 

[frotogl]

jesus. I just read this whole thread. Frickin amazing!

 

[ricola]

Just read the article, they were very impressed by your work Hilly, nice one! :-D
Rich

 

[nismo]

Can someone scan and post the article?

Eric

 

[hilly]

I am supposed to be getting hi res images from the magazine publishers which I hope will include some of the feature.
I will post them up when I get them.

It is odd how timing works out....

I haven't done anything on the car for a fair few weeks what with Christmas, work and having to do some DIY at my girlfriend's house, oh, and the magazine shoot.

As soon as the the article is in the shops and I am enjoying fame and riches (ummmmmm, maybe not) a whole bunch of events line up (the weather isn't raining and Claire zooms off to see her sis for the weekend) which means I can do some work on the car and hence an update, so here goes.........

I have just noticed that I haven't posted a picture of the finished engine cover, so I'll fix that first.

Now that the car has been on the road for a bit with the new engine in, it seems to be going quite well.
The thing that is bugging me now however is the steering.
When the Esprit was sold (27 years ago) it didn't have power steering like most cars at that time, unlike now where pretty much everything has.
The steering is fine at speed, but going slowly or parking is making me develop forearms like Popeye!!
I should probably just toughen up, but I really notice the difference after getting out of my comfy A4, so to fix that I am going the wimps route and putting power steering on the Esprit.

The weapon of choice to do this is an electric steering column from a Vauxhall Corsa which I picked up on eBay well over a year ago.

This route saves me a bunch of problems in that there is very little space for a hydraulic rack, I had to remove the PS pump (the alternator is now in it's position) and the hydraulic lines have to run half the length of the car.
I also get some extra benefits like being able to alter the amount of assistance or turning it off altogether.
It is also fairly easy to hook up only needing a 50A supply (which I already fitted when doing the engine wiring) and a couple of control signals
The down sides are it will put extra strain on the already fragile steering rack (I'll just have to replace it more often) and the hassle of having to take the car half apart to fit it.

Let battle commence.......

First take out the drivers seat and the steering wheel.

Next thing to do is make up a template which records the postion of where the steering wheel is. I don't want to put the new one in only to find I can't drive the thing.

I made the template out of some 15mm copper water pipe and some joints.
10 minutes of cutting and soldering and I end up with this master piece.

Now that I have a way of making sure the new column ends up where it should, time to rip out the dash.
It is amazing how fast you turn a drivable car into a heap of wires and air ducting........

Now, time to see if my master plan will work by test fitting the new electric rack in the hole, which isn't easy as it has a big DC motor screwed to it.

IT FITS !!!!!!!!

Well nearly.
I need to take out the bonnet (hood) release mechanism and the cross beam needs a bit of adjustment to clear the motor, but the project is a goer

Finally, just to wet your appetite for my next project, I have bagged me this.......

Yeap, another 2wd 01X 6 speed TDi gearbox, I really am a glutton for punishment.

Hilly

 

[nismo]

When the Esprit was sold (27 years ago) it didn't have power steering like most cars at that time, unlike now where pretty much everything has.
The steering is fine at speed, but going slowly or parking is making me develop forearms like Popeye!!

My first car (1982 Audi 4000s) had that 'feature' too. I always referred to it as powersteering by armstrong.

Eric

 

[ricola]

I'm very intrigued to know what your next project is!
As you probably know I've fitted that column in my phantom and it works very well It is using one of those boxes that sends a constant dummy speed signal and I have set it to minimum assistance (actually about 50% of max). It would be nice to have the speed input for the variable assist but my speed signal is only one pulse per wheel rev when the corsa uses 30 and multiplying by that much would result in a very unstable signal...
A mate tried to figure out the vauxhall switchgear without luck, I'd be interested if you figured it out...
Rich
PS the engine cover looks very good, I wasn't expecting anything less though!

 

[hilly]

The next project is a secret for the time being as it is a fair way off as the Lotus isn't finished yet, but that doesn't stop me buying parts for it .
I want to build something from scratch next time, as a clue think about something with similar dimensions and layout as the lotus, but a bit more up market and with more seats.........

I should have a looky on your site about your EPS, I may get some clues.

As it happens I have figured out the Corsa C switch gear.
It doesn't use contacts in the conventional way, it switches in different resistor values depending on which way you move the arm. The body control ecu monitors the current through the resistors and works out what to do.
I was going to make my own controller to do this but I have got more than enough to do already so I'll just use some normal switches for now.

I am guessing the Corsa uses the ABS sensor to sense wheel speed hence so may pulses/rev. I have got 12 pulse/rev on the Mutant so I'll make up a simple pulse multiplier ansd see where I go from there.

Hilly

 

[ricola]

Let me know if you want wiring info for the corsa EPS...

Oh, quick tip: if you are still going to use the corsa column shroud but don't have one, they are only about £10 from the dealers.. Most are just broken off when the cars are stripped.

Still confused by the new project, another V8? 3 seater?

 

[hilly]

Let me know if you want wiring info for the corsa EPS...

Oh, quick tip: if you are still going to use the corsa column shroud but don't have one, they are only about £10 from the dealers.. Most are just broken off when the cars are stripped.

Still confused by the new project, another V8? 3 seater?

Thanks for the offer of the of the wiring info, but I have a full Vauxhall data set including the wiring diagrams. I actually tested mine out on the bench at work to make sure it was working when I got it.

I'll nip down to a dealer and get a shroud as I will need one soon.

As for the next project, yeap it will be a V8 (real on isn't) and yeap more than 2 seats.

Hilly

 

[spunagain]

Hmm

Mid/rear engine
More than 2 seats
Coupe body style

Surely you aren't putting a v8 in a VW beetle? :tard:

Are you planning to hook up an ECU to link the power steering assistance with the cars speed?

Regards

 

[cbulen]

I'm voting for a Mclaren F1.

I wish I wasn't short $1.49 million USD. There is one for sale, stateside, used.... :bashtard:

 

[nismo]

For $1.5 million I could build several high-po cars that are as fast or faster than that.

Eric

 

[hilly]

Hmm

Mid/rear engine
More than 2 seats
Coupe body style

Surely you aren't putting a v8 in a VW beetle? :tard:

Are you planning to hook up an ECU to link the power steering assistance with the cars speed?

Regards

Yes I am going to hook up the the VSS as it is only at low speed I want the assistance. I'll probably have to fiddle about with the signal to get it right though.

I'm voting for a Mclaren F1.

I wish I wasn't short $1.49 million USD. There is one for sale, stateside, used....

I don't think my budget will stretch that far ...

You are close though

Hilly

 

[cbulen]

I was thinking that it would be really cool to build a 3 seater, in the spirit of Gordon Murray. I think his 3 seat arrangment is absolutely brilliant, and I have been thinking I really really want a car with this arrangement. It doesn't have to be a McLaren, but a custom of some kind that still looked and performed great would make me happy. Most of the kit cars I have seen are garbage when it comes to quality. I thought about hacking up an MR2 body, if only for the center cabin area of the car (to get decent door sills, and doors, windshield, etc). Or maybe hacking up a late 90's Chevy Camaro, or something along those lines. Go tube frame in the front, and the rear (mid engine of course), then all that remains is the front body and rear body. I would go one peice clamshell style on both of those.