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"The final push!"
"The final push!"
We booked in for IVA and in those final weeks a lot of things got added/finished off but nothing big enough to deserve it's own page so I have bundled loads of things together on this page and added brief descriptions to go with them. Most things were self explanatory but hopefully there is enough detail to be of interest to other Zero builders that have got to this stage of the build.
Fitting the rear diffuser
This would have been so much easier to do whilst it was on the build stand but the stand is completely in the way so we had to use some ramps! If only we had a pit in the garage - I feel another project coming on next spring...
diffuser mount riveted and glued on
The diffuser needs to be cut shorter (approx 10mm) and rivnuts need to be added
Don't forget to take some pics of what the diffuser hides for the IVA man (or woman) - better put some nut caps on just incase...
Another job done. It was a bit squeaky where it rubbed the tub when the car moved so we added a bit of foam tape in the problem area which silenced it a treat
Fitting the rear wheel arches
The hard work had alredy been done on these so it was just a case of adding trim and bolting everything together
Large piping on the rear arches - cut so it follows the contour and with holes cut for the fixings to pass through
Small piping stuck on the rear of the light pods to tidy the gap
Grommet installed where the cluster wires comes through then connector attached
Ta da!
Finishing the boot area
Many GBS builders recommend covering the boot area for test so that it dont become subject of the sphere test. Doing this means adding presstuds to the outside of the tub and we didnt want to sacrifice our beautiful clean exterior with the plans to make something better in the future than a piece of leatherette anyway, so instead we added trim to protect sharp edges where needed. It was no effort really.
Rubber edge trim glued on
Nut caps fitted to the back of the bolts.
Insulation fitted around the outside to protect the tub from moving contents
Carpet cut to fit (as many pieces as possible before the tub was glued on) and carpet tape added
Carpet stuck down - very tidy!
Rubber mat cut and fitted for long lasting protection and a bit of anti-slip
3D printed fuel line protector added and cap was printed and fitted to protect the fuel sender as well
Fitting the cycle wings
The bulk of the work had been done on there already - tagged into the section with the rear arches - so these now just needed attaching and wiring up. Sounds like an easy job but you only get the one chance to glue these so make sure you are happy with where they lie!
Cycle wings glued on (zip ties used to stop them from sliding/moving whilst the glue went off). It took a long time adjusting and re adjusting to be happy with their position to make them central over the wheels! Worth it though!
Edge trim glued on
Holes drilled in the cycle wing brackets and grommets inserted to protect the wires - these are a bugger to get through... Good luck! We found pushing a loop of sturdy wire into the hole to fish out the wiring as it was pushed past was the only way
indicator wires double sheathed for protection and then glued in place - tape was for extra protection only, it is glued underneath it
Perfect!
Fitting the cockpit trim
We were the first customers to receive these newly designed trims and it was certainly worth the wait - though they were more expensive than we anticipated! The previous options included some nice (but much pricier!) carbon delights or a complete DIY fix. We scrolled through the facebook page once again and couldn't see anything we fancied (though there were some very nicely made solutions out there!) so we asked GBS if any GRP ones (or similar) could be an option and were informed that they were already in the pipeline and would be out soon and we were top of the waiting list! How exciting! If only making them fit was as simple!
Trimmed to length and offcut used to trial the cut needed where it meets the scuttle
End cut to match the angle of the scuttle in line up with the scuttle trim
Trimmed to fit behind the dash and be able to be removed without fully unbolting the dash
For IVA we added edge trim where the cockpit trim protrudes to ensure there are no sharp edges
Fitting the cockpit crescents
First we needed to vinyl wrap the upper side panel (was originally part of the tub, but due to us replacing our original tub they are now separate panels - see "fitting the tub" if you want to know what happened)
Crescent offered up and trimmed to fit around the roll bar
Holes were drilled in the trim and the interior panels, then rivnuts were used to secure the trims in place
We used some pretty Probolt fittings - they may not have been cheap but they finish it off nicely. GBS suggested using rivets but we were concerned the plastic would split under the pressure and also didn't think they would look that great...
General faffage
Couldn't figure out why the brake warning light was constantly on dimly. A quick swot up of the Haynes manual and it transpires there's a resistor across the Mazda level sensor. Quick snip and we were free and clear!
The stock handbrake release button was a bit sticky - so we bent the release rod with a punch to gain the clearance required and all was right with the world again.
Sticking in the clutch non return thingy so the pushrod doesn't jam/fall out and strengthening the pedal box so it doesn't bend as much when using the accelerator (better photo to follow when we next open it up)
Final bits and pieces
The wing mirrors were IVA trimmed and attached - dont forget a nut cap on the back. Check the size of you mirrors... somehow, the original ones we purchased were too small...
The chassis plate got rivited on - very posh! We went for the side of the pedal box - must be on the drivers side somewhere
A bit more IVA trim went on and the cables were tidied up with zip ties
GBS provided us with the VIN number and Kathryn engraved it onto the chassis with a Dremel hand engraver Matt had lying around (of course) - nerve wracking much! We tried using punches on some scrap but it was never going to work or look neat. We think it turned out pretty well! The car was hand built after all, so it's a nice personal touch to add. (Post IVA it got filled with silver nail varnish to stop any rust from setting in)
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