Restoration Schedule

This is our current schedule of works. We are now putting in lots of hours to allow up to finish the Elephant for Summer 2009 - so keep an eye on this schedule - there should always be something happenning...

 

  • New Rad & Fan - August 2008
    Design and have fabricated a new radiator with uprated twin fans, to replace the original single unit. A twin-core aluminium unit will be fabricated to fit the nose perfectly. Before this can be done there is much grinding to do on the inside of the nose to allow for easier installation. Lovely job!

    We will also upgrade the rad fittings to allow for installation without having to bolt right through the bodywork - this minimising the attractive rusty staining on the front-end paintwork...
  • Let's go all sparky! - August 2008
    Before the shell leaves we also have to plan the ancilleries and lighting loom for the front of the car (it didn't really have one before...) and mock up to fit.

    Modifications will include wiring for the two radiator new fans, along with an over-ride switch to replace the original single fan unit.

    We will also be designing & fabricating new stainless steel mounting units for the twin Hella headlamps to allow them to adjust properly. These will be fitted with UK spec dip & beam lamps to replace the original continental dip-the-wrong-way units! What was all that about then?
  • Surface & Design - September 2008
    Having completed our in-house bodywork tasks, along with giving the engine bay some TLC, the shell will then be going to Surface & Design for some bottom end and engine bay finishing. Due to the fact that the engine cannot be taken out of the car with the body on, this task has to be performed now...
  • Re-fit the Holden Lump - September 2008
    Having collected the rebuilt V8 Holden lump, which will have been fully bench dyno'd, we will then spend many happy hours re-installing it into the chassis.

    Even though the chassis has been widened to accommodate the larger Australian unit, re-installation will still be a very tight squeeze as the manifolds actually have to sit inside the chassis rails and the engine slips down between them - so not the easiest job in our schedule...

    Unfortunately the Holden V8 cannot be taken out of the car with the body on, so we must carry out this install before we can take the completed rolling chassis to Surface and Design to mount the newly painted shell back where it belongs. Hopefully with having had the engine bench dyno'd it should be completely leak and trouble free. Quite a novelty for a race engine!
  • Body on the Chassis - October 2008
    So having installed the engine and gearbox into the chassis, and the bottom end bodywork completed, we can now put the two together for the first time in 3 years.

    The Surface & Design team, with much encouragement from some old factory regulars, will help re-fit the body on the chassis.

    It's been a long time coming - but well worth the wait.

    A momentus day!

© 2008 Howard Bryan