Tonks's Berg Cup Car

[Bram]

Respect Brian! Nice progress

[Tonks4x4]

My list to finish now is...

Exhaust, coolant plumbing, vac and breather plumbing and wiring!!!!

Also still need to fit column and gear linkage inside....

I don't think it will be ready but I will make it pretty to look at, at ADI

[Tonks4x4]

Had a couple of hours play time today, spent most of the time faffing with brake pipes and trying to bleed the brakes. I am going to need a new front caliper as the nipple is non existent!

Started to get the Corsa column mounted into the correct position.

As I am using a RHD column in a LHD car I have used it what i believe is upside down to how it would be fitted in the Corsa so that I have more room for the electric motor.

I also unbolted the column ECU from the column so that can me mounted elsewhere so again I have more space to get the column tucked up high out the way.

I have chopped out the old mounting from behind the dash and have tacked in a few new brackets to get the position.

Once the column is out again these can be fully welded and a few more reinforcements can be made just in case.

I have also moved the column 30mm towards the driver,this is not essential but suited my driving position better.





My little electric box of tricks landed from eBay so I plugged it in, gave it a 12v live and an earth and it all works

Without it attached to the rack I can spin the column with my finger tips and with it set to hard I have to grab it fairly hard to be able to turn it.

More on that when I receive my new Bambridge adjusters and bushes on Tuesday, I should be able to get the steering finished

[A80Avant]

can you also fit the electric pump on S2/RS2 style engines to get rid of the power steering all together? or would you advise against that?

[AndyP]

That looks awesome

[Tonks4x4]

Got angry with the car tonight so thrown the towel in!

I ordered a steering wheel boss from eBay which landed and came with the wrong size splines.

So after a dozen phone calls it appears that everyone has no stock of the actual one I need, so a quick call to Megavox in Nottingham to get an original steering wheel and out with the 9 inch grinder to hack it to pieces.

1/2 an hour in the lathe allowed me to turn it down to resemble something like I needed.



This was then screwed back to the crush style wheel boss



Now on to the switchgear. I cut the 3 mounting lugs off the steering lock for where the column switches mount to. And then turned the centre out on the lathe so it would sleeve over the Corsa column.




It was at this point things started to go wrong, firstly the job jumped out the lathe, then it split once sleeving it onto the column then the cheap monkey metal on the top of the Corsa column would not TIG weld!!!

So I managed to get a few tacks to retain it in position and have then gone right round it with chemical metal which has held it spot on.

This allowed me to mount the column switches and the steering wheel now fits and the horn ring and indicator cancel work as they should.





So on to mounting the key barrel.

Offered it all into position of where I want it but then came to plug it in and it fouls the column mounting bracket.

So I have spat my dummy out, swept all the tools in the garage and have gone home.

On a positive side, I have managed to buy some original carbon engine covers for the engine off eBay so they got bolted on.



And I have done a deal with an alloy fab company at Newark-on-Trent to make me a custom radiator that will more than adequately cool the RS4 engine on a track day session. So need to get the old 1.8 one over to them so they have some dimensions to work from.

[Tonks4x4]

Well the dummy has been retrieved and the toys have been placed neatly back in the pram...

I forgot to post last night, but I managed to get some bits done.

The bushes and adjusters for the track rods landed from Bambridge yesterday, so stripped down both track rods, descaled, zinc primed, painted, lacquered, adjusted, bushed and re fitted.

So that is the steering under the bonnet now complete.

While I was doing this the wind was really bad last night and I was in fear of the bonnet taking off and folding back to the screen. So..... Ash suggested that I fit a gas ram to keep it steady for when it is parked up at shows.

After an hour of faffing about it was fitted, but then I was not happy as when the bonnet was up it looked floppy on the other side, so that ended up having another one fitted on the other side



It has made the bonnet very heavy to close but it worked out well that when the bonnet is nearly closed the rams have gone over centre and are then forcing it closed so there is less risk of the bonnet popping up.

When I came to roll the car around the garage it is now catching the original front wings on the tyres due to the extra weight of the new engine.

So I marked round the inside of the arches as the maximum I could take out then left a further 10mm to play with later if required.





This was then neatened up, stone chipped and painted black up to the green line. The arches were refitted and there is now plenty of clearance under the arches above the tyre.

Tonight I managed to sort the small shaft from the column to the rack with a UJ. Cleaned up and made gussets for the column mounting brackets, primed and painted all the new steelwork and finally re fitted the steering column for what I hope is the last time.

The column ECU has now been relocated and fits neatly just above the column motor



Then for mounting the RS4 fly by wire gas pedal.

A small steel triangular bracket was made to be welded to the bulkhead and then fixed into a comfortable position



Next was to make the small switch/gauge panel that fits into the centre heater vent location. As I am trying to make the car look fairly authentic inside I have copied the design from the car in Ingolstadt.

I have mounted a push start switch, a volt gauge and the control for my steering assistance on the electric rack. I will also put 2 small toggle switches in there for the front and rear diff lock actuation.



Then to make me smile I have wired up the volt meter and the starter signal wire, so finally the engine has made a noise!!!!! Far from running yet though!



I don't know if I had already mentioned it but the gear linkage and clutch is all piped up and functioning too.

More tomorrow night.....

[gc77]

This project is flying along . It took me 8hours to change a gear box and transfer box on the dirty disco yesterday .
Gary.

[jogi730]

Just 2 days to ADI - do you think she will be ready and running?
Good luck with her though

[Tonks4x4]

This project is flying along . It took me 8hours to change a gear box and transfer box on the dirty disco yesterday .
Gary.

Lol it took me exactly 2 hours to change a clutch on a 300Tdi Discovery on Tuesday morning

[Tonks4x4]

Just 2 days to ADI - do you think she will be ready and running?
Good luck with her though

It is going to ADI on the trailer, but I still don't think it will be running...

I still have no crank position sensor sorted, the exhaust manifolds still need making, I don't get the radiator until tomorrow, I have no maf yet from eBay, I have no oil cooler

And the ecu's have not been decoded.

But I guess there is still a few hours of tinkering time to go at so will see how it goes....

[gc77]

Lol it took me exactly 2 hours to change a clutch on a 300Tdi Discovery on Tuesday morning

If i had the internet in the garage i would of asked the best way to get the two top bolts out of the bell housing beat:. And you could of told me trying to lift them both on your own is not a good idea. Lesson learned

[Tonks4x4]

Little update, glad everyone liked what they saw at ADI, just a shame I failed the challenge this year to have it running on time.

Still awaiting items to land from eBay

I did however receive the MAF sensor. Which is a separate component to the tube it mounts into.

I have asked on every forum I am registered on for an RS4 airbox lid so I could cut the tube off.

However no reply so.....

A length of 4" poo pipe, a hole saw and a little 1 1/2" sink soil pipe created the following





I have mocked up a loom for the fly by wire pedal and have the proper plastic moulded plug to wire it into thanks to Mike. Just need to order some electric crimps the correct size tomorrow from Vehicle Wiring Products.

[Tonks4x4]

Oh and my sexy radiator landed so that can be fitted once I receive my 60-2 wheel and sensor, I need the space to fit them both before the rad goes in fully

[Kliminati456]

This thing just keeps getting cooler and cooler. Awesome work Tonks