The Reeves Mk1 - 2006/7 rebuild, Spa vid p18, Ring trip p24, PVW cover car Jan 2011

Carbon or glass panels have been crossed off due to the spiralling costs of going that route more than anything else. It just adds chunks and chunks to it tbh. I think you're right in the speed sense though - power to weight is very good anyway.

 

Chris, great to see progress being made. Look forward to seeing it back out on track.

Will the car be fitted with a passenger seat from the off this time round? I'd happily pay to passenger in the car the next time its out, the event at Curborough a couple of years ago was fantastic before the off.

 

I think passenger rails will be put in, and I'm sure the chap that's in charge of rebuilding it would equally like "the full passenger treatment" when it's back on track.

The seat's not often fitted, partly for space, and partly because it changes the balance of the car - though M had commented on this before, I could actually spot the difference when doing the passenger runs at Curborough (compared to passengerless runs the eve before).

It would be nice to do some more passenger runs at some stage, but it's not my call (though Curborough was my instigation)

 

lookin good will it be at the next vag day at coombe ? seems to be a bit of a curse on it when its at coombe , hope thats not the case in 07

 

would love a few laps in the passenger seat, can you add me to the list chris.
it would be a mk1 thing

 

Any more goodness for us Chris?

 

I've not been along to the garage since the last lot of pics, but I hear there's some oil cooler pipes on the way, and then the engine's ready to start.

Wiring I think is mostly done (it needed a bit of sort through). Oh, and it's on its wheels.

Will drop by the garage again when there's more visual progress to capture.

 

Thanks Chris, looking forward to seeing some more up close pics for us fans.

 

Lovely illustration of the build... following some simple rules

1. Remove Everything
2. Only put back the bits that it won't run without.

That shell looks really solid... is it really that clean or has the welding just been done very neatly - I only spotted a couple of bits...

I'm surprised it didn't go to visit a big acid tank first... and that there's no holesaw 'bitemarks' in the pillars, etc. I guess it's light enough though!

EDIT: and praise to the clever bloke that invented the tyre barrier... that was a big impact to walk away from!

 

The shell's not seam welded end to end - only a few bits, plus the cage, so you're probably looking for things that aren't there.

Relatively speaking, it's a like-for-like shell replacement so acid baths etc weren't warranted.

The Mk2's got some holesawing to the C-pillars, but the pieces that came out, say from an inch dia holesaw, weighed nothing, so it's just not thought worth the time.

 

Could be worse Chris :

 

Fair enough...looks like a solid and tidy shell to start with though... not many left like that.

 

Yippee, i found it on my HD......










Hows that .

 

So if it was brake failure can any clues/tips be given as to quite what failed or went wrong?

 

Thanks Mike - cheers for digging that out.

Debated and then some on the Combe thread from earlier in the summer.

 

Chris i know a some of the Lotus races cars did change from magnesium wheels back to alloy as the mags didnt give such a good heat sink as the alloys and caused the brakes to over heat cv's get to hot etc, might be a long shot but worth a look.

The rebuild is looking good, cant wait to see it out again next year .

 

Thanks Graham

Managed a quick flyby at the garage yesterday, so a few more pics.

Intercooler's in:



Same one as before (now repaired), though previously black, hence probably less obvious. Probably overengineered tbh, but has been in the car since 2001, so it stays.

Underbonnetness:









Oil cooler now on OSF inner wing, with ducting planned. Previously underbumper as some may recall - was never ideal there, hence moving it:



Weight's been moved back a bit IIRC:



Electrics nearly there...



... Haltech ECU in:



Instruments getting there:

 

lots of work done looks impressive what happened to the roof mounted rear wing that was on it a few years back was it considered too chav ? or did it not provide the down force needed ?

 

wow thats all i can say !

 

I see he's keeping the heaters in .

Are they filling in the bumper holes Chris on the front?





EDIT: under the rear panel when the spare wheel well is removed i am sure there is under car drag as the air passes underneath it hits the panel as it over hangs under the car (much worse on the mk1), & without bracing the centre (normaly attaches to bottom of wheel well) it was enough over time to make mine split away along the welds at far left & right of panel.



You could either put holes along the bottom half of the panel to let the air pass through & cut drag (which i might be doing on mine before fitting) or you could put a sheet there coming off the bottom of the panel toward where the tank is to flow better but the exhaust might be a problem?