Throttle Pedal Wiring

Because the electronic throttle unit is on the opposite side of the bulkhead in the drivers footwell, I needed a way to get the cable and plug through without leaving a big hole.

I decided to design a piece that would allow this.  Basically I worked out what minimum size of hole I needed for the plug and then worked from there.  The cable itself, within the flexible conduit, could fit through a standard 20mm grommet.  This meant I could create a piece from aluminium to cover the hole up once the connector had passed through.  Again, I used Solidworks to design and a local company Ocean Kinetics to mill it for me.  I polished it on the polisher before passing the wire through it and fitting to the bulkhead with M5 button head set screws.  I had to dis-assemble the connector to get it through.

Heater Pipes - Installed

I fitted the GD supplied stainless heater pipes which are fitted to the chassis inside the engine bay.  This allowed me to fit the 90 degree heater hoses to link my stainless tubes to the heater matrix.  I used a stainless steel joiner along with stainless jubilee clips (not shown on photo) to join the hoses.

Car Electrics

I researched a bit on types of batteries since I wanted to get a battery as big and powerful as possible.  I decided to go for an Optima Red-Top battery which is a sealed AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) type.  This is designed as an ultimate starting battery which delivers "a strong burst of ignition power".  Measuring the battery meant that I cut a small bit out of the stainless battery tray to ensure it was going to fit.  I went for the RTU 4.2 version.  My plan is to use the front connections as a charging point linked to an Anderson connector in the engine bay.

I also have decided to fit a battery brain which cuts off the battery if you accidentally leave anything switched on.  This allows you still to be able to start the car once you switch it back on again.  It can also be used as an anti-theft device since it comes with coded remotes to switch it on and off.

I mounted this in the front passenger wheel well and made off the ends of all the cables once cut to length.  The photos don't show it, but I have fitted the battery clamp and connected the main wire to the starter too.

Brake & Clutch Fluid Reservoirs

I decided to use 3x single reservoirs for the brake & clutch fluid.  I also decided that I wanted to run the flexible brakes hoses inside the bulkhead so that they weren't in the engine bay crossing the steering column.

The supplied brackets for the reservoirs were just plated steel so the first thing to do was create a new 1-piece stainless steel bracket that held all 3 reservoirs.  I measured them and then drew up a plan using Solidworks.  The reservoirs I used have a float with test switch built in, which is an IVA requirement (along with the stickers).  They came with just a hose connection, but since I wanted to use flexible hoses, I removed the connection, drilled and fitted aluminium -AN4 fittings with o rings which could then fit to bulkhead connectors to go to the master cylinders.

Where the front, rear and clutch fittings come up to in the engine bay, I marked where holes should go for 90 degree end flexible hoses.  I could then determine if it was all going to fit.

Once the bracket was made, I assembled the 3 reservoirs along with 90 degree fittings.  This then allowed me to work out where on the bulkhead these could be mounted.  I used masking tape and drew on a grid on the bulkhead and fitted the bracket with double sided tape.  This allowed me to stick the bracket to the bulkhead and close the bonnet.  From the front wheel well, I could look in with a torch and look at the marked grid to see where it could be moved.

Because of the fuel pressure regulator, and bonnet height it doesn't fit perfectly as desired.  I had to offset one of the holes in the bulkhead coming from the high pressure side of the master cylinder.

I then connected up the fluid level switch wires and should now just require the stickers.

Cylinder Head Steam Vents - Update

You may remember when I was working with the cylinder head steam vents.  I managed to install the vent pipework, however I had to modify the inlet to the expansion tank.  The braided hose couldn't expand enough to fit onto the GD supplied tank, so I had to weld on a short 6mm stainless tube to allow the hose to fit.  The photos below shows the unmodified fitment and the route of the hose.

The hose was routed under the fuel injector wires and so is a very neat install.

Wheels have Arrived!

My new Image Wheels arrived, so I obviously tried one on the car to see how it will look.  I went for CHB Image Wheels with satin black centres with nut covers and spinners.  I think they look better on than off!  Can't wait to get tyres fitted.

For tyres, GD recommend Michelin Pilot Super Sports for road use.  I initially was thinking to fit track day tyres, however after speaking with a few people, these tyres need to run at a high temperature to operate and to to this you need to drive the car hard.  For normal driving on public roads, you won't be able to get the tyres up to temperature.  The Michelin tyres get very good reviews online, and I have spoken to a few people who have them and recommend them.  I just need to buy some now.....  245/40/18 on the front, and 275/40/18 on the rear.

Fuel Supply - Complete

I fitted a couple of stainless P-Clips to the supply and return hoses that fit to the bulkhead fittings in the boot to satisfy the requirements of the IVA.

I was concerned about the smell of fuel in the boot of the car, along with the garage so I did some research online and came up with the following: 

• Standard rubber fuel hoses won't leak fuel, however the fumes will pass through them.  For this reason, PTFE lined hoses need to be used to prevent this.  I used Goodridge 811 Series PTFE hose. 
• The fuel tank requires to be vented for the filling and emptying of the tank in normal operation.  This basically means that the fuel tank is open to the atmosphere and therefore vents into your garage when the vehicle is at rest.  Normal production cars have systems that feed the fuel tank vents back into the engine through an emissions control system.  Since this is far too complicated to do, I chose a different method.
• I found a two way valve from Newton Equipment Ltd (TPV8) that states that the valve remains closed when the engine is switched off, therefore preventing fuel smells in the garage.  The valve allows the fuel tank to breath when both filling and emptying and can be mounted in any orientation.

I mounted the Newton valve inside the N/S rear footwell as high up as it could be mounted.  Hopefully this will clear the tyre!  This involved drilling a hole through from the boot and using some P-Clips to mount the valve.  On the outlet of the valve I fitted a standard fuel filter just more as a dirt filter to prevent dirt being sucked into the tank.  I used stainless jubilee clips with hose end covers.  I sealed the hose exit using some sealant to prevent water ingress.

Before fitting the tank and making up the last of the fuel hoses from the pumps, I covered the tank and boot in Silent Coat sound deadening pads.  These make a huge difference to the resonance of the fibreglass and the stainless fuel tank.  I really went to town with it, maybe a bit too much, but I didn't want to have steps in the carpet once it was laid.  I did the boot floor, wheel arches, rear bulkhead, main seating area, engine bulkhead and under the dashboard.  It has added a good bit of weight!

Once the fuel tank was in position, I cut the fuel pump wires to length and crimped the ends.  This will all require clipping into place, but I will wait until I finalise the rest of the boot lights.

The wiring harness from the pumps was run through the passenger footwell and clipped using P-Clips.  The heateed seat wiring was also joined in with the run.  This wiring will be covered with tape prior to the carpets being glued in position.