Yep there will be one vertical brace either side I need to go buy the tubing for that tomorrow as I've ran out

And it will be going from the strut brace upwards the roof loop above it but right next to the sus mount

I was thinking something like the items in yellow ??

yea the yellow bars look like a good ida as there will be a lot of up a down force on that rear strut mounting point

going over potholes etc

another quick update but haven't touched the car since last friday :(

but il be getting back onto it tomorrow and also setting up my new Lathe so if you need any parts machining let me know guys :)

new front 4pot upgrade

and started my vernier pulleys for the afh engine ready for fitting the decomp plate to re adjust cam timing to acomodate the movement in belt teeth

will finish these hopefully this week or next then i can start building up the top end of the engine with decomp plate etc once i have a bit of spare dollarzzzzz

and also inner sill bracing from mid rollcage bottom mounts to front

i will finish these and weld them in tomoz and hopefully get the rear sus mounts up/down bracing in

before:

after:

will maybe have more updates tomorrow night if not then next week

just had a mega busy week this last one

Edited 3 November, 201213 yr by StinkyPete

so more progress today

set my new lathe up in my garage

then got back onto the polo

more rear sus mount bracing for the up/down movements

and for Nigel i had planned on something like this but i just went with your idea as it seemed too good to ignore

need to finish the one for the other side yet and tack weld in place and I'm not going to go with the upper diagonal as i think its overkill for what i have now anyway

but i am going to add this bit at the front

front drivers side inner sill brace

View through rear window

so its really coming along now and il be getting more done this week :) proper feel like I'm getting somewhere now

and the lathe is amazing cant wait to start making stuff on it so let me know if you want anything people i will be starting to sell parts from next week as i have a few ideas for parts i know people will want

Haha that lathe is amazing,

How much was it?

the lathe has set me back £500 not cheap but well worth it to me and i got a independant 4 jaw chuck and quick change tool post with it and the carbide tipped tools are in the post :) more accesories at payday and for my bday and crimbo which are both coming up very soon

I'm jealous!!

I am loving this build Pete keep it up man!!

:( can't help but think this needs better planning, rather than just diving into it and thinking as you go along

Dude this things gonna weigh a tonne with all that steel surely? Plus the 4wd system ect

I have a main plan but there's nothing wrong with adding extra bracing and altering the design and other things as I go along to accommodate and get around problems I find

Don't forget I'm sort of doing this blind as its not been done much at all before I only know of 2-3 others in the world not saying there isn't more out there though and there isn't a lot to go on especially as mine is nothing like theirs in a lot of ways if you compare ie different engines, different rear running gear, different rear suspension setups, I could go on tbh.

And it will be sub 900kg aiming for 800kg though so will hopefully be about 250 bhp to the tonne at 900 kg so nothing wrong with that is there

and I haven't started lightening it yet so wait til I do then criticise or help up to you so please wait until I get to that stage

Just seems you could think it through better, half the steel, more presentable but still functional and strong?

Vertical brace on the strut just looks silly, more like scaffolding as apposed to a suspension mount.

I'm not trying ti criticise, was asking a question

I wasn't having a go Eric was just saying mate and I have put further back in the thread about weight saving later on

And tbh if it does weigh a lot who cares its a 4wd breadvan lol it's gunna be fun no matter what

And Nick it can't be planned 100% a lot of things can't they have to be altered during prototyping etc but I don't have the advantages of that as its a home build and I'm having fun jumping in and doing it

I wouldn't say it could be with less steel tbh the other two I have seen have roughly the same just in different places to me as I've said they aren't too alike

And what's not presentable :/

And the rear vertical isn't just for the sus mounting its also to help with chassis rigidity in the rear and tieing it together

If I did have a crash or roll it you need to think I've got my fuel tank, battery, maybe air tank and valves all in the back so the stronger its reinforced the better

Plus it's my project I can do it how I like lol everyone has different ways of doing things don't they

Edited 5 November, 201213 yr by StinkyPete

I know I ain't been here long and dont have much of a say but let the man do his work lads its his car he can do how he wants he's gone this far I'm sure he can figure the rest out......crack on pete :-)

This is awesome, is it far off being full spaceframe?

Was just my input, I'm sure will work & I respect you for doing it all, machining is top notch too, I know a lot have an opinion which may not be "positive" but don't voice it.

I'm sure once it's all together, painted and everything in its place will look a lot better.

How come you've gone for the new suspension top mounts btw?

P.s pete let us in on these production ideas then.....what arrrrr u sssellllinn :-)

What welder are you using then pete?

I do appreciate the input Nick honestly I do and I don't mean to sound like I'm having a go back

And I do want the criticism to go with the praise to help me obviously as you know people can get blind to obvious things that others might see and this is why I've gone public with the build and not just brought it out once its finished

I want the extra help and opinions a long the way

And do you mean the new suspension mounts against the standard mk1 golf front ones I was going to use if so it's because these came up cheap on eBay although I was looking to use them later on and I had been checking out other space framed cars such as the rwd bike engines mk1 fiesta which I love

And because it gives me extra camber and castor adjustability to add to the rest of the stuff down below

Max the welder is a Sealey Siegen 130 amp mini mig but also have a new 170 amp arc welder too now so just need a tig really or I might see what mig welding ally is like do you have any experience of that if so what's it like

Obviously with ally welding wire and pure argon gas

The production parts I will let out once I have finished designing and prototyping them although some things I plan to do have already been tested on my car so I know they work

I aim to have it fully space framed and I will be starting on the bay soon in the next month or so just need to finish the floor bracing and the tranny tunnel most of which I already have designs for in my head

How have I never seen this thread. Absolutely stunning stuff here pal, some right work!

nah no experience with ally, its something you learn in a few years!

a mates mate of mine whos done a few jobs for me in the past is a proffesional kit car designer and fabricator,

search MK engineering on google, if you need anything doing contact him.

that name rings a bell Max sounds familiar

also may do a little update soon :)

quick little update

got more done on the vernier pulleys

ally discs machined down o/d wise to fit in pulleys now and back recessed for the pulley shape

then tapped the inner pulley holes

pictures

now fits inside the pulley :)

pulley recess at back

for this bit on the pulley in the centre

pulley tapped and bolts installed

back of pulley so far

also did alot of measuring and marking up of bracing parts so i can get them all cut and shaped ready for welding in in one big go :)

Looking good bud!

Haha,..

E X H A U ...ah fuck ST

Look good with counter sunk bolts, i never like using them though.

Really would recommend not tapping the OEM pulley too, there so shit. Your better off using through bolts, which will allow you to actually clamp the two pieces together.