Meg and John build a GTM - July 1999

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June 1999

August 1999

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After the excitement of the engine, we are into a month of odds and ends. It was clear that we were not going to achieve the ambition of getting the car (legally) to the August festivities at the GTM factory. Just as well really, it was effectively washed out.
Jobs done were -
More work to make front end of gearchange work. Fitted small anti-rotation bolts. When this was done, I started the car (fired up instantly) and drove it out of and into the garage!
Improved fit of front cover - just needs patience and common sense!
Finished fitting front lights

Fitted heater screen vents - some invention needed here.
Straightened wiper arm - as standard it bends the wrong way. A big hammer and a big vice resolved this.
Reset ride height
Finished heater and other bits and bobs under dash
Tidied up interior
A bigger job was to stiffen the bottom of the engine cover moulding with a thin glass fibre sandwich. Its big and flops about too much for my liking. Semi-successful but needs more work. While I had the resin mixed I did the long awaited repair to the steering column fixings.
Also fitted straps to fix electrics and plumbing down the sides of the cockpit. I wish that I had paid more attention to how they were grouped when I fitted everything but its too late now. I could be posh and say

that I fabricated some polycarbonate straps. This is true, but the polycarbonate was cut from a lemonade bottle. Worked very well.
Also started work on the hood. This is unnecessary really at this sage, but after all the little jobs lasting the best part of a month, I was desperate to do something that made the car look different. If you take your time, and follow the instructions, it all goes well. That is if you have the instructions!! I thought it all seemed a bit difficult until I realised that they were missing.
One thing I did do was move the fuel filter away from the exhaust so that any leaks or spills would go somewhere else!