1973 Volvo P1800ES on MX5 chassis with Ford 5L V8 conversion

So, with the front sheet-metal fit and the heat exchanger(S)  mounting sorted, I pulled the front apart, put the car on the tilter and started to tackle the list of items that need to be installed below.

Being very glad that I am not actually doing this from below!

In a concurrent order of assembly, need to fabricate the exhaust, relocate all the hydraulic plumbing, fab the driveshaft, fab a new gearbox mount cause I don't  really like what I did,

 mount a fuel tank after deciding what tank to buy and sort the interface of the Miata shifter to the Ford AOD gearbox.



125 days to go.

Lots going on all at the same time, and precious little to show as picture progress. I feel like a juggler with about 20 balls in the air.

I need to finish the hydraulic plumbing so that I can paint the engine compartment. In order to paint the engine compartment I need to put the front clip on to stay. Before I can do that I need to finish the exhaust and driveshaft work under the car. and so on....

The new shortened and balanced driveshaft arrived today. In case you are wondering what the square tube is there for, it is to establish a common  plane for the exhaust; no part shall dip below the plane established by the square tube.  The tube also serves as a handy method to clamp exhaust pieces in place while I desperately try to figure out how I am going to make round tubelike bits to interconnect it all. You see, this is my first exhaust system that I have ever built, and it is "interesting" work.




In the engine compartment I have managed to get the front brake lines routed to the flex line interface. While it is nice to see parts in the engine compartment, this all comes out so I can paint the engine bay ( soon I hope)





Once painted, the shortcut holes that I made for the brakelines will get a grommet to protect the line.

Thanks for the encouragement.

I almost forgot, the missus and I just got back from the paint store where she picked out the final color. No metallic in the paint should make it much easier to shoot.

looking good. its going to be good when its all done

Yesterdays task was to convert one of my power assisted steering racks into a manual rack. Folled the Flying Miata tutorial on how to do this the proper way by removing internal seals that would add drag.

www.flyinmiata.com/tech/depower.php

It was a straightforward job complicated by the fact that the rack I started with was just a curse word looking as the one at the bottom. This took three whole beers to finish.



While I do have some concerns about the parking lot effort that will be required, I am willing to take the chance since it makes my life so much easier under the hood when it comes to mounting spiny bits and bobs to the front of the engine. Plus it is one less thing to go wrong on the finished car.

Got a bunch of other stuff crossed off the list during the week-off, but the big one that is waiting on parts is the exhaust system. 

109 days left.

Having had no powersteering since August last year, and only just getting it going again three days ago, it's not really that bad. It's HEAPS easier with it, but it's not really that hard to navigate without it. Just position yourself so you are reversing the tighter corners and it's easier to throw the wheel around
I will say, though, that road feel is sooo much better without it. I can safely ignore the judder at 70km/h now as the power steering dampens it. 

I think I'd want some sort of heat-shield over the exhaust, just to be sure.

as above, you'll want a heat shield there.

Modern cars use a silvered aluminium type material, go to a local breakers and grab several and you can probably make one work.

(btw it's awesome to see this come together, I'm secretly happy you have a deadline as it's enforcing progress!)

Looks oe to me.