jason_l

*** Christmas Update *** Well as i said in my last post i had thursday/friday off this week to work on the buggy and im really happy with what we got done. This was the last time i am working on the buggy till next year now as JDModified are closed between crimbo and the new year and i won't have a chance to get up there before hand. This doesn't mean that i will be stopping work on the buggy as i have taken measurements/pieces away with me and i have a huge amount of parts to get on with! Anyway, when i got up there on Thursday it was great to see that James had a few hours spare during the week and he got the rear light clusters and the rear harness bar all welded in place. Gives a better idea of what the rear end will lokk like and i think it looks great, im glad i got rid of the hamburger style rear lights as they are not my cup of tea. rear lights........ Harness bar.......... The aim over the 2 days was to get the seating in its correct place and get the steering coloumn removed and repositioned as im not happy with its location. We started on the seating and working at a relaxed pace this was done and all in by the end of the first day. Now the normal way to fix the seats is to fix them through the checker plate floor but we both wanted something stronger as at the end of the day safety is a big issue with this thing! The seats are angled inwards slightly to give more room for the centre tunnel but these will be straightened up later if there is room to do so. Then yesterday we turned our attention to sorting out the steering. I was a bit hesitant to cut the steering off but after the outcome i am so happy we did. The whole steering assembly was removed and cut away from the car and pedal box. After it was all cleaned up i then sat in the buggy and held the steering assembly at a comfortable position. Everthing was measured up and a new connecting piece made up. Then with me sat in the car holding it in the correct position it was tacked and then fully welded up. steering removed.... steering hanging off..............lol steering in its new location....... from the front............ While i was there talk turned to gear linkages and that was clearly on the list as one of the next things to work on. James mentioned that the mr2 linkage was work a look at as of course they are designed for a rear engined car and he said that the throw was relatively short also. There was a mr2 in the workshop that is being broken down for parts and james has very kindly given me the gear linkage and cables from it for free! I roughly positioned these in the car and all i can say is wow!!!!! Its a perfect fit between the seats and the position we have planned for it is just spot on. Its right next to the steering wheel and changing gear will mean i have to move my hand off the wheel about 6 inch's if that. I tried the seating position and all i can say is i am actually in love with this thing now! The seating position is just amazing, i can honestly say its the best seating position that i have tried. Its very snug and everything is just perfect. here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what its like....... The whole area back from the gearlinkage will be boxed in to create a armrest/handbrake area taht will just improve the driving position even more. Thats it for pictures, for now people :D Im going to my work workshop today to begin making up the frame for the gear linkage and handbrake and will post pics when i have them. While i was up there i also got the radiator measured up and will complete the framework over christmas (this has already been underway) and i have the arch brackets welded up as well so i can begin buying up the arch's and getting them ready for fitting. I have a few plans for the arch's that are a bit different from the norm in terms of fitting them and im hoping that it will work out but we will see. Also the other day i managed to get some Gaz coilover brackets/springs for the rear coilovers for an absolute bargain on ebay :D So i can continue getting the bits laser cut that i need to finish off the welding to the rear chassis. As always people any comments/questions are always greatly helpfull. :D Jason :)

From memory it unclips at the bottom first! If your current one is broken then you have nothing to loose.... what i did was get 2 blunt knifes (table knifes) and push the mirror at the top so that it is angled up as far as it will go. Gently get the 2 knifes and lever the glass off from the bottom. It should unclip at the bottom first and the top clips will just gently pull off. replace with new glass and clip back into place. Clip it in at the top first then the bottom clips. Hope this makes sense..... :D Jason :P

*** Update **** Got up to JDModified yesterday and although it was a slow day a have a few other bits to update so here it is. The last few weeks i have been working on a few bits that are now prepped and ready to be welded onto the buggy. These have been left with them and will be added in the next week or so. The first thing was to get the harness bar made. This was a bit of guess work as i didn't have the buggy with me to check fitment. I roughly measured it and checking fitment yesterday it is pretty much spot on. detail of the inserts before welding........ I Also settled on a final design for the rear light clusters and i decided to put the reverse lamps in the cluster as well. So i just need to add the rear fog, this will be placed under the number plate in the middle of the car. This is what they looked like just after they where lazer cut out without being cleaned up. I got them made from 5mm steel so that they will have a 2.5mm radius to keep mr IVA happy :D They have all been rounded off and have bolts ready for the lights to be fitted in place. Also been working on the side vents for the rear. These came with raised strips over them which i really don't like so i decided to remove them. Im still working on these and i almost have one done but they take alot of sanding, checking, sanding again etc. This is what they looked like when they arrived....... and this is what they look like after a good sanding and a bit of primer. Loads better i think......... The adjustable spoiler has also been welded in place now and doesn't look to bad to be honest. Yes the spoiler itself is MDF but it is just a jig that was used to get the correct spacing of the brackets. The finished spoiler will either be made from Carbon or green Acrylic. Not too sure yet........ While i was up there yesterday the only thing i really managed to get done was to grind a couple of mounts off the back that i no longer need and where in the way of where the harness bar will go. I really didn't feel 100% but had to get something done. And a few more pics i got......... I will be up there on the 10/11/12th of December to finish off the seating and steering. We have decided to make up some steel box section seat rails for strength rather than just bolt them to the floor and the steering position is just all wrong. Plan is to cut the steering off and lower it and move it over to make it more comfortable and in the correct position. I have taken the radiator away with me as next on my list of things to work on is the mounts for the rad and the fan attachments. Thats it for now people, as always im happy to answer any questions/comments. :D Jason :P

Thanks mate, always nice to have some posative comments :D I knew pwople would be reading this and not posting up and i don't mind, i will continue adding posts as it helps me keep track of what i did when, and how flippin long its taking me Jason :D

*** Update time *** Well i got up to JDModified again and got straight on with it :D James managed to get the old shock mounts removed from the front of the buggy during the week which means that things went alot easier today. The goal of the day today was to at least get the front done and the buggy back to a rolling chassis as it has been chocked at the front for the last week or so. Started by test fitting the coilovers to see if they would actually fit and they looked like a good fit. I decided to ditch the brackets i had for the front as it would have been a bit more work and wouldn't have worked out as good as it could. I decided to use some small bits of steel angle that meant the coilovers would sit perfectly in line with the upper mounts. As the upper mounts are slightly different and one leans forward and one leans back it made sense for both the struts to have their own bracket. Got them tacked in place and they looked like this. As you can see they don't line up with one another but they line up perfectly with the upper mounts and are central to the car so are in the correct place. Then finished off the welding and finally after lots of faffing about now have the coilovers on the car!!!! Yay, and i think they look great. Will look good when the buggy is sprayed green as the red springs will look pretty cool. Looks loads better i think and although i doubt it will make much difference with the front end being as light as it is anyway but made sense to do things correctly first time round. If it helps with the handling one little bit then its been worth it in my opinion. Also in the picture above you will see the 2nd version of the rear light clusters that will now include the reverse lights in them. The rear fog will still be kept seperate and will be placed under the number plate on its own. I also started to look very carefully at the seating position and the steering wheel position which to be honest is cack! Got the drivers side floor removed as we are going to weld in a proper frmae for the seats as we both feel that just bolting them to the chequer plate floor just isn't good enough. Seats will be fixed in a position that is comfortable for me, which is pretty much right the way back anyway :D I cleaned up the rear roll bar a bit also as the adjustable spoiler will shortly be welded in place :) That was it for the day, doesn't look like much but alot of things have been sorted and i have taken a few bits away that will be getting worked on over the next few weeks and then im back on with it. I also have a couple of days holiday left and will be taking these at the beggining of december to spend thursday/friday/saturday getting on with the buggy. Plan is to get the seating in its correct place and the pedals chopped and modified. Also planning on cutting off the steering wheel mounts and dropping them down and moving them over to line up with the driver. They just don't seem to be in the correct position and im not happy with them so it needs to be addressed. Thats it for now folks, comments always welcome. Thanks for looking, sorry about the essay! :D Jason

Hi mate, There are a few spare kits left but these won't be getting sold off im afraid. I plan to keep hold of them and they will be used for the next group buy. I think i will be going in for my heart operation around january/february time. I will be running a group buy shortly after as i will be stuck at home with nothing much else to do Thankyou to everyone who has ben involved in this group buy and has been patient while i sorted through the huge list of orders. I would also like to say a BIG thankyou to Janey, without her this group buy would not have gone ahead and has made sure that this has run smoothly and without fault! :D Jason :D

Thanks mate, i don't really get many people replying to this thread but im sure there are a few people that read it and don't comment. Plus it helps keep me motivated if i keep adding updates regularly. No real 'On the Road' date as yet. Im trying to get it done for summer next year but i have a funny feeling it may be longer I have already spent longer and more money than i thought. I decided about half way through that i was going to redo alot of stuff as i wasn't happy with it and wanted to upgrade alot of bits. Does mean though that i will have something a little more special and there is no other kits out there that are similar to this and producing the same power as this one. *** Mini update **** Girlfriend gave me a few hours away from her so i got to go and check a few little bits on the buggy before i was back in my cage :( They have confirmed that they will get the front end cleaned up this week and the brackets removed so when im up there next saturday i can get the coilovers onto the front and the new brackets welded on :D While i was up there i also roughly tapped the light template sinto place to see what they will look like on the buggy. I have two options really, either the lights sit above the rear bar or bellow the rear bar. To me they look better sat below (second set of pics) but let me know what you guys think. I still have to sort out placement for the rear fog and reverse ligts which i think will sit below the number plate (still fine for IVA). lights above bar....... lights bellow bar...... I will be up there working on the buggy next saturday and if i get time i will get it outside and get some proper decent pics of it :D any comments welcome people?!?!? Jason :D

*** Lights *** Well as the work will slow ever so slightly over crimbo i decided to work on a few bits. I have paid up for 12 hours of labour but there is nothing that can be done on the buggy without me buying a few more bits. I have decided to start looking at the rear light assemblies and getting as much done on the rear subframe as possible so that it can be finished off and broken down and sent off to paint while i finish the rest of the frame. I never really liked the normal 'Hamburger' style rear lights on the buggy so now these have been removed and binned for some land rover light units. I much prefer these lights and to be honest i think they will look better. Plus i have the extra room now that the buggy has been widened to use them :D I bought 2 extra stop/tail lights so they will give more effect when braking. This layout shows how im thinking of having the lights. The rear fog and reverse lights will be either side of the number plate which will be slightly lower down than the others. Quickly knocked up a cardboard template to see what the light units will look like and i think it will be ok when on the car, but welcome to oppinions people??? Hopefully going to get the steel templates laser cut over the next few weeks along with some other parts i need for the beast. As the engine is sat in its final location now as well im going to start looking at getting the driveshafts made up :D I will keep the updates coming people as it keeps me motivated to crack on with it, im sorry if it gets a bit stupid adding these small updates every now and then but helps me work out what was done when etc... Jason :)

*** Update time *** Well i got up to JDModoified yesterday and got a few bits sorted on the car :D I arrived to find that they have now got the Starlet engine properly sat in its final location and everything is now in and secure. The engine is properly secured and doesn't move at all. They have added some bars across the back to strengthen the buggy and protect in a rear end crash. The old light mounts have been cut off and im going to have some lower light units mounted under the top bar at the back. Already checked the IVA manual and there is no problems having them mounted there :D The rear subframe is now almost there, just a few minor welding/cleaning up bits and some new brackets for the coilover conversion and its all good. Im also changing the plates that the subframe top mounts bolt to the chassis and re-enforcing them. Then started working on the front and got the batery tray cut off and cleaned up. The radiator is getting mounted at the front so im going to move the battery out of the way and make way for the new nose cone. Also got the old crappy front suspension removed and got the springs onto the new coilovers ready to be fitted back on when i get the rest chopped off and the new bracket welded on. goodbye to the old....... hello to the new and improved....... While i was there i also got a few things measured up that are going to be drawn up and manufactured over the next few months. Including new rear light pods, mounting brackets, stainless exhausts etc. Work is going to slow down over christmas while funds are low and will be back on in full in the new year. I will be spending the next few months getting everything ready for the new year so the updates will keep coming, even if they are small. I also couldn't resist the chance to get all the wheels onto the car and wow what a difference, the pictures don't really show it off to its full as the light was almost gone and i only had a chance to get a few quick snaps but you get the idea. I also measured the width of the car at the front and the rear. Front is 153cm wide and the rear is a massive 185cm wide, PHAT *****!!!!!!! looks mean as though in the flesh. Comments welcome people. Jason :D

Was just after a pic before you send them mate, sure they'll be fine though ;) ???? Pic ???? Did you get my PM buddy, i haven't finished your dials as i need to know what centre piece you wanted. Jason :D Yeah, I replied. Thought you'd already started them and realised they had the L in the middle, so I said to send a pic so I could see what it looked like? Think I've got the wrong end of the stick here. I'll take which either mate, just what is easiest. :) Never got a message back mate The set i had made up for you has the lexus logo in the middle, not the lexus text like the picture shows. There is a picture on the first page showing one with the lexus logo on it. As i have this version its easier to get this version sent out. If you are not happy then let me know and i will replace the centre section. And as promised i will refund £10 mate for the wait and confusion casued on my half. Sorry for the long delay and they WILL be in the post tomorrow, although they may take a while with the strike's. They will be sent 'Special delivery' though to ensure that they do get there asap after the strikes! Jason :D

Was just after a pic before you send them mate, sure they'll be fine though ;) ???? Pic ???? Did you get my PM buddy, i haven't finished your dials as i need to know what centre piece you wanted. Jason :D

Hi All, Imi, glad you got them ok mate. :D Sheeldzy, i have almost done your set but i have PM'd you and i need an answer on the PM before i can send them out??? To everybody else remaining that hasn't paid or is after a set. Im afraid i am going to have to draw the line and take no more orders on this group buy. Those that are on the list and haven't paid yet im afriad you have missed out, you have had plenty of time to pay but i don't want this dragging on im afraid! I do have a few spare sets of various dials (none are IS300) etc but im not going to take anymore orders as it gets a bit stupid dragging this out. I would also like a bit of time off of working on these dial kits every evening and wouldn't mind getting back onto the kit car The spare sets will be kept and im sure in due time there will be another group buy, we may even be able to post a link on the US site so that the US guys don't miss out??? Many thanks all, Jason :D

*** little update *** As i posted before i was going to get up to JDModified and do some work on the buggy today but unfortunately it was not possible as James wasn't about for the day so couldn't get to the buggy :( Instead i went to work and cracked on with a few little bits: The metal for the adjustable spoiler arrived on Friday so i spent a few hours today getting the bits welded up and it looks like a keeper. The spoiler brackets get welded to the top roll bar piece on the back and should be more than enough to support the rear spoiler piece. They are adjustable as well so the angle can be changed to fine tune the downforce supplied to the back. I will be making something similar for the front and will also have a rear lower diffuser added later. Here's the pics. spoiler pieces. inserts welded in and ground off. pretty much there, still needs a little finishing but this will be done before it goes to paint with the rest of the car. Here's a little mock up of what it will look like, will be using a tinted green acrylic so you can see through the spoiler and gives an idea of the level of adustment available. Not going to order the acrlic just yet as don't want it getting damaged before i need it. Im also considering using the same tinted green acrylic for the side of the Demon so you can almost see through the car. Then having the sponsor logo's/decals etched into the panels so they are 'ghosted'. Have also found a 40lt fuel cell that will be ordered up next month. It doesn't come with a locking fuel cap as they expect you to fit it into a car where its secure but i will need to adapt a locking fuel cap onto it. I did buy a locking fuel cap off of a Honda motorbike and it may be able to be adapted to fit the fuel cell. It is even hinged so it doen't come away from the car (as per IVA regs :D ). Keys even stay in the cap until its locked back in position, which is the other requirment if its not tethered. I have also ordered the other 2 Deep dish Ultralite wheels that are required for the rear of the buggy and they should be here next week with any luck and will be on in 2 weeks time. I won't be able to get to the buggy for 2 weeks now as im going to look around Williams F1 test facility next weekend :D not turning that down!!!!! I have however now 'booked' the buggy in to have the chassis finished off, seat fixings made and the final rear roll cage parts added. This should be done within the next 2 weeks and then comes the coilover work. As always people comments are greatly recieved and help me to work out parts that need attention so any comments/questions/concerns please ask away. Jason :D

Dino_IS300 and Ciaran Cassidy, yours have been posted yesterday and both sent first class recorded. I made sure that Ciaran's have gone first class recorded as i have had a few problems with the Irish postal service before so made sure they will get there ok. @Dino_IS300, the is300 stainless conversion should fit perfectly but the right hand dial is very delicate so make sure you take care when fitting it as you don't want to bend it. Let me know if you have any problems with fitting it and call me straight away if you have questions. You will also be happy to know that you have the FIRST IS300 set to be produced so far IMI i have begun polishing yours and these should be ready for posting tomorrow with any luck. Just leaving Sheeldzy to do :) Got there eventually............ Jason :D

Right im back on this Jensi and Supercoupe, can you please let me know when you get the dials so i can mark you guys off the list. Nabz i have just finished polishing yours and they will be in the post tonight. I got yours done first as i didn't have interenet access last night so just polished and packaged the first set i had my hands on and it just happened to be yours. From what i can work out i have 4 sets outstanding to post???? and the order they will get done will be the order the payments where recieved, i have this down as. 1: IS300_Dino 2: Ciaran Cassidy 3: IMI 4: Sheeldzy Now i can only work so quickly but i should be able to get 2-3 sets done tonight and posted tomorrow but will confirm soon. Im hoping to get all 4 sets done in the next few days people. If im missing someone off this list then please say so as it doies get confussing at times Anyway, im sorry about the delay getting these out but it has been a bog order. On another note im feeling better than i did last week and im expecting a confirmation for my hospital check up in the next few days Jason :D

**** Mini Update ***** Well after my hospital check up on wednesday i got back to work and these arrived 10 minutes later. :D These are the coilovers for the front of the buggy, wasn't going to buy them just yet but when people are selling them slightly cheaper than what it would cost me then i can't resist and gave in to temptation. The springs going on these are the ones already on the buggy which will fit on these a treat. The coilover kit for the rear will be on order very soon. Also the steel that i need laser cutting for the rear adjustable spoiler design is currently being made up and should have this with me very soon. Hopefully next weekend i will get a full day working on the buggy and actually get something done, its been far too long now with no progress so im keen to crack on with it. On another side note, my hospital check up was not good news! I was born with a dodgy aortic valve on my heart and they have been keeping an eye on it and the check up showed that it has got considerably worse since last time. I have been told that it needs to be replaced with a carbon fibre valve soon! So after christmas i will be going in for surgery. This means im going to be off work for 3 months and not allowed to do proper work for an additional 6-8 weeks. Meaning that work i can do myself will stop on the buggy. However it shouldn't stop completely as because im not able to work or do anything then im not spending money on getting to work/lunch/going out etc. Meaning i can put some more money towards getting other parts made/ on order. Hopefully won't effect the build too much, although my health comes first of course ;D Jason :D

Thanks for the kind words guys There is nothing i can do to improve my condition so have to just wait till i have the Op. I feel really tired most of the time and have no energy. I have just got off the phone with the company making the dials and they said they went out yesterday so will be on my doorstep when i get home. :winky: I will try and find time over the weekend to start getting the sets polished and packaged up ready for posting on monday, thats if i can stay awake. I know you guys have said there is no rush for them but i would prefer to get them done and sent out asap as it means its another thing done that i don't have to worry about.....and can get back to the kitcar. Or should that be supervising other people work on the kitcar Jason :D

Sorry for the delay in news guys, had hospital appointment on Wednesday and it wasn't good news Pretty much what i was expecting but didn't realise i would be going into hospital to have my aortic valve replaced so soon. Will be done witin the next 3-4 months I have been told im going to be off work for 3 months and not allowed to do proper work for a further 6-8 weeks. Obviously i will have all your dials done by this time so nobody should be waiting for sets to be posted. I have yet to recieve the next batch of dials which is a bit strange as they normally send them out very quickly. I will be on the phone to them today and hopefully they are on the way. With any luck i will be sending sets out again by monday and very soon should have everyone covered. Once again im sorry for those experiencing delays but i will try my hardest to get the remaining sets out ASAP Jason :P

*** Update *** Well as i haven't updated this in absolute ages i thought it only fair to add a few words. Work has been very slow on this, in fact its gone backwards its been that slow and parts have actually come off the buggy. My Apexi Turbo timmer turned up recently and after 3 weeks wait i finally got my set up Powerflex Poly Engine mounts. Also another set of michelin racing slicks arived last week and will soon be ordering the rear wheels. Should look so good with the deep dish wheels all round. I have also bought a pair of Gaz adjustable coilovers for the front and these will be turning up any day now. Im converting the whole car to coilovers as the mini suspension setup is basically prehistoric. Will get pictures up when i get them :) I got the steel delivered which is being used to make the seat mounts. The seats are normally just bolted to the chequer plate floor but i want something a bit stronger so im going to have steel box section underneath to hold the seats more secure. JDModified (previously ToyotaGT) are soon to begin work back on the buggy after they moved premises and have expanded their workshop. I have been talking gearbox's and it looks like the MK1 MR2 box may fit straight onto the Starlet engine. They share the same clutch so in theory should mount straight together without too much hassle but we will soon see. The MR2 box is better suited for the buggy as the gear selector mech is on the other side of the box and is designed for a rear engined car. I have also got a quote to have the buggy shot blasted, sprayed with etch primer and then sprayed bright lime green, and it came to £300 all in. Well happy with that price and im going to be getting it sprayed sooner rather than later. Im going to get the welding done and before i start putting more bits on im going to strip it all down to the chassis and have it sprayed before the year is out :D Going to get a few more bits done at the same time. Its not any specific green, its just a green that i have chosen from their colour chart and is very similar to Kawasaki Green, just ever so slightly different. I have also have designs i drew up months ago for a adjustable rear wing for the back of the car and as we are getting some steel laser cut at work im adding this to the job so will have that made up and test fitted very soon. Also i got the CAT removed and have already drawn up the flange details in CAD. Im going to get some new stainless steel flanges made up for the exhaust system and look at routing this. Im making 2 systems up. One will be a standard pipework system, full stainless and will be heat wrapped. The second of the 2 will be the same style but will have a screamer pipe coming off it and will be put on the car after IVA :D I know its not much of an update but felt i should add a few words as this has been left for far too long. Comments always welcome people.......... Jason :D

Sheeldzy, payment recieved, many thanks. You seemed keen to get into the group buy and i thought you would more than likely pay...........so, i took the liberty of already ordering your dials to be manufactured. They should be here early next week so will get onto them once i have done the other 2 i need to first. But it should mean you have them earlyier than expected :D

The pictures do look good but i find they look 100 times better in real life, not just saying that for a joke I have seen loads of pictures of peoples dials that have been fitted and they all look great but when you see them fitted in person you will think they look SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better. You will see Jason :D

Glad you got them fitted ok Will, and thanks for the pictures they look great Jensi, your dials are almost polished. Im not going to have a chance to get to a post office till saturday morning but will get them posted then. The remaining people that have paid, i have spoken to the company and they said i should have them here by the weekend so will get them prepped over the weekend and posted monday morning :D Jason

Jensi, payment just recieved and your lucky as i had a spare TRD XE_02 here. Will get it polished and packaged and sent out soon. Also got your note :D

Glad you got them ok mate, i was a little worried about your sets as you had 5! I tried to package them up as best as i could Would be good to see some pics though. :D click They were very well packaged mate ...too well :D Thanks for pictures mate, i was worried that they would get damaged so made sure they where well packaged. Especially going over sea's. Glad you got them ok mate! and yes you are the only one in America(not just the north) to have these dials, not just the TRD version but any stainless dials!!!!! Glad you got them mate, that was quick :o only posted them yesterday. Jason :D

Glad you got them ok mate, i was a little worried about your sets as you had 5! I tried to package them up as best as i could Would be good to see some pics though. :D