The New Tiger Aviator

Tigers new Aviator has passed the IVA test (new version of SVA test), and is now availible from tiger racing.

http://www.tigerracing.com

New Forest Tiger Avon Photos

A couple of pictures from the new forest...

Weight Saving Polo Radiator

I swaped the old radiator (which was leaking)

for a polo radiator,

The tiger one weighed 3.8kg to the 2 kg polo one - thats a whole 1.8Kg.... Get in.....

Also it has mounting points making it easier to fit and its slightly smaller so it will fit in the nosecone upright giving better cooling.

Driving an Avon

Several people have asked how the tiger is going, as I've had it on the road for a while. Well its all good. I've had to sort out a few rattles mainly on the cycle wings, and a few bits of sva trim have disappeared.


I've been playing with the fuel map and got the 0-60 mph time down to 5.4 seconds. Next I'm going to reprogram the ecu with Megasquirt 2 extra, which will let me do a few more things like launch control and a shift light. More to come when its upgraded.....


For now here are a few more pictures.....

Sump welded

I got the sump welded at a local workshop in Eastleigh who usually make high quality wrought iron gates, see their website here http://www.scrollgates.com/ tel 023 80 612028

They had welded cast aluminium sumps before and did a good job, give them a call if you need one done, or if you want some gates made.

Shortened Zetec Sump

I've got a spare sump that i had to get shortened, so cracking the existing one has sped me up into sorting it out:-


First i cut off the bottom of the spare sump with a hack saw. I cut a notch in the end to allow it to fill with an extra bit of oil.


Then cut a bit of ali plate to blank the bottom off and filed it to the right shape (with a hand from my dad below )



Then cut a blank for the end bit. This and the notch cut in the end allow the void to fill with extra oil retrieving some of the lost capacity.

Now off to the welders with it (its ali and i don't have a tig welder).

First drive

I finally got my numberplate authorisation form and registration documents from Portsmouth DVLA today. Got a Q plate made up and had my first drive. I managed a whole 13 miles then cracked the sump on a manhole cover and had to get towed back home.

Knocked a good size hole in it though.

Tax disc

Still waiting........

DVLA registration inspection

I had my registration inspection today, turned up with the car on a trailer and the DVLA man checked the chassis number and engine number, had a chat and that was it. All in all it took about 8 minutes. Just waiting for my tax disc and registration doc in the post.

Trailer Hire

Just a quick note: If you're going to a SVA test, its best to hire a trailer to get there - as insurance companies will only insure you for a maximum of 30 days on the chassis number which isn't usually enough time to pass SVA and await registration.
I used a tilting trailer from http://southampton-trailer-hire.com/ which was ideal as i had very low ground clearance.

Registration

After my SVA test I went to the portsmouth dvla office and picked up forms for registration (V55/5) filled them in along with a build up inspection report form (V627/1) atached copies of reciepts for kit and engine etc and gave them back the day after with an insurance certificate (on the chassis number due to no numberplates) from Adrian Flux insurance, and a cheque for the tax disc and registration fee.






This is my completed V55/5 form







They then want to inspect the vehicle on wednesday at VOSA in Botley to check the chassis number and engine number. Why they can't do this at the SVA test is beyond me, as it had to be done for the paperwork at SVA anyway !!!

Passed my SVA Test

I passed my sva test today... now on to registration.

SVA retest tomorrow

An update before my SVA Retest..... I've corrected the failure points -

cat converter welded in

rear fog light tell tale lamp fitted

indicator stalks lengthened

fuel filler restrictor

self centering sorted - it turned out my steering wheel boss was rubbing on the steering lock stoping free movement of the column, so i filed the steering lock down a bit then rechecked my camber and wheel alignment, a bit better.. But then after speaking to the workshop guys at tiger racing i let the tires down to 10 psi and perfect or as near as perfect selfcentering. Wish me luck....

Photos

My SVA Test at Southampton

So I had my sva test today, we hired a trailer from Southampton trailers and loaded the Tiger Avon up the night before and then parked it up on my parents drive overnight blocked in by another car. I didn't sleep well waking up about every hour throughout the night. I finally gave up at about 5am and got up, had a coffee and some toast and went round my parents. Once there I pulled off the tarpaulin had some more coffee and started her up (still on the trailer, I just wanted to reassure myself she would start ok before leaving). We left about just before 7am and drove a few miles to the test center, and then unloaded the car. We still had 45 minutes till the 8am test. At at 8 am I went in and announced my arrival, I then met Chris who was my tester.
First I warmed the engine up again outside the test station, then drove it in for the emissions test which I failed.
Because of the age of the engine I needed a cat, and at 2500 to 3000rpm your CO (carbon monoxide) needs to be under 0.2% which I passed, HC (unburnt hydrocarbons) needs to be below 200ppm (parts per million) I was 209ppm - fail and Lambda needs to be between 0.97 and 1.03, I was 1.21 - fail. Also at idle (450 to 1500rpm) your CO needs to be below 0.3 - I was 0.17 pass.
Next it was up on the ramps for a check around underneath, checking the brake lines and handbrake operation etc, all good.
Next it was back on the ground and the lights were tested, all was good apart from no warning light for the rear fog light, and the front indicators need spacing out as they are too far from the edge of the vehicle. Next we moved the car off the ramps for the field of view mirror test, a pass. Then we did the interior and exterior projections where the spheres came out - all I failed on was the dreaded front suspension, I had an unradiused edge (a note the front suspension is only tested from the front, not from above or behind). Next seat belts and anchorages were checked, all good. Then the brake test. The brakes are tested to make sure they will lock, and they are tested to make sure the front force is more than the rear at 5 different pedal forces. The results are fed into the computer later to see if its a pass. Next was the speedo test, I passed this but my speedo over reads. i.e. when my speedo reads 70 MPH the road speed is actually 60 MPH. If your speedo under reads however even by the smallest amount it is in instant fail.
Then the examiner had a quick drive around outside to test for self centering - a fail. The noise test was a pass but it will need to be rechecked after the cat is fitted.
Over all, Chris (Mr examiner) was helpful and fair, he was friendly, and offered advice on how to fix things (he let me adjust the headlight aim while i was on site). It was almost an enjoyable experience!

Failed SVA

I had my sva test at southampton today, I failed on a couple of things....

1.Lack of self centering steering.
2.Exhaust emissions - need a cat converter as my engine is a march 1994 zetec.
3.Front indicators are too close together.
4.Sharp edge on front lower wishbones.
5.I need some kind of restriction on the fuel filler to stop a leaded nozzel being put in.
6.Need a warning light for the rear fog light.

SVA Test

I've got a date for the test!! Friday 30th at 8am, wish me luck.....

VOSA SVA Application

I spoke to someone from VOSA today and it seems they are clamping down on the noise tests - When you fill in the application form they ask at what RPM the engine achieves maximum power, then they perform the noise test at two thirds of the RPM you quote - So i said 4750 RPM which he wasn't happy with, so he changed it to 6000 RPM which means my engine will have its test done at 4000 RPM which will make more noise...
Anyway, I Should now get a date at least.... woooo!

VOSA...

I've received a letter from vosa..... As part of the car was assembled by someone else, VOSA are asking for a letter from him stating exactly which parts he assembled, and which parts i assembled. They also want him to state that he isn't in the business of building vehicles to qualify for the amateur build class....

More to come.....

Waiting....

It's christmas eve and i've sent my sva application form off to VOSA, just waiting for my date now, guessing its not going to be untill mid january with the christmas break and royal mail.....

Amateur build declaration

I've just found out i need to complete an amateur build declaration form also. Download here
As far as i can tell you only have to fill this in if you're building a kit car for your own personal use, and you need to provide receipts for the major parts of the car as well as optional photos of the build. This is to prove that the car is built for your own personal use and not built by a company producing cars.

SVA Test

I've just phoned the DVLA (tel 03001239000 then select option 5) and asked for the SVA test forms to be sent out. The current SVA fee is £190.00 and as far as i can tell a retest fee is £38.00.

I've also just found the form - Single Vehicle Approval form, SVA 1 - online download here

I'm hoping to get a test for early january.

Wing mirrors fitted

Just a quick final bit, i fitted the wing mirrors today.

Its finished

Well apart from tiding up a few bits its all done, and its only taken about a year......

Reverse stop and tunnel top

Put a m8 bolt through the tiger remote gear linkage to act as the reverse stop. Put the tunnel top back on and put on the hand brake and gear lever gaiters and secured the carpet with Velcro. Checked the wheel alignment and raised the front suspension to give a bit more ground clearance under the sump. refitted the nose cone.

Fuel filter and Cycle wings

Replaced the fuel filter with a larger one from halfords as the one i had was restricting the fuel flow. Put filler under the cycle wings to take up the space beyween the cycle wing stays and the wings themselves, secured with button head m8 stainless bolts.

Metro Brake shoes

Replaced the brake shoes and cylinders on the back of my dads metro while he faffed around watching, so not done a lot on the tiger today.

Dash and garage clearout

Finished tiding up the loom under the dash, wired up the horn button, put on the proper steering wheel. Then had a garage clearout

Boot cover

Just finished the boot cover - ply wood covered with tigers faux leather covering that came with the kit and a bit of radiused steel angle to go round the roll hoops at the front.

After the sva test i will cut a hole in it and make a lockable hinged lid.

Carpet Fitted

Carpets fitted.... its starting to come together, it seems to make a big difference with the final touches.

Dashboard continued

I couldn't be arsed to glue some wood to the bottom edge of the dash and shape it to the 19mm radius so instead i padded it with some foam, and covered it - non rigid material.........

Dashboard

Started work on the dash today just need to glue something to the bottom to give the 19mm radius for sva test - "The instrument panel lower edge within the specified zone must be rounded to a radius of not less than 19mm (5mm if covered with a non-rigid material)." - from sva manual.

Then cover it......

Torque settings

Torque settings for Suspension

Caliper bracket to upright: 45-50 ft/lbs

Disc to the Hub: 30-34 ft/lbs

Hub Nut: Pack grease into bearing. Torque this nut up to 27 ft/lbs of torque and check for full and free rotation of the hub, it should be quite difficult to turn at this point. Now slacken the nut off by 90 degrees. This gives the hub endfloat the required 0.001-0.005 inches of movement.

Torque settings for Zetec engine

Torque wrench settings Nm lbf ft
Crankshaft speed/position sensor:
Sensor-to-bracket screw .................................. 6 to 9 4 to 6
Bracket-to-cylinder block crankcase screw .................... 21 15
Ignition coil bracket-to-cylinder head screws ................ 21 15
Alternator mounting bolts .................................... 50 37
Starter motor mounting bolts ................................. 35 26
Camshaft position sensor screw ..............................18 to 23 13 to 17
Intake air temperature sensor ................................. 23 17
Oxygen sensor ............................................ 60 44

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system components:
Valve-to-inlet manifold bolts ................................ 9 6
Pipe-to-ignition coil screws ................................. 10 7
Pulse-air system components:
Filter housing mounting bolt ................................ 47 35
Piping-to-exhaust manifold sleeve nuts ....................... 32 24
Auxiliary drivebelt cover fasteners ........................5 to 10 4 to 7
Auxiliary drivebelt automatic tensioner Torx screws 23 17
Engine oil drain plug ........................................ 25 18
Manual transmission filler/level plug ............................ 35 26
Radiator undershield screws .................................. 7 5
Spark plugs ............................................... 15 11

Cylinder head cover bolts:
Stage 1 ................................................ 2 1.5
Stage 2 ................................................ 7 5
Camshaft toothed pulley bolts ................................ 68 50

Camshaft bearing cap bolts:
Stage 1 ................................................ 10 7
Stage 2 ................................................ 19 14

Cylinder head bolts:
Stage 1 ................................................ 25 18
Stage 2 ................................................ 45 33
Stage 3 ................................................ Angle-tighten a further 105°

Timing belt cover fasteners:
Upper-to-middle (outer) cover bolts .......................... 4 3
Cover-to-cylinder head or block bolts ........................ 7 5
Cover studs-to-cylinder head or block ........................ 9 to 11 6.5 to 8
Timing belt tensioner bolt .................................... 38 28
Timing belt tensioner backplate locating peg ..................... 8 to 11 6 to 8
Timing belt tensioner spring retaining pin ........................ 10 7
Timing belt guide pulley bolts ................................. 35 to 40 26 to 30
Water pump pulley bolts ..................................... 10 7
Water pump bolts .......................................... See Chapter 3
Auxiliary drivebelt idler pulley ................................. 48 35
Inlet manifold nuts and bolts .................................. 18 13
Alternator mounting bracket-to-cylinder block bolts ............... 47 35

Cylinder head support plates:
Front plate Torx screws - to power steering pump/air conditioning
compressor mounting bracket and cylinder head ............... 47 35
Rear plate/engine lifting eye - to alternator mounting bracket
and cylinder head bolts .................................... 47 35
Front engine lifting eye bolt ................................... 16 12
Inlet and exhaust manifold studs-to-cylinder head ................ 10 maximum 7 maximum

Exhaust manifold heat shield bolts:
Shield-to-cylinder head .................................... 7 5
Shield/dipstick tube ....................................... 10 7
Shield/coolant pipe-to-manifold ............................. 23 17
Exhaust manifold nuts ....................................... 16 12
Air conditioning refrigerant pipe-to-exhaust manifold bolts .......... 10 7
Crankshaft pulley bolt ....................................... 108 to 115 80 to 85
Oil pump-to-cylinder block bolts .............................. 10 7
Oil pick-up pipe-to-pump screws .............................. 10 7
Oil baffle/pump pick-up pipe nuts ............................. 19 14
Oil filter adaptor-to-pump .................................... 18 to 25 13 to 18
Oil pressure warning light switch .............................. 27 20
Oil level sensor ............................................ 27 20
Sump bolts ............................................... 21 to 22 15 to 16
Coolant pipe-to-sump bolt ................................... 10 7
Flywheel/driveplate bolts .................................... 110 to 112 81 to 83
Crankshaft left-hand oil seal carrier bolts ........................ 22 16
Transmission-to-engine bolts ................................. 40 30

Engine/transmission front mounting:
Mounting bracket-to-transmission ........................... Not available
Mounting-to-subframe bolts/nuts - stage 1 .................... 10 7
Mounting-to-subframe bolts/nuts - stage 2 .................... 48 35
Mounting centre bolt ...................................... 120 89
Engine/manual transmission rear mounting:
Mounting bracket-to-transmission 12 mm fasteners ............. 78 to 84 58 to 62
Mounting bracket-to-transmission 10 mm fasteners ............. 48 35
Mounting-to-subframe bolts and nut - stage 1 .................. 10 7
Mounting-to-subframe bolts and nut - stage 2 .................. 48 35
Mounting centre bolt ...................................... 120 89

Engine/automatic transmission rear mounting:
Mounting bracket-to-transmission ........................... 48 to 49 35 to 36
Mounting-to-subframe bolts - stage 1 ........................ 10 7
Mounting-to-subframe bolts - stage 2 ........................ 48 35
Mounting centre bolt ...................................... 120 89

Engine/transmission left-hand mounting:
Bracket-to-transmission nuts ............................... 83 61
Mounting centre bolt ...................................... Not available
Mounting-to-body bolts ................................... Not available

Engine/transmission right-hand mounting:
Bracket-to-engine and mounting nuts ........................ 83 to 90 61 to 66
Mounting-to-body bolts ................................... 84 62

Main bearing cap bolts and nuts .............................. 80 59

Big-end bearing cap bolts:
Stage 1 ................................................ 18 13
Stage 2 ................................................ Angle-tighten a further 90°
Piston-cooling oil jet/blanking plug Torx screws .................. 10 7

Cylinder block and head oilway blanking plugs:
M6 x 10 ................................................ 8 to 11 6 to
M10 x 11.5 - in block ...................................... 24 17
1/4 PTF plug - in block .................................... 25 18
Power steering pump/air conditioning compressor mounting
bracket-to-cylinder block bolts ................................ 47 35
Exhaust manifold heat shield mounting bracket-to-cylinder
block bolts ................................................ 32 24

Crankcase breather system:
Oil separator-to-cylinder block bolts ......................... 10 7
Pipe-to-cylinder head bolt .................................. 23 17

Driveshaft support bearing bracket-to-cylinder block bolts .......... 48 35

Thermostat housing-to-cylinder head bolts ...................... 20 15
Water outlet-to-thermostat housing bolts ....................... 8 to 11 6 to 8
Coolant temperature sensor .................................. 23 17
Coolant temperature gauge sender ............................ 8 6
Water pump bolts .......................................... 18 13

Plenum chamber-to-inlet manifold fasteners ..................... 4 3
Throttle housing-to-inlet manifold screws ....................... 10 7
Idle speed control valve bolts ................................. 6 4
Fuel pressure regulator bolts ................................. 6 4
Fuel injector bolts .......................................... 6 4
Fuel rail-to-inlet manifold bolts ................................ 10 7
Fuel feed and return line threaded couplings at fuel rail ....24 to 30 17 to 22
All exhaust system nuts and bolts ............................. 40 to 45 30 to 33

Cycle wings fitted

I fitted the cycle wings and stays, it was quite fiddly to line them up to cover the wheels correctly.

Wheels fitted

I've fitted the wheels..... next to do is the camber and alignment.... the book recommends 0 deg of camber for road use and half to 1 deg for track.... 0 deg toe in on the rear and 3 to 4mm toe in on the front. I'm going to use a digital spirit level to work out the camber and measure the toe in using string and measuring the angles.... more to follow...

New wheels

New wheels (ok second hand but in good nick) off of ebay as usual.... I've struggled to find information on sierra wheel sizes but finally found this......

Sierrra wheels are 14 inch diameter on a 108 PCD with a 63.3mm bore

tyres are 185 60 R14

I've gone for 15 inch wheels with a 108 PCD

tyres are 195 50 R15 which gives almost exactly the same tyre diameter, unaffecting the speedo.

The offset is ET35 so hopefully they won't stick out past the arches.....

Zetec Engined Tiger Avon on Megasquirt

I've been meaning to do this for a while, i've got the engine running quite nicely now so i've done another video.... It also shows the rest of the car.....

Engine running on megasquirt

I've got the engine running....... I'm running a megasquirt 2 ecu with a ford EDIS unit. Then using GSX-R750 Bike throttle bodies so it all fits under the bonnet. Basically the ecu controls the injection side of things and the EDIS unit drives the coil packs. More info can be found at http://bgsoflex.com/megasquirt.html.

The fuel pressure is running at 3bar and I'm using the original ford manifold air temp sensor and coolant temp sensor original coil packs, and original crank sensor (the flywheel already has the correct 36-1 tooth pattern drilled into the back of it and crank sensor mounted in the correct place.)

Before starting i checked for any fuel leaks with the ignition on and the pump running, I remember seeing a fuel hose pop off of an engine on a dyno at uni.... we all luckily survived as fuel sprayed up in the air hitting the ceiling but its not something I would like to repeat.

It started first time with a bit of coughing and spluttering.... Then I played around with the idle screw to get it idling at a fair speed.... Checked for any water leaks as it heated up (and tightened nearly all the hose clips) , then spent a while balancing the throttle bodies.... It all seems ok

A word of warning..... Make sure all your earths are sound...... My engine was earthing through the throttle cable which got incredibly hot and melted the plastic casing......

If anyone wants a copy of my megasquirt map just get in touch and 'll email it to u.... I've got a map for megasquirt 1 running MSnS-extra with GSX-R750 throttle bodies too....

Here's a video showing it running.....

Apoligies for the bad filming, it was on a camera phone......

Alternator fitting to zetec engine

The original Zetec alternator is designed to power all the electrical systems within the car such as heated windscreen, rear screen, electric windows, seats etc. and is far over-rated for use on the Tiger.
I've been struggling to fit the alternator as the mounts were in the wrong position on the alternator.... after some research i did this......
Tiger specify you fit the Lucas LRA100 or LRA101. The only difference being the physical casings where the front and rear housing sections are rotated round 120 degrees with respect to each other. They are both rated the same with a maximum current output of 36 Amps which should be more than enough for the Tiger.
To determine whether the front and rear housing sections are aligned appropriately, undertake the following instructions. Looking at the alternator from the pulley end, the two lower mounting holes want to be on the bottom right and corner and the single mounting hole on the front section wants to be at the top. If they aren't, remove the three long bolts holding the front and rear sections together. Carefully split the front and rear sections apart by a couple of mm and slowly rotate them round until they are in the correct orientation, then re-fit the long bolts.
Bobs your fathers brother it fits!!!

Engine Fitted....

I fitted the engine in last week, to do this, instead of using a hoist i raised the front of the car over the engine and then lowered the car down. I'd recommend using a hoist if i were to do it again as it was a pain to do. I've also fitted the prop shaft from tiger racing which then determines the position of the engine and gearbox...... So then i could drill the holes for the gearbox mount and engine mounts.

I'd recommend drilling the holes for the gearbox mount before fitting the sides to the transmission tunnel as space is limited.... I had to jack the car up and drill them from underneath while laying on my back.... Next I rested the engine on a couple of bits of 2 by 2 and drilled the holes for the engine mounts.

Megasquirt sensor calibration

Calibrated the air and temp sensor for megasquirt tonight with the standard ford sensors..... the water temp sensor is the larger one in the top of the thermostat housing, and the air temp sensor is from the ford air box here are the values i used...

air temp from readings i took so in deg celsius


Water temp from a data sheet in deg Fahrenheit


Seemed to measure the temp of ice and room temp accurately for me.....

Links to build websites

Some more helpfull build diaries

http://mytigeravon.co.uk/
http://www.jacobstt7.com/
http://www.tigerownersclub.co.uk/
http://iainseven.wordpress.com/
http://www.superseven.badding.nl/ in dutch
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=www.superseven.badding.nl+&sl=nl&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 googles translation

Zetec starter motor for tiger avon

I have the new starter motor Lucas part number LRS707 and it engages with the flywheel perfectly. The only thing i had to do was take an angle grinder to the side of the sump to shave a few millimeters off of the side to allow clearance. Other people have cut a section out of the sump and welded in a plate but i found this wasn't necessary as i only needed a bit taken off.

Starter Motor for Tiger Avon zetec

I've ordered the other starter LRS707 more when it arrives

Starter motor problems....

It seems i may have the wrong starter motor, the one i have is a lucas LRS543 on the advice of someone in a internet forum. I bolted it up to the engine earlier and it looks like it is perminantly engaged with the flywheel, which will mean it will be spinning all the time. I have just read on another website that u should use a lucas LRS707 I will do some more investigating tomorrow.....

Type 9 to zetec adapter plate.....

I spent this evening making an adapter plate...... There are gaps around the flywheel where the gearbox bellhousing mounts to the engine, so i made an adapter plate up to keep the dirt out. pics to follow.

Zetec Engine With spigot bearing and Throttle bodies

This shows the GSXR throttle bodies respaced to fit the custom manifold with the throttle linkages bent out slightly to accomodite the wider spacing. and the secondary buterfly valves blanked off.

It also shows the engine with spigot bearing pressed into the end of the crank.

Random Zetec engine pics

A few images of engine, engine mounts (from tigerracing) throttle bodies loom etc....

The throttle bodies are off a GSXR 750 motorbike, using the standard injectors.
The throttle bodies need to be unbolted and spaced out slightly to line up with inlet ports, also i got a custom inlet manifold made from billet aluminium to mount the throttle bodies to.

Type 9 Gearbox Spigot bearing And clutch

Shown is the spigot bearing - finis code 1554973 available from ford























Drive it into the end of the crank











































Refit the clutch note this has to go centrally, u can use a clutch alignment tool.





















Then pressure plate

New Silver Top Zetec engine

I got An engine!!! I finally got an engine off of ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/) Its a silvertop zetec 2.0L out of a mondeo, complete with all ancillaries. For only £0.99 The zetec engine will mate to the Type 9 gearbox quite easily. All you need to do is press a spigot bearing into the end of the crank using a drift. This is a small roller bearing around 20mm in diameter. The Ford part number is FINIS code 1554973 shown below.

The the gearbox input shaft then slots into the bearing to support it as the engine rotates. I'm using the standard 2.0 litre Zetec flywheel and clutch and a clutch release bearing from a 1971-88 Ford Transit 2.4/2.5 diesel (Quinton Hazell part CCT303).

Water pumps should be as per Escort (Late model e.g. "P reg." 1.8 16V if asking at a motor factors), as the rotation being opposite to the Mondeo. This allows you to remove all the extra pullys and the serpentine belt system and fit a smaller belt. If you do this and don't change the pump it will spin backwards and ur nice new engine will overheat.
Identification can be made via the pulley type; Escort has a grooved pulley (runs same side of belt as the crank) which you will need, Mondeo has a smooth pulley (runs on the back of the belt, hence the difference in pump rotation direction.

Note that when changing the water pump, the cam belt needs to be removed, and following the correct procedure for doing this requires the following components:
New cam cover gasket
Tensioner spring kit - a "spring tensioner" {Ford part: 7024224} and "screw special" {Ford part: 1663884} only apparently available from Ford. This is only required for engines still running their original cam belt, and those apparently produced before 5/1998 - late engines run a different belt configuration with a 'self tensioning' tensioner!
New cam belt is strongly recommended as 16 bent valves can be expensive.


You will also need a new alternator mounting bracket which is availible from Tiger (http://www.tigerracing.com/).

Donations Please

If you find this blog helpfull please make a donation to the project using the paypal link below...

Some recent pics....

Some pics now is on the ground... i've been doing some more wiring, put the back lights on, but mainly been working on building the megasquirt ecu....

Megasquirt assembled

I've assembled my megasquirt ecu.... Shown below, and tested it with the megastim board, it seems to be running ok, now all i need is an engine.....

GSXR throttle bodies on Zetec

Just got a set of gsxr throttle bodies off of ebay, to use with my megasquirt, more when they turn up....

Ordered My megasquirt

I know it sounds odd but megasquirt is a locost diy engine management system based on the Motorola MC68HC908GP32 processor - I've got a head start on this as i studied electrical and electronic engineering at Swansea uni, and used this microprocessor for my thesis.

Anyway, you can build it yourself if you have soldering skills, or buy it ready made. It can run your coil pack and injectors, and even has features such as launch control, shift light etc.

It comes with free tuning software so you can accurately adjust your fuel and ignition timing, and it can be used with a wide band lambda sensor (you'll need a controller also) to provide feedback on weather you're running rich or lean....

More to come when it arrives.....

More photos and a couple of vids

Tiger avon Fuel tank

I sprayed the new fuel tank and fitted it to the rear of the car - you need to drill the chassis and straps to fit it.



















Next came the rear inner wing panels - Ali sheet cut to shape and riveted on with panel sealant - you can use silicone sealant if you want.


















Next came the roll hoops, I sprayed them up and bolted them on using a2 grade stainless cap head bolts so they don't rust. Again you ned to drill the chassis to fit them.


















Then I lifted on the bodywork, this needed a lot of trimming -

Around the rol bar:-

Around the fuel tank filler:-

and around the chassis rails:-

Skipping forward a few stages.....

So i have been building the car since Xmas, and i've only just started the blog......

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/ is usefull for questions and info/photos.....

as is

http://davesavon.locostsites.co.uk/

http://jonstigeravon.blogspot.com/

http://www.avon-kitcar.co.uk/

http://www.mytigeravon.co.uk/

http://www.coddys.co.uk/

http://www.tiger-avon.co.uk/

Here is a speedy run through of what I've done.....

Assembled rear suspension.... This went together quite easily, i needed to file the powder coating out of the holes to get the bolts through... The wishbones need to go round the right way, i ignored the weld on them and went by the slope of the tubes at the side (as in the book).


















Then dismantled the back axle - this is off a ford sierra.

The diff - i cleaned it up with with a wire brush on a drill, and fairy liquid, it took some time but worked perfectly. did the same for the driveshafts, and sprayed them with red oxide primer and black gloss.

The CV boots needed replacing, i got a stretchy boot kit off eBay, that comes with a cone to stretch the small end of the boot over the end of the driveshaft - use some wd40 to help it slide over the cone.

Next i fitted new oil seals to the diff, and replaced the rear wheel bearings.... Put the diff in filled it with oil till it was level with the bottom of the driveshaft openings - get a flexible funnel or you'll be there all day - Then i cleaned up and painted the drums and back plates...

To fit the back plates to the uprights you need to grind the corners off the uprights - you will see where when you offer them up.

Push the driveshafts into the diff then put the back plates on then the then the hub carriers. I replaced the brake cylinders with new ones off eBay and got new brake shoes - off eBay - and new fitting kit - of eBay. Putting them together is tricky - if you are worried take a photo with a digital camera before dismantling. Then the hub and hub nut went on. Then the drums

The front steering and suspension was pretty much assembled.... all i needed to do was put the brake disks on and get some brake pads off eBay - the front brakes are off a Cortina - then on went the calipers with a fitting kit and shims - off EBAY!!!!

The panels

All the panels were still in good condition and still in their bubble wrap.

The Tiger Avon Chassis as i bought it.

This is the chassis as it was when i got it, i bought it from, a precision engineer who had to sell the kit due to work commitments. A lot of the panneling had been done, and the pannels were powder coated. The front wishbones had been chromed, and the steering and front suspension had been assembled.






















The pedal box had also been installed and it came with a nice build trolley too....



Here is a review of the tiger avon from Total Kit Car....
http://www.totalkitcar.com/tkc_article_1049.php

The Begining My Tiger Avon Kit Car Project

I've always wanted to build one of these, the first time I saw a lotus seven replica was with my dad in a petrol station at the end of my road. I must have been about 10 yrs old at the time, and we were going for a bike ride, stopping to pump up my bike tires. I was astonished by the look of the car, unlike anything I'd seen on the road before..... My dad waited for the owner to come out of the garage and spent a good 10 minutes talking to him about it, I could see it was car my dad really admired, and over the years he's banged on and on about always wanting one, but never managed to get round to building, so I've decided to do it instead... I wonder if i can keep it a secret until its complete??? I'll keep a blog of my progress here, to help anyone else who is thinking of building one, so check back here to see my progress...... Jamie