360 kit about to arrive

[robjjones]

Calling experienced builders out there. 

My kit arrives in 6 sleeps. The garage renovations are almost complete, just some tidying and organising to do. 

Any sage advice from you chaps around receiving the kit, organising the boxes, first jobs on the car? 

Cheers! 

[Jonathan Kay]

Do you need to store bonnet or nose somewhere other than the floor, such as up a wall?

Got your work lights? Fire extinguishers?

First job: applying masking tape, foam, cloth etc to protect vulnerable bits.

Second task, and so on until the end: checking you've got the right parts far enough in advance.

Jonathan

[Mucus72]

Read build diaries. Print out assembly guide and then split into sections and staple separately. Put up a white board in your garage to make notes. Invite mates around to help with the engine and diff as a minimum. Put Derek's number into speed dial. Purchase two months supply of beta blockers. Never use axle stands that are so high when you put the chassis on initially, you then can't get the car down with your jack. Beer is your friend, but only after you've given up for the day. Sit an online upholstery course. Always use new, sharp drill bits. Don't be surprised if the kit arrives and you are missing something crucial, like the chassis or engine. Take another beta blocker. Document the hell out of everything. It's a long lasting record for you, and will help somebody else in future. You will feel a shallow meaningless sense of satisfaction unless you go through serious trauma and struggle through adversity. Absolute joy can only be experienced after you hit rock bottom. 

[7 wonders of the world]

requisition the spare bedroom for storage of bonnet nose wings seats and anything not immediately needed,

Use 15mm pipe lagging to cover chassis rails and body holes - much better than masking tape

check the shortages list first !!!

Dont forget to put the propshaft in first

Dont rush the build - enjoy it

and RTFM  ............  

 

[MattWoking]

Blimey .. my kit won't arrive for about another 6 months but reading these notes is making me start to get nervous!

Good luck Rob, will be following your blog with interest!

[ScottR400D]

Nothing to be nervous about, just take your time and make sure you understand what you are doing before you start each stage. 

I'm intrigued by the advice above to fit the prop shaft 'first'! I followed the manual; engine and box, propshaft then diff. 

[Eccles]

I think the important bit is prop before diff as you can't get the prop/diff flange down the tunnel if the diff is in. :)

 

[Dave Rayner]

Just take your time, don't rush it and enjoy the challenge. Anything you get stuck on just put onto blat chat and you,ll get the answer. I agree with all of the above especially checking all the parts are there! I was lucky I worked 5 mins from the Dartford factory so could pop in on way to work to pick up the missing parts! Good luck and enjoy 

[Iain McCallum]

you will spend a fair amount of time on your knees, back, side etc. so get some nice interlocking cushion tiles for the garage floor - and it will be warmer in those cold evenings which will soon arrive!

Iain

[7 wonders of the world]

Actually FIA roll bar and underside bolts first,

Then prop, final drive, rear axle, wheels etc, then front suspension then engine and box when its on its wheels.

Otherwise you possibly risk knocking the chassis off the stands whilst fitting the engine and box.

if you need more height sit the car on its wheels with blocks of wood under each wheel - good sized pieces with a battern each end to stop it rolling to give you another 5-6" - enough to get under for the gearbox mount etc.

[ScottR400D]

IMO there's a risk of damaging the rear gearbox seal fitting the engine and box last, as seen on at least one build blog.  

I never felt there was any risk of knocking the car off stands when fitting the engine and box, but the space under the car was very good to have at the time.

Don't think there's much wrong with the build order as in the manual tbh.

 

[pugwash]

As soon as it arrives, beat the diff with a stick.  Do this every day.  That way you can take your frustration out on it before you try and fit it!

l mounted my chassis on the top setting on the axle stands as it was great to have the clearance under the car when building.  You do need a way to get it down if you do that.  Do remember the body doesn't weigh that much and it is possible to bench press the whole thing up in the air when you are underneath (refer to diff comment above).

Above all, enjoy!  Tea and patience are your friends.

[John Vine]

Just to add to all the excellent advice so far....

Open all the boxes at the start and record in detail what you find in there -- even if you don't recognize the items.  This will be a big help later when you try to match the Assembly Guide with the stuff CC have sent you.  (I even had a box labelled "Shortages" -- very odd.)

It'll be like Xmas all over again.

JV

[PeterM]

Best bit of advice above; have 'Derek of Dartford' on speed dial. And fear not, he is unlikely to let you down once it becomes clear what bits are really missing.

Other advice if taking it through IVA yourself (it's all part of the fun!):  visit your local motorsport garage and find out what the IVA inspectors' 'pet hates' are, have a box of rubber lined P clips, plenty of shrink wrap tape and tie wraps to hand, and use them as you go along - it impresses. If Caterham are doing it, be ready to write a large cheque!     

[7 wonders of the world]

not sure how you manage to damage a tailhousing seal by putting the engine in last.........

.....but having read some blog's nothing surprises me......

 

[Mucus72]

I found it fine to follow the build sequence in the assembly guide. I stuck the sequencing pages to my white board and found it satisfying ticking off the bits I'd done. I stuck the torque figures chart pages to teh white board too. 

I found the whole build REALLY enjoyable, such a break from my normal routine, and a million miles away from working in IT. But then I really could spend half an hour staring at a bolt within a few cm of my nose. It was so therapeutic. 

I actually went through a mild depression when I'd finished. The only thing I found remotely scary was drilling holes in the side skin for the tonneau fitment. Generally the least fun bits for me were fitting poppers for boot cover etc.

[robjjones]

Thank you all for the fine advice and the benefit of your experience. I feel I'm about to join a small, and quite difficult to enter, club of people who have built their own car. 

I'll remember lots of tea, patience and attention to the manual. I've sorted the floor and a modicum of heating. Derek's acquaintance I shall make. I'll also pop along to my local tuner to get the lay of the land with the IVA centre. 

See you back here when I can't work out which way the steering rack fits on day 1.

[Martin J]

I built an early Sigma roadsport in 2007.  Still own it & love driving it. 

I sometimes found I would get so absorbed out in the garage during the build it was the early hours of the morning & I had to go to work in a few hours time....

[MattWoking]

Excitement overload in the shed today?   Looking forward to seeing the build blog up and running!

[robjjones]

Excitement overload indeed. The kit should have left Dartford at 9am this morning, and I've calculated a likely earliest arrival time of about 5pm today, allowing for rest stops and traffic. Imagine me hyperventilating into a paper bag, and you'll have about the right impression of the nervous energy levels in Scotland today.

[Mucus72]

Falkirk. Blimey. I bet Caterham charged a 160S on top of your 360S to get it delivered ;)

[mossy7]

Well..has it arrived then? 

[robjjones]

@Mucus72: yes, it's more expensive than Amazon Prime and I get telly with that.

@Mossy7: No! Got a call at half past six that they would not make it until the morning. Have opened a single malt to console myself. 

[robjjones]

It's arrived. Let the fun begin.

[nigelpugh]

How exciting! Colour looks great too!

New kit delivery is always a good day!

have fun going through all of those boxes! 

Enjoy.