Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX .....

Nothing update, doing CAD work mostly, while I wait upon the mold to be made for the floor.

Its quite important I wait, to verify critical measurements that won't bite me later on.​

[JEBar]

Per Mark Bex .....

Nothing update, doing CAD work mostly, while I wait upon the mold to be made for the floor.

Its quite important I wait, to verify critical measurements that won't bite me later on.​

I will pop into the fiberglass company tomorrow morning (Monday) and see where they are up to, if at all.

My main concern is the May Day holidays all next week, and it would be great if they can finish the mold and pop out the first part for me to play with next week, as everything will be closed.

If not I will laser up and fold a dummy steel floor to play with, I only need the front 1/3rd around the A pillar area.​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX .....

I dropped into the fiberglass company this morning, I wasn't expecting much as Chinese companies are typically slow to get a start on something, but once they do, they are very fast.

They should be finished by week's end, and then needs about 3 days to cure properly, but good news is they are not closing for the holidays, so I should get my first part at the start of next week.

In the meantime I am doing lots in CAD, and it's being productive.

Their main products are large septic tanks, the end caps for the tanks, and sullage tanks are about the same as making my parts.​

[JEBar]

in response to the question :

Just curious, is this fiberglass floor structural, or a drop in cover over a metal chassis/frame? I may have missed it, but are you going for a unibody type contruction?


Mark responded :

Mostly structural floor with added steel reinforcements, and semi unibody utilising steel reinforcements..

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX .....

So I got the A pillar 'arch' and the firewall box done today, only 3 pieces needed to make each, simpler, faster, less welding, more accuracy etc. I consider these to be of production design.

Oh, and one big change which I wanted to acomplish, is the steering rack is now on the outside of the firewall, see the CAD drawing, earlier I wasn't sure if I could achieve that until I finalised the floor. It's main feature is it simplifies sealing the firewall box to the outside elements.​

Just waiting for the floor now, and that is also a production design, so starting to chip away towards a final, reproducible result.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

Still waiting for floor progress, so stuck the firewall box and A pillars together in anticipation.

I really want to make the firewall box in fiberglass as well as it helps insulate the passengers from the engine heat, noise and vibration, but I'll make a firm decision when I have the floor.​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

I must admit they are not doing the floor as fast as I had hoped, but I must be patient ...

For the firewall box, I might make a female mold myself from steel rather than have a delay like this again.​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

The fiberglass company has informed me that the mold is finalised, and that a product will be made tomorrow.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

I was at the fiberglass company today, still no floor, but the mold is finished and all waxed up ready to pull a floor from it.

You can see a little bondo where they fixed some blemishes, that's pretty normal.​

The mold is 10mm or 3/8" thick.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

First floor out of the mold, here in all it's glory in a stunning blood red colour.

This is literally the first production part, lets hope there's more soon.