Elio Type Vehicle Resurection --- AKA the BEX

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Per Mark BEX ....

The front subframe and firewall box is pretty much production ready.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ...

The front subframe is attached to the floor, and setting up the suspension and steering is the next step, checking everything for clearances, alignment etc.

Here you see the lower control arms in place, and the steering rack is hiding behind the crossmember, you can see the pinion shaft sticking up into the square hole ... and who said "a round peg doesn't fit into a square hole" ...​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

The front suspension was simply too close to the engine rails, so I had to make some thinner rails .. all good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkfh1fv-oHw

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

This explains why I had to narrow the main engine rails, the clearance to the front suspension - yellow arrow.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

I lengthened the strengthening plate, the distance of the yellow lines, because it didn't quite extend past the engine mounts to my satisfaction, my blunder, I should have measured better.. i.e. as they say, measure 38 times, cut once.

And as you can see, the suspension is basically mounted, including lateral brace from mount to mount that you can't see.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

I had to modifiy the lower control arm crossmaber assembley, because the steering tie rods were too close.

You can see the scallop I have taken out, and increased the strength of the assembly some, and to the right, you can see in the CAD drawing where the tie rod routes, and why the scallops.

And finally the hot weather is breaking, as it darn well should by the end of August.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

Exciting news for me, but sorry to say I am away for 4 days.

I am going to Xinjiang, not as tourist, but a business trip for Rong, and it's very close to the famous "4 Borders" of China, Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan.​

Burqin County to be exact.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burqin_Co ... ZPfKVEv5Cc

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

Because this trip happened suddenly, I left the factory today without taking pictures.

The front suspension is fully mounted, and the 2 x main engine mounts are done.

Starting to look like something again, but this time with production specific pieces going into it.​

[JEBar]

and I am back ...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3wctXek1BQ

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

SDAs I mentioned, I got the front suspension mounted before I went away on my trip, but forgot to take pictures, and today got the main engine mounts finalised.

Unfortunately I have to fly to Beijing tomorrow, but it's only for one day.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX .....

Back again.

Trip to Beijing was for 2 reasons, and one of them was to help secure the BEX's financial future of which talks went well.​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

I've always liked the concept of rivnuts, which are tube nuts that are crushed fitted into a hole, but in the real world they have a tendency to work loose and spin in the hole while tightening them. It's also a big issue to remove them when needing to repair, as drilling them out is a pain because they spin with the drill in the hole and damage the hole.

However, recently I noticed hex shaped rivnuts that can not spin in a hex hole, and you all know the ease I have with producing parts with the laser cutter, so it's logical to move to these as a joining method, and here is my test of this method today ..​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H7UxBs6Qf8

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

The hex will allow me to use Loctite on the bolts for extra security, whereas I would never use Loctite on a bolt in a round rivnut, that's just courting disaster.

I've repaired my fair share of spun rivnuts, it's painful, that's why i have never considered using them until I noticed the hex type.​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

Anyway, another slight delay in the process, I'm off to Australia for a couple of weeks for both business and see my family whom I haven't seen in 3 years due to Covid.

I apologise for the delay, but I got the chance to go so I'm taking it, I will still be in contact here though.​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

Yes, I'm back, and refreshed, well, as fresh at the moment as one can be after being in airplanes for 15 hours ....

I haven't seen my daughters and grand daughters in over 3 years, and my Dad has serious heart issues for which I wanted to find out more, so we did extend the stay a bit in case it was the last time I got to see him.

So back to it tomorrow​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ...

Been spending the last couple of days re-orientating myself, taking a few measurements, and working out how to start on the bodywork.

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

Getting to the bodywork a bit, and as I won't need rear doors, I cut out the inside panels of the doors mostly to get rid of weight for handling while doing the bodywork.

I then took those gutted doors and the rear side skins around the corner to my laser welder guy to create one piece rear sides to work with.​

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

After joining the front and rear sections of the left body side back together again after I had cut them apart, I lined it up on the chassis again. (top picture)

I then put the picture into Paint Shop and blended it in to get an idea of what it will look like.​(bottom picture)

Do the right hand side tomorrow ..

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When asked, "Have you made any decisions about how you are going to shape and construct the rear wheel well/arch?"

Mark responded, "3 of 9,999,999 options ... "

[JEBar]

Per Mark BEX ....

Pretty much like the Elio's, but much longer