I'm Bringing Guacamole to the Challenge in 2024

End plates done. Are there flaws with the plates or the mounting strategy? No, I don't believe so. (There are many)

they look good to me

Dashboard mounting figured out. Two bolts from my misc. Miata bolt bucket and the speed nuts they were screwed into and an existing tab bent over. Just needs some trimming and paint. 

Two things.

First. I've been planning to mount the rear view mirror on the dash but it's totally useless and just sort of in the way so I'm not sure I'll do that. 

Second. Do I put those cowl vent covers back on? I removed them way back when in my quest to get to 1,500 lbs but at this point, the aero pieces alone probably make up a good portion of what I've chopped out of the thing so do I make it look a little more finished?

You could pull a C1 Corvette and mount the mirror on a taller pole, to get it high enough to be useful.

I think the cowl vents look nice and probably weigh, what, 2 oz? Don't sweat it. 

another vote to keep the cowl vent trims.  they give a finished look.

cowl vents... or cowl vent covers.  theoretically, with the bend of the mini windshield, the outer portions of those vents will actually pull air out of the engine bay (depending on how the hood seals).

I'd suggest having the mirror, mounted higher, there for the concours... but maybe not the dynamic events?

That's enough votes for me. The covers stay. 

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

Great idea. No mirror for autox and drag race but mount for the concours.

I don't know that I'll bother making a pedestal for it but here is the concours look. Literally drilled a hole through it and used some random wood screw from a coffee can.

There's really nothing big left. Oil change, brake fluid, SM tires on... Maybe I'll make a nicer mount for the speedo?

I spent some time tonight with cut off wheels and flap disks making the cut edge of the doors a bit nicer and trimming behind the rear wheels. I like this much better than how it ended before.

I've also started putting together all the things I need for the build book.

Tomorrow I've got the morning off so I'm going to grab the trailer from storage so it's ready to go two weeks from today. I'm going to be rushing home from Gainesville to try to catch the eclipse so, sadly, Elmore won't be making the trip. There's no such thing as rushing in Elmore.

Steadily ticking little things off the list. B and C pillar caps painted. 

This took like, no time at all.

I should have time to get color on there today. Tomorrow it's off to get the SM tires mounted. 

Painted. It looked pretty well masked, right? I couldn't believe how much over spray there was all over Guac's floor. (It's been cleaned up in this pic.) Pictures do it much more justice than it deserves.

The pink paint really magnifies how not great the welds on this commercially available 4-point roll bar are. I mean, well within my amateur ability range.

Whoa ! That's one nice looking four point bar ! Could I ask where you got it and what it cost delivered? Need one for my '65 Mustang and can't find anything at a decent price with that kind of cross bracing, down bars, and feet.  Thanks—

In reply to MuSTANK :

I believe it was a Sneed4Speed bar. It was in the car when I bought it though so I have no idea what it cost.

Good news - SM tires are mounted. Bad news - I thought I had solved the whole strut tube not getting fully tight in the knuckle issue but it turns out I didn't. So that'll be a job for this weekend. I'm planning to sort of shim it with some thin metal. This is an issue I had heard about before with Maxpeedingrods but I thought I had avoided it.

We have a final weight for Guac. 

It's not the 1,500 lb mark I had my sights on when i first bought the car but once we had the roof off and felt how not-all-that-heavy it was, I knew that wasn't attainable. 200 lbs off an already stripped car with weight added back in with the aero ain't all bad. 

I was also able to fix the strut issue.

I actually had to use even thinner material than in that picture.

Man, did you EVER luck out on that Sneed4Speed bar, you got the car for the price of the bar ! ! ! ! !  https://www.ecstuning.com/b-sneed4speed-parts/sneed4speed-mini-cooper-4-point-roll-bar/2028310~snd/  

In reply to MuSTANK :

It's probably worth a lot less attached to this car!

I had Guac out today running a couple times up and down the street to get everything up to temp to change the oil. Got it up on stands and was greeted by... a leaking radiator. Sweet. 

The jungle website is wild and a cheapo one will be here tomorrow. I'm a bit torn as to whether I throw the new one in or epoxy where it's leaking from and send it. Probably should just replace it.

Shocker but I actually read the rules a couple days ago and realized I need a headlight for the drag race portion. I ordered some LED spot lights and have decided on how they'll be mounted and wired.

Lights sorted. Wired to the parking lights which, I'm pretty certain, Guac won't need again. 

I was able to unbolt and rotate the oil cooler out of the way which is awesome so, assuming the new rad shows up today, I should be able to get it in tonight. 

Is it...is it in yet?

In reply to Patrick :

Oh, it's all the way in. 

In reply to AxeHealey :

I didn't expect it to be so big. It nearly drags on the ground.

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

If he's not careful, he'll scrape the end of it...

In reply to Recon1342 & AngryCorvair :

You should see the size of the load it lets out...

Thank goodness it doesn't seem to be letting it out. I believe Guac is bled and leak free. 

Good Luck this weekend!

It'll be neat to watch this run. Lot of quality work in on this.