With the engine back in I could start to connect up all the wiring and cooling system. First task ... install the battery. I had seen various other Westfields with the battery stuck on the scuttle and some with it low down at the front just behind the steering rack. I opted for the latter. This required a sheet to be fabricated to mount on the two chassis rails either side of the steering rack. I have a small sheet of aluminium in the garage from the Cobra so this was duy cut to size. Along with the battery tray I painted it hammerite black and then spray painted satin black.
Here's the finished installation ... nice and neat I must say !
Next step to assemble the radiator and fit it. I checked the radiator and it had a bleed outlet at the top that wasn't mentioned in the manual. There were no small hoses shown going to the radiator so I blanked this off with an M6 bolt. This would have been a tricky thing to rectify later on when the body work was on and I was wondering why there was engne coolant everywhere! The rest of the install should have been a straightforward job but all the M6 bolts I had left to fit were too long so I had to hacksaw a few to shorten them. Also when I fitted the radiator the bottom hose seemed very close to the chassis upright and was getting compresssed ... a few gentle blows with the mallet moved the mounts across a 2-3mm so there was a bit more clearance. I fitted the horn next and tidied up the wiring to the horn, fan temp sensor and the fan. Here it is all fitted.
I then trial fitted the exhaust manifold. I needed to turn the oil dipstick tube and reshape the mounting bracket as in its standard position it fouled the first exhaust port. With the manifold in position I can see that I will need to be very neat with the starter motor wiring. I can also fit the windscreen washer bottle and mark out a cardboard cutting template for the exhaust hole in the bodywork.
I ordered the bodywork and vinyl earlier in the week ... collection date early March. Confirmed the colour Orange and Black, with a few upgrades ! (3" harnesses, sports turbo seats and an RAC Rollbar).
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