Dip Stick Handle

Sometime back I some how managed to snap the handle off the dip stick, I have tried to weld it back together a few times but as it is so thin trying to get a good weld on it is almost impossible as I think the metal is impregnated with oil.

You can get a replacement billet stainless steel handle from some of the performance parts and accessories catalogues you can pick up but at what I think is a rip off price of £30 plus the VAT and then the package and postage on top of that too!

So when I was down at the local DIY store today I found a drawer handle which just happens to look about the same as the £30 job and at a fraction of the price at £2.99 lol.

All I had to do to get the handle to fit was drill a 4.5 mm hole in the side and then tap it out with an M5 tap fit a grub screw and fit it on.

AS you can see from the photos it looks just fine.

The £30 replacement dip stick handle.

My £2.99 dip stick handle

Autosport International 2008

Over the weekend I went up to the Autosport show held at the NEC Birmingham.
Loads to see, plenty of trade stands selling motorsport equipment and a live action show.
Here are just a few of the photos I took-

Lotus Seven Mk 1


Lotus Seven Mk2

F1 Pit Lane

A couple non standard optional extras !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bonnet Pin Kit

I have fitted a pin kit to the bonnet after I noticed on a run out last year that at speed the rear of the bonnet was trying to lift up and as I don't fancy the prospect of the thing flying off and hitting the vehicle following, this is something that had to be sorted.

The kit itself I got at the Exeter show from a company called Car Builder Solutions

www.carbuildersolutions.co.uk

Its simple to fit but involved some more drilling of the stainless steel bonnet ( not again!!!!!! lol)

The first thing you have to do is select an accessible area to mount the pins.
Next drill a hole for the threaded post to pass through, then attach the post with a nut each side of the support hole.

Adjust the height of the post so that the top is just in contact with the bonnet, put a small dab of grease on the tip so that it makes a mark on the underside of the bonnet.

Drill a hole through the bonnet so that the post protrudes and then test fit the bonnet in place.

Drop the contact plates over the posts on to the bonnet and adjust the height so it all fits nice,

using the plate as a marker drill and pop rivet in place.

Refit bonnet in the normal way and slide locking pins into place and its job done.