Booting Off

 

I really need to make some progress on this little project, but I’m struggling to find the time and the disposable income currently. I’m sort of waiting for the spring and slightly warmer weather so I can start painting the bulkhead etc… which then allows me to fix the body properly and then progress with other stages. 

So one little job to do is to open up the metal on the bulkhead at the pivot points for the pedal box. I have the original rubber boots that were on the Spitfire and they keep any dust or debris from gunging up the clevis pins and linkages. This is really a fairly trivial job and took no longer than an hour or so real to sort.

I started off removing all the master cylinders and associated brackets along with the pedal box also to give me access to mark and cut. 

Second up was to create a cardboard template in order to mark the metal correctly to accept the boot seal. Easily done and cut to shape and the boot fits the cardboard, so will also fit the metal once cut. Once marked out I drilled the four corners of each markings with a 5mm bit and then just used the angle grinder to straight cut each side. I then tidied up each opening with a file to de-burr and square everything up. Quick trial fit to make sure no issues and then on to refit everything again. 

I need to get all these bits cut and sorted now before the paint finish as you can see on some of the pictures the metal is taking a bit of abuse with all the scratches and marks, however I’m not really taking much care or concern over this as I fully intended to prime and paint before the final fit anyway. I’m still not 100% what colour to go with yet, but will definitely be continuing the bed liner/texture finish on the bulkhead like I did on the chassis. 

Can’t really say much more on this really, everything fitted back together ok and the boots now fit and seal nicely. Think I’ll start the tedious process of removing everything in the next week or so, then with some extra fast hardener in the paint I can have a bash at priming and painting before it all goes back on…. Hopefully for the final fit. I want to start making the brackets and fixings for the headlights however it would be pointless to really start all this when it all has to be removed again and potentially change position slightly… so better hang fire and wait until after. I have got my headlights and rear lights all planned with what style I’m going with… and they are not exactly cheap but they need to be correct aesthetically and functionally.