Academy Car Build - Day Sixteen - Cage, Side Intrusion Bar and Rear Shocks

We managed to get back from Harrogate around 3pm today, so I got to work on the car around 4pm, with another five or six hours work completed.

As part of the 'colour scheme' I thought that the side intrusion bar would look best if it was the same colour as the body work (rather than black or sulfur yellow like the roll cage), so that it blends in.  I was going to get it powder coated (as I did with the roll cage), but wanted an exact match to the Porsche Z12 Voodoo Blue body panels, so Dave at Daytona Coachworx sprayed it up for me.

Caterham side intrusion bar painted in Porsche Z12 Voodoo Blue

The roll cage was located in place on Friday evening, so that needed securing.  I spent a fair bit of time messing around with the alignment and figuring out what order was best to fit the side intrusion bar at the same time.

Some of the interior panels needed final riveting after the cage was fitted, so those bits were finished off, some time consuming IVA trim fitting on the knee trim panels and fuse holder, then the cage was tightened.  I figured out it's best to bolt the side intrusion (top mount) reasonably secure, before torquing the roll cage as then access to the top bolt of the side intrusion bar is a bit easier.

Some additional riveting on the boot cover was needed to finish that off, and the rear suspension was fitted.

Roll cage, colour matched side intrusion bar and suspension fitted

As you can see from the picture above, the car is really taking shape.  Having tidied the garage at the end of the night, it became apparent how little is left to finish the car off which is really encouraging.

I've a few more questions for Derek Howlett in the morning, and then tomorrow night I'm hoping to get the rear wings, steering wheel, manifold and exhaust fitted (time permitting).