Freestyle Buggy Build Diary

The modified steering column and various brackets, bolts and bushes arrived today from Dave Smart (the guy who makes the Freestyle). In the package he included an upto date build manual and a CD with some video footage of Freestyles bouncing and sliding around and going through big puddles and stuff. Claire, my extremely patient and unerstanding girlfriend, will tell you that I couldn’t be any more enthusiastic about my buggy but if I could, I would be more enthusiastic today after seeing those video clips.
Anyway…. more painting and cleaning. Painted the timing cover in silver Hammerite and it looks shite. Reassembled pedal box after reading the proper instructions, this involved drilling various holes in the steel rod that connects the pedal to the plunger in the pedal box. I’m glad of my bench drill fo that, a hand drill would have been hit and miss I reckon. When correctly reassembled I bolted it down after spending some time lining it up with the accelerator pedal, steering column and rack loosely in place.
Pictures show the assembled pedal box. These pictures were mainly took to show the SVA inspector to save me taking the box apart if he needs to see inside.
Time spent - 4 hours
Money spent - £85 on steering column, brackets, nuts, bolts bushes etc
- £6 on Silver Hammerite.

1st and 2nd August 2004

Yet more cleaning and painting. Moved engine into middle of garage to start removing bits to clean and paint. Started with timing cover which was as rusty as hell.
Photos show some of the bits I’ve been cleaning and painting. Pray with me that Hammerite won’t burn off on some of the engine bits I have applied it to.
The other photos show the engine before cleaning, the large crankshaft nut which needs to be removed, trying to undo this will just turn the engine so you have to lock the flywheel at the opposoite end of the engine by wedging a screwdriver between the ring gear teeth (shown in next photo). The last photo shows the simplex timing gear after the cover has been removed. I may upgrade to duplex if I get chance, if not its a job to be done later for sure.