Absolutely correct. You may find (I don't know about this, but you had better check) that the standard seat mounting points are not deemed to be strong enough to just bolt a seat to. They may possibly have to be reinforced with steel plate welded underneath. You must not, ever, take any chances with your safety where rally car builds are concerned, apart from the fact that you won't be allowed to run in events if the car doesn't meet the build regulations....
This is an excellent build! I definitely agree with all the comments on checking build specs for the class you are going to run in. If you do scca events you can find the updated rules at dk1xgl0d43mu1.cloudfront.net/user_files/scca/downloads/000/043/364/2019_SCCA_RallyCross_Rules.pdf?1549659012 Find a local rally group and get some help, or come to Denver and I’ll help! :)
Sarah, be careful that you know what you are building! Is it for Rallycross (which in UK at least is run as 4 cars at a time racing multiple laps of a short circuit composed of both tarmac and loose surfaces, usually with a jump or two included). No passenger permitted in Rallycross, so only one seat and very highly tuned racing engines used? Or is it for stage rallying (cars start each timed stage at 30 second or 1 minute intervals. Two occupants to each car, the driver and the navigator or co-driver, who calls out directions from a "road book", as competitors are generally not allowed to drive the timed stages in advance of the competition). Rallies tend to have lots of different classes of vehicles competing on the same route, for overall victory but also for class wins, and the amount of tuning allowed to engines and suspensions depends on the build regs for that class. The build regs for the two sports will be very different, so be clear exactly what you intend to be doing with your car before you start to build it.....
It is funny but, people racing RC cars will not do this either!!! They just start buying parts and installing them, then get mad when those parts are not legal for the class they want to race in!! As well as other common mistakes. General racing common sense is lost on people.
You look so happy and excited. For the sunroof, fabricate an air vent with a blower in it. You will be hot(er than normal) and sticky. being able to get some air moving in the car will really help. Plus it will help remove the dust and scent of burnt clutch....
Thank u very much for enduring the stress of doing all this alone-- truth is that seeing u working on cars has gotten my car work and fixing desires and confidence back. You're a very talented mechanic actually.
Hi, Sarah! I wanted to give you a helpful hint for when you next replace factory bucket seats with after-market. 1. Remove the factory seats but leave the factory seat rails where they are. 2. Cut a square piece of aluminium checker plate (yes, I'm Australian) large enough so you can bolt the factory runners onto it. 3. Bolt the after-market seat to the aluminium checker plate! It's a strong and simple fix that rally / race car drivers do, and it gives you the flexibility to put the original seat back into the car while you transplant the after-market seat into the next project.
yup, what David said. Acrylic (plexiglass) should never be used for any window in a car. Polycarbonate is fine for side and rear windows only for rally and usually the rule is the thickness must be same or greater than the stock glass. Sunroofs can ONLY be replaced with metal for every north american rally rules that I've seen. That means no plastic, carbon fiber, fiberglass, whatever... Aluminum is fine. I did this to the bmw rallyx car myself and a buddy have. Just riveted it to the roof and sealed with silicone... looks surprisingly good with no creases or anything. Metal must of of same or thicker than the material the roof is made of.
Once upon a time I had an MK1 VW Jetta 1981 when I deleted the sunroof, I cut to fit a piece of plexiglass in the opening and used a generic weatherstrip molding to secure it. Then I painted it to match the car. Later I even replaced the 1/4 and backglass with plexi as well.
The next thing you'll want to do is decide what sanctioning body you're going to be rallying with, get their rulebook, and do nothing else until you've read it carefully. Different organizations have differing rules on things like seats, as an example, or what stock interior pieces you may have to retain, or how (or if) they'll let you fill the sunroof. It will save you a LOT of grief and wasted money in the long term. Take it from a long time racer who also worked in a high-end race shop for a decade... the rulebook determines what you can do and in many cases, what you can't do.
Great job Sarah. Just an FYI, the restraints control module has a huge capacitor. It can deploy the air bags up to 2 minutes after loosing 12 volt battery voltage. To ensure you discharge the capacitor, once you disconnect the negative hold it against the positive for 15 seconds. This will quickly discharge the capacitor. Love Love your videos.
I'd form a panel to bolt into the sunroof hole. You might be able to use the glass as a mold and layup fiberglass or carbon fiber over it, with a release agent, to make a lightweight, but strong panel. You could then glue or screw the panel into the channel around the sunroof hole.
+1 on the Carbon Fiber insert. I would make it removable, as well, for a possible escape hatch. Wiring...I would do a custom wire loom for the essentials (fuel pump, lights, battery cables). Also, I would place the battery in the back, with an external cutoff switch. Get rid of anything running along the roof line and put it on the floor running under the center console to the rear. The cage will be blocking up all those roof line wires, and you will need access to them. The wiring harness, for the front, can be left stock or, re wire it all using the stock as a guide for anything computer related. That way you have a dedicated harness for lights and a separate one for computer/ dash. It's a bit of work but, in the long run, will save a bunch of time chasing wires and frayed crap in the stock, aged, harness.
I could have sworn you had help and am totally shocked to learn you're doing it all by yourself ... Bravo lady you are amazing and very humorous I love your deadpan Style🐧🐧💛💜💟
For larger Torx bits, I've used flatheads before. My old Saab had a T30 that I couldn't find, so found a bigass flat head that fit 2 of the splines and was able to get it out.
Time saving tip, when you find a need for a tool, call around to the places that have such in your area, not only will you shorten your search time, they will hold it at the register for you
A louvered panel for the roof for ventilation. attach it with aircraft quarter-turn fasteners so you can remove the louvered panel. Make a second panel out of plexiglass with quarter-turn fasteners to keep the rain out and to act as a manual sunroof. You can get those quarter-turn fasteners out of the junk pile from the air force where you worked (you should be very familiar with those). If you are going to rally I assume that you will not have air-conditioning, but you will want some sort of air-flow through the car, the louvered panel will let the heat out and the pitch of the louvers will act as a way to draft the air out of the car.
Rivet in a panel and seal it with seam sealer! Also you can make door cards out of plastic, I'd check for what thickness and type is best suited for the heat out there. For the sound deadning try and air needle descaler.
I am super pumped about this project because I would love to do this too I live in the uk and im surprised more people don't do this due to the pot holes and rough roads and the amount of traffic your car would still look super cool no matter what you throw at it
I suggest getting a rule book, from the sanctioning body you plan to race with. Also, go to the rally's you want to run in, and meet everyone, look at all the cars, and take notes. Best thing also is if they allow it, volunteer to help with the races. For the sunroof, a piece of sheetmetal that fits the opening and use tabs and rivnuts. Good luck, look forward to seeing this car sliding around in the woods or desert.
A thin aluminum panel pop riveted in place for the sun roof and door panels. If you're wrapping the roof it's the best way to go and it's not a lot of $$$
For your sun roof delete find a car without a sun roof and chop the roof oversized for the hole so you have the right contours and fix in place with sealer and rivets then add a functional roof scoop so you will have positive pressure to keep dust out. Check your door and boot seals to stop dust. Also hopefully you kept the fixings for seats and seat belts you may need them later. If you want to remove the torx without the correct bit try a flat driver or if you had a welder just weld a nut and drive it off or maybe you can even try strong glue or cut a flat slot with an angle grinder then use a flat driver. If you are installing a cage with door bars you will need to ditch the door cards for something flat. Also once you install the cage always drive with helmet on as you don't want to crack your melon on the cage in a crash. Lights stuck on full beam a sure sign this is a night rally car. Looking forward to the build 👍🏻 Have a look at this rally project: ruclips.net/p/PLQ750IVvcIXONLtVkt3tZidWzjfq6DnAr
Roof scoop for the rear mounted radiator... don’t worry about the metal having waves. Little body filler to level it out and put the Vinyl wrap on!!! If your going to say “Because Race Car” don’t get caught up in making it perfect.... “You can Do It”!!!
Just set in a fixed smoked black plastic roof panel to save weight and for easy roll cage access. Use a double channel rubber gasket, like pickup rear glass windows do. ;)
I've seen people take the sunroof out and use it as a mould for a carbon insert panel. Just coat with release agent, lay carbon mat over it, cover with resin and then pop it off and bond it in place. You could even get creative and make it include your roof scoop. Carbon sheet repair kits are pretty cheap now as well! 👍
Dremel a long straight line in the t45 bolt (or any bolt) and use a flathead screwdriver to get them out. I had to do that a million times on stripped out bolts and screws on several old motorcycles I had. :)
I don't know if it's been suggested, but for the door panels, look into expanded PVC. You can get sheets that are big enough and it's pretty easy to work with, cuts with a razor, bends/molds with a heatgun, drills easy and a 3mm thick sheet would probably be rigid enough for what you need. Decently lightweight and you can get it in different colors too.
Pull the sunroof. Make a metal plate the same size as the sunroof. Put the gaskets from the original sunroof on the panel and bolt it in place. Seal where required. No welding needed.
There's your chance to practice welding when you stitch every seam between front and back suspension. The factory spotwelds won't hold in a rally car. Do not stiffen anything before or after suspension struts so that if you crash, it will absorb some of that energy.
I was always told unplug the battery and wait a half hour when working anywhere near airbags. The reason being is airbag modules have capacitors in them so if in a crash the battery becomes disconnected before the airbags go off they will still work.
Sarah - for your sunroof delete, your sheet metal can definitely handle MIG welding if you want to close it off with a plate of similar gage. You can also have tube welded in or leave it open with a screen as you’re adding a roll cage if your rally rules allow. Warpage will be negligible.
Wow! You filleted Sir Codsworth so fast, there's not a bone left on him. You're racing to get rallying. 😊 Sunroof delete. Perhaps make the cage with a metal sheet? This way you can ensure that it's larger than the existing hole for the sunroof. It then wouldn't matter how well you patched or replaced the existing sunroof. Any repairs to the outside would then be cosmetic and not depended on for safety.
If anyone from Speed Network hasn’t contacted you yet for a TV show about your build and reviews, they are really missing out. “Rally My Ride with Sarah” would be a big hit. Now that you’ve put Mr Codsworth on a interior weight loss program, now he needs a little weight redistribution (battery, fuel cell, etc.). And a panel for the sunroof that can be knocked out in a pinch for an emergency exit. Also for any of you that have not seen her reviews, I strongly recommended that you check them out. Very well thought out, very well executed and edited, and done in a way that us ordinary average drivers can relate to. It’s one of only 2 channels I watch for auto reviews (real car reviews is the other). If Speed Network picked up her reviews, they would have an instant hit show.
Selling off the stock interior is smart. Recoups a large portion of the cost of the car, plus you won't need to find a place to store the parts. Love your car reviews. Car reviews done by someone who is a car enthusiast are always far better than reviews done by advertisers. Yours are great. Looking forward to the next one.
You should see if you can get European spec headlights as the indicators are in the headlights as opposed to being in the grille. You can then put some spots above and below the grille or get a lamp pod for the bonnet. As for the dash, you could take it out and flock it to reduce glare onto the front screen.
Also, wear a dust mask if you have mould allergies. Lots of old sponge, adhesive particles along with general dust too, better on the mask than in your lungs. We appreciate your lungs too.
Find a non sunroof car and pull a fibreglass mould off the roof in the area you want to fill. Then you can make up either a flat panel (carbon fibre?) to bond over the existing hole, or go crazy and mould in some air ducts. As for the door panels, you can buy a sign/ facade material for buildings that is a thin layer of aluminium each side, with a layer of foamed PVC in between. Much more rigid than plain aluminium sheet, same weight, easier to work and comes in different colours and patterns. It can be worked with regular wood or metalworking tools. One brand name off the top of my head is Dibond.
Yeah, off to an awesome project start Sarah. Sunroof delete and scoop? How about cutting a seciton out of a Subaru engine hood to patch in? Also, the airbag sensor/ECU is probably under the center console, bolted to the floor between the shifter and the firewall. Most cars have it thereabout. Easy to find because yellow cables/connectors. Unplug it and look if the car still starts and drives. Could be tied into the engine-ECU worst case. Seats, remember that race buckets (and belts) expire, so you want to delay that date as far as possible. Get a seat from a base 5dr Mk1 Focus meanwhile. Can't wait for the next episode... :D
I raced a 1966 911s that had a sun roof. What we did was cut an aluminum pannel that was over sized and pop riveted it in. We used the same aluminum to make door skins also. Good luck with the project.
Hey Sarah! It be a good idea too put the bolts back that are on the floor or where there mite be a chance of getting outside air in. You don’t want to get fumes coming in.
Torx has 6 "lobes" so there are always 2 opposite each other, if your get a fitting flathead screwdriver in there it should work. (unless you have the "security Torx" with the pin in the center)
You really tore into Sir Cod fast! It's a rally car, cheap piece of sheet metal bolted on with rounded cap bolts would look cool with the wrap. Make Sir Codsworth look like a bad-ass fighter that can't be eaten by other fish. This is going to be fun, you got a lot of help on here.
Careful driving it after taking weight off. I took a bunch of weight out of my MR-S when I went turbo and the first time I drove it in the rain it was super dangerous because the higher suspension had changed the alignment.
Go to a van shop van conversion shop and they can make a window with the proper size gasket for that opening. You'll have a good seal and you can have as dark a tint as you want
I've said this before but your editing is fantastic. I know that takes a lot of extra time but between that, your choice of music and the other visuals your videos are a joy to watch.
You outdid yourself on camera angles. Love, love, love it. Your going to end up a producer and please don't forget us little people when your signing your first multi million dollar contract.
I would love to see a scale ticket to show before and after weight savings on the superleggera focus. You could replace the glass in the sunroof with polycarbonate or plexy and seal it in with a rubber seal and windshield glue.
Abrasion Resistant Polycarbonate is much stronger, lighter and UV resistant (turns cloudy) than plexiglass (acrylic). Its what is used in most racecars to replace glass including the windscreen.
I think the best way to solve the sunroof issue is to remove the whole thing and then weld a patch. If you can easily find a roof skin from another car that would work then that would ultimately be the best but that may be hard to find as you mentioned in another video
The sunroof section is actually structurally stronger than a standard roof panel (drifters have chosen Nissan 180SX's with a sunroof for this reason for years). The glass itself is also quite strong, although brittle. I would recommend leaving it inplace, tinting or wrapping both sides of the glass (laminate style) so if it does break it won't have a million pieces of glass everywhere (being OCD I know this would drive you nuts!) 👍
I'm watching you gut this focus and I'm thinking that's a lot of crap to remove. Then I realized I'm going to do this to a suburban gulp! By the way if you're going to thrash the car rallying the roof is still going to flex and wrinkle so just patch panel the sunroof besides any competent welder should know to jump around spot welding to keep the heat down and the metal from warping.
Replace the sunroof with piece of blacked out lexan sealed in, pretty light and easy to do. Thin aluminum door skins sorta like project binky, but less indepth. Should be pretty fun little car when ya get it done.
@Sarah -n- Tuned If you replace the roof skin, don't fit the replacement one till after the cage is done, makes it much easier to build the cage with the roof skin removed :)
As someone who has had a lot of different race seats in their car trying to find the right one, my advice is take your time, go to a race shop, and sit in every seat until you find the right one. Then sit in it for another 20 minutes to ensure it really is comfortable. You want snug, but not tight. Since it's going to be a race car, don't bother with any seat that doesn't have head containment. Race car is all about safety first. Absolutely do not buy anything not FIA rated. Because my car is a street car first and a track car second, and I want to occasionally drive the car to work, I settled on Sparco Ergo seats. The Ergo is the only seat with removable head containment. Last but not least, race seats are expensive. They are easily the most expensive thing I've had to buy for my car.
I thought the same thing. Lol Kinda like how stock cars have side air intakes to cool the driver. But she would have to put in a rainwater drain system for the inevitable rain day. Lots of work for just her.
I remember changing my original interior on my 1.8 TDDi for a complete ST170 interior and it took me most of the day. I discovered that the boxes under the seats unbolt and that the floor is a funny shape so you can't just fit an off the shelf racing seat as the subframes on the original seats don't fit
You are doing a great job with your content. Your style is unique and very relatable to the average car owner/buyer. Keep grinding and making informative/entertaining videos
Keep in mind... your building it to be a rally car... you're going to beat the snot out of this thing...dont worry too much about how the roof looks. I'd just make a patch panel and MAYBE a scoop. Caulk it up pop rivet it on and cover it with livery, and if ya wrap it around a tree(hopefully not) you ain't going to care if the roof is straight. Invest in a good cage.
Sarah, I would do the opposite: matt blu the inside and white the roll cage. Leave the sunsoof on it. There is no real good way to eliminate it cheaply. Godspeed Sarah! You are going strong!💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Sarah, you would need to check the technical regulations for rallying in your area. In England, sunroofs are not permitted in rally cars. They have to be deleted, by welding or by reskinning the roof with solid metal. But maybe it's different where you are....
A good welder will stitch weld a patch and that will not warp the roof skin. Aluminum skins for the doors and please get some safety glasses. You don't want to loose an eye.
Snag a roof panel out of a car that, hopefully, matches the color you have. If not at least a roof panel that is intact and undamaged. Wire loom works real well tie wrapped to the roll cage once it’s installed. I don’t know if the rally cars have cut off switches like the drag cars have, but I would check that out. That interior was definitely nasty up on top!😖Ooo, ick!💖
As far as the sunroof goes, I'd say put in a sheet metal panel to replace the glass and maybe you could still use it like a sunroof to let more air into the car on those really hot days when you're out rally racing in 110 degree weather.
Their regulations will also tell you things about what specifications your seats need to meet, type of seat bases that are acceptable, what specs your cage needs to meet, type of material, etc., etc.
Sir Codsworth. I love it...never could come up with something that creative myself lol. As to the car review videos you mentioned - I enjoy them. Most times, they're not a car I would personally choose for myself but it's interesting to hear stuff about other vehicles that I wouldn't consider. Can tell you put a lot of work into them too.
Hi Sarah I wouldn't worry about the tar in the rear parcel area to much. You should be able to scrape it out with a heat gun if you absolutely have to. I would also leave the carpet in to start with as you may want to drive it without ear plugs for a while. It already is going to be noisier. As for the sunroof it depends on what it looks like on its edge once removed but honestly it's a rally car you could easily just rivet or tack weld in the steel every 1" or so around the edge then fill it with a bit of panel glue. If you do that some reinforcement underneath glued or tacked into place would be fine. As for the steel for it your local pick a part and cut a hole in a roof of the same car that doesn't have one. There is a little more to it though as you will need to mark it all out but it is easy. I have done it years ago and I just used some paper to make a pattern off the hole that needed filling and used that to mark out the steel needed on the victim cars roof. Then just cut it out with a jigsaw or saber saw oversize but already marked to the proper hole size and location. Trim to fit later. If you do this be gentle when removing it as you don't want to bend it to much. But all that trouble was for a restored car that was getting paint. Do you know the class you are prepping for? Most local clubs will have a guide and regs for each class. Although they will rarely if at all knock back any safety modifications. Cheers
Good start to the build. But remember it's a rally car. It's going to get beat up. Don't get to focused on cosmetic appeal. Have a body shop weld in a sheet where the sunroof is. Don't worry about the sound deadening on the floor and taking dry ice to remove it. Focus on your rules and regs in class for safety features.
I removed my sunroof and applied a carbon fiber cover made for my car. Dont know if they make a carbon cover for the focus but that is an option that can probably be fabricated easily. Mine just used rivets and then it was sealed from the inside with black silicone sealant and doesn't leak. Then u could paint the carbon if u dont like the look. Just a suggestion. Keep the content coming!
Great call on Codsworth, even without all the reference points, it's a fun name with a touch of class! This video was real upbeat, both music and your attitude, so good to see you looking truly excited to be tearing it apart getting it ready. Swapping the roof panel is a lot more work than it seems, and generally one that came from another car isn't going to fit quite right. Welding will probably warp the roof, so best bet for something that you wouldn't be paying out the ass for, is probably going to be making some little support brackets and some seam-sealer/panel bonder to seal up a thin metal blank, maybe with some ribbing on it to keep it stiff. Great progress, stripping ain't easy.
Before you go too much further check the build regs of the class you want to compete in. Saves building the car twice! Great start & best of luck.
Absolutely correct. You may find (I don't know about this, but you had better check) that the standard seat mounting points are not deemed to be strong enough to just bolt a seat to. They may possibly have to be reinforced with steel plate welded underneath. You must not, ever, take any chances with your safety where rally car builds are concerned, apart from the fact that you won't be allowed to run in events if the car doesn't meet the build regulations....
This is an excellent build! I definitely agree with all the comments on checking build specs for the class you are going to run in. If you do scca events you can find the updated rules at dk1xgl0d43mu1.cloudfront.net/user_files/scca/downloads/000/043/364/2019_SCCA_RallyCross_Rules.pdf?1549659012
Find a local rally group and get some help, or come to Denver and I’ll help! :)
This! She should look in to that first.
Sarah, be careful that you know what you are building! Is it for Rallycross (which in UK at least is run as 4 cars at a time racing multiple laps of a short circuit composed of both tarmac and loose surfaces, usually with a jump or two included). No passenger permitted in Rallycross, so only one seat and very highly tuned racing engines used?
Or is it for stage rallying (cars start each timed stage at 30 second or 1 minute intervals. Two occupants to each car, the driver and the navigator or co-driver, who calls out directions from a "road book", as competitors are generally not allowed to drive the timed stages in advance of the competition). Rallies tend to have lots of different classes of vehicles competing on the same route, for overall victory but also for class wins, and the amount of tuning allowed to engines and suspensions depends on the build regs for that class.
The build regs for the two sports will be very different, so be clear exactly what you intend to be doing with your car before you start to build it.....
It is funny but, people racing RC cars will not do this either!!! They just start buying parts and installing them, then get mad when those parts are not legal for the class they want to race in!! As well as other common mistakes. General racing common sense is lost on people.
You look so happy and excited. For the sunroof, fabricate an air vent with a blower in it. You will be hot(er than normal) and sticky. being able to get some air moving in the car will really help. Plus it will help remove the dust and scent of burnt clutch....
Good call painting the interior white - it's so much easier to see things when you're installing bits, or troubleshooting.
Thank u very much for enduring the stress of doing all this alone-- truth is that seeing u working on cars has gotten my car work and fixing desires and confidence back. You're a very talented mechanic actually.
Hi, Sarah!
I wanted to give you a helpful hint for when you next replace factory bucket seats with after-market.
1. Remove the factory seats but leave the factory seat rails where they are.
2. Cut a square piece of aluminium checker plate (yes, I'm Australian) large enough so you can bolt the factory runners onto it.
3. Bolt the after-market seat to the aluminium checker plate!
It's a strong and simple fix that rally / race car drivers do, and it gives you the flexibility to put the original seat back into the car while you transplant the after-market seat into the next project.
Safety glasses. Hate to see you get injured.
Also, just sub out the sunroof glass for plexiglass. Keep the stock seal.
Or in polycarbonate (impact resistant)
Most U.S. rally organizations require a metal roof in their rule book, anything other then metal won't pass tech.
yup, what David said. Acrylic (plexiglass) should never be used for any window in a car. Polycarbonate is fine for side and rear windows only for rally and usually the rule is the thickness must be same or greater than the stock glass. Sunroofs can ONLY be replaced with metal for every north american rally rules that I've seen. That means no plastic, carbon fiber, fiberglass, whatever... Aluminum is fine. I did this to the bmw rallyx car myself and a buddy have. Just riveted it to the roof and sealed with silicone... looks surprisingly good with no creases or anything. Metal must of of same or thicker than the material the roof is made of.
Once upon a time I had an MK1 VW Jetta 1981 when I deleted the sunroof, I cut to fit a piece of plexiglass in the opening and used a generic weatherstrip molding to secure it. Then I painted it to match the car. Later I even replaced the 1/4 and backglass with plexi as well.
The next thing you'll want to do is decide what sanctioning body you're going to be rallying with, get their rulebook, and do nothing else until you've read it carefully. Different organizations have differing rules on things like seats, as an example, or what stock interior pieces you may have to retain, or how (or if) they'll let you fill the sunroof. It will save you a LOT of grief and wasted money in the long term. Take it from a long time racer who also worked in a high-end race shop for a decade... the rulebook determines what you can do and in many cases, what you can't do.
Great job Sarah. Just an FYI, the restraints control module has a huge capacitor. It can deploy the air bags up to 2 minutes after loosing 12 volt battery voltage. To ensure you discharge the capacitor, once you disconnect the negative hold it against the positive for 15 seconds. This will quickly discharge the capacitor. Love Love your videos.
I'd form a panel to bolt into the sunroof hole. You might be able to use the glass as a mold and layup fiberglass or carbon fiber over it, with a release agent, to make a lightweight, but strong panel. You could then glue or screw the panel into the channel around the sunroof hole.
Looking forward to following Sir Codsworth's journey from the beginning. Your excitement with this new project is contagious!
+1 on the Carbon Fiber insert. I would make it removable, as well, for a possible escape hatch.
Wiring...I would do a custom wire loom for the essentials (fuel pump, lights, battery cables). Also, I would place the battery in the back, with an external cutoff switch. Get rid of anything running along the roof line and put it on the floor running under the center console to the rear. The cage will be blocking up all those roof line wires, and you will need access to them. The wiring harness, for the front, can be left stock or, re wire it all using the stock as a guide for anything computer related. That way you have a dedicated harness for lights and a separate one for computer/ dash. It's a bit of work but, in the long run, will save a bunch of time chasing wires and frayed crap in the stock, aged, harness.
I could have sworn you had help and am totally shocked to learn you're doing it all by yourself ... Bravo lady you are amazing and very humorous I love your deadpan Style🐧🐧💛💜💟
I give you props for working with your hair down. Whenever I work on my car, I have to put it up or else it gets in my face, in the oil, etc
For larger Torx bits, I've used flatheads before. My old Saab had a T30 that I couldn't find, so found a bigass flat head that fit 2 of the splines and was able to get it out.
Time saving tip, when you find a need for a tool, call around to the places that have such in your area, not only will you shorten your search time, they will hold it at the register for you
Yeah the scoop idea would be cool, connected as a cold air intake. Looks like fun!
A louvered panel for the roof for ventilation. attach it with aircraft quarter-turn fasteners so you can remove the louvered panel. Make a second panel out of plexiglass with quarter-turn fasteners to keep the rain out and to act as a manual sunroof. You can get those quarter-turn fasteners out of the junk pile from the air force where you worked (you should be very familiar with those). If you are going to rally I assume that you will not have air-conditioning, but you will want some sort of air-flow through the car, the louvered panel will let the heat out and the pitch of the louvers will act as a way to draft the air out of the car.
I love your car reviews btw, it's informative without being boring or long winded.
Rivet in a panel and seal it with seam sealer! Also you can make door cards out of plastic, I'd check for what thickness and type is best suited for the heat out there. For the sound deadning try and air needle descaler.
I am super pumped about this project because I would love to do this too I live in the uk and im surprised more people don't do this due to the pot holes and rough roads and the amount of traffic your car would still look super cool no matter what you throw at it
I suggest getting a rule book, from the sanctioning body you plan to race with. Also, go to the rally's you want to run in, and meet everyone, look at all the cars, and take notes. Best thing also is if they allow it, volunteer to help with the races. For the sunroof, a piece of sheetmetal that fits the opening and use tabs and rivnuts. Good luck, look forward to seeing this car sliding around in the woods or desert.
Why not make a metal sunroof to replace the glass? It'd double as an emergency escape hatch, too! 😉
Or polycarbonate?
Have a glass shop put in a pop in window.
I was thinking a lexan replacement for the sunroof. Then just wrap over it.
A thin aluminum panel pop riveted in place for the sun roof and door panels. If you're wrapping the roof it's the best way to go and it's not a lot of $$$
For your sun roof delete find a car without a sun roof and chop the roof oversized for the hole so you have the right contours and fix in place with sealer and rivets then add a functional roof scoop so you will have positive pressure to keep dust out. Check your door and boot seals to stop dust. Also hopefully you kept the fixings for seats and seat belts you may need them later. If you want to remove the torx without the correct bit try a flat driver or if you had a welder just weld a nut and drive it off or maybe you can even try strong glue or cut a flat slot with an angle grinder then use a flat driver. If you are installing a cage with door bars you will need to ditch the door cards for something flat. Also once you install the cage always drive with helmet on as you don't want to crack your melon on the cage in a crash. Lights stuck on full beam a sure sign this is a night rally car. Looking forward to the build 👍🏻
Have a look at this rally project:
ruclips.net/p/PLQ750IVvcIXONLtVkt3tZidWzjfq6DnAr
Don't worry your video's are never boring, you're informative and funny so keep them coming.
Roof scoop for the rear mounted radiator... don’t worry about the metal having waves. Little body filler to level it out and put the Vinyl wrap on!!! If your going to say “Because Race Car” don’t get caught up in making it perfect.... “You can Do It”!!!
Just set in a fixed smoked black plastic roof panel to save weight and for easy roll cage access. Use a double channel rubber gasket, like pickup rear glass windows do. ;)
You are a very special lady you make my day everytime I watch your videos
FYI a Dremel can be used to cut a slot in the head and a screwdriver can then be used to remove a stubborn screw or bolt.
I've seen people take the sunroof out and use it as a mould for a carbon insert panel. Just coat with release agent, lay carbon mat over it, cover with resin and then pop it off and bond it in place. You could even get creative and make it include your roof scoop. Carbon sheet repair kits are pretty cheap now as well! 👍
Dremel a long straight line in the t45 bolt (or any bolt) and use a flathead screwdriver to get them out. I had to do that a million times on stripped out bolts and screws on several old motorcycles I had. :)
I don't know if it's been suggested, but for the door panels, look into expanded PVC. You can get sheets that are big enough and it's pretty easy to work with, cuts with a razor, bends/molds with a heatgun, drills easy and a 3mm thick sheet would probably be rigid enough for what you need. Decently lightweight and you can get it in different colors too.
Pull the sunroof. Make a metal plate the same size as the sunroof. Put the gaskets from the original sunroof on the panel and bolt it in place. Seal where required. No welding needed.
There's your chance to practice welding when you stitch every seam between front and back suspension. The factory spotwelds won't hold in a rally car. Do not stiffen anything before or after suspension struts so that if you crash, it will absorb some of that energy.
I was always told unplug the battery and wait a half hour when working anywhere near airbags. The reason being is airbag modules have capacitors in them so if in a crash the battery becomes disconnected before the airbags go off they will still work.
For the roof scoop I would but a metal hood scoop for a truck and tack in on the top and seal the inside with silicone caulk
You could have multiple people working, but lets be real, we tune in to watch you tear it up girl keep at it.... Much Love.
Yeah that would look sweet White inside it plus you could see the dirt we all know how much Sarah likes to clean.
Sarah - for your sunroof delete, your sheet metal can definitely handle MIG welding if you want to close it off with a plate of similar gage. You can also have tube welded in or leave it open with a screen as you’re adding a roll cage if your rally rules allow. Warpage will be negligible.
Wow! You filleted Sir Codsworth so fast, there's not a bone left on him. You're racing to get rallying. 😊
Sunroof delete. Perhaps make the cage with a metal sheet? This way you can ensure that it's larger than the existing hole for the sunroof. It then wouldn't matter how well you patched or replaced the existing sunroof. Any repairs to the outside would then be cosmetic and not depended on for safety.
*Sarah's car reviews are definitely worth watching peeps,....give them a try, c'mon.*
If anyone from Speed Network hasn’t contacted you yet for a TV show about your build and reviews, they are really missing out. “Rally My Ride with Sarah” would be a big hit.
Now that you’ve put Mr Codsworth on a interior weight loss program, now he needs a little weight redistribution (battery, fuel cell, etc.). And a panel for the sunroof that can be knocked out in a pinch for an emergency exit.
Also for any of you that have not seen her reviews, I strongly recommended that you check them out. Very well thought out, very well executed and edited, and done in a way that us ordinary average drivers can relate to. It’s one of only 2 channels I watch for auto reviews (real car reviews is the other). If Speed Network picked up her reviews, they would have an instant hit show.
Selling off the stock interior is smart. Recoups a large portion of the cost of the car, plus you won't need to find a place to store the parts.
Love your car reviews. Car reviews done by someone who is a car enthusiast are always far better than reviews done by advertisers. Yours are great. Looking forward to the next one.
Stay focused Sarah, for the doors get some thin aluminium and same for the rear to cover in all the holes.
You should see if you can get European spec headlights as the indicators are in the headlights as opposed to being in the grille. You can then put some spots above and below the grille or get a lamp pod for the bonnet. As for the dash, you could take it out and flock it to reduce glare onto the front screen.
Sir Codsworth it is! The only sage advice would be for you to wear safety glasses. 🤗
Also, wear a dust mask if you have mould allergies. Lots of old sponge, adhesive particles along with general dust too, better on the mask than in your lungs. We appreciate your lungs too.
Find a non sunroof car and pull a fibreglass mould off the roof in the area you want to fill. Then you can make up either a flat panel (carbon fibre?) to bond over the existing hole, or go crazy and mould in some air ducts.
As for the door panels, you can buy a sign/ facade material for buildings that is a thin layer of aluminium each side, with a layer of foamed PVC in between. Much more rigid than plain aluminium sheet, same weight, easier to work and comes in different colours and patterns. It can be worked with regular wood or metalworking tools. One brand name off the top of my head is Dibond.
I think all your videos are entertaining. Even when I have a bad day I can always get a good laugh from watching your videos. Thank you.
Yeah, off to an awesome project start Sarah.
Sunroof delete and scoop? How about cutting a seciton out of a Subaru engine hood to patch in?
Also, the airbag sensor/ECU is probably under the center console, bolted to the floor between the shifter and the firewall. Most cars have it thereabout. Easy to find because yellow cables/connectors. Unplug it and look if the car still starts and drives. Could be tied into the engine-ECU worst case.
Seats, remember that race buckets (and belts) expire, so you want to delay that date as far as possible. Get a seat from a base 5dr Mk1 Focus meanwhile.
Can't wait for the next episode... :D
For the sun roof, patch in metal with body panel adhesive, then smooth with body filler and paint.
I raced a 1966 911s that had a sun roof. What we did was cut an aluminum pannel that was over sized and pop riveted it in. We used the same aluminum to make door skins also. Good luck with the project.
Taking apart a car actually looks like a lot of fun.
Hey Sarah! It be a good idea too put the bolts back that are on the floor or where there mite be a chance of getting outside air in. You don’t want to get fumes coming in.
Torx has 6 "lobes" so there are always 2 opposite each other, if your get a fitting flathead screwdriver in there it should work.
(unless you have the "security Torx" with the pin in the center)
You really tore into Sir Cod fast! It's a rally car, cheap piece of sheet metal bolted on with rounded cap bolts would look cool with the wrap. Make Sir Codsworth look like a bad-ass fighter that can't be eaten by other fish. This is going to be fun, you got a lot of help on here.
You can cut a piece of plastic with a rubber in the hole of the sunroof. Or, when that is not allowed in your race class; glue in a panel.
Careful driving it after taking weight off. I took a bunch of weight out of my MR-S when I went turbo and the first time I drove it in the rain it was super dangerous because the higher suspension had changed the alignment.
Sarah I think this just might be one of your best videos yet. You got a ton of work done clearing Codsworth out.
I really like where this build is going. FYI...An old square milk crate works well as a temporary seat to move the car around. Keep up the good work.
Go to a van shop van conversion shop and they can make a window with the proper size gasket for that opening. You'll have a good seal and you can have as dark a tint as you want
Cut a slot into the bolt head with a grinder and use a beefy standard screwdriver 5:00. Or, visit a Harbor Freight.
I've said this before but your editing is fantastic. I know that takes a lot of extra time but between that, your choice of music and the other visuals your videos are a joy to watch.
I think a dust mask and safety glasses are a must for this level of removal ..
You outdid yourself on camera angles. Love, love, love it. Your going to end up a producer and please don't forget us little people when your signing your first multi million dollar contract.
Try split conduit for the cabling. It allows you to add and remove cables easier than standard conduit
I would love to see a scale ticket to show before and after weight savings on the superleggera focus. You could replace the glass in the sunroof with polycarbonate or plexy and seal it in with a rubber seal and windshield glue.
Sunroof Solution, keep the hole and replace with plexiglass
Abrasion Resistant Polycarbonate is much stronger, lighter and UV resistant (turns cloudy) than plexiglass (acrylic). Its what is used in most racecars to replace glass including the windscreen.
Sheet aluminum is also a good, light option. Either way, well secured or they could become a guillotine in an accident.
Replace the sunroof with a lightweight material you can punch out if you need to - maybe make it a camera housing for go-pros at the same time.
I think the best way to solve the sunroof issue is to remove the whole thing and then weld a patch. If you can easily find a roof skin from another car that would work then that would ultimately be the best but that may be hard to find as you mentioned in another video
Such a detailer....
"I'm tearing all this crap out, but first let me clean it"
The sunroof section is actually structurally stronger than a standard roof panel (drifters have chosen Nissan 180SX's with a sunroof for this reason for years). The glass itself is also quite strong, although brittle. I would recommend leaving it inplace, tinting or wrapping both sides of the glass (laminate style) so if it does break it won't have a million pieces of glass everywhere (being OCD I know this would drive you nuts!) 👍
No it's not. The roof skin is a shear panel, putting a giant hole in it significantly reduces it's strength.
@@TyphoonVstrom - verify it.
Sarah, for your sunroof delete do a piece of aluminum and pop rivet it. I've seen that done. Looks good
I'm watching you gut this focus and I'm thinking that's a lot of crap to remove. Then I realized I'm going to do this to a suburban gulp! By the way if you're going to thrash the car rallying the roof is still going to flex and wrinkle so just patch panel the sunroof besides any competent welder should know to jump around spot welding to keep the heat down and the metal from warping.
Replace the sunroof with piece of blacked out lexan sealed in, pretty light and easy to do. Thin aluminum door skins sorta like project binky, but less indepth. Should be pretty fun little car when ya get it done.
@Sarah -n- Tuned If you replace the roof skin, don't fit the replacement one till after the cage is done, makes it much easier to build the cage with the roof skin removed :)
As someone who has had a lot of different race seats in their car trying to find the right one, my advice is take your time, go to a race shop, and sit in every seat until you find the right one. Then sit in it for another 20 minutes to ensure it really is comfortable. You want snug, but not tight. Since it's going to be a race car, don't bother with any seat that doesn't have head containment. Race car is all about safety first. Absolutely do not buy anything not FIA rated.
Because my car is a street car first and a track car second, and I want to occasionally drive the car to work, I settled on Sparco Ergo seats. The Ergo is the only seat with removable head containment.
Last but not least, race seats are expensive. They are easily the most expensive thing I've had to buy for my car.
A roof scoop feeding air to a cooler for the Cod.😁
I thought the same thing. Lol
Kinda like how stock cars have side air intakes to cool the driver. But she would have to put in a rainwater drain system for the inevitable rain day. Lots of work for just her.
I remember changing my original interior on my 1.8 TDDi for a complete ST170 interior and it took me most of the day. I discovered that the boxes under the seats unbolt and that the floor is a funny shape so you can't just fit an off the shelf racing seat as the subframes on the original seats don't fit
You are doing a great job with your content. Your style is unique and very relatable to the average car owner/buyer. Keep grinding and making informative/entertaining videos
The build begins. Or tear down anyway. That looked exhausting! I'll stay tuned!
Keep in mind... your building it to be a rally car... you're going to beat the snot out of this thing...dont worry too much about how the roof looks. I'd just make a patch panel and MAYBE a scoop. Caulk it up pop rivet it on and cover it with livery, and if ya wrap it around a tree(hopefully not) you ain't going to care if the roof is straight. Invest in a good cage.
Sarah, I would do the opposite: matt blu the inside and white the roll cage. Leave the sunsoof on it. There is no real good way to eliminate it cheaply.
Godspeed Sarah! You are going strong!💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Sarah, you would need to check the technical regulations for rallying in your area. In England, sunroofs are not permitted in rally cars. They have to be deleted, by welding or by reskinning the roof with solid metal. But maybe it's different where you are....
You clean everything with the exception of the AC knobs
For the sunroof, do plexi and a rubber gasket. Easy, quick, light, still have a sunroof and no body work
A good welder will stitch weld a patch and that will not warp the roof skin. Aluminum skins for the doors and please get some safety glasses. You don't want to loose an eye.
No chance. Even the very best welder will warp that panel, it's too flat.
Snag a roof panel out of a car that, hopefully, matches the color you have. If not at least a roof panel that is intact and undamaged. Wire loom works real well tie wrapped to the roll cage once it’s installed. I don’t know if the rally cars have cut off switches like the drag cars have, but I would check that out. That interior was definitely nasty up on top!😖Ooo, ick!💖
Sheets of metal for the inner door and a pull strap for the inner handle
As far as the sunroof goes, I'd say put in a sheet metal panel to replace the glass and maybe you could still use it like a sunroof to let more air into the car on those really hot days when you're out rally racing in 110 degree weather.
Sheet metal for the inner doors. rivet, screw, whatever your fancy
Which group's regulations are you prepping the car to? Some in more stock-ish classes require full or partial interiors to be retained.
Their regulations will also tell you things about what specifications your seats need to meet, type of seat bases that are acceptable, what specs your cage needs to meet, type of material, etc., etc.
THIS!!
Regulations are everything.
The class that doesn’t require an interior 😉
@@savagebob911 true
@@SarahnTuned you should starting it with the lower modified class first. Did you already checked the rally class regulations you want to compete??
Looks like some DNA on those rear seats!
Use diamond plate for covers and ur door cars. Gives streaght and protection plus look cool to.
Sir Codsworth. I love it...never could come up with something that creative myself lol.
As to the car review videos you mentioned - I enjoy them. Most times, they're not a car I would personally choose for myself but it's interesting to hear stuff about other vehicles that I wouldn't consider. Can tell you put a lot of work into them too.
Hi Sarah
I wouldn't worry about the tar in the rear parcel area to much. You should be able to scrape it out with a heat gun if you absolutely have to.
I would also leave the carpet in to start with as you may want to drive it without ear plugs for a while. It already is going to be noisier.
As for the sunroof it depends on what it looks like on its edge once removed but honestly it's a rally car you could easily just rivet or tack weld in the steel every 1" or so around the edge then fill it with a bit of panel glue. If you do that some reinforcement underneath glued or tacked into place would be fine.
As for the steel for it your local pick a part and cut a hole in a roof of the same car that doesn't have one. There is a little more to it though as you will need to mark it all out but it is easy. I have done it years ago and I just used some paper to make a pattern off the hole that needed filling and used that to mark out the steel needed on the victim cars roof. Then just cut it out with a jigsaw or saber saw oversize but already marked to the proper hole size and location. Trim to fit later. If you do this be gentle when removing it as you don't want to bend it to much. But all that trouble was for a restored car that was getting paint.
Do you know the class you are prepping for? Most local clubs will have a guide and regs for each class. Although they will rarely if at all knock back any safety modifications.
Cheers
Good start to the build. But remember it's a rally car. It's going to get beat up. Don't get to focused on cosmetic appeal. Have a body shop weld in a sheet where the sunroof is. Don't worry about the sound deadening on the floor and taking dry ice to remove it. Focus on your rules and regs in class for safety features.
I removed my sunroof and applied a carbon fiber cover made for my car. Dont know if they make a carbon cover for the focus but that is an option that can probably be fabricated easily. Mine just used rivets and then it was sealed from the inside with black silicone sealant and doesn't leak. Then u could paint the carbon if u dont like the look. Just a suggestion. Keep the content coming!
I love the way you attack a project! I can't wait for the next video in what your gonna do! Awesome work, Sarah!
Gotta love demolition day. Lots of fun.
Great call on Codsworth, even without all the reference points, it's a fun name with a touch of class! This video was real upbeat, both music and your attitude, so good to see you looking truly excited to be tearing it apart getting it ready.
Swapping the roof panel is a lot more work than it seems, and generally one that came from another car isn't going to fit quite right. Welding will probably warp the roof, so best bet for something that you wouldn't be paying out the ass for, is probably going to be making some little support brackets and some seam-sealer/panel bonder to seal up a thin metal blank, maybe with some ribbing on it to keep it stiff.
Great progress, stripping ain't easy.