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New Lightweight Owner


Guest DoLittle52

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Guest DoLittle52

I purchased a RH Lightweight kit via EBay from "Jim" at Coveland Motor Sports. The kit is one of the "partial" kits and did not come with instructions or advice.

 

I need the instructional videos, my understanding is that there are seven.

 

I need the part numbers for the upper and lower ball joints and the scource for the spindles and front disc brakes.

 

Please help!

 

Also, if there are builders in the USA please send me a message.

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hi chuck

i have pmd you with some info.

you may want to talk to richard hall at gbs regarding specfic part nos.

he would prob be able to send you the parts and might even have a copy set of dvds.

i think scottmacv had a prob with the lefthand drive steering rack but i think he has sorted it out now.

 

regards graham

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Guest ScotMac

Hi Chuck, sorry i was on vacation (Tahiti! ;-).

 

Welcome to the fray! ;)

 

I have the videos. Send me your contact info. Easiest way is probably snail mail, since then u would be assured of getting them in their entirety. Net would be a bit difficult, due to the size.

 

What did you get w/ your kit? Graham is right about the steering rack. Mine is in good shape now, but it took a bit of work. Did you get the drive train components? Sierra/Merkur uprights? Coveland was mumbling something about switching to pinto parts, which isn't a bad idea, but would need some work to figure the geometry.

 

Also, you say it is a partial build...i assume the "partial" part is the chassis, right? Did coveland do the work? If so, how much strengthening did they do of the chassis. If you read mostly my and Graham's posts, you will get an idea what is needed to strengthen the chassis. The base chassis is a pretty good platform for a aluminum monocoque, but definitely needs work in the key stress areas.

 

Glad to have another US builder. We are few and far between.

 

Cheers, -Scot

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Guest Takumi

Upload them to Youtube.

 

Contact GBS to make sure they have no objections. :) that will benefit everyone, and give us all a laugh, esp some earlier videos.. hehe

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Guest crutch

yes just watched the video (dvd recorded actualy) as i got a part built. How funny. i especially like the comment ref the sterring column.

 

"This can be moved up so that fat people can drive the car easier"

 

very funny

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Guest ScotMac
Upload them to Youtube.

 

Contact GBS to make sure they have no objections. :) that will benefit everyone, and give us all a laugh, esp some earlier videos.. hehe

 

Yes, tricky Dick has some interesting comments...to say the least!! ;)

 

However, uploading 35gig of video to youtube doesn't work. In fact, each chapter/file is bigger than the youtube limit. I could try to convert them to vcd, but then they would still be 4.9gig. Hence my proposal for snail mail.

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Guest salty_monk

hehe don't argue with a geek from silicon valley about ways to achieve stuff online..... having met Scot he knows his stuff! :lol:

 

Scot, how's the build & the race season??

 

Should be coming up your way sometime this year, prob spring I think. I'll give you a shout when I do.

 

Dan :)

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Guest ScotMac

Finally found a gas tank that will fit my l/w (my strengthening of the diff area and my plans for the roll cage made this VERY challenging, if you remember). It is a 6.5gal, and fits the area almost perfectly. Also got a nice set of floor mount pedals. Hope to install them both this weekend.

 

I am getting a bit of smoke on the fiero...typically just a bit of grey smoke when it is rev'd hard. Have no idea what it is. Hoping that it is just a head gasket. Any ideas? I might try to do a compression test on it this weekend.

 

Hope to race a full season on it this year in SF-Region SCCA. I believe (hope) i have convinced SCCA to allow me to reduce the fiero's weight by 200lbs. If i can actually get it down that amount, the car should be MUCH more competitive. Maybe you could plan your visit around a race? Here is the schedule:

 

March 29-30 Season Opener Regional #1 Infineon

May 3-4 Regional #2 Laguna Seca

May 23-25 Double Regional #3 & #4 Thunderhill

June 27-29 Double Regional #5 & #6 Laguna Seca

July 26-27 Regional #7 Thunderhill

Aug 30-Sept 1 Double Regional #8 & #9 Infineon

Oct 3-5 Double Regional #10 & #11 Laguna Seca

Oct 24-26 Regional #12 & Enduro Thunderhill

 

Note, i'll probably suck at that first infineon regional, since i have very little experience racing sears point, and the only open practice days are at thunderhill. So the may laguna race might be better.

 

-Scot :D

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Guest DoLittle52
Finally found a gas tank that will fit my l/w (my strengthening of the diff area and my plans for the roll cage made this VERY challenging, if you remember). It is a 6.5gal, and fits the area almost perfectly. Also got a nice set of floor mount pedals. Hope to install them both this weekend.

 

I am getting a bit of smoke on the fiero...typically just a bit of grey smoke when it is rev'd hard. Have no idea what it is. Hoping that it is just a head gasket. Any ideas? I might try to do a compression test on it this weekend.

 

Hope to race a full season on it this year in SF-Region SCCA. I believe (hope) i have convinced SCCA to allow me to reduce the fiero's weight by 200lbs. If i can actually get it down that amount, the car should be MUCH more competitive. Maybe you could plan your visit around a race? Here is the schedule:

 

March 29-30 Season Opener Regional #1 Infineon

May 3-4 Regional #2 Laguna Seca

May 23-25 Double Regional #3 & #4 Thunderhill

June 27-29 Double Regional #5 & #6 Laguna Seca

July 26-27 Regional #7 Thunderhill

Aug 30-Sept 1 Double Regional #8 & #9 Infineon

Oct 3-5 Double Regional #10 & #11 Laguna Seca

Oct 24-26 Regional #12 & Enduro Thunderhill

 

Note, i'll probably suck at that first infineon regional, since i have very little experience racing sears point, and the only open practice days are at thunderhill. So the may laguna race might be better.

 

-Scot :D

 

I'm new at this site so I don't know how to post without adding the previous post.

 

What I have is a partial kit. Coveland provided a used differential with axles, a lot of aluminum parts, some obvious as to what they are and how they attach and others not so obvious. Some are clear as to their function but no clue as to where or how they should be attached.

 

Perhaps watching the videos or DVD's will help.

 

When I was shopping for a car I had the notion that the lightweight kit would be something akin to a model car/airplane/boat kit. Man was I suprised to find that none of the parts are identified and that Coveland did not provide instructions and will not lend any type of assistance. Coveland just does not answer the phone nor do they return email.

 

Would not reccommend any purchase from them.

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Guest ScotMac

Chuck, in order to post w/out the quote, you hit the "add reply" button at the bottom of the page.

 

I am glad they gave you some of the sierra/merkur drivetrain parts, since they can be difficult to get in the US.

 

No, the lightweight is not a "paint by the numbers" type affair. But the videos are actually pretty good, and the chassis goes together fairly easily...if you don't do any strengthening that is. However, the strengthening is definitely recommended. I would suggest to focus your strengthening attention on the rear diff area, engine bay combined w/ front suspension areas, the top of the side panels, the seat back, and the cockpit floor.

 

Is this the l/w build that coveland was doing as their demonstrator, and never finished? Or is it one that took back from a customer? Is the chassis complete, and if so did they do any strengthening? You can tell the strengthening, since it will be a larger gauge of aluminum than the robin hood supplied panels. Robin hood only supplied a larger gauge for the square suspension members and the bottom of the tunnel. Any other larger gauge stuff is strengthening.

 

I would not do anything until you get the videos and watch them a few (5 or 6) times.

 

Cheers, -Scot

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Guest DoLittle52

I bought the "Lightweight kit" from Coveland and got several suprises.

 

One is that to me a proper kit has instructions, the parts are numbered and there is an exploded view with the parts illustrated.

 

Two is that the parts aren't identified in anyway.

 

Three is that Jim at Coveland will not answer the phone nor return emails.

 

Four is that an adhesive is not reccommended.

 

Five is that anyone would think that a kit they purchased would be unsafe to drive. This strengthing thing really concerns me.

 

This is not a car that Coveland started and never finished. Apparently Coveland stripped the kit of certain parts and cut the price.

 

I would not reccommend buying anything from Jim at Coveland. While Coveland was quick to charge my credit card they have done nothing to assist me.

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No problem is insurmountable and many lightweights have passed the Single Vehicle Approval test here in the UK, however i can feel and simpathise with your anger and frustrations.

No Robin Hood kit ever produced was an easy build, the only truly easy builds are the more expensive kits such as the Westfield where they guarantee a pass or the Caterham which is 3 times the price.

 

If you get no satisfaction from Coveland then you can build the Lightweight to a very good and safe standard with the information available on this site, from GDC and Scotmac and you will end up with a great car.

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