Nlc - Lister Bell Stratos Build Thread

[Dr H]

Small progress update.

Jenvey ITBs arrived. I need to get the levers altered but am going over to Jenvey to discuss it on Thursday - as they have offered to help.



Got the exhaust system







And modified manifolds



Also got a steering wheel now



Fuel pump setup finished and read to fit to tank and wire up.









It comes with a foam 'baffle' with a flexible base with holes in





I'm adding more foam to the tank so the bottom bit (before it tapers in) is foam filled. No point in filling it right to the top - it's just to help stop 'slosh'



Should get more bits early next week.

[Dr H]

Not much to report as still waiting on parts. But some small steps.

I have the new Nitron shocks but these were developed after my chassis was build. This meant that I could not access the adjusters at the top. Original shocks had adjusters at the bottom. New chassis has a different design at the top to allow access to adjuster.
So:

Have plates laser cut to fit the chassis top.






Mark chassis and insert rivnuts




Cut holes in chassis to allow access to adjuster



Mask and zinc prime, etch prime and then satin black



Power coat plates to match chassis and fix in place with a rubber gasket below.




Other stuff I've been tinkering with whilst waiting:

Buy E46 M3 DBW throttle actuator to use with ITBs. Strip, paint, lube gears inside and reassemble with new SS fixings.









Will be used with the original Alfa pedal potentiometer if we can work out the wiring



I say 'we' but it's a guy I'm paying to do it. .

He's brilliant though. We've added in heated seats, reversing sensors, remote central locking (passive entry too) and a push button start. All to be wired up in a way that if the control box fails I just get the key out and use the normal barrel. (it will have a removable cover fitted over it to blank it).
Considering fitting a camera rear view mirror if we can find a decent looking one.

Fuel tank has been powder coated in 'alloy' and then a clear acrylic lacquer for protection.



Filled with foam and pump and sender units fitted. Used black stainless fixings for the pump.



Put temporarily into place until final fix. Will use expanding foam tape on the chassis around the base and then 2 rubber nuts fitted to the bulkhead for the tabs. (These tabs have been added by me (they are not a standard fixing system).



ECU Ordered from the Netherlands as none of the UK suppliers would reply to my emails. ECU Master EMU Black.



Built in DBW controller and Bosch 4.9 wideband controlled. Nice compact unit. Will run knock sensors too.
Going over today to collect the wheels, brakes bells and rotors and the steering column. They used to use an X1/9 item that needed modifying but now have a bespoke one made.

Still waiting for a flywheel and when I have that the engine should be able to be assembled.

[Daveb99]

Good work Leigh - coming along nicely.   Very impressed with the attention to detail, parking sensors!!

 

I've spotted a problem though.   Picture 5 in your latest post above shows a slight inconsistency with your masking around the perimeter of the shock access plate.   You'll have to do rub it down and do it all again 

 

Only kidding.  This is going to be one hell of a machine when it's finished in 2025.

 

Any thoughts on what colour it will be yet?

[Dr H]

Pack it in Dave - if you mention stuff like this I'll start noticing it . I'm hoping it will be sooner than 2025! When I started I reckoned 18-24 months. So far that's still doable I reckon.

 

Picked up the wheels and other stuff yesterday

Front



Rear (dummy fit)



Disc bells



Rotors



Curved veins



Steering column and wheel fitted (loosely).



Just need to bolt up the UJs and wheel and then work out how to make the horn work using this MX5 hub with the X1/9 stalks. It's not a straight fit and Lister Bells solution is a horn on a dash button - something I'd rather not do!

[stratosboy]

Looking good Leigh,

A mate and I met with Craig and Lydia at LB last weekend and had a good look/chat.

He (mate)is on SEC, so will probably say more on there.

Really impressed with their car and engineering, so much better than my old Hawk/Transformer.

Quality is fantastic. If I had the money and two less current projects, I'd be seriously tempted!

We also called in to see a couple of guys not too far away who are at different stages of build and from their accounts it's been a good experience. Cars look great.

Chardonnay Blue with Yellow wheels would be my choice.

[Phil S1]

Loving those wheels Leigh....and everything else come to that! Looks like things are really starting to come together now. Excellent work 

[jonnyfox]

Keep it coming Leigh, love those wheels. Gold totally rocks!

[Dr H]

Looking good Leigh,

A mate and I met with Craig and Lydia at LB last weekend and had a good look/chat.

He (mate)is on SEC, so will probably say more on there.

Really impressed with their car and engineering, so much better than my old Hawk/Transformer.

Quality is fantastic. If I had the money and two less current projects, I'd be seriously tempted!

We also called in to see a couple of guys not too far away who are at different stages of build and from their accounts it's been a good experience. Cars look great.

Chardonnay Blue with Yellow wheels would be my choice.

 

Chardonnay and yellow - did you go to see Nick's car? It's a nice build and he's done it really well. He's also painted his car rather than just having a gel coat body. Makes the world of difference.

 

Overall kit quality is great but my OCD  tendancies are meaning I'm doing some things differently and upgrading stuff as I go. Spending is getting out of hand though! I buy stuff to go one way, then decide to do something different and have to buy more.

 

Oh well........

Loving those wheels Leigh....and everything else come to that! Looks like things are really starting to come together now. Excellent work 

 

Keep it coming Leigh, love those wheels. Gold totally rocks!

Cheers guys. I figured gold was a nice period colour for the wheels. Can always get them changed to something else.

 

I need to use a step drill to open out the holes on the rear bells slightly as the studs I'm using have small bulges where they seat into the hub. Then I need to add spacers to the calipers as I’ve gone big disks all round. Lister don't have any at the moment but I've sourced some that should work. Hopefully I can get then temporarily fitted to bleed the system tomorrow and then I can take them back off, paint the un-swept portion of the rotor to stop rust and once the spacers arrive finally bolt them all up again.

 

Going slowly but at least it’s going in the right direction.

[stratosboy]

yes, we called to see Nick's car, he's doing a great job, isn't he, really impressive.

Equally impressive was Robin's early build progress in Wolverhampton. Red Chassis.

 

I've liked Chardonnay blue with yellow wheels since my childhood scalextric days!!

 

Looks like my mate is going for it, he's just bought his donor Alfa. Now it's my turn to be envious!

 

Just need to make sure my audi powered, wide bodied, motorsport elise project looks and goes good enough,

probably going to take me a few years, this one.

still love the stratos though!

keep up the good work Leigh, and the build thread it's a good one.

[chris_h]

So glad you're taking your time (and £) to do it properly Leigh. It's going to be awesome when it's finished.

 

Don't think anyone could call it a replica stratos as it'll be so much better than the originals. "Visually inspired by" might be a more appropriate term...

[Dr H]

So glad you're taking your time (and £) to do it properly Leigh. It's going to be awesome when it's finished.

 

Don't think anyone could call it a replica stratos as it'll be so much better than the originals. "Visually inspired by" might be a more appropriate term...

 

Yeah - I think the posh term for expensive kit cars is 'recreation' isn't it?

[Dr H]

Opened the box with the driveshafts in yesterday - thought I'd better check what was in there!

 

Nice chunky things

 

[Dr H]

There is only one ITB setup available for the Alfa V6 - but I didn’t like it!

 

So I'm having a custom setup made - coming along nicely.

 

 

Uses Jenvey SFS 45mm ITBs, Magneti Marelli injectors from a Ducati motorbike and a BMW E46 M3 DBW throttle actuator. CNC machined manifolds and fuel rails.

 

And I wonder why this build is getting expensive!

[Steve J]

What was wrong with the standard setup?

[Dr H]

What was wrong with the standard setup?

 

Jenvey original setup is well known for being a pig to adjust and keep in balance as the linkages are vauge - at best.

 

This setup eliminates those issues. Also it places the injectors in the original OEM postion where the Jenvey setup puts them high up on the ITB way from the valves. Keeoing the injectors in the OEM position gives much better emissions control.

 

And it's different and I like that