Lower steering housing sealing

It's been almost 25 years since I built mine so this may be cloudy, but I ended up with a slightly larger, elongated hole as I tried to find the right spot for the lower end of the steering column to center the shaft where it went through the bulkhead.  That meant that I had a large-ish hole to cover up, so I made a plate of 1/8" aluminum for a close fit and riveted it on.  I used a thicker grommet (Electrician's cable grommet) to fill the space between the column tube and the aluminum plate.  If I had been cool, I would have filled the area with fiberglass instead, but the aluminum worked well and the carpet covers that area a bit, too.  Once installed and finished off with the carpet, you really can't see it.

I fiberglassed in a short piece of PVC pipe the grommet could fit into.

My CMC came with this piece - could never figure out where it really went but appears to be steering column related.  It's made of same foam like injection material as the weird pockets for the 2 frunk hinges.

I didn't get that with my CMC of about the same vintage.

Mike - It's probably still on backorder!  I didn't see it listed in the build manual.  Maybe it's actually for a Gazelle or MG-TD replica?

"Still on CMC Backorder!"

That's a good one, @WOLFGANG

It occurred to me that roofers face this same dilemma all the time when they must flash around a roof vent pipe on a sloping roof and that enterprising companies have already come up with inexpensive solutions to this.  Here's what Home Depot offers - Just pick one that will fit the space and pipe and it will self-adjust to the angle AND diameter of the steering column.

https://www.homedepot.com/s/ve...of%20flashing?NCNI-5

Of course, I realize that I am leaning in to "George from Texas" or John Steele territory with this idea, but it should work pretty well.

So Gordon, how many of your tins are old aluminum siding?

And PS Gordon, I love your idea.  I think last fall during my flat-tow home in a hurricane, I shipped a fair amount of water on the drivers side, and I am suspecting that passage through the front wall.  I wonder if a trip to home depot might provide an idea for a fix here??  Hmmm . . .

I do that a lot - Go to Home Depot or the local hardware store and “Design on the Fly” to help solve a problem.   It usually works.

And nope, no re-cycled aluminum siding was used in building Pearl.   I leave that to more “professional” builders.  

This doesn't answer your question but

In 1980 CMC came with two panels to close off the open area around the ends of front beam. You were supposed to fiberglass in place. I really liked that.  Wish it was on my current car. I suppose I could make them if I didn't have this damn MG project going on!

I got around to glassing in those two whel well panels maybe 6 or 7 years after I got the car on the road.  It really wasn't all that difficult to install them and closes off the area well.   Good late winter project.

Here's photos of those 2 front panels.  I see a lot of builds without them.  I believe they add strength to the front end - keeps heavy fiberglass front end from sagging (Peroni's disease?)  Often you can look at front of a replica and see clear through to the other side.

The build manual also had you fiberglassing where the CMC body mounted to the VW pan so in addition to the 3 tubes of silicon sealer/body rubber seal you had the fiberglass.  The heat shield in engine compartment above the muffler was also to be fiberglassed to the body.  I've yet to do that!

Not sure a Speedster can have Peyronie’s disease. Paula Jones confirmed on the stand that Bill was the person who exposed himself by identifying his crooked wanker.

Ha - "crooked wanker!"  Some Speedster owners have complained about one side of the front wheel opening being lower than the other side.  I always think it is due to rear torsion bars needing opposite-side adjustment.