Project Binky Episode 11

From their Facebook page:

Okay gang, the countdown has begun. Episode 11 is ready and will go live at 8.00pm GMT on Friday 4th December!

Woohoo!

Yes! It's a pre-Christmas miracle!

So... 3PM EST.

Something to look forward to when I get home from work.

Yaaaaaaasssssssss

Are they trying to catch the "I will not go watch the new star wars movie" crowd?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ob-FUF0Sh_E

Make the noise!

In reply to stafford1500:

Wait, are you saying that there's a new Star Wars movie?

Very cool.

I hope it's not 5 months until the next one.

Two notes...

The steering change will have increased Ackerman tremendously. They could have more easily measured it by pointing their laser through a line defined by the ball joint and tie rod end in plan view, and compared to where that line intersected the rear axle.

I've been using a shifter made from a tie rod end welded to a Mazda shifter ball since, oh, 2007 or thereabouts, and it hasn't broken yet. Heavily V-notch ONE side, weld it thoroughly, then V-notch the other side down to metal, weld again. I believe I actually did my shifter in quarters like that, so the notch/weld operation was done four times.

I also used this to put the shifter ball back on my Audi 016 shifter arm, which broke off when someone tried to re-peen it.

I have no idea how they're gonna mount the engine. But I can't wait to see it.

This made my day so wonderful.

anyone want to start a pool as to what episode the car will be "done"? I will accept first drive as the definition of "Done" as long as it has some kind of burnout.

My vote is episode 20

In reply to NOHOME:

If they do a burnout with the car, my respect for them will drop from its current stratospheric levels to zero.

As noted upthread, the gaps between episodes is getting longer and longer. At first it was one update per month. (I came onboard around episode six) Then it stretched to two months... and this last episode was three months in the making.

Philosophically, this is because they are now in the last 10% of a project that takes 90% of the time. It's like an engine swap - bolting it in the car is the EASY part.

In reply to NOHOME:

I say 23 minimum to the first drive. For completely finished, 36.

I think another thing making the episodes longer in between releases is that, beyond the head-scratchery involved, there isn't that much to actually show. I have a feeling, for instance, that paint, glass, and weatherseal will be less than one episode. There isn't much fangle in it. They've neatly engineered it to use OE type glass and weather seals, so there'd be no fabrication, and no fabrication means nothing to show. They don't bother to use footage of mundane stuff like that, that isn't the focus.

No, the focus is entirely on "what horrible corner have we fabricated ourselves into, and what incredibly complicated yet cleverly simple fix have we devised? Let us tell you with a smattering of pop culture references thrown in!"

Not just pop culture. Classical education points for "sisyphean".

Man, that 28 minutes went by fast... but I think I said that last time...

Anyway, I agree that once they get into more generic reassembly stuff, they'll probably gloss over it quickly. Sort of how when he did the passenger seat mounts in this episode, "pretty much like the driver's side we did a few episodes ago, so..." (Blink!) and it's done.

It seems like the engine cradle will be the next (and last?) major task, which I'm guessing will be next episode. Then maybe episodes each for wiring, interior, and paint & final assembly. So I'm going to estimate the Final Episode will be #14 or 15, with the last maybe a bit longer than the usually half-hour or so.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

That is either standard English lexicon by now, or it's merely pop culture from a couple millennia ago instead of a couple decades Duly noted. Surely it's clear that any humour they pepper the shows with is of an intelligent nature. Or maybe that is just my American "everything done with an English accent is high class" media-enforced stereotype.

Major hurdles that they've yet to overcome:

Fender flares. They're going to burn through a LOT of tea and biscuits solving that problem in an appropriate manner.

Turbocharger and intercooler mounting. This is doubly complicated because they seem to have closed up any place for a downpipe to go, as the radiator is hard up against the engine and it doesn't look like they can go over the trans too easily.

Fuel tank/cell. I wouldn't doubt that they'd find an internal fill to be uncouth, and so would find some way to overcomplicatedly graft an external fill to a trunk (boot) located fuel cell. I admittedly don't know how Minis handed refueling.

Wait until they find out that they no longer have room for an alternator or P/S pump!

Fair points, although I don't think they're doing power steering and I'd wager they'll use one of the tiny alternators that are available.

I'm anticipating a fair amount of episode will be able to be devoted to making those wheels covered by something.

Knurled wrote: Fuel tank/cell. I wouldn't doubt that they'd find an internal fill to be uncouth, and so would find some way to overcomplicatedly graft an external fill to a trunk (boot) located fuel cell. I admittedly don't know how Minis handed refueling.

The Mini fuel tank is in the trunk so that should go fairly easy.

Knurled wrote: In reply to NOHOME: If they do a burnout with the car, my respect for them will drop from its current stratospheric levels to zero.

really hoping that you missed a "don't" in this sentence.

Alternator could easily be driven off the driveshaft or an axle if packaging is a problem.

Flares should be easy enough given all the monstrous minis over the years.

Knurled wrote: The steering change will have increased Ackerman tremendously.

I haven't had time to watch the new episode yet but....

They actually needed to increase the ackerman angle. Since it is reliant on wheelbase and they chopped a few feet from the Celica wheelbase when they stuffed it into the mini.

Hell, most old British cars they are probably used to have a ridiculous amount of reverse ackerman built in and they are still regarded as fun to drive.