Project Eclipse: Dec 16 Update

Today's Car Club session was a bit shorter than usual, but quite celebratory.

After a short snack, our members were at it once more before Christmas.

With some students working on the frame, cleaning off more rust and preparing for paint, other students took to the hood and scuffed up the paint to ready it for its paint job this spring.

We were eager to finally get the Eclipse on "all four feet" today, so students worked quickly to install final front end components like stabilizer links, hubs, the steering linkage, and finally, wheels and tires.

It was much easier to link the steering column with the steering rack with the powertrain out of the engine bay. Here it sits, waiting patiently for a rebuild semester two by our SHSM students in the grade 11 Engine Rebuilding course.

After making careful final adjustments to the vertical doors, we completed the last of the steering, suspension and brake systems.

Moments later, we set the Eclipse down on the ground for the first time since the rebuild began! Rolling it back off the hoist, we admired our hard work. Although the exterior is far from complete, the BR Spirit Car stands on its own with wings spread high...

Have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from Bishop Reding and the members of Car Club!! See you in the new year at our next Car Club session on January 6th!

Project Eclipse: Dec 9 Update

Project Eclipse continues it's rebuild and its all hands on deck. 

To get in some hours of work on the BR Spirit Car before Christmas, our grade nine and ten students work in, under and around the car reconditioning parts and readying the vehicle for the installation of some parts.

A team of Car Club students began to reassemble the front end of the Eclipse so that it could be reattached to the chassis. We are eager to see the car with all four wheels back on.

Meanwhile, one of our senior students works on a patch welded and filled in on that pesky right upper strut tower hole. All fixed now!

The engine compartment received a thorough cleaning so that it will look presentable once the powertrain sits back in it.

Our students reinstalled the front struts and coil springs followed by the upper control arms.

Other students worked inside the vehicle removing inner door panels. It seems we will have to reinforce the vertical door hinges with new bolt holes and fasteners to keep the door alignment tight and permanent.

In the last minutes of this week's session, students prepare to lower the chassis onto the assembled front end and steering system, soon to be followed by the lower control arms, spindles,and brakes.

Mr. Da Silva is hoping that by next week, the Eclipse will have major checkpoints reached in the rebuild:

• Entire undercarriage cleaned, painted black, and undercoated in key areas
• Rear end rebuilt and reinstalled
• Front end rebuilt and reinstalled
• Braking system reconditioned
• Lowering suspension in place
• Tires and rims reconditioned and in place
• Vertical doors aligned and secured
• Powertrain removed and set aside

Many continued thanks to the students who consistently attend our club and work hard to enjoy the product of dedicated work. Project Eclipse is going great! We are on time and have accomplished a lot by the end of the year.

Next Tuesday, December the 16th will be our last Car Club session of 2014. We will continue the club on Tuesday January the 6th, 2015 after the holidays.

See you soon!

Project Eclipse: Dec 2 Update

It's back to the grind, shall we say, as car club students return for another session of removal, reconditioning and reinstallation of parts on Project Eclipse...

With the front subframe removed from the vehicle last week, we placed the weary frame on a workbench and began to disassemble its parts for a thorough cleaning and sandblasting where possible.

After disassembly, some parts were ground with power tools, while others were sand blasted. Still others were cleaned up with emery cloth, then prepped and painted red and black as per BR colours.

And as car club and senior SHSM students continued to recondition other front end parts, we assessed the two structural holes in the Eclipse, and began repairs. While one student begins to hammer out a repair plate for the left front upper control arm mount, we welded in a plate to the right front upper strut tower and applied body filler so it can be contoured and painted next week:

As the last bits were coming off the front subframe, Mr. Da Silva taught students how heat can carefully be used to help loosen very rusted fasteners. Less broken parts means more money saved!

While some students are tearing down, others are building up. Keeping warm after school, a group of grade ten students removed some old door hinges and installed the driver's side vertical door hinge set and made final adjustments to complete the set of scissor doors on our car!

The Eclipse looks like a mixture of cool and clutter, without its hood and fenders. We can't wait until the skin is on and the paint job is finished later this year!

Car Club students are "motoring along" quite passionately, eager to play a role in the building our BR Spirit Car. External components are being sanded lightly, prepping them for a future coat of paint. The end workbench is slowly filling with reconditioned parts, ready to be assembled back together. 

Though a lot of work has been completed, there is still much more to do, and the following day, Car Club students took some time to help lower the entire powertrain out of the old Eclipse:

Mr. Da Silva is quite pleased when he sees students working as a team and driven to accomplish their goals. 

Hmmm....maybe we should make a new graphic for the Eclipse: 

RESPECT, EFFORT, SUCCESS!