We’re getting very close to finishing the dry build on our Quattro rally car and stripping the shell to paint it. Just a few final details need to be taken care of:

First, we decided now was the time to repair the cowl lip next to the right-side strut mount. At some time in the car’s life, it had got crushed and went a bit rusty. A bit rustier than we expected. We removed the crushed bits, cleaned up the rust and made a new part. We’ll weld it in next time we’re in the area with the welder.

Then we moved on to selecting and mounting the clutch fluid reservoir. We initially tried a third brake fluid reservoir but it seemed bigger than necessary and proved hard to find a spot for. So we set about using a small Honda unit and coming up with a suitable location for it. We weren’t really happy with any of them until we settled on this, mostly because it allowed us to make a speed hole! More welding later.

Next on the list was adding some side vents to the HVAC system. Originally, we’d thought about just leaving the vent tubes open, assuming they would not be impeded by the impending wiring loom.

But once that was in, we realized we might just have some room to terminate them in the exact same vents we had used in the dash. After trying one, we knew what we had to do. I ordered some more and some better ducting.