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Redlands, Lindridge Lane, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0JJ, United Kingdom |
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Tel: 01580 891309 or 07964
336183 | Fax: 01580 893733 | International tel: #44 1580 891309 | International fax: #44 1580
893733 |
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SPECIFICATION
DIMENSIONS
Length: 4330 mm. Width: 1870 mm. Height: 1040 mm. Wheelbase: 2480 mm
WEIGHT
Average weight of basic trim Mk4 with aluminium V6 or V8 engine 925 Kg
BODYWORK
Significant modifications have recently been made to the buildability of the car with a radical re-design exercise and new moulds. A one-piece centre section incorporates steel outrigger frames within each sill protecting the fuel tank and providing additional passenger safety. The three main GRP panels - nose, tail and centre section are all unstressed and mount directly to the chassis. The nose and tail are hinged to allow easy access to the engine and suspension. The centre section can be supplied either as the fixed-head 'Berlinetta' or as an open 'Spyder'. You can choose to make the centre section of the roof removable, leaving full height doors and a reasonably weather-tight cockpit or build a permanent Spyder with cut-down doors.
We have recently developed a soft-top for Spyder cars that can be easily folded away.
A further recent development is a new 'window' tail moulding so you can choose between the sleek tail with acrylic covered engine deck or the purposeful open tail deck with stainless or aluminium louvers. The doors mount on hinges supplied, opening diagonally upwards assisted by gas struts.
CHASSIS
Each chassis is hand built to order using computer-aided design and accurate laser-aligned jigs. Fabricated from, 1.25 mm and 1.5 mm round and square steel tubing, it combines low weight with high torsional stiffness. For enhanced safety, the floor beneath the seats is lined with sheet steel, welded to the chassis. The remaining areas of the passenger compartment are lined with sheet aluminium. An integral roll-over bar provides additional body fixing and secure seat belt anchorage. The chassis is supplied powder- coated and fully bracketed to accept suspension and steering components, pedal assembly and engine/transaxle mountings.
SUSPENSION
Double, unequal length wishbones with Polyurethane and Metalastic bushes are fitted all-round to our own one-piece aluminium uprights. These are cast from LM25 Aluminium and are heat treated before machining in our own workshops. Adjustable, rebuildable coil-over shock absorbers with variable bump and rebound allow the ride height to be easily adjusted between 2 and 6 inches and damping to be set for road or track with a choice of 20 levels of adjustment. Spherical bearing toe-links enable fine-tuning of the rear wheel alignment. Camber and Caster is adjustable on the front and rear wheels.
STEERING
The rack is a standard Ford Sierra item although a 'quick' rack of two and a half turns, lock to lock, can be supplied if required. The track rods require minimal modification, which we will do for you free of charge. A splined shaft, supplied with the kit, links the rack to a Rover SDI steering column. The collapsible Rover column bolts directly to our chassis and is adjustable for maximum comfort both up and down and toward and away from the driver. The standard stalk assembly and ignition switch/steering lock is retained. Multi-pin plugs for indicators, wipers, horn, screen wash, lights and ignition connect directly to corresponding sockets on our wiring loom.
RUNNING GEAR
The driveshafts, hubs, stub axles, seals and wheel bearings all come from the Ford Scorpio and mount directly to the aluminium uprights supplied with your kit. The Scorpio has one long and one short driveshaft. Your choice of transaxle will determine which driveshafts to use. We supply adapters to connect the driveshafts to the transaxle.
BRAKES
The throttle, brake and clutch pedal assembly, including the master cylinders and servo are sourced from the BMW 3 series. With a few simple modifications the complete assemblies will bolt directly to the pedal bulkhead on the chassis. Calipers and discs are taken from the Ford Scorpio and assemble directly to our uprights. We can supply, as an option, a set of aluminium, four-pot calipers and larger vented discs for the front brakes. The handbrake lever is a Mini item and mounts directly to brackets on the chassis. Twin, adjustable cables connect to the rear calipers.
GEAR LINKAGE
A fully adjustable, sliding-rod linkage runs from the gear lever on the right of the driver, through the sill to the rear of the transaxle. A polished stainless steel selector gate and chromed gear lever are supplied with the kit. A machined, billet aluminium gate with reverse interlock is available as an extra.
EXHAUST
Due to the large number of different engine options there is no such thing as a standard exhaust set-up. However, we have developed our own silencer/baffle boxes with authentic twin tailpipes that mount either side of the transaxle. We can manufacture a suitable exhaust system for you although you'll probably find a reputable exhaust manufacturer in your area.
FUEL TANK
A baffled, foam-filled, aluminium tank of around thirteen gallons capacity is mounted within the passenger sill moulding and filled from an authentic filler cap on the front scuttle panel. It is manufactured to accept our standard fuel gauge sender and incorporates both flow and return hose-tails.
COOLING
Our own high efficiency, five core radiator is suitable for engines up to 380 bhp and mounts to the front subframe. A threaded insert within a side tank accepts a range of temperature-controlled switches that connect directly to our wiring loom. Twin electric fans mounted in front of the radiator keep the engine cool in traffic on even the hottest days. Integral drain and bleed valves ensure easy filling and servicing. Aluminium pipes, supplied with the kit, run inside each sill carrying coolant to and from the engine. If Air Conditioning is fitted, the condenser is mounted in front of the radiator. There is ample space for an oil cooler should your engine need one.
WHEELS AND TYRES
For world-wide compliance we recommend 9 x 16 wheels all-round fitted with 225/55 ZR 16 front and 255/60 ZR 16 on the rear. Original diameter 15in wheels are available and can be fitted with wide Goodridge tyres - 305 rear and 245 front either R or VR rated. We manufacture accurate replica 'knock-offs' or 'spinners' that will fit all appropriate wheel types although they may not be road-legal in your country.
GLASS AND PERSPEX
The bonded-in windscreen is laminated and 'E' marked to comply with European regulations. The centre screen is also laminated glass - again, bonded in place. The headlamp covers are double-curvature Acrylic mouldings as are the side windows.
Aircraft specification Cockpit ventilators can provide forced ventilation in a Berlinetta. The CanAm windscreen is a double-curvature Perspex moulding and is secured in position with countersunk stainless steel screws. A tonneau cover is available for the CanAm.
SEATING
With its enlarged cockpit design the Foreman Mk4 has more legroom and headroom than ever before and will accept a wide range of aftermarket seats up to 46cm wide. We have developed a luxury leather-faced, adjustable recliner that can be purchased fully built or as a swab kit with full instructions to modify your own frames. As an alternative we have developed a very supportive GRP bucket seat that can be fixed directly to the floor or on runners.
SAFETY HARNESSES
The chassis is fully bracketed with captive nuts to accept either simple lap and shoulder seat belts or 4 point harnesses. Should you wish to install full 6 point harnesses we can install extra 'anti-submarine' mountings at no extra charge.
INTERIOR
You can choose to leave the spartan racing interior untrimmed or simply cover the many flat panels with carpet. The removable dash can be trimmed in leather or painted authentic 'crinkle black'. Regular headlining material can be used to line the upper half of the cockpit and mid-bulkhead. We have recently introduced an electrostatic 'Flocking' service, which produces a rich velvety pile on any surface. A full soundproofing kit is also available. As for luggage space the Foreman Mk4 is not as impractical as it may at first seem. There is ample space for soft luggage in the driver's sill, extending the whole length of the centre tub between front and rear wheel arches. There is space for a couple of soft bags behind the seats. Many owners have successfully converted the cavernous voids in the tail section behind the rear wheel arches to carry luggage. You'll be surprised just how much you can get in!
INSTRUMENTS & WIRING
The dashboard moulding is designed to be removable for easy assembly and access to the components beneath. The dash can be painted, trimmed in leather of vinyl or flocked as in the picture above. A separate instrument cowl moulding fits over the main instrument pod housing Speedometer, Rev-counter, Oil pressure and Water temperature gauges. A smaller single cowl can be supplied if required. If you wish to install further instruments it is a simple matter to cut further holes. We can supply a set of high quality instruments, senders and even cruise control for your Foreman Mk4. Our wiring harness is manufactured specifically for the Foreman Mk4 and incorporates four separate looms joined with multi-pin connectors for easy removal of the nose, tail or dash panels. The harness is supplied complete with hazard switch, rear fog and driving lamp switches and a battery cable and termination kit. Detailed drawings and schematic diagrams make fitting straightforward. The wiring harness is suitable for most installations but we can advise on special requirements and supply modified looms to order.
LIGHTS
All body panels are manufactured to accept the full lighting package. Holes are pre-cut for headlamps and driving lamps and the mouldings are recessed for side repeaters, stop/tail/indicator rear fog and reversing lights.
HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING
A simple heater can be fitted within the passenger compartment. However, the chassis is fully bracketed to accept our compact Heat/AC package. A compact under-dash unit provides warm or cool air for winter or summer motoring offering a comfortable, controllable climate within the passenger compartment. We strongly recommend fitting A/C or at least powerful ventilation in Berlinetta cars as the wide expanse of near-horizontal glass can turn the car into a greenhouse in high summer!
BUILD MANUAL
We have produced a detailed 120-page build manual with almost 200 photographs and diagrams covering all aspects of a home build. The price is £40. This is, of course, refundable against a kit purchase.
SVA
From July 1998 all handcrafted cars built in the UK will have to undergo a comprehensive 'Super MoT' test to check safety and roadworthiness criteria before they are allowed on UK roads. The test checks compliance with specifications published in the 'Single Vehicle Approval Inspection Manual' published by, and available from: 'Vehicle Inspectorate', PO Box 12, Swansea SA1 1BP. Priced £25.00. Alternatively, there is an excellent SVA book available from: KIT CAR MAGAZINE, Norfolk Lodge, Balcombe Road, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 3NJ. Tel: 01293 886998. Priced at just £6.00.
Your Foreman P4 & CanAm are designed to comply with all SVA requirements provided the vehicle is assembled to the specifications outlined in the manual. Customer-built cars have completed the test with no problems. Although UK SVA specifications are designed to bring all vehicles in line with European safety legislation, other countries outside UK may have slightly different testing and registration procedures. Check with us or with local specialist car clubs in your area to get current information.
REGISTRATION
Registration of your vehicle in UK with an age-related plate requires two major components from a donor vehicle. This is rarely a problem. It is also possible, if your car is built with all new components, to qualify for a 'new' or current prefix plate. Speak to us for the latest details on procedure.
