CAT XL new build from parts

[Synchrocnc]

I have been collecting these parts for years now and finally have made a start on building the car. I can't believe some of the differences with the XLS.

Happy new year to all

Cheers

Alan

[Synchrocnc]

Part 2

[DerbyDan]

Wow - max kudos for gathering all those NIP parts for this build! - its a complex car with alot of rare & hard-to-find parts. Very interesting seeing these build-up pics alongside those in BrandonG's ProCat build thread - you can really see the differences in the drivetrains. What is fitted in the front, is it a one-way pulley?

[LurkingCAT]

Fantastic to see this build Alan. And as already stated a very good collection of hard to find parts. I know this will be the best documentation of a XL build to date. A true tribute to the small important details.

The front pulley has got a solid axle with one way clutches inside each of the front hubs (Part 1 pic xl8). The one way clutches are pressed into the plastic hubs - identical to SWB.

Thank you for posting this!

Cheers
David

[DennisM]

This almost beats Bo Derek in a swimsuit!

[Synchrocnc]

Thanks for the comments everybody, these cars are a real challenge to find parts for and to build as they don't fit together very well, I can't imagine what people would say if they saw the line "debur the circlip groove" on a manual these days!

As David says the front is just a pulley with a pin through it onto a shaft, the one way bearings with hubs then go onto the shaft, you can tell the later design with the diff + one way hubs is an evolution of this.

I was very fortunate to have 3 NIP SWB screw sets from a large parts lot I bought to help me with the build, these will do the 3 cars. I now need to make the M3 tie rods etc as I couldn't find them anywhere.

Finding the spec for a XL was hard to do, this will be an early spec but I know you could buy an XL kit with the black later front bumper and possibly the later upper deck without the "ears" and maybe the lower but still narrow rear bracket,. Any more info on this would be great.

I will keep this updated as I go but it shouldn't take long now and then to the SWB which in honesty I think is very similar to the XL although I might save that for a special time.

Cheers

Alan

[CAT3K]

Very cool To find all the new parts is very tough. especially that grey bumper, I'm still searching for one of those in any condition

Paul.

[Synchrocnc]

I have a new grey bumper for the SWB too but they are different, the other one has square edges and not beveled like the one on the XL, I have seen both types on cars but I did wonder which was earlier?

The one on the XL looks like it was machined wheras the one in these pics looks to have been cut with hot wire or something like that as the brown edge is slight burning.

[Synchrocnc]

I've just noticed that every other early CAT build I can find has the front upper arms the other way around but i'm sure I have built this to the manual.

[DennisM]

I´ve just checked the two manuals I have, and they both suggest You flip the upper front arms including the extension piece

[Synchrocnc]

Thanks Dennis, It looks like you are correct and the SWB should how i've built the XL, time to get the screwdrivers out again!

[Synchrocnc]

OK, I have made some adjustments and updated the photos as I was building parts of the car to the early SWB manual by mistake, the front upper arms are now reversed and the rear lower arm blocks now give the arm an angle + i've fitted the rear shocks and bracket.

[LurkingCAT]

This is awesome! When I built my first Cat winter 86/87 I didn't think of the range of possibilities the suspension gave. Getting the Cats on the tracks summer season 1987 we discovered it all, amongst it mixing the A and B arms. That season we also got the new suspension bracket giving us the idea we could make our own in different configurations. Same year the Cat was a clear winner in the nationals (not my CAT...).

As one can see Schumacher wasn't too careful giving the "correct" photo in their manuals because it was a question of set up. An example is photo 43 (A-arms on the right side, B-arms on the left) versus photo 73 (B-arms on the right side, A-arms on the left side) in the XL manual.

[uzzi]

Kudos on this very fine build.....attention to detail on differentiating between an early and late XL very cool indeed.

[Peakey]

Any more upto date pics Alan I'm very interested to see how it is now as I'm starting to source parts for one aswell