front subframe removed

Powder coated to perfection !

20 Dec 2025, 23:08 UT; Spotsylvania, Virginia USA. Bortle 4.5 zone.

WO Redcat51 telescope, ZWO AM5 mount and ASI2600MC camera, autoguiding, calibration frames, no filter, exp 180s, gain 100, bin 1x1, sensor -10°C, autofocus, 60 subframes. Data acquired in ASIAir. Processed in PixInsight, drizzled 2x. Image scale: 3.1 arcsec/pixel.

Note: This is the original high quality (59MB) file. In the past I uploaded smaller image files [(< 1MB) that I use for text messaging] to flickr. Since flickr Pro will accept files up to 200MB there is no benefit to uploading lower quality images so I will henceforth post highest quality images.

Clouds: clear

Transparency (AL): 6

Seeing (AL): G

Moon: illuminated 1%, age 0.8 days

Apparent magnitude 3.4

Apparent size 3x1°

Appearance:

From Wikipedia

The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. It was originally named the Andromeda Nebula and is cataloged as Messier 31 and NGC 224. Andromeda has a D25 isophotal diameter of about 46.56 kpc (152,000 ly) and is approximately 765 kpc (2.5 Mly) from Earth. The galaxy's name stems from the area of Earth's sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which itself is named after the princess who was the wife of Perseus in Greek mythology.

The virial mass of the Andromeda Galaxy is of the same order of magnitude as that of the Milky Way, at 1 trillion solar masses (2.0×10^42 kilograms). The mass of either galaxy is difficult to estimate with any accuracy, but it was long thought that the Andromeda Galaxy was more massive than the Milky Way by a margin of some 25% to 50%. However, this has been called into question by early-21st-century studies indicating a possibly lower mass for the Andromeda Galaxy and a higher mass for the Milky Way. The Andromeda Galaxy has a diameter of about 46.56 kpc (152,000 ly), making it the largest member of the Local Group of galaxies in terms of extension.

The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies have about a 50% chance of colliding with each other in the next 10 billion years, merging to potentially form a giant elliptical galaxy or a large lenticular galaxy.

With an apparent magnitude of 3.4, the Andromeda Galaxy is among the brightest of the Messier objects, and is visible to the naked eye from Earth on moonless nights, even when viewed from areas with moderate light pollution.

Vincebar Installed

Other cars in the photo. left to right: Andrew Coomes LS240, Nissan Skyline, Toyota Supra, LS1 350Z

I hadn't initially planned on removing the subframe, but the more parts that were removed the more I wanted to start again. The previous owner of the car, (who also built it) basically built it as cheaply as possible with what seems to be from whatever he had to hand. But the chassis is very sound, no rust whatsoever....just a little road grime and the dust that accumulated from sitting in the workshop for the last 7 years.

Next step is to disassemble the suspension/steering/brakes, get various parts powder coated and renew coolant and brake lines...oh, and a new fuel tank and steering rack.

Rear view of subframe in progress, this will allow us to hang the diff (in a cradle) behind and below the engine on rosemounts for easy adjustment of diff alignment and chain tension. Welding the brackets on right to maintain alignment as the chain stretches will be a ballache!

Passenger side front floor pan and firewall. Where the real damage is. The gap is not from rust. The metal is actually torn. The pan is pushed down on the right side of subframe. The subframe is twisted and pushed back. The floor is pushed up on left side of subframe.

and front subframe, head missing

Ali subframe repair

Subframing on the Birmingham Canals

Note felts where it comes into contact with the subframe

Right side subframe.

My rear subframe bolts as supplied in the kit were slightly too short at 90mm so I picked up some new ones at 100mm meaning I can now have washers on the top and a decent amount of thread through the nyloc nuts. The extra unthreaded portion is good to as there was quite a bit up inside the bush sleeve.

Torqued all 4 up to 77Nm as per the Bentley manual

Not too many leaks here

Honda quad rear subframe with eng. and trans unit

For body allignment

Gurushots - Challange Sub Framing - Amsterdam - Noord Holland - Nederland

490g lighter than the all aluminium VRP airbox-subframe combo

Powder Coated by AZ Top Coat

More on Drogo's XS ! showing revised subframe with rails closer to seat unit .

Single 60 seconds subframe with stock Canon 350D, IDAS LPS-P2 filter, default RAW processing

Diff subframe and top control arm after media blasting.

Overview of prototype subframe in progress

Approx 28x30 second subframes, at iso800.

Total exposure approx 15 minutes.

Modified Canon 350D (Baader ACF-2)

Nikkor Q-Auto 135mm lens at F8

Skywatcher Star Adventurer

Stacked and processed in PixInsight 1.8.8

The Meadows, Kings Hedges, Cambridge

Front floor, exhausts and subframe.

I really need a telephoto lens one day to capture these little guys without disturbing them.

A closer look at the rear wheel from "inside" the subframe, the silver disc represents the brake disc

I used a spare alternator tensioning bolt and couple of extra hanger bushings to mount the exhaust hanger in the correct position.

70x120 second subframes, iso800.

Total exposure 2 hours 19 minutes.

Modified Canon 350D (Baader ACF-2)

Takumar 200mm lens at F5.6 with Astronomik CLS filter

Skywatcher Star Adventurer

Stacked and processed in DSS, Fitswork and Gimp

15th March 2017

Cambridge, UK

Gurushots - Challange Sub Framing - Amsterdam - Noord Holland - Nederland

6 X 30 sec subframes combined. Shot with the Canon Digital Rebel at ISO 800 through my Celestron Nexstar 8GPS telescope from my driveway. No processing other than the combine and stretch to 16 bit.