Firewall, floor and wheel-arches are more or less finished. This was a time consuming job due to the number of fiddly shapes that had to be cut and welded into place. I've built in an access hatch behind the seats to get at the fuel tank if need be. Only plate that isn't finished is directly below the passenger seat and this is due to not being able to get a second Sparco Evo I seat. Plenty of Evo II's and III's around (gives you some idea of the size of the average arse over here), but no Evo I seats, so I have one on order. Once I get the seat I'll install the seat brackets that connect to the chassis, not the floor. Given how narrow the car is, the drivers seat must be in position in order to fit the passenger seat. The handbrake is straight out of an R5. 'May seem like there are minimal Renault parts in this car but I'm actually quite nostalgic about getting as many Renault parts back into the car as possible. The gear-knob, for example, is a vintage wooden knob with the old Renault logo from the fifties that I picked up at a flea market.
To get access to the rear suspension and differential the plate in the rear compartment can also be removed. Note the four mounting points for the seat harnesses protruding through the floor. These are likewise attached to the chassis. All aluminium aft of the footwells will be primed and painted yellow to match the car. The point of the aluminium is reduced weight, not to make it look, well, like it does.
Finally the wheel-arches and underside of the floor are rubberised to avoid stone damage and to deliberately detract from the aluminium finish. The airvents on the rear panels will be used to duct air through hoses to the brakes and wheel bearings (so at least they will serve some practical purpose). The matt black rubber finish will make it less noticeable that there is not too much going on behind those grilles!
