May 3, 2026
Today I continue with the left inner fender. I transfer the template I made last week onto a piece of sheet metal and cut it out. I fold over the rear edge slightly so that I can attach the polyester fender and the rear bumper to it later. Then I try to get the right shape into the inner fender. That isn’t easy; it is particularly difficult to get enough curvature at the end of the fender.
Eventually, I manage. Next, I tack the inner fender to the bodywork.
The fender is already fixed in the car when I realize I should have paid a bit more attention; the fender is about 10 centimeters too long. Fortunately, I can fix this quickly.
Now I still have to finish the underside of the car. I make another template, transfer the template onto a piece of sheet metal, cut it out, and weld it in place.
As the last job for today, I mark the hole in the side of the bodywork and cut it out.
May 7, 2026
Now that I have another nice big hole on the left side of the car, I can finish the bottom of the air intake. First, I make a template of the plate that needs to be welded in.
Next, I transfer the template onto a piece of sheet metal; that piece of sheet metal gets a layer of Inox spray, and after that has dried I weld the plate into place.
May 9, 2026
Today, I first cut the inner fenders to width. We already shaped the right inner fender a few weeks ago, but a small piece still needs to be cut off so that a rubber seal can be placed on the fender edge. The left side still needs to be made into the correct shape.
Because cutting the fenders to size is finished quite quickly, I am starting another job. The Renault 5 Maxi Turbo has a different braking system compared to the other rally versions of the Renault 5 Turbo. On the photo page, you can find pictures of the brake pedal the Maxi used. The floor mounted pedal operates two brake cylinders; one for the front brakes, one for the rear brakes. The brake balance is adjustable. Michal from Gemini Racing has a ready-made solution for this. First, I grind a piece out of the floor where the new part needs to go.
May 15, 2026
Today I am continuing with the brake pedal. After modifying the body, I weld the bracket to which the brake cylinders will be attached into place.
I am considering to weld another strip of sheet metal along the sides; that way it will look a bit more original. The floor panel is very thin; perhaps I should get my roll of 0.6 mm welding wire out again.
May 18, 2026
Because the wheels of the Maxi are positioned a bit further outwards than in the original Renault 5, there isn’t enough clearance in the bodywork for full steering lock. Despite the fact that I have various photos of this modification, I find it difficult to determine exactly what I need to adjust. But the solution is simple: once I can put the front wheels on the car, I can see how much extra space I need to create. I retrieve the control arms from my attic so I can install the rubber bushings.
Lacking a hydraulic press, I try this in my vice first. That actually goes quite well. Last week I ordered a set of ball joints, which I install right away as well. Finally, I squeeze the spacer between the rubber bushings of the upper control arm.
The lower control arms are next. There is a stud inside the control arm for mounting the ball joints. Unfortunately, the powder coater didn’t tape off the stud, so I have to trim the threads. To my surprise, there is an M7 die in my tap set. That is a stroke of luck.
Then the ball joints. That goes a bit less smoothly; the right ball joint fits fine and is installed in no time. But the left ball joint is just slightly larger at the rear and does not fit into the control arm.
May 30, 2026
Today I received the replacement ball joint for the left control arm. Unfortunately, this is a ball joint for the right control arm. On the left in the photo is the ball joint that doesn’t fit, on the right the replacement (that is mirrored).
May 31, 2026
I cannot proceed with the control arms, so I am turning my attention to the next chapter: the wheels. I am gathering the wheels, the brake discs, and the hubs. The brake discs fit the hubs, but the wheels do not. The wheels have a hub bore of 58.1 mm; my hubs are 60. The PCD is 98 mm in the wheels, and 100 in my hubs. Work to be done.
