June 1, 2026
First, I turn the hub to the correct diameter for the hub bore. Next, I mark out the correct pitch circle for the wheel bolts using a pointed chisel.
My lathe has a dividing head on the main shaft, which comes in handy now. I grind a thin drill bit into a scribing tool and mark 4 new holes for the wheel bolts and 2 new holes for the brake disc on the hub.
Next, I center all the new holes by hand; I pre-drill all the holes using a thin center drill bit.
June 7, 2026
After this, I drill out the holes for mounting the brake discs and tap M8 threads on my drill press
To mount the wheels, I don’t want to use wheel bolts, but studs with wheel nuts. I can choose the thread myself, because I am not tied down to anything. M12 x 1.25 has two advantages over M12 x 1.5; the studs with the finer thread are stronger, and the fine thread is less likely to come loose. The wheels are fitted with inserts intended for the original Renault 5 Turbo wheel nuts. And those wheel nuts were special; instead of the normal 60-degree taper, Renault used wheel nuts with a 45-degree taper back in the day. I find one shop in the USA that has wheel nuts with an M12 x 1.25 thread and a 45-degree taper. It doesn’t seem very practical to me to use wheel nuts that you can’t buy anywhere. I inquire at Compomotive whether inserts with a 60-degree taper also fit my wheels. Two days later, a bag of new inserts is sitting on the doormat.
June 10, 2026
I have ordered studs and wheel nuts, but they did not arrive yet. I still had some finishing touches to do on the brake pedal bracket, so I’m doing that today. I welded a strip of sheet metal onto both sides of the new part where the brake pedal will go so that it looks a bit more like the original.
June 16, 2026
Today I start with installing the 60-degree inserts in the wheels. Using a punch, I knock the 45-degree inserts out of the wheels, and with a sturdy piece of axle, I drive the new inserts into place.
After that, I consider my options for shortening the sill. I found a set of photos online of the bare body of the original Renault 5 Maxi Turbo as built by Matter. These photos show exactly how I need to modify the body. So I take the plunge and start marking out.
Initially, I am still cautious and do not cut too much material out of the bodywork. But then I compare my result closely with the photos again; more needs to come off.
June 20, 2026
The outline of the hole is quite a complex shape. I cannot close this up again with a single piece of sheet metal. So I’m starting cautiously with the lower side
June 28, 2026
The very end of the sill isn’t in a very good condition. At first, it seemed just barely good enough to me, but on second thought, I want to replace it after all. I was just too late with the photo again….
With the new piece in place, it looks a lot better. Finally, I’m finishing off all the welds so that they look neat again too. The photo on the right is of the underside of the car. To jack up the car, new jacking points will be installed on the longitudinal beams and at the rear of the sill.
