A Proudly South African engineering and manufacturing success story has played out in a Johannesburg-based company's Booysens Reserve premises, where experience gained in building off-road racing specials was put to good use to meet an unusual export order in record time.

Gilo Engineering and Manufacturing Company was approached in September last year by an Australian company to build five sand rail cars similar to the ones that compete in the special vehicle category of South African off-road racing.

From the time the order was received, with only a concept idea to go on, Gilo managing director Guido de Greef and his team designed and built the five special vehicles in just 13 weeks. The basic frame was computer-designed using SolidWorks and Mastercam, followed by all the different components that were needed to complete a whole car.

"This was a virtually start-from-scratch job," said De Greef. "All the sub components like front suspension, steering, wheel hubs and spindles, rear suspension, brakes, seating arrangements, drive configuration etc, had to be designed and developed. We were required to fit automatic transmissions, which posed a further complication. We decided to build a mid-mount configuration using a Nissan 3,0-litre V6 and an Audi automatic gearbox.

"The first two weeks were very slow as the floor jig had to be designed and made up. Once the framework was designed the first batch of tubing was delivered to us in week three and at the end of the week we had one frame that looked like a spider, but was at least mobile."

Material had to be bought, engines sourced, gearboxes built to specifications and all of this during a period when there was the annual three-week festive season shutdown from mid-December to early January. While supplier companies were closed, the Gilo Engineering team worked through the holidays. Although they had to wait until the first week in January for some materials and components, most components were manufactured in-house. These included the mainframe, engine to gearbox adaptor, suspension control arms, shock absorbers, wheel hubs, wheel spindles, steering boxes, side shafts, brake rotors, wheel studs, ball joints and cups, rod-ends, tie-rods, and many other small parts.

Special parts had to be sourced, such as engine management systems suitable for the application, race-car seats, 5-point safety harnesses had to be made up in England, coil springs made from ground material, radiators, oil-coolers, electric fans, bearings, oil seals, switches, gauges, rims, tyres and many bolts and nuts.

In week 12 the first car was fitted with wheels and was started. After that, final adjustments such as fitting shocks and doing wheel alignment were done. The first vehicle then went for dyno tuning. Just 13 weeks after receiving the order the five South African-designed and built sand rails were completed and ready for delivery.

"This was an interesting challenge and provided us with an opportunity to show what a South African company can do. We were able to successfully complete the job in time because we have the technical and engineering skills in this country and Gilo Engineering and Manufacturing, together with other South African companies who supplied us with materials and components, combined a lot of hard work and long hours with the expertise needed to meet this unusual challenge," said De Greef.

For more information contact Freek van den Berg, Mecad, 011 665 1401.